The author of this article is the author of “Lifestyle Makeover for Diabetics and Pre-diabetics”. Proper and early identification IS A MUST.
What you don’t know can indeed hurt you. Early detection allows people to take action before there are serious consequences. About 6 million have had diabetes for several years and don’t know it and tens of million may be pre-diabetic and don’t know it either. By the time most diabetics get diagnosed they have diabetes for several years and already had some damage to their arteries and nervous system.
Don’t be like those other people get identified NOW. Early detection and immediate weight reduction, even as little as 5 to 7 pounds, can help you regain sugar control, reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol and may even reverse the entire situation. You can lose these 5 to 7 pounds by making favorable food and activity choices, as recommended in my Learning to Make Favorable Lifestyle Choices section (Action Step 4). These wise choices can bring the situation under control.
People who have any combination of the following criteria should test for blood sugar at least once a year during a yearly doctor check up:
Table 1:People who are overweight or obese,People who are couch potatoes,Smokers,People with a family history of diabetes,Women with a history of gestational diabetes or who have given birth to babies over 9 pounds,People belonging to the following ethnic groups: African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian- Americans, Pacific Islanders,People with high blood pressure, People with high cholesterol,People with heart disease, People who have symptoms of continuous thirst, and who experience frequent urination, fatigue, sudden vision problems, or numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet.
If your blood fasting sugar is below 100 mg/dl then you are not diabetic. If your fasting blood sugar level is between 100 and 125 mg/dl, then you are considered glucose intolerant and/or are suffering from a condition called pre-diabetes. This means that you are about to have full-blown diabetes unless you start making favorable lifestyle choices as recommended in Action Steps 4 and 5. If your fasting blood sugar, however, is 126 mg/dl and over on 2 separate readings then this is a diagnosis for diabetes.
I’d like to share a story.
Ever since I started pharmacy practice in 1987, I tried, whenever possible, to become more involved with my patients. I didn’t want to just be a dispensing pharmacist. Through my constant communications with my patients, I realized that only a small minority were informed and took appropriate action to bring their condition under control. They lived happily since their decision to take that control. Unfortunately, the vast majority had the “I don’t care,” or the “it is not going to happen to me” and “my health is someone else’s or the doctor’s responsibility” type of attitude. Those latter people paid the ultimate price.
Diabetics who espoused the latter approach had the worst outcomes and eventually developed most of the diabetes complications previously listed. I was very impressed by the actions of some patients who I would counsel; some over 80 years old, had diabetes but were persistent in their action to keep their condition under control from the moment of their initial diagnosis. They looked and felt good and they enjoyed the ultimate quality of life. It can be done. You can live a long and healthy life despite being a diabetic, IF you keep its complications in check by becoming more informed and by being proactive and employing the information you receive from this guide. That’s really all it takes.
Through my work, I have also encountered young people with diabetes in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s who either have been misinformed, are in denial, have given up or do not want to take their condition seriously. They are overweight, smoke, and are inactive. These people act the way they do because they do not want to “feel” different than others and because they think that they have to be deprived of some foods and sweets for the rest of their lives and that no matter what they do they will ultimately be affected with diabetes complications.
That’s old thinking; it is not the case! They are misinformed, and the good news is they can enjoy eating from all the food groups in a balanced fashion as will be discussed in “Action Step 4”: Learning to Make Favorable Lifestyle Choices. Any diabetic can lead a very normal and very active life, just like non-diabetics and without being deprived from any food. This guide will provide you with the necessary tools to achieve that.
Now that you understand a little better your Type of diabetes and realize that you can make a major difference to the better in your quality of life, a call to action was upon you yesterday. If you want to have the blessing of a normal and a natural lifespan, then adopt and start implementing, NOW, the 5 Action Steps in LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS
For more detailed information on any of these topics log on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com and check out these information packed lifesaving book and e-book volumes: LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS and 4 other e-books: Lifestyle Makeover: Sex, Stress, and Alcohol, Lifestyle Makeover for All Couch Potatoes, Lifestyle Makeover: Defeat High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure, and Lifestyle Makeover for all Tobacco Users. The author of this article is also the author of these volumes
Test your knowledge on these various issues and take a simple True and False quiz by logging on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com
RESOURCE BOX:
George F. Tohme, pharmacist, graduate of Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA in 1987 and currently practicing in Texas. He is certified in diabetes and cholesterol management, smoking cessation, nutrition guidance, and a certified personal trainer. He is a lifestyle makeover expert and also conquered his own 17-year battle with obesity.
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Email: mail@lifestyle-makeover.com Tel: 214 523 9008
Your health is the sum of choices you make every day. Take charge and make favorable lifestyle choices so you can enjoy lifelong good health, defeat chronic diseases and enjoy the best quality of life. The lifesaving ebooks I authored will show you the way.
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