You Have Diabetes

Happy American Diabetes Month..!

The price tag for this party? $217 Billion Annually...

Let's see, 24 million have it. 57 million pretty much have it. And the rest of us are well on our way...

1/3 of today's kids are projected to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes. And 1/2, HALF, of our children of color are expected to...

How about this. Since most of us are at risk to develop diabetes, let's just pretend we already have it.

You have diabetes, I have diabetes, we all have diabetes...

Okay, so now what are we gonna do about it..?

Daily exercise is a MUST. I'd go for an hour. But come on, you pansy, your big toe, bedroom performance and clear eyesight are worth knocking out at least a half hour a day, right?

Next up, diet. What should we eat? Well we need to get cozy with the concept of Glycemic Load--not just Glycemic Index. Glycemic Index doesn't tell the whole story. Glycemic Load is a better indicator of how fast and furiously sugar will flood your arteries with the expectation insulin will rush in and save the day...

So you want to eat foods that are low on Glycemic Load.

This means you'll be enjoying loads of veggies, beans, lean proteins, water, berries, etc. You know, the good stuff. This also means you'll be avoiding the "ingestible entertainment" that activates dopamine dependency, releasees a cascade of opioids and also spikes your blood sugar--the stuff that sets you up for type 2 diabetes in the first place. You know... french fries, the bread basket, bagels, doughnuts, cupcakes, cookies, crackers, soft drinks... We're talking sugars and refined carbohydrates...

I've been thinking about Tracy Morgan of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live fame. He's only 40 and yet nearly lost his foot by neglecting his type 2 diabetes. 30 Rock did a hi-larious send-up to the real-life tragedy/comedy of it all... Then there's funny-woman and The View cohost, Sherri Shepherd, who recently dropped 40 pounds and donned a bathing suit on-the-air, who was asked if she was doin' Weight Watchers, and she replied, "Nah, I'm doin' diabetes..."

When I hear that, first I feel sad. Then I think. What was it? When was it? When was the exact moment when the body said "no more," when it reached the blood-sugar and insulin-resistance point of no return? Was it a Valu Meal? An adorable little cupcake? Just one bite of dessert off someone else's plate? Or was it simply a day like we've all had when Tracy or Sherri said, "nah, I'm not up for a half hour walk..."

Imagine what Tracy Morgan and Sherri Shepherd and just about every type 2 diabetic in America would trade today to have that moment back...

That's it. If we start eating and exercising RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW like we already have type 2 diabetes...

Guess what..?