When my mother was diagnosed with diabetes over a decade ago, I was certain they had made a mistake. It just couldn’t be.
You see, my mother was known for living sugar-free. She had her coffee black, and when she stopped drinking coffee and switched to tea, she drank it with lime. She never ate biscuits, sweets or chocolate. When others were drinking sweetened beverage, she would be that one person with the soda water. Of all the people in the world, my mother was the last person you would expect to develop diabetes.
Over the years as we’ve journeyed with Mum, navigating the sometimes turbulent waters of diabetes, we have come to understand that blood sugar doesn’t necessarily work the way we assumed. Here are 10 things you should know about blood sugar:
- After every meal, the carbohydrates you have eaten (rice, bread, spaghetti, potatoes, etc.) get broken down into sugars and enter the bloodstream through the gut walls.
- Insulin, produced in the pancreas, is a very important hormone whose job is to transport and store glucose (simplified sugar) in the bloodstream.
- Blood sugar is your body’s basic energy supply. Without it your muscles will not work. Also, if blood sugar supply to the brain is interrupted, even for a few minutes, the result can be devastating.
- Diabetes is the result of the body’s insulin system breaking down; either it is not being made in the pancreas (Type 1 diabetes), or the body has become “insulin-resistant”, this requiring lots more insulin to do the job (Type 2 diabetes).
- Excessive glucose affects very small blood vessels, like the ones in the eye. This is why blindness is a major risk faced by diabetics if their blood sugar is not properly managed. Ten years ago, before we understood how to manage blood sugar properly, my mother went blind in both eyes. Thankfully, she regained full vision after surgery, but trust me, you do not ever want it to happen in the first place.
- High blood sugar is not the only dangerous possibility. When blood sugar is too low, things also start to go wrong. I remember the first time my Mum said, “My blood sugar is low” as she started looking for something to eat quickly. I thought, isn’t low blood sugar good news, especially for a diabetic? No, it’s not. Blood sugar level must be just right.
- Unusual thirst is one classic symptom of diabetes that initially bewildered me until I understood why; the kidneys are always calling for extra water to help eliminate the excess glucose that insulin didn’t store away.
- Frequent urination is also another experience diabetics struggle with. Sometimes the blood sugar is so high that ants are drawn to the urine.
- Diet plays a huge role in managing blood sugar. In fact, it has made the most significant difference, in our experience. Beyond cutting down on carbohydrates, fats and sugars, eating lots of vegetables, legumes and fibre, along with oily fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, is also helpful. Cinnamon is said to improve the body’s ability to recognise and respond to insulin.
- Exercise is the partner of a good diet when it comes to managing blood sugar. Even moderate exercise like walking or dancing makes a significant difference.
Whether or not you have diabetes, eating well, staying active, and seeing your doctor for regular checkups, will do you a world of good.
