Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - 13

About the same time, Anderson also
made exercise a part of his routine,
biking while he was in Manhattan and
running while in L.A. He kept a close
eye on his blood sugar, checking it
three times a day.
His eﬀorts paid oﬀ. Anderson lost
46 pounds, enough to have a positive
eﬀect on his blood sugar. It also meant
that the production crew on Law &
Order had to buy a new wardrobe for
his character.
Petersen stresses the importance of
weight loss to diabetes management,
because excess body fat leads to insulin
resistance, or an inability of the body to
properly deal with glucose.
"It is the cornerstone of what we can
do to potentially curb and treat diabetes," he says. "There is a genetic component, yes. But if you have that genetic
component, then the leading risk factor
you have control over is your weight."
The good news is that weight loss
doesn't need to be as dramatic as
Anderson's to yield results. Losing 5 to
10 percent of your body weight-that's
10 to 20 pounds for a 200-pound person-can greatly reduce the risk of
heart-related diabetes complications,
according to the journal Diabetes Care.

The Magic of Moderation
Being handed a diagnosis of diabetes
is stressful, but managing the disease
doesn't have to be overwhelming.
"Yes, there is a lot to think about,"
says Joanne Rinker, RD, a certiﬁed diabetes educator and a spokeswoman for
the American Association of Diabetes
Educators. "Talk to your diabetes educator about which changes are important right now, and take them one at
a time."
In addition to eating less, Anderson
focuses on reducing the amount of
reﬁned carbohydrates he eats. He still
allows himself sandwiches, but now
he has half, so he's eating one piece of
bread instead of two. When he's hungry
for pasta, he opts for multigrain.

"It's really just about portion control and making healthier choices,"
Anderson says.
Rinker recommends moderation
when starting an exercise routine, too.
"If you haven't done much activity
before, start with 10 minutes of walking around your neighborhood," she
says. "Associate walks with mealtime.
Walk and then eat breakfast, or walk
after lunch and dinner. At the end of
the day, you're at [the recommended]
30 minutes."
Eventually habits will form, and eating well and exercising will become
second nature. That's what happened
for Anderson, and he hopes his story
will inspire others to make changes.
Whether acting as a spokesman for
the FACE Diabetes campaign, which
stands for Fearless African-Americans
Connected and Empowered, educating
his family or incorporating lines about
the disease into Black˙ish, Anderson's
goal is to live by example.
"I found out that when I'm doing
interviews like this, I am and have
become an inspiration to people. They
stop me on the street and they tell me,
'I read this article that you did, and I
just want to let you know because of
you, I've turned my life around,' " he
says. "I hear stories like that all the
time, and it makes me feel good about
going public with my disease and trying to inspire people."
And what an inspiration Anderson
has become. No -ish about it. ■

DIABETES
(MONEY)
MANAGEMENT
Golden Globe nominee Anthony
Anderson consulted Bob Harper of
The Biggest Loser and hired a nutritionist to help battle his diabetes. But
we're not all so lucky. Here are ﬁve
tips from Gwinnett Medical Center's
diabetes educators on how you can
manage diabetes on a budget:
3 Move more, sit less. The
American Diabetes Association recommends interrupting sitting every
30 minutes with a few minutes of
light-intensity activity in addition to
taking part in a regularly scheduled
exercise plan.
3 Practice mindful eating.
Eat with attention and intention.
Listen to your stomach and stop
when satisﬁed. If you ﬁnd yourself
in the kitchen because of stress,
emotions or boredom, take a walk
or call a friend instead.
3 Focus on meal time. Make
healthy food choices in the right
amounts. Remember, a quarter of
your plate should include a healthy
starch option, a quarter of your plate
should include a lean protein choice
and half of your plate should be
loaded with vegetables.
3 Eat more plant-based whole
foods. Add a cup of fresh fruit to
breakfast or for a snack. It is better
to focus on what to add than on
what to restrict.
3 Keep learning. Continue acquiring new information about managing
diabetes by using valuable, reliable
sources like GMC and the American
Diabetes Association.

WEBSITE

Diabetes Diagnosis? What Now?
Gwinnett Medical Center oﬀers educational resources and tools to help
you manage your diabetes. From our nationally recognized diabetes
education program to insulin pump training, our team can help you take
charge. Get started by visiting gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/diabetes.

WINTE R 2017

http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/diabetes

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