Healthy Living

DIABETES

What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for taking sugar from the blood and putting it into the rest of the body where it is used for energy.

I hardly ever eat sugar; how did I get type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes happens when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, or if the body doesn't properly use the insulin that it makes.

There is no single cause of type 2 diabetes, but some factors put people at a greater risk, including:

• Being aged 45 and older
  
• Being overweight
  
• Having a family member who has diabetes
  
• Having had gestational diabetes

Now that I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, what lifestyle changes can I make?
The cornerstone of diabetes management is diet and exercise to achieve a healthy lifestyle. This includes:

• Eating a healthy diet
  
• Getting regular physical activity
  
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
  
• Consuming alcohol in moderation
  
• Stopping smoking

Will I have to follow a diabetic diet?
There is no specific diabetic diet. People with diabetes should follow Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and receive nutritional counselling from a registered dietitian to determine how much to eat from each food group.

Now that I have diabetes, I've heard that I can't eat any sugar and/or starchy foods.
In the past, people with diabetes were told to avoid or limit intake of sugar, or simple carbohydrates (fruit, honey, table sugar, juice, etc.), as it was thought that they would cause rapid rises in blood sugars.

Sugars from dairy products, fruits, and certain vegetables are an acceptable part of a healthy diet since these foods are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Most people can include added sugars (i.e. table sugar, honey) without impairing their blood sugar. Whole grain products such as whole wheat, oats, barley or rye are suggested because they are a good source of fibre.

The Bottomline: It is the amount rather than the type of carbohydrate eaten that has the most effect on your blood sugar. Therefore there is no need to avoid simple sugars or starchy foods. For further nutrition counselling, visit with a registered dietitian.

What is the glycemic index?
The glycemic index is a scale which ranks carbohydrate foods by how much they raise blood sugar levels compared to either glucose or white bread. The lower the glycemic index, the lower the rise in blood sugar.

Eating foods with a low glycemic index may help to control your blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels, control your appetite, and lower your risk for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Some examples of low glycemic index foods:

• 100% stone ground whole wheat bread
  
• pumpernickel bread
  
• all bran cereal
  
• oatmeal
  
• parboiled rice
  
• barley
  
• sweet potato
  
• legumes (chick peas, lentils etc.)

Some examples of high glycemic index foods:

• white bread
  
• Cornflakes
  
• Branflakes
  
• short grain rice
  
• baking potato
  
• soda crackers

Please view the Canadian Diabetes Association Web site at www.diabetes.ca for more information

Is aspartame safe?
In Canada, aspartame is considered safe. Health Canada regulates all sweeteners as "food additives". They also make recommendations regarding safe levels of sweetener consumption.

The acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 40mg per kilogram body weight per day. This is the amount a person can consume on a daily basis without any adverse side effects. For example, a 75kg person could consume more than 10 cans of diet coke per day.

What is Gestational Diabetes? What are the risk factors? What are the treatment options?
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as abnormal glucose tolerance that is first diagnosed during pregnancy. It occurs in 2 to 4% of all pregnancies.

Risk Factors for GDM include age, family history of diabetes, excessive weight gain during pregnancy or obesity prior to pregnancy, ethnicity, history of large-for-gestational-age baby, gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy.

Nutrition counselling and diet modification along with frequent monitoring of blood sugars is used to treat GDM. Insulin is a secondary treatment option if nutrition and diet does not help control blood sugar.

If you have been diagnosed with GDM, consult with your doctor or dietitian regarding your treatment options.