Prairie Fare: Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

I’ll always remember my Uncle Walt. He taught me how to play poker when I was 7 years old, and we played cards every week while I waited for my piano lesson. He’d have the poker chips and deck of cards ready when I arrived, and I think he let me win. At the time, being a card shark meant more to me than mastering the ivories.

I never quite understood why Uncle Walt had to give himself shots and be so careful about what and when he ate or why he sometimes became shaky and had to drink orange juice. The term "brittle diabetic" didn’t mean much to my young ears. Early one morning when I was 10, my dad woke us to tell us Uncle Walt had died of complications of diabetes and asthma.

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the pancreas either doesn’t make insulin or the body doesn’t use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone that tells the body’s cells to take in blood sugar, or glucose. Without insulin, glucose can build up in the bloodstream and spill into the urine. Increased urination usually results because the sugar carries water with it into the urine. Extreme thirst results from frequent urination. Weight loss, hunger and fatigue result from the loss of calories (as glucose) in the urine.

There are three main types of diabetes. Type I diabetes commonly occurs in children or young adults and usually requires insulin and a special diet. While Type II diabetes is more common among adults, recently more children, particularly overweight children, are showing signs. Type II diabetes is usually managed with diet, exercise and/or medication. Gestational diabetes sometimes occurs during pregnancy and may go away after childbirth.

Without careful management, diabetes can lead to several complications. Heart disease may occur as a result of damage to large blood vessels. Eye problems range from blurry vision, which usually goes away when glucose levels normalize, to the more serious condition -- diabetic retinopathy -- which could lead to blindness. Other problems associated with diabetes include poor blood circulation and delayed wound healing. Nerve damage, or neuropathy, may result in tingling or numbness in the extremities. Foot care is extremely important for diabetics. Sometimes, gangrene develops and amputation becomes necessary. Kidney damage also can result from diabetes, and some diabetics must rely on dialysis to purify their blood.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about 16 million Americans have diabetes, and about one-third of those don’t know they have the disease. Nearly 200,000 Americans die yearly due to its complications. Worldwide, Finland, Sweden and Norway have the highest incidence rate of Type I diabetes. North Dakota’s rate of Type I diabetes is comparable to Norway’s.

With early diagnosis and proper medical treatment and personal attention to diet, exercise and/or medication, diabetes can be managed to reduce the chances of complications. Ask yourself the following questions. Answering "yes" could indicate you are at a higher risk for diabetes. Early detection is important. Don’t wait for the outward signs -- thirst, excessive urination, unexplained weight loss -- to appear.

1. Are you 45 or older? The latest guidelines suggest that anyone 45 or older be tested for diabetes every three years. With other risk factors, testing should occur earlier.
2. Are you an African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander? Members of these ethnic groups are at higher risk than others. People of Scandinavian descent may have a higher risk of developing Type I diabetes.
3. Are you overweight (according to your healthcare provider)?
4. Do you have high blood pressure (140/90 or higher)?
5. Do you have a relative (parent, brother, sister) with diabetes?
6. Are you a woman who has had a child weighing more than nine pounds at birth?

For more information about diabetes, contact the American Diabetes Association (1-800-DIABETES), a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator. Menu planning has become more flexible for diabetics, and the diabetic diet is healthy for everyone to follow. Even occasional sweet treats like this tasty muffin recipe can be worked into a healthy diabetic meal plan. Each muffin contains 115 calories, 4 grams fat, and 16 grams carbohydrate. In diabetic exchanges, each muffin counts as one starch and one fat.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:
3/4 cup peeled, chopped apples
1/2 cup sugar (divided)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoon melted margarine
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine apples with 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. In larger bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, flours, baking powder and salt. Mix together milk, margarine and egg whites. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredient just until moistened. Add apples and nuts (if desired). Spray muffin cups and fill 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu