The 7th Leading cause of Death in the US is largely preventable!!

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US. 

When I was younger (and even though it was a while ago, I wasn't THAT young), I didn't think diabetes was any big deal.  So you got some diagnosis.  Your body could deal with the sugar you age efficiently enough.  You tested your blood sugar -- tried to stay away from some the the sugar in your diet -- things were fine -- no big deal.

Then I started learning that with diabetes, a person without good control dies by parts.  First is just the diagnosis.  But then some time goes by and you lose feeling in your feet .. then your hands -- Hello!  the nerves have died!  As in dead!!  --Because you don't have good blood supply.  And you know what?  If you don't have good blood supply there -- your whole system -- every part of you has decreased blood supply.

Blindness can occur from this tissue death.  Irreparable organ damage happens.

And then most impactful to the younger version of me???  The time I spent in the hospital with a family friends while their diabetic dad was in surgery and might not come out of it with both legs because he had a sore that wouldn't heal and each time they tried to surgically help him, they had to take more of his tissue -- until finally the leg needed to come off so the rest of him could live.

But here's the mind-boggling thing:


Walking half an hour a day, five days per week cut the incidence of diabetes by 40%

With Avandia on review today at the FDA because although it helps manage blood sugar levels, it may significantly increase one's chance of heart attack or stroke --- why is it that we are so eager to take a drug to get marginal results when something with NO SIDE EFFECTS can give you statistically much, much, much better results.

Maybe we, as a community, should reconsider our front line Diabetes management.

For more information on all things diabetes, educate yourself at National Diabetes Education Program.