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Eating Sugar Causes Type 2 Diabetes – True Or False

I am sure many of you have wondered if eating sugar or sweets causes type 2 diabetes. The straight answer is no, but eating excessive amounts of sweets can lead to obesity which can lead to diabetes. This post will look at the connection between sugar and type 2 diabetes and what steps you can take to avoid getting this disease.

As stated in a previous post, diabetes occurs when your pancreas, the organ that makes insulin, either doesn’t make enough or doesn’t make any.  This is known as insulin resistance. When you eat carbs (which includes sugar) they are broken down into glucose which gives the body energy. If your body is not managing insulin well, the excess sugar ends up in your bloodstream and your blood sugar rises. This is known as hyperglycemia.

What you can do

To avoid getting type 2 diabetes— or managing it if you already have it— the best thing you can do is to avoid eating excess carbohydrates. The American Diabetes Association recommends you substitute starchy foods with the following:

Nonstarchy Vegetables — The best choices are fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and vegetable juices without added salt (sodium), fat or sugar such as: • Asparagus • Green beans • Carrots • Cabbage • Eggplant • Cauliflower • Broccoli • Mushrooms • Tomatoes • Spinach • Onion • Peppers. If using canned veggies, drain and rinse them with water to wash away about 40% of the sodium.

You can also substitute starchy foods with whole grain foods, beans, peas and lentils and starchy vegetables without added fats, sugars or sodium. Whole grain foods can consist of Whole wheat flour •Whole oats/oatmeal •Whole-grain corn/corn meal •Popcorn •Brown rice •Whole-grain rye •Whole-grain barley •Wild rice •Buckwheat/buckwheat flour •Triticale •Bulgur (cracked wheat) •Millet •Quinoa •Sorghum

Instead of sweets and sugary foods they recommend you avoid regular soda, fruit punch, sports drinks, sweet tea, and other sugary drinks. Choose water and calorie free drinks instead. Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts such as chips, cookies, cakes and ice cream.

You can also choose from a variety of fresh, frozen and canned fruits without added sugars such as: •Apple •Blueberries •Orange •Grapefruit •Grapes •Peaches •Pear •Plums •Cherries. If you use canned fruit in syrup, drain and rinse the fruit with water to wash away the extra syrup.

In trying to solve your dilemma as to what you should eat to manage your diabetes, you can see that you have very many options when it comes to making healthy choices. It’s up to you to exercise some self-control and cut back (not eliminate them altogether) on those foods that will spike your blood sugar. Then when you combine these healthy choices with regular physical activity, you will be well on your way to managing your diabetes and getting off medications.

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can send your life into a tailspin. It can leave you feeling alone and overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to. Join my type 2 diabetes network group and get the help and support you need.

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7 Symptoms of High Blood Sugar And The Causes

People who suffer from type 2 diabetes may experience high blood sugar, but even if you are not diabetic, your blood sugar may run high. This is known as hyperglycemia, and if left untreated, it can cause serious symptoms to develop. Hyperglycemia occurs when your body either does not produce enough insulin or is unable to absorb insulin properly, or develops a resistance to insulin.

Being able to recognize the symptoms of high blood sugar listed below can help you take action before this happens.

  1. Excessive thirst. This is usually the first sign that something is wrong. No matter how much water you drink it doesn’t seem enough.
  2. Frequent urination. Drinking a lot of water or juice will have you running to the bathroom frequently.
  3. Fatigue. Since your body is unable to make proper use of insulin, glucose (your source of energy) enters the bloodstream instead of being absorbed into the body’s cells. This leads to fatigue and a lack of energy.
  4. Blurred vision. Changes in blood sugar levels can cause the lens of your eyes to swell, leading to blurred vision. This can go away once your sugar stabilizes.
  5. Headaches. If your blood sugar is too high or too low, headaches may result. Most people who have diabetes also suffer from high blood pressure and that too may be a cause of headaches.
  6. Dry mouth. Another common symptom of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, although people who don’t have diabetes may also experience diabetes. Some medications used to treat diabetes may also cause diabetes.
  7. Weakness. People with diabetes can suffer from weakness in the lower leg and calf muscles which can increase the risk of falling.

All of the symptoms listed above can be avoided or reversed by making simple lifestyle changes to bring your sugar under control. Check out these articles below:

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can send your life into a tailspin. It can leave you feeling alone and overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to. Join my type 2 diabetes network group and get the help and support you need.