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fat diet and exercise to maintain good
blood sugar levels because those tend
to rise with age. They should also be
tested regularly."
Barbara Szirtes of Farmington Hills
was diagnosed with high blood sugar
levels when she went to her physician
complaining of fatigue.
"My father had diabetes, so I was
aware of diet," says Mrs. Szirtes. "I was-
n't making much progress by myself, so
I went to a dietician and learned how to
eat the right foods. I lost 18 pounds
and am absolutely religious about exer-
cising and eating correctly.
"I have more energy than ever and
I'm experienced about portion sizes so
that I don't weigh everything I eat.
Now I can eyeball it and tell if it's too
much or too little.
"My advice is that once diagnosed
with diabetes, nothing works —
including medication — unless you're
willing to change your lifestyle and the
way you think."
Because no single diet works for
every patient, the American Diabetes
Association recommends that Type 2
diabetics see a registered dietitian or
educator every six months to a year to
help customize their meals. The goal
of the meal plan is to keep blood
sugar under control by balancing food
with insulin. Tracking the amount of
carbohydrates eaten at each meal is
critical because they have the greatest
impact on blood sugar. Previously,
anything sugary was a no-no based on
the belief that sugar, like simple carbo-
hydrates, are quickly digested allowing
blood sugar to soar while the body
takes more time to process complex
carbohydrates like bread.
Although that may sound reason-
able, it was wrong. The two types of
carbohydrates affect glucose.
Signs, Symptoms
Of Type 2
* Repeated or hard-to-heal infec-
tions of the skin, gums and blad-
der
* Blurred vision
* Tingling or loss of feeling in the
hands or feet
* Dry, itchy skin.
* Frequent urination
* Unusual thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Extreme fatigue
* Irritability
Dietician Gail Posner says it's still
possible to be a diabetic and eat tradi-
tional Jewish foods.
"The difference is that they may not
be cooked in the traditional manner
and your portions will probably be a lot
smaller," says Posner. "Once clients lock
into an eating plan to match their
lifestyle and food preferences, and cut
back on the carbohydrates and sugars,
there's a good chance they can control
their sugar levels."
An active lifestyle and healthy
meals greatly lowers genetic suscepti-
bility to diabetes, say the researchers at
the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Disease in
Phoenix. A six-year study reported in
the Journal of the American Medical
Association last February found that
women who ate a high-sugar, low-
fiber diet, including soft drinks, white
bread and rice, were 2 1/2 times more
likely to get diabetes than women who
ate plenty of roughage.
Roughage seems to lower the need-
for insulin by slowing the absorption of
carbohydrates and prevents surges in
blood sugar while a sugary low-fiber
diet encourages a chronic demand for
insulin. Scientists also are researching a
theory that fiber-rich foods loaded with
magnesium may help prevent diabetes.
"People with diabetes are two to
four times more likely to have heart
disease," explains Dr. Marc Brodsky, a
Birmingham cardiologist with
Beaumont Hospital. "The fact is heart.
disease is present in 75 percent of the
diabetes-related deaths and people
with diabetes are more likely to suffer
a stroke.
"Once diagnosed, patients with dia-
betes should have an annual cardiovas-
cular exam, including cholesterol and
triglyceride profiles. And before start-
ing any fitness program, overweight
patients as well as those with high
blood pressure or heart disease should
first have a medical exam."
One of the aspects of a lower cut-
off point for a diagnosis of diabetes is
that it eliminates some of the empha-
sis for treatment with drugs and
insulin injections, which have side
effects. The earlier the disease is
detected, the more likely changes in
lifestyle will be effective.
Although there's no absolute way
to prevent diabetes, the advice to pro-
tect against it sounds very familiar:
Maintaining a healthy weight, exer-
cising and staying fit, and eating a
diet rich in fiber, fresh fruits and veg-
etables remains the name of.the
game.
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1998
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