Type 2 Diabetes, The Common One

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, also called adult onset diabetes, can be caused by a bad diet and no I am not talking about having a burger and fries once a week. I am talking about having that burger and fries a few times a week and living a sedentary lifestyle; not being physically active, having a job that requires sitting down, not walking or doing any form of exercise (no, walking to and from your car does not count although I wish it did). There is also a genetic factor to consider, if your parents and/or grandparents have diabetes than there is a chance you might have a higher risk of developing T2. All of this over many years causes fat deposits to build up and causes your body to be resistant to the natural hormone insulin, created in your pancreas. Once your body becomes insulin resistant, there is more sugar in your blood instead of your body cells where its supposed to be. Now not all T2 diabetics are overweight, they can be thin as a stick but an unhealthy diet and genetic factors can cause their bodies to be insulin resistant. This is where everything goes south, you get diagnosed with T2.

In the span of a few days you are than either pumped with meds or insulin and told to control your diet, or are told to go on a strict diet and exercise regimen. I complain about being a T1 diabetic all the time, but I guess I can be comforted to a small degree by the fact that its an autoimmune disease. If you are a T2 diabetic or recently diagnosed it not entirely your fault. I mean I have many people in my life who are T2 diabetics and are constantly berating themselves and looking back on their life choices with regret. Always blaming themselves for the disease they've landed with. We as a society have promoted a sedentary lifestyle with the addition and boom of the fast food nation, it should come as no surprise that people have developed a disease linked to both of these factors. We as diabetics (T1 and T2) love to play the blame game. We end up blaming ourselves for the high numbers, the low numbers, not exercising enough, not eating rabbit food all the time, not taking care of ourselves, and the list goes on. I am sure if we stopped playing the blame game, we would actually spend that time working on taking better care of our health.

The good news to being a T2 diabetic is that it can be cured. I am sure that's easier said than done but people have done it. Now this does not mean that every T2 diabetic (or T1 for that matter) is just like each other, some things might work for one person but not for another. Our bodies might have the same organs that function in a similar way but this does not mean that a particular diet that works for me will specifically do the same thing for you. I think we forget that just because so and so cured their diabetes and you are not able to doesn't mean you are taking less care of yourself (unless you are, than it might be time to start). We all have different lifestyles, someone's life may be more stressful than yours, or they may be more financially stable than you are. This would probably allow them to actually stick to a specific routine without having to worry about finances. Unlike someone who might constantly worried about how they are going to pay the bills, let alone how they are going to pay for meds. Don't even get me started on health insurance. It's a great thing if you have it, but there are always issues with getting coverage for meds and doctors' visits approvals which adds more stress to your life (at least it does to mine. Also, the cost of being healthy and staying healthy are ridiculous, from all the medical bills, to gym memberships, and the cost of good, clean food, its a surprise we are all not walking pharmacies.

So instead of looking at your past choices and regretting them, or simply beating your self up over not taking care of yourself ( I am talking to you Kyle). Take charge of your life, make changes that you may hate but are essentially great for you. Fix your diet (just means the food you eat, not some insane fad) and try to make yourself more physically active. Now, this won't all happen in one day, one week, one month, or even one year but take the initiative to make it happen. Start somewhere, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem and are actually working to fix it. I am not gonna lie, its going to be tough. probably the toughest thing you've done but its doable. I have faith in you and your ability to take care of yourself.

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, this is just what I've been exposed to and found out from various healthcare professionals and personal relationships with people who have T2 diabetes.