A good List that dispells diabetes myths.

I have gotten many questions about Kailyns diabetes. Anywhere from people thinking she can't eat sugar anymore to she can just control it by reducing her carbs. Some type II diabetes can be controled with diet, but Kailyn can't. Her pancreas no longer makes insulin. The Endrocrinologist wants her to eat a normal healthy balanced diet like any other child. Same amount of carbs. So here is a list that sums it up in a nutshell:

Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: Type 1 diabetes is caused by a destruction of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, which is unrelated to sugar consumption. Type 2 diabetes results from the body's inability to respond to insulin normally Although the tendency to get type 2 diabetes is genetically inherited in most cases, eating too much sugar (or foods with sugar, like candy or regular soda) can cause weight gain, which can increase a person's risk for developing the disease.

Myth: Kids with diabetes can never eat sweets.
Fact: Kids with diabetes can eat a certain amount of sugary food as part of a balanced diet, but they need to control the total amount of carbohydrates they eat, which includes sugary treats. Because sweets provide no real nutritional value other than calories, they should be limited in - but do not have to be eliminated from - the diet. All kids (and adults!) should avoid excessive consumption of foods that provide little nutritional value because this can crowd out healthier foods from a person's diet.

Myth: Children can outgrow diabetes.
Fact: Children do not outgrow diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are destroyed. Once they're destroyed, they will never make insulin again. Kids with type 1 diabetes will always need to take insulin (until a cure is found). Although kids with type 2 diabetes may see an improvement in their blood sugar levels after puberty or with lifestyle adjustments, they will probably always have a tendency toward having high blood sugar levels, especially if they are physically inactive or gain too much weight.


Myth: Diabetes is contagious.
Fact: Diabetes is not contagious. You can't catch it from another person. Although researchers think that getting type 1 diabetes may be triggered by something in the environment, like a virus, most people who get type 1 diabetes have inherited genes that make them more susceptible to the disease.

Myth: People with diabetes can feel whether their blood sugar levels are high or low.
Fact: Although a person with diabetes may feel physical symptoms (such as extreme thirst, weakness, or fatigue) if blood sugar levels are high or low, the only way to know for sure what blood sugar levels are is to test them. For example, because blood sugar levels have to be very high to cause symptoms, a person who isn't testing regularly may be having blood sugar levels high enough to damage the body without even realizing it.

Myth: All people with diabetes need to take insulin.
Fact: All people with type 1 diabetes have to take insulin injections because their pancreases don't make insulin anymore. Some, but not all, people with type 2 diabetes have to take insulin with or without pills to manage their blood sugar levels.

Myth: Insulin cures diabetes.
Fact: Taking insulin helps manage diabetes, but doesn't cure it. Insulin helps get glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells, where it can be used for energy. This helps keep blood sugar levels under control, but taking insulin doesn't correct the underlying cause.

Myth: Tablets or pills for diabetes are a form of insulin.
Fact: Diabetes medicines taken by mouth are not a form of insulin. Insulin is a protein that would be broken down or destroyed by the acids and digestive enzymes in the stomach and intestines if swallowed. Currently there is no other practical way to deliver insulin except via injections, although researchers are working on ways to give insulin by mouth, in the nose, or inhaling it into the lungs. Some people with type 2 diabetes take pills or tablets that help the body make more insulin or use the insulin it makes more effectively. But pills for diabetes cannot help kids with type 1 diabetes because they are no longer able to make insulin.

Myth: Kids with diabetes can't exercise.
Fact: Exercise is important for all kids - with or without diabetes! Exercise offers many benefits to kids with diabetes. It helps them manage their weight and prevents them from gaining excess body fat. It also improves cardiovascular health, boosts mood, relieves stress, and helps blood sugar control. Discuss exercise guidelines and blood sugar management with your child's diabetes health care team.

Myth: Low-carbohydrate diets are good for kids with diabetes because they should avoid carbs.
Fact: Carbohydrates (carbs) are the body's preferred source of energy, and carbohydrate-containing foods should provide about 50% to 60% of a person's calories each day. Low-carbohydrate diets tend to be overloaded with protein and fat. Following a high-fat, high-protein diet over the long term may increase the risks of heart and kidney disease in adulthood (and people with diabetes are already at increased risk of heart and kidney disease). People with diabetes should follow a healthy, balanced diet. Usually this means adopting a meal plan that helps them balance carbohydrate intake with medication and exercise to achieve good diabetes control.