Due to abnormally high blood sugar levels in the body, one may suffer from type 2 diabetes. Mentioned ahead are the popular myths and the respective facts about type 2 diabetes.
If you are obese or overweight, you will develop type 2 diabetesBeing overweight or obese is only a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes but does not guarantee causing the disease. Other risk factors like heredity, age, ethnicity, etc. play important roles in developing the disease. There are many people who are obese or overweight and yet do not develop this disease in their lifetime. Whereas, there are many people who succumb to the disease even if they are normal weight or on the edge of being overweight. But then again, obesity is dangerous and a strong risk factor that can attract the disease.You can develop type 2 diabetes if you eat too much sugarNo, eating sugar does not cause diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused due to hereditary or lifestyle factors, and eating sugar does not contribute to it at all. Though, sugar or any food high in calories helps you gain weight, which can make you more at risk for the disease since obese or overweight people are more likely to develop the disease. Apart from that, sugar, sweet foods or foods rich in calories do not have any role to play in causing type 2 diabetes.Diabetic people should follow a special dietDiabetic people, like all others, should follow a normal and healthy diet plan. Your meals should include whole grains, vegetables, fruits and moderate amounts of salt and simple sugars. A healthy diet should be high in proteins and low in cholesterol and fats, especially trans fat and saturated fat. A healthy diet also means inclusion of starchy foods or foods that contain carbohydrates. But, what you need to take care regarding such foods is the portion or quantity you are consuming. If you eat starchy or carbohydrate rich foods in the right amount, there is no reason to worry at all. As for the special foods for diabetics, they hardly do any good to you other than making your wallet lighter.If you have diabetes, you can’t eat anything sweetEarlier, it was believed that diabetic people should completely keep away from sugar or sweet things but that no longer holds true. It has been proven that people with diabetes can indulge in some sweet delicacies, but on the condition that they follow a healthy diet plan and an exercise regime to ward off the ill effects that sugar can cause in a diabetic patient. There are two points that you should keep in mind before delving into some sweet food. You must be aware of the quantity that you consume, and your exercise and diet must help you to adjust the extra sugar calories in your body. Ideally, you must compensate or adjust your additional sugar intake with a low carbohydrate meal to stop your glucose level from being raised by the calories, sugar or carbohydrate present in your sweet delicacy.If you follow your treatment plan diligently, you will never get a high blood sugar readingUnfortunately, this is not true. A diabetic patient might be following his doctor’s advise to the last detail and he might be following all the rules to keep his glucose levels in control. Irrespective of these, he might see a rise in his blood sugar levels occasionally. Type 2 diabetes is not an easy disease and it is difficult to gain complete control over it. Most of the time, you will fail to do so. This happens because with time our bodies change and react differently to different internal and external factors like illnesses, medications, diet, exercise, stress, etc. When our body shows different reactions to such factors, the blood sugar too goes its own way and does not cooperate with the body. It is then that the blood sugar level rises, giving a high reading. But, if a person makes a continuous effort to keep diabetes under control, then such high readings would be occasional and, on an average, the person would be able to manage his blood sugar levels.Diabetic people can not lead a normal, active lifeThis is a big, fat lie. Being diabetic doesn’t mean the end of normal life. You can lead exactly the same busy, hectic or fun life that you lead before being diagnosed with diabetes. You can lead an active and spontaneous life and can also play sports, unlike what many people believe. Only, you need to manage your diabetes properly and take certain precautions. For instance, you should check your blood sugar more frequently while on long tours or long distance travel, pack sufficient food of the right kind if you are traveling long distance by car, etc. It is true that diabetes is a non-curable disease, and in the long run it might affect your health adversely, especially if the blood sugar levels are let to rise or remain high. But, you can lead a fulfilling life with the disease if you maintain control and manage the disease properly.Taking insulin shots for type 2 diabetes is the beginning of your endIt is not. There are many myths associated with insulin and type 2 diabetes. Many think that delaying insulin injections and continuing with oral medications is good for diabetes; and once you start taking insulin injections, it is the end of all hope for you. Many others believe that being advised by doctor to take insulin shots means that the patient is unable to manage his diabetes. Well, all these are just myths and nothing more. Insulin shots are just another way of dealing with and managing type 2 diabetes. Often, oral medications are unable to keep the blood sugar levels in control, especially if they have been taken for a long time. It’s then that insulin injections help you. Insulin shots are actually good and helpful for you, they help you manage your blood sugar levels and lead a normal life.
