The first Wellness Wednesday story follows an Orlando couple’s journey to health.
Glenn County, California – “I was tired all the time and had no energy or energy. I gained a few pounds and went to the doctor and found out I had diabetes. It was scary,” said Angela Morehouse, a Glenn County woman. .
She and her husband, Patrick, were shocked to learn that they were among the 38 million Americans with diabetes. And in both cases as well, her 95% of these cases are her type 2 diabetes.
“When you hear the word diabetes, you think, ‘What’s going on?'” Patrick Morehouse said.
Buck August, a registered dietitian at Enroe Health, says it occurs when too much glucose in the bloodstream causes cells to become insulin resistant.
“High blood sugar levels can damage your body in all sorts of ways, and it can damage your heart, your kidneys, and your eyes. It’s very serious,” August said.
Type 2 used to affect people over the age of 45, but it is increasingly occurring in children, teens, young adults, and people who are typically obese. But people can turn things around.
“I always had at least 24 packs of soda in the house, and I ate whatever I wanted…When the doctor first told me I had diabetes, that was the first thing I ran out of. Soda, cookies, whatever. But. It’s candy. I don’t think about it anymore,” Patrick said.
“We planted a garden, we pulled out of the garden, we got a good juicer, we started trying new things, and we loved it because it tasted good,” Angela said.
“It’s possible to put it into remission. When it comes to diabetes, there are tests for glucose and hemoglobin A1C, and when they cross a certain threshold you have type 2 diabetes. But I’ve worked with certain people who have made a difference. …and they brought the lab numbers back into the normal range,” August said. “Exercise makes it easier for your body to take sugar into your cells so it can be used for energy. Exercise makes you less insulin resistant.”
August says simple ways to make meaningful changes include cutting out sugary drinks and highly processed carbohydrates altogether. But even healthy natural foods can contain high amounts of sugar.
“Many people think, ‘I’m drinking natural orange juice that I squeezed myself.’ But the truth is, when it comes to diabetes and blood sugar levels, some of the grains turn into sugar in the body. You might want to reduce it a little.”
Diabetes also costs the United States about $300 billion annually. This is equivalent to one-fourth of all medical expenses.
“Take it one day at a time. Start now…make one small change, make it a part of your life, and then take another step, little by little,” says August. said.
“When you wake up in the morning, you have energy in your step. You feel good from the inside, and that translates into your attitude. When you’re happy with yourself, you feel good about everything in life,” Patrick said.
