Facts

If you go to any Diabetes website, you'll find facts and general information about Type 1, Type 2, Gestational and occasionally Type 1.5 Diabetes. They'll tell you about the symptoms of each, list the potential complications, and give you tips on how to manage the disease. They will tell you what's happened to your pancreas and explain what's not working in your body, and they'll explain the kinds of medications for each type. But what these general information websites don't tell you is how complicated this disease actually is. They don't tell you the misconceptions people without the disease may have and that you may be treated differently. And they don't tell you what it's like to deal with Diabetes on a daily basis.

Throughout my almost 6.5 years of being a Type 1 diabetic, I've encountered many situations where people just don't have the knowledge that they should. So to help our Beets supporters understand a little bit better, here is a list of facts they should know, but probably don't.
 

Disclaimer: This list is based on my experiences as a Type 1 diabetic. These statements may or may not be true for Type 1.5, Type 2, or Gestational Diabetes.

 

1. It's really not the sugar content that we have to pay attention to in food, it's the carbohydrates. This is because all carbohydrates turn to sugar in the body to be used as energy. So, if we ask for the carb content in something, don't look at us with judgement and say, "Don't worry about the carbs! You don't need a low carb diet!" Because, yes, we do need to worry about the carbs so what we eat can be converted to energy.
2. Yes, I can eat that piece of cake, or cookie, or candy bar, or whatever sweet treat you want to give me. Just because it is sweet, doesn't mean I can't have it. I just have to make sure I take the proper amount of insulin for the carb content.
3. Not all carbohydrates are created equally. There are simple carb foods (cakes, white rice, white bread, candy, sugar) and complex carb foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains). These two carbohydrates have a very different effect on blood sugar. Simple carbs will raise blood sugar rapidly, and complex carbs take more time to digest, which means they will raise blood sugar more slowly.
4. Not only do the different kinds of carbs affect blood sugar, what is being eaten with it will affect it, too. Meals that are high in fat take longer to digest, causing blood sugar to spike later.
5. Sometimes our blood sugar will be too high or too low without any given reason. So, if this happens, please remember that sometimes it's not our fault. Diabetes is super complicated.
6. Exercise can lower blood sugar rapidly. This is because when exercising, insulin sensitivity improves and the muscles are using all of the glucose that you have in your body. It can also raise blood sugar to a dangerous level if it's too high to start with. This is caused by not having enough insulin in the body to convert glucose into the energy that the muscles need. Even though there is plenty of glucose in the blood, the insulin isn't there and the muscles will send out a signal to the brain that they need more energy causing more glucose to be released. This means that going on a spontaneous hike probably isn't the best idea. Having our glucose in the target range of 100 - 250 mg/dl before exercising is key to doing physical activity safely.
7. There is a major difference between Type 1 and Type 2, so please don't generalize when speaking about it. (This statement is mostly for the people who write the news articles about Diabetes because they hardly mention the type they are talking about, and if/when they do, it's not until the middle or the end, and most of the time it gets my hopes up for nothing.)