By Dr. Oz

Your Defeat Diabetes Guide for the New Year

Jan 26, 2017 | 10:59 AM

The New Year and its all-too-often forgotten resolutions are quickly sliding away. But before you settle into Groundhog Day and figure broken promises are just déjà vu all over again (thanks, Yogi B.), we want to offer you a guide to help you get your diabetes under control and, yes, even reverse it!

Why will this guide work? Because you won’t be going it alone. It’s based on proven techniques, and the results are guaranteed to make you feel happier, healthier and back in control:

But first, some facts:
Diabetes costs you big bucks. In the U.S. it’s the most expensive chronic con- dition, costing $101 billion annually for diagnoses and treatments! (It’s followed by ischemic heart disease at $88.1 billion; low back/neck pain at $87.6 billion; and hypertension at $83.9 billion. All those conditions can be related to dia- betes.)

That $101 billion doesn’t include expenses for over-the-counter medications, privately funded home health care or lost productivity for you or your care- givers. The study in JAMAthat came up with the data estimates total personal health care costs in the U.S. at $2.4 trillion in 2013. Hear that sucking sound as the money is pulled out of your wallet?

Diabetes can compromise your eyes, nerves, kidneys, digestive system, heart, brain, emotions, teeth, feet … basically every inch of you. About 80 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes have high blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk for stroke, kidney failure and cardio- vascular disease. More than 35 percent of U.S. adults with diabetes have chronic kidney disease, and up to 26 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes have evi- dence of nerve damage at the time they’re diagnosed.

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Neglecting your health puts your future children at risk.

If you’re of child- bearing age and are obese, not only are you likely to develop — or already have — Type 2 diabetes (currently, 34 percent of U.S. adults are obese and over 11 per- cent of people 20 or older have diabetes), but a new study in Pediatrics found that children of obese mothers lack fine motor skills, such as the ability to control the small muscles in the fingers and hands.

Children of obese fathers were more likely to fail measures of social competence, and kids born to extremely obese couples were more likely to fail tests evaluating problem-solving ability. Finally, there are new guidelines for you and for docs!

The American Diabetes Association has issued a new set of guidelines for doctors on “Psychosocial Care in Diabetes.” They make YOU the center of treatment for diabetes and rec- ommend YOU have a team of supporters, including your family and all medical specialties that are appropriate, to help YOU negotiate the challenges of sticking with the lifestyle changes YOU need to defeat diabetes.

We’ve long advocated the buddy/team system (because it works!) for everything from daily walking and activity routines to nutritional support and following your medication regimen. The system includes friends, family, support group members, professional social workers, diabetes educators and your doc!
—Start with your doc to establish your treatment plan.
—Get a diabetes educator (go to www.diabeteseducator.org) for help with nutrition, medication and physical activ- ity. —Don’t hesitate to join a support group (www.defeatdiabetes.org has a listing) or seek therapy to manage your worries or reluctance surrounding your diabetes care.
—Enlist buddies for food shopping and cooking, walking and physical activ- ities — see www.sharecare.com/buddy.
—Start journaling daily to monitor your healthy habits. Use a digital tracker or journal to record your food, your activity and your compliance with med- ication regimens.

Tip: The expanded ADAStandard of Care now suggests that you count fat and protein intake, not just carbs; that you make sure to stand up every 30 minutes to avoid the health risks of prolonged sitting; and that you expand your physical activity to include flexibil- ity and balance training (we say it’s not just for older folks!).

Build a team, and you’ll build resolve. You’ll defeat diabetes, and it won’t defeat you.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.
© 2017 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz.

This column is sponsored by your local choice for healthy lifestyle products -Nutter’s Bulk and Natural Foods
365 36th St. W, Prince Albert, SK
Phone: (306) 922-3835
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