's MotD Jan 30 - Diabetes

[Guest guest]

's Daily Message WednesdayJanuary 30, 2008THE SILENT KILLER

Last Sunday on my radio show, Lighten Up, on Sirius Satellite Radio, I dedicated the whole three hours of the show to diabetes awareness.

My show`s producer put together a panel of very smart people, including doctors and nutritionists who really educated my listeners on the dangers of diabetes.

One of my special guests, via telephone, was Randy , a record producer who you probably know better as one of the judges on American Idol. Randy, who is from my native Louisiana is also a diabetic and works as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. He, along with my other guests really helped enlighten me on this very important topic.

What is diabetes? It`s a disease in which your body`s pancreas doesn`t produce enough insulin, making it very difficult for your body to break down sugars on a daily basis. How many people suffer from this disease? Well, millions! And the scary part is that a lot of people are not even aware that they have it.

There are two major forms of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 shows up at a very early age in children. Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes, as it is often called, obviously shows up later in life in adults.

Diabetes is often called the silent killer because you don`t have any real physical pain as a result of having it. But there are some signs you should be aware of that you may have the disease.

The symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent trips to the bathroom, rapid weight-loss and numbing sensations in your hands or feel. You may also have some vision problems as a result of diabetes.

For every one person who goes to the doctor and gets checked for diabetes, there are hundreds of men and women who`re afraid to go to the doctor because he may tell them that they`re diabetic.

When you discover that you`re diabetic, there are certain rules you have to learn to live with...to keep you living and healthy. You have to test your blood to make sure your blood sugars remain in a healthy range. You have to follow a dedicated, healthy food program. And you have to make exercise a regular part of your life, too. Boy, oh boy...seems exercise is just great for everything, isn`t it?

If you don`t follow your doctor's advice, diabetes can make you very ill! Some of the disease`s complications can lead to your losing your eyesight. Some diabetics end up having a finger, a toe or even a foot amputated. And if that weren`t enough, complications from diabetes can lead to serious heart disorders, including even a heart attack.

I think I`ve made it clear that diabetes is a very serious disease. And, I`m so very sorry to say, many people lose their lives as a result of it. And that`s often because they don`t make the time to test their blood sugars and live a healthy lifestyle. Which is, I should add, the guaranteed way to stay in control of your diabetes.

I must point out one more factor that can lead to diabetes. That is, if you have a family history of the disease and you are obese, then you only increase the likelihood that you, too, will develop the disease, later in life. (One more reason to get in control and stay in control of your weight!)

So if you haven`t gone to the doctor to get yourself checked for diabetes, please call your doctor today to set up an appointment. And if you`re already diabetic and not taking good care of yourself, start taking better care of yourself today! It`s that important, everybody!

I want to thank my show`s producer, Mark, his father, Dr. , Marlissa Brown Twellness, Dr. Plutzky, Franco Reyna and my great Lighten Up Team, Iris and Rita for all of the information they planted in our minds about diabetes on Sunday`s show.

And thanks to all of you for tuning in to hear Lighten Up, each and every Sunday.

Love,