November is National Diabetes Awareness month. And right now it’s more important than ever to know about how diabetes can effect you and your loved ones.

Fast facts about diabetes

• Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes the sugar level to rise in the blood.
• Diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin. Insulin aids in the transport of sugar (glucose) from the blood into body cells.

Did you know?

• African Americans are more likely to develop diabetes.
• Diabetes can cause serious complications from COVID-19 and other diseases.
• People with diabetes are more likely to have a stroke or heart disease.
• Diabetes can cause eye problems, including blindness.

But diabetes can be controlled!

• Proper management of diabetes greatly reduces the risk of serious complications.
• Talk with your healthcare provider for treatment options including medication and exercise.
• Exercise regularly. Try walking in the park or turning on some music and dancing!
• Be aware of the foods that you eat and how they affect the way your body works.

There are variety of treatment options for people diagnosed with diabetes.  Be sure to talk to your doctor about treatment options for yourself and loved ones.

Not sure where to start?

At the Health Gap we offer several classes and workshops that can help you get started!

Check out our Do Right! Health Steps page for more information on our free 5-week class and the current class is ongoing https://closingthehealthgap.org/what-we-do/wellness-series/healthy-steps/ .

Or if you’re interested in improving your family’s nutrition check out the Do Right! Nutrition Train the Trainer free 5-week class, the next class is scheduled for January https://closingthehealthgap.org/what-we-do/wellness-series/nutrition-train-the-trainer/ .

The Health Gap frequently holds other workshops and classes. The full calendar is listed here https://closingthehealthgap.org/calendar/ .

Further information:

Types of diabetes

• All types of diabetes are caused by a lack of insulin and inability to transport sugar (glucose) from the blood into body cells.
• In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce insulin.
• In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
• Prediabetes occurs before people develop Type 2 diabetes. It is indicated by higher than normal blood sugar levels.
• Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and the exact cause is unclear.

If you’re interested in nutrition but can’t find the time for a Health Gap class you can check out MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine.  It features several healthy recipes that tell you exactly what nutritional content you can expect. Find all the recipes here https://medlineplus.gov/recipes/ .

We recommend the Chicken and Pepper Bake https://medlineplus.gov/recipes/chicken-pepper-bake/. It looks delicious and is easy to prepare!

Learn more about:

Diabetes Management from HealthGap here. https://closingthehealthgap.org/blog-post-2-with-video/

Diabetes Management from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases here. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/4-steps

How diabetes can cause COVID-19 complications from the American Diabetes Association here. https://www.diabetes.org/coronavirus-covid-19/how-coronavirus-impacts-people-with-diabetes

Diabetes Complications here. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems

Diabetes from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) here. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/index.html

Blood Sugar here. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/know-blood-sugar-numbers

Diabetes Medications here. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/insulin-medicines-treatments

Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes here. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-type-2-diabetes

Sources

Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/diagnosed-diabetes.html

Healthcare inequality in diabetes https://www.diabetes.org/healthequitynow

Types of diabetes https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes