It was almost Thanksgiving day. My mom, dad, brother, sister, and I were all in the kitchen cooking for the holidays. Suddenly, my mother dropped the spoon and my whole body froze like a board. We managed to catch her when she fell to the floor. We called an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital.
This was a shock to our family because the disease came on suddenly and no one in our family had diabetes. My mother’s extreme reaction that day indicated that her blood sugar levels were either dangerously high or low. She wasn’t overweight. Although she had no other risk factors for diabetes, she still had diabetes and had to manage it with diet and medication for the rest of her life.
According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 15 percent of New Mexico’s population has diabetes. An additional 36% have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Native Americans and Hispanics have higher rates of this disease, as do certain other ethnic groups.
What is prediabetes and diabetes?
There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body does not produce insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body utilize glucose (sugar). Type 2 occurs when the body cannot properly utilize insulin. Approximately 1 in 10 people in the United States has diabetes, 90% of whom have type 2 diabetes.
Without changes in diet and activity levels, people with prediabetes are at risk of developing diabetes. Even at prediabetic levels, damage to the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys can begin.
Prediabetes often has no symptoms, but signs may include darkening of the skin on the neck, armpits, and groin area. Symptoms that indicate you are moving into the type 2 diabetes range include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in your feet or hands, frequent infections, and unintended weight loss. decrease, etc.
High blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage blood vessels in the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. This can lead to problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure, as well as poor eyesight and weakened immune systems.
How is the condition diagnosed?
Prediabetes and diabetes are usually diagnosed with a blood sugar test, most commonly a hemoglobin A1C test. This shows the average percentage of hemoglobin in your blood covered by glucose over the past 2-3 months. Levels below 5.7% are considered normal. 5.7 to 6.4 percent indicate prediabetes. Exceeding this level indicates diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that everyone age 35 and older get their blood sugar levels tested. People with other risk factors, such as being overweight or having a close family member with the disease, should be tested sooner.
Prediabetes resources
If your blood sugar levels fall into the prediabetic range, your doctor may be able to recommend lifestyle changes to lower your blood sugar levels.
Taos has free classes offered through Taos Hall Community Health, the nonprofit arm of local health care provider Taos Hall Health Integrated Care. The class was hosted by nutritional therapist Christine Swim.
“I had previously researched different diets and worked with people on metabolic health, but after reading the book Outlive by Peter Attia, I knew I wanted to learn more,” Swim said. said.
When she began her research, she contacted Dorin Conley at the New Mexico State Department of Health who mentioned the CDC certification program. Swim wrote the grant and the LOR Foundation provided the funding, so the class is free for everyone. There are some health requirements to attend the class, which will be held again next spring.
As part of the program, Swim has hired three local coaches: Sean Lujan, Kristen Rivera and Ricki Lee Salazar. They all received CDC training at Swim to become lifestyle coaches.
When Lujan heard about the free training, he jumped at the chance.
“I am a peer support worker at Taos Pueblo Recovery,” Lujan explained. “With this program, we spend half the day focusing on relapse prevention and the other half on outreach programs, helping seniors, single parents, and people with disabilities with home protection, including winterizing and landscaping their homes. We will help you with whatever you need to make your life more livable.”
Knowing that nutrition is a key skill in recovering from substance use disorders, he hopes to incorporate what he learns into his work in peer counseling.
“This information will also help me in my own journey with diabetes. I want to give back to my tribal community what I have learned by making small changes in my diet and activity level. It has given me a sense of purpose. “I’ll give it to you,” Lujan explained.
Coach Rivera started focusing on health because he had some health issues in his family. “Since losing my father, my passion has been to learn as much as I can about living healthy and sharing that with others,” he said. “I can’t help my father, but everyone I help brings me joy.”
Diabetes prevention class
A recent session held last Wednesday (9th October) focused on eating well and changing your diet with a focus on portion size. It started with a relaxation meditation and moved on to a discussion on food tracking, which began in the last class held until March.
Class members will use the CDC workbook. This workbook includes weekly modules and space to set personal goals, such as losing weight or increasing your activity level.
One participant said she decided to take this class because she had a history of diabetes in her family. “I have several medical conditions that increase my risk,” she explained. “Each class focuses on a different area such as exercise and diet. My goal is to receive advice on how to lower my A1C and become healthier. Although I have teenagers, , I want them to make better choices when they grow up.”
Experts say that in addition to monitoring blood sugar levels, people diagnosed with diabetes should focus on eating a healthy diet and increasing their activity levels. Oral diabetes medications or insulin may also be prescribed, depending on the individual patient’s doctor’s recommendations.
Holy Cross Medical Center has diabetes management and nutritional therapy programs to help people living with diabetes. Along with addressing the disease itself, we also address medication management, physical activity, nutrition, and many other factors that can control blood sugar levels.
Next month is Diabetes Awareness Month. Now is a good time to test your blood sugar levels and start making lifestyle changes to improve your health.
I knew my mother was diabetic, so I had her A1C levels tested for the past few years. I’m very active and not overweight, but my blood sugar levels are approaching the pre-diabetic range, so I’m changing my diet.
In my most recent 6 month blood sugar test, my blood sugar levels didn’t rise any further, a partial victory. My next goal is to get my levels down so they are no longer in the pre-diabetic range.
Cindy Brown has been a freelance writer and columnist for the Taos News for the past 13 years. She writes about the outdoors, health, gardening, culture, community, and home. She is the author of “Taos Hiking Guide,” available locally and from Nighthawk Press nighthawkpress.com. Please contact cindy@taoshiking.com.
For more information
To learn more about diabetes and prediabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association (diadiabetes.org).
The current Taos Whole Community Health program runs through March. For more information, visit taoswholecommunityhealth.org or email kristin@taoswholehealth.org.
Taos Hall Community Health will launch two more programs in January. One is an integrative approach to substance use disorders, and the other is an exercise class to help children and families learn to eat healthier and enjoy exercise exercises together.
Holy Cross Medical Center’s Diabetes Management Program is available at 575-751-5769 or holycrossmedicalcenter.org.
Taos Pueblo also has a diabetes program offered as part of its community service program. For more information, call 575-758-7824.
Technology can help you identify healthy food choices and track your activity. Recommended by lifestyle coach Sean Lujan, the free Yuka app lets you scan food barcodes with your smartphone to determine if a food option is healthy or if there’s a better option. Helpful. Other programs, such as ZOE (zoe.com), allow you to create a personalized eating program to address your health goals, but these programs can be expensive.
