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November 11, 2012
HEALTHY LIFE: DIABETES
11
Weight, on top of other risk fac-
tors, tends to increase the chance
of being diagnosed with the disease
at an earlier age too.
Some of the reasons diabetes is
on the rise is because of our mod-
ern-day sedentary lifestyle, she
said.
In order to get the disease under
control, patients are often asked to
lose 10 to 15 pounds, said Jacob-
son, noting that if a person lowers
his or her body mass index, blood
sugars will drop as well.
Meanwhile, what research is
showing is that there are also a
higher percentage of elderly peo-
ple coming down with Type 2 dia-
betes.
One of the reasons is that we’re
living longer, said Fitz Gerald.
That simply means the chances of
getting diabetes become greater
from a statistical standpoint. Also,
people who have congestive heart
failure, COPD, cancer, kidney dis-
ease and a variety of other diseas-
es tend to have a greater chance
of getting Type 2 diabetes, she
said.
Also, there’s a link between ges-
tational diabetes and getting the
disease later on down the road,
and medical professionals are see-
ing more women in their 30s with
the disease.
Still, it’s school-aged children —
many who don’t get as much activ-
ity as they should and tend to con-
sume a higher amount of junk
foods — who medical profession-
als worry about the most.
Dietitian Jacobson said the goal
isn’t only being concerned about
what young people eat, but what
they drink as well, the goal being
to cut back on both soda and sug-
ar-laden fruit juices.
“We’re finding liquid calories...
are contributing a huge amount of
calories,” said Jacobson, pointing
out that only two sugared drinks a
day can add up to 300 to 400 extra
calories.
Just knocking out some of those
sugared drinks, along with as little
as five minutes of activity can help
reduce blood sugar levels, she
said.
An important aspect of getting
diabetes under control is making
small changes to avoid concentrat-
ed sugars and limiting the amount
of carbohydrates consumed, said
Jacobson. A good place to start is
by reducing such food staples as
white rice and white bread in a
person’s diet, which will improve
blood sugar levels, replacing them
with whole grain items. The same
goes for eating more food that’s
high in fiber.
The more fiber you can get, the
less rise you’ll notice in blood sug-
ar, said Jacobson.
“Fiber is really a key thing I talk
to people about,” she said.
And it’s not so much you can’t
have certain foods, it’s more a mat-
ter of portion sizes. The problem
most Americans have is placing
large portions of food on their din-
ner plates. Jacobson said one sim-
ple solution is to buy smaller
plates and then use that plate as a
visual portion distributor.
One quarter of a plate should
contain a starch; another quarter
should have a protein (lean meat
or tofu are good examples). The
remaining half of that plate should
be filled with non-starchy vegeta-
bles.
“What it’s really about is serv-
ing size,” Jacobson pointed out.
Of course, exercise is equally
important when it comes to deal-
ing with diabetes.
Nurse Fitz Gerald said most
medical professionals recommend
exercising for 30 minutes a day,
five days a week.
For many, it could be something
as simple as parking a car at the
opposite end of the parking lot or
walking around the shopping mall.
“Doing a fast walk is good,” said
Fitz Gerald.
For older people, working out
with elastic bands or even using a
chair for exercise is a good way to
go, especially if access to a gym
isn’t available or affordable. Other
no-cost exercises include reciting
the alphabet while pointing your
feet in different directions or us-
ing soup cans as barbells. A floor
bike peddling machine provides
great exercise as well, said Fitz
Gerald.
Meanwhile, both Fitz Gerald
and Jacobson said anyone who has
recently been diagnosed with
Type 2 diabetes should spend time
with a diabetes educator.
Says Fitz Gerald, “We’re oodles
of education and knowledge.”
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: JONATHAN HOUSE
Portion control is very important in treating Type 2 diabetes. Melissa Jacobson, a dietitian at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, uses props to illustrate that fact.
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