Vitality - Fall 2013 - (Page 7)
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WATCH WHAT
YOU EAT
"I try to watch my carb intake,
but every once in a while my
plate looks like the diabetic
denial meal," Rericha admits.
While her type 2 diabetes
results from her genetic
and gestational history, diet
plays a huge role in how she
manages the disease-not to
mention her hopes for her five
daughters' long-term health.
Her top mealtime tactics?
Controlled portions and limited carbohydrates. "A lot of
people talk about how diabetics should eat. Honestly, this
is how everybody should eat,"
Rericha says.
Expert take: Spollett agrees
with this approach and suggests that high-fiber foods
should play a big part, too.
"Fiber helps slow digestion,"
she says, and this keeps blood
glucose even.
PHOTO BY GETTY/CHRISTOPH WILHELM
GET YOUR
FITNESS ON
Less than half of all adults
get the Centers for Disease
Control and Preventionrecommended 150 minutes
a week of exercise. Like
many Americans, Rericha
says she could exercise
more. She does, however,
take her family regularly to
the YMCA and for walks in
their neighborhood.
Expert take: Spollett says
exercise works wonders on
three fronts: It helps the body
use insulin better, it controls
the risk for cardiovascular
disease, and it helps mood.
GUARD YOUR
EMOTIONAL
HEALTH
Speaking of mood, Rericha refuses to let diabetes
dampen her sense of humor.
She can't resist calling others
with diabetes "sweetie," and
she has been known to blame
bad moods on blood sugar. "If
I didn't laugh a little, I could
easily slip into depression
because of this," Rericha says.
Expert take: Spollett says
looking forward with hope
rather than looking back with
regret also helps. If you feel
as if sadness, anger or denial
is pulling you under, talk to a
mental health professional.
SURROUND
YOURSELF
WITH SUPPORT
"Living with a chronic disease,
especially an invisible one, is
extremely difficult and often
lonely," Rericha writes in her
blog, noting that her husband
and daughters support her
during times when she needs
to grab a snack or take a break
to regulate her blood sugar.
She also taps into an online
diabetes community for a
sounding board.
Expert take: Finding a nonfamily member who can listen
can be a huge help, Spollett
says. "Often the day-to-day
living with diabetes can be
hard for the family," she says.
30 minutes
EDUCATE
YOURSELF-
AND OTHERS
Rericha has an insatiable
desire to learn about how
her body works, what
causes blood glucose irregularities and which glucose
meters work better than
others. "The more I learn,
the less overwhelming
diabetes is," she says,
noting that she also takes
opportunities to debunk
diabetes myths, such as the
assumption that people with
diabetes can't eat desserts.
Expert take: Not only does
education lead to good selfmanagement, but being in
touch with the latest research
is also what gives many
diabetes patients hope, Spollett says.
TRACK AND
ORGANIZE
YOUR NUMBERS
Rericha uses a software
program that uploads blood
glucose numbers from her
meter through a USB device.
"I will admit that I'm not
always on top of that," she
says, noting that sometimes
she simply does a quick check
before exercising or eating.
Expert take: Blood glucose
monitoring is essential for
diabetes patients taking medication, Spollett says. "You
can't just do it haphazardly,
but check in a pattern that
helps you make better decisions," she urges.
TRACK AND
SHARE YOUR
DIABETES
PROGRESS
The American Diabetes
Association offers a free
online tool to track your
diabetes, even allowing
secure data transfer
to your doctors. Visit
citizensmemorial.com/
vitality and click
"Diabetes 24/7."
TAKE
MEDICATION
AS RECOMMENDED
Rericha's diabetes is diet- and
exercise-controlled, and she
hopes to keep it that way.
But many diabetes patients
need medication. It's a good
idea to take stock of your
prescriptions once a week and
organize them with a pillbox
or on the calendar. Whatever
you do, don't ignore your meds
because you "feel fine."
Expert take: "Diabetes is an
insidious disease. Just as with
high blood pressure, a person
can feel fine until they have
a stroke," Spollett says. "The
consequences of diabetes can
include heart attack, kidney
problems, vision problems
or nerve damage." These
possibilities are startling, but
there's much you can do to
prevent them. Just start small,
find what works, and you'll be
on your way toward lifelong
benefits.
This length of moderate exercise a day-with dietary changes resulting
in about 7 percent weight loss-led to a nearly 60 percent reduction in
diabetes risk for prediabetes patients in a national study.
C I T I Z E N S M E M O R I A L .CO M |
7
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vitality - Fall 2013
Vitality - Fall 2013
Contents
Health Beat
Diabetes Survival Guide
A New Light
Road to Recovery
Heart Smart
Q + A
Vitality - Fall 2013
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