November is Diabetes Awareness Month
  Contributed by: Sarah Kennedy, Pharm.D.
                        Community Pharmacy Resident

In the United States, 23.6 million people have diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes, which is seen much more in adults than children, has become an epidemic affecting almost one in three adults.  Diabetes is a disease that causes a person's blood sugar to rise.  In Type 1 diabetes, the person's body makes no insulin, which is the hormone that lowers blood sugar naturally.  In Type 2 diabetes, the person's body can make insulin, but can't use it very well.  The brain and muscles need sugar so they can work, so insulin works like a key to let sugar into the muscles and brain.  In diabetes, there is too much sugar in the blood and not enough in the muscles and brain.  This can damage blood vessels because the blood becomes sticky like syrup.

Unlike Type 1 diabetes, many cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented.  To see if you're at risk, you can visit www.diabetes.org and choose the "Lifestyle and Prevention" tab to find a risk calculator.  Risks for getting Type 2 diabetes are older age, being overweight, not exercising enough, having gestational diabetes during a pregnancy, family history in parents or siblings, and high blood pressure.  The best way to keep from getting diabetes is to make healthy food choices and exercise to keep a healthy weight.  Figuring out what to eat can be hard with so many different options.  The first thing is to eat lots of fruits and vegeta

bles.  These have natural sugar that the body can use easier than processed sugars.  They also have lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals.  When looking for bread, rolls, and cereals, look for whole grain options.  These will make blood sugar go up, but it will go up more slowly than things with regular flour.  They also have lots of fiber which keeps the body from absorbing as much fat from food.  For meats, choose fish, chicken, turkey or cuts of beef or pork that end in "loin."  Examples of these might be pork loin or sirloin steaks.  Non-fat dairy has also been show to help people lose weight.  The absolute most important idea for good nutrition is eating smaller portions.  Check out www.mypyramid.gov for help determining how much you should be eating.

With the holidays coming up, nutrition is about the last thing on most people's minds.  However, with a little planning, everyone can enjoy themselves without falling off track with their healthy life.  One way to make up for eating a few extra calories is to exercise just a bit more.  You can start a new family tradition of taking an afternoon walk or a backyard football game.  When you all sit down to the feast, don't feel obligated to eat everything on the table.  Pick out your favorite foods and leave ones that you eat all year round.  If you just can't choose because it is all so wonderful, then eat very small portions of each food.  You can make a smaller meal feel bigger and more filling if you take very small bites.  This allows time for your stomach to send the message when it is full so you don't overeat.  These are just a few tips for staying healthy over the holidays.  If you have questions, call your local pharmacist or look at www.diabetes.org.

For more nutrition and exercise information, check out www.mypyramid.gov.