**November is National Diabetes Month**
Did you know that in the next 24 hours, 4,320 new cases of diabetes will be diagnosed?
Did you know that diabetes doubles your risk for heart attack and stroke?
I was not very familiar with Diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, but recently had a scare with Gestational Diabetes. Now, I’m trying to become more aware and have been checking out the Stop Diabetes website.
It has tons of great information, including some of the popular myths of Diabetes. Here are a few that caught my eye:
Myth: If you are overweight or obese, you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes.
Fact: Being overweight is a risk factor for developing this disease, but other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age also play a role. Unfortunately, too many people disregard the other risk factors for diabetes and think that weight is the only risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.
Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: No, it does not. Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease; type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors. Being overweight does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and a diet high in calories, whether from sugar or from fat, can contribute to weight gain. If you have a history of diabetes in your family, eating a healthy meal plan and regular exercise are recommended to manage your weight.
Myth: If you have diabetes, you should only eat small amounts of starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes and pasta.
Fact: Starchy foods are part of a healthy meal plan. What is important is the portion size. Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, peas and corn can be included in your meals and snacks. The key is portions. For most people with diabetes, having 3-4 servings of carbohydrate-containing foods is about right. Whole grain starchy foods are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your gut healthy.
Myth: People with diabetes can’t eat sweets or chocolate.
Fact: If eaten as part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes. They are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes than they are to people without diabetes.
On Saturday, November 7th, Gold’s Gym locations around the world will open their doors to the public, inviting people to take place in an event to help raise awareness for diabetes research.
Gold’s Gym is hosting a calorie “Burn-a-thon” to promote diabetes awareness. This is a FREE and ACTIVE way for you to help the effort to stop Diabetes!
Gold’s Gym will “donate” the calories you burn that day to the cause. Whether it’s 5 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, an hour long group exercise class or 30 minutes of lifting weights, all calories burned by exercising will count as a donation to the cause. Gold’s Gym has even created a special calorie guide that shows how many calories are burned with each activity performed at the gym. All of the calories burned will be added to the 180,000,000 calorie goal, which will be a world record.
All you have to do is show up at Gold’s Gym on Saturday and be ready to sweat! Find out more information here.
No excuses gang! You get exercise and the American Diabetes Association gets some much needed exposure!
Never underestimate the power of a workout!
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Thank you for posting this information. It will help a lot of people especially those who are at risk in diabetes and to those who already have it.
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