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I I .

the good life HEALTH

Once you decide to take control


of your health, this is one disease
that is COMPLETELYMANAGEABLE.
By Dorkys Ramos

ABOUT10 YEARSAGO.SONALYDIAZwould typically settle in with a ineffectively. Formerly known as adult-


plate of rice and beans right before calling it a night arOlilld 2 a.m. Upon onset diabetes for affecting the over-40
awakening, it would be several bowls of cereal while watching TV:On crowd, it has been appearing in younger
the dinner menu: more rice, spaghetti and a:fattening selection of meats; age groups and alarmingly accounts for
digest and repeat. "I was depressed," says Diaz, now 38. "I felt trapped 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of
and,p.ad nowhere to go.'lwOl.lldlock myself in the house and 1would eat diabetes. The third branch-gestational
anll,eat. Everjt:hll].g1saw, 1ate." diabetes-develops when hormone fluc-
With Diaz's blood sugar levels spiking and her family history of dia- tuations during pregnancy affect how
betes, th~ puertorriqueiia's doctor intervened and suggested she change well insulin works. Although blood ~gar
her unhealthy habits-to no avail. "I kept saying 1was okay because to levels usually drop back to normal after
me it was normal," Diaz recalls. "So 1didn't follow his advice and kept on six weeks, the risk of developing type 2
doing.the things 1was doing." She continued her downward spiral until diabetes down the line is heightened.
she found herself in the hospital with dizzy spells. It was then, weigh- Although a strong family history
ing in at 189 pounds, that she finally received her wake-up can increase your chance of
call: a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. To learn about developing the disease,
Today, 18.2 million people in the United States have advances in diabetes there are other risk fac-
diabetes mellitus, a group of diseases in which high blood treatments, go to tors: being overweight,
latina.com/
glucose lev~ls result from defects in insulin production magazine. being physically inactive,
or activity. Without proper insulin regulation, the body having high blood pressure
can't process sugar into energy, which can potentially lead to or having abnormal choles-
heart disease or kidney failure. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's terollevels. The good news is that all
immune system attacks its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of these can be managed with a change
and the person requires insulin via injections or a pump. Ifleft untreated, in lifestyle. Just note that two trials
type 1 could cause the patient to slip into a life-threatening coma. Type conducted by the National Institutes of
2, however, occurs whep. the body doesn't make enough insulin or uses it Health showed that type 2 diabetes can

66 LATlNA.COM NOVEMBER2010 ILLUSTRATION BY REENA DE LA ROSA


the good life I HEALTH

be delayed or prevented in overweight


pre-diabetic adults if they lost 5 to 7 per-
cent of ~eir body weight, were physicaUy
" Exercise doesn't
support through the Hispanic Health .
Council's diabetes group, and in turn,
focusing on her well being has led to
active for at least 30 minutes each day mean you have tojoin a healthier outlook on life. Vegetables
and made healthier food choices. now make a regular appearance at her
It's still unclear why Hispanics are
a gym. It can mean dinner table and she's lost 18 pounds
predisposed to the condition-l0.4 per- dancing salsa in your by turning fitness into a habit. And the
cent of Latinos ages 20 or older have
diagnosed diabetes, compared to 6.6 per-
cent of non-Hispanic whites-but a high
living room. " best part? She'staking what she's learned
and spreading the word to her family
and children along the way, using her-
rate of obesity and inactivity could be motivation to change behavior kind of self as an example of what can happen
big contributors, as are inaccessibility loses its importance," Persaud adds. if you don't heed advice-and the health
to good health coverage, langUage bar- For now, Diaz is taking only oral benefits that come when you commit to
riers and ingrained fears about medical medication to control her diabetes while change. But she knows improvements can
care. "One of the biggestproblems cultur- doing everything she can to avoid need- come with change. "Fight for what you
ally is that our messaging is one size fits ing insulin anytime soon. This means want to accomplish because I'm fighting
all when it shouldn't be," says Christina walking through the park and hitting for mine," she says. "Lucha because you
Persaud, certified diabetes educator for the gym every single day. "I do jumping have your whole life ahead of you." I!
the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. jacks, I run and I do sit-ups to reduce
"Ifyou don't empower the patient or tai- my stomach," she says. "1 fill a bottle
lor the message to be culturally specific of water with ice, put on my music and
or appropriate, then it makes it difficult head to the park."
to make lifestyle changes." Since diabetes is considered to be a
Casein point Diazrattles off countless self-managed disease, combining medi- DIABETES
aunts, uncles and cousins who have dia- cation with a change in lifestyle is key SYMPTOMS
betes before listing the dishes she grew up to preventing complications. "I think
eating despite this history. "Mymom used in terms of exercise and diet, you can Symptoms for type 2
to do a lot of french fries and pork chops," have your rice and beans and eat it too," diabetes may develop
she says. "I grew up with he~ cooking Persaud says. "Exercisedoesn't mean that gradually and not be as
peas, pernil, pasteles, cakes and choco- you have to join a gym you can't afford. noticeable as in type 1,
late; I would eat everything." J;>espitethe . It can mean dancing salsa in your liv- and because some
risks, her family refused to change theiJ: ing room, cleaning or going for a walk. people may show no
habits-even after Diaz herself was diag~ We've fallen into a culture where we symptoms at all, it's
nosed. Their apathy is not uncommon: get mixed messages about everything, important to ask your
When so many others around you have so then we don't know where to start: or doctor for a screening
the condition, it's easier to throw your what to do." (via blood test) if you
hands up and accept your fate. "That Luckily, Diaz found guidance and have any risk factors
that increase your
likelihood of developing
-r ---:1" the disease, including:

I . Feeling tired or ill


. Unusual thirst ,
. Frequent urination
(especially at night)
. Weight loss
. Blurred vision
. Frequent infections
Before and After (such as yeast infections)
(Above) Sonaly Diaz before her diabetes
diagnosis; (right) Diaz with her son after . Slow-healing
. losing weight and getting her lifestyle wounds -D.R.
on track.

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