Life is not over because you have diabetes.

Make the most of what you have and be grateful.

Dale Evans

Living with diabetes can be challenging , and sometimes seem impossible. Living with it and not understanding what it is doing to your body can severely interfere with your quality of life.

My grandmother having diabetes for over 45 years was suffering greatly from the complications of Type 2 diabetes. It was devastating for her and all the family. She had slowly been losing her eye site through the years and she reached the point of seeing only shades of gray eventually going blind. She also experienced circulation and mobility issues, neuropathy skin issues, and a host of other diabetes related problems. I lost my grandmother to diabetes 5- 15 years earlier than someone who doesn’t have it.

Most people with diabetes don’t know why having high levels of sugar in the blood is bad for them. They accept that this is what it is. Does this sound familiar? Could this be you? If you only knew the killer damage happening in your organs, tissues and cells,  you would want to take a more proactive approach. This is the reason for this blog post. I want you to be aware of the complications of type 1 and 2 diabetes so that you can do something about it. In part 2 of this series, I am going to share about the glycemic index and how choosing to use it can extend your life and increase your quality of living.

Your Blood Sugar, Acid and Cells

It’s important to understand what normal blood sugar levels look like so you can quickly identify when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal. When that happens, the body produces acids and these are toxic to the body. This acid lurks in the body and bathe in your cells causing damage all day and all night long. It does it in several key areas of the body.

One area is in your nerves and nerve endings. This is a most common complication of type 1 and 2 diabetes. It shows up as pain, tingling and numbness in different parts of your body. The most affected are the hands and feet, although it can affect many areas of the body. When the condition continues in the feet untreated, it can lead to loss of balance because you can no longer feel your feet under you.

The second is the body’s ability to heal. Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations? The reason is simple, when the body can’t heal itself , sores, infections or cuts become unmanageable . Sometime gangrene sets in and when this happens often amputation is the only solution.

Another complication of type 1 and 2 diabetes is poor circulation. The extremities such as your hands and feet are the first to feel it. When you combine that with neuropathy, it can create limited mobility and using canes, walkwers and having additional support may become necessary. This helps to avoid falls.

Fourth, high blood sugars are one of the leading causes of heart disease in the world. Strokes as well. The acid creates inflammation in the veins and this stress causes the blood cells to be sluggish leaving deposits.

Often people learn of their condition through their eye care professionals  as a result of blurred and failing vision. The leading cause of blindness is as result of consistently high blood sugar levels. This is one of the most common complications of type 1 and 2 diabetes.  The acid in the blood and pressure in the blood ruptures the tiny capillaries behind the eye, which causes vision loss and eventual blindness. The damage once it happens cannot be repaired. One can however practice with eye exercises to assist in warding off complications and/or delaying them.

The same thing can happen in your kidneys. They contain tiny capillaries as well, that when ruptured create irreparable damage. Also, with the increased acid the blood makes the kidneys work harder to function, which can lead to early failure.

With this, many experience tiredness, lethargy and exhaustion resulting in a total loss of energy. Another complication of diabetes and hormonal changes is depression, blood pressure and cholesterol. It becomes a vicious cycle . Weight often becomes an issue and is weight is gained more and more complications set in.

Thankfully, there is hope. What I am interested in sharing with you is what you can do to prevent, repair and reverse the complications of diabetes . Knowing that there are so many complications that can impact your life and interfere with you having an optimal life experience, it is time to focus on how to you can achieve normal blood sugar levels and start winning with you health and winning with diabetes. Have you ever asked yourself how would life be different for you if you could starting winning with diabetes ? Can you imagine the difference  it could make in your life and in your family’s life?  Here is the good news. Having grandparents who lived to be 100 years young and others in their mid 90’s and grandma who passed on in her 80’s, my next blog will introduce you to some of those wellness principles to help you to start Winning with Diabetes. Please see Part 2 of this series.