Recently I replied to a girl that wanted to know if someone could make her care about her Diabetes.  At 16 her HBA1C was running over 10%.   The HBA1C test checks the blood to see how much of it is sugar and looks at this information over the life of your blood cells or about  3 to 6 months.  A normal reading is about 5.0% and 7.0% if you have Diabetes.

You may not realize that caring about your Diabetes is mental.  It’s about having a good support system and a desire for a full and healthy life.  When you have high blood sugar the problems don’t show up for years.  Since blood goes everywhere in your body and high sugar levels interfere with your body’s ability to heal itself, you will be looking at vision problems, circulation problems like not experiencing feeling in your extremeties, your organs will be impacted (heart, liver, kidneys, not to mention your giblets ) AND it can impact your SEX LIFE.

My response to the 16 year old that doesn’t care anymore…”if you are writing this so others can see it means that you do care and that’s a great first step.  If your family and friends are not providing the right support level then maybe it’s time to seek additional support.  Find a diabetes support group in your area or a counselor that understands the issues and can help you understand them better.”

For over 15 years I’ve been struggling with diabetes and food.  No one knows better than me the triumph of finding a food and adequate quantities to satisfy me.  I guess it’s really a quest.  I’m on a quest to eat better and be in control of my diabetes.  On that quest I’ve found I’m not alone.  I’ve been lucky to identify a great snack, but that’s not enough.  Sure a good snack makes a difference, however there is way more to my day than eating granola bars!

On Saturday, February 28th at 2:00 PM at the Valencia Whole Foods, I’ll be hosting a discussion called “Eating for Diabetes & Good Health”.  I’ve already had the pleasure of presenting at several other locations and have been well received.  It seems like only half of the attendees are Diabetic.  Some are family members trying to help and others are simply interested in learning something new.

If you’ve been reading my column for the last year you are one step ahead of the average person.  Your insight will add to the fun.  Yes, I said fun.  The entire event is based around a game.  It’s a fun time and I’m looking forward to meeting you.  Please RSVP at 661-260-2377 x 210.  Hope to see you there.