You may have heard or used the term “sugar diabetes” in the past. This term is sometimes misinterpreted to mean that eating too much sugar gives you diabetes. This is not the case, unless eating too much sugar causes you to gain weight. Being overweight is a known risk factor for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Statistics Canada 2017, found that 13.7% of obese Canadians had diabetes compared to 3.6% of Canadians with normal weight. Your healthcare team is available to help you with your weight management goals. A personalized plan to balance your carbohydrates, proteins and fats can keep you on track. In fact, sometimes, diet and exercise changes can help keep blood sugar levels within target.
We have a Certified Diabetes Educator on staff to answer your questions; all of our pharmacists are trained to answer your questions about your diabetes.
In addition to weight, explore more about other risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes by reviewing this publication from Diabetes Canada, “Type 2 Diabetes: the basics” found at
https://guidelines.diabetes.ca/docs/patient-resources/type-2-diabetes-the-basics.pdf
Also visit the main Diabetes Canada website “https://www.diabetes.cs/). Their information is easy to read and based on evidence. There is so much to learn.
In Ontario there are health services to help people manage diabetes. For example:
- Telehealth Ontario toll-free at 1-866-797-0000 to speak to a dietician for free
- Diabetes Education Centres. https://www.ontario.ca/locations/health/ We have a diabetes education centre in Bowmanville
- Pharmacists – all have training in diabetes management. We have a Certified Diabetes Educator here at the Bowmanville Clinic Pharmacy
- Doctors – there may also be a pharmacist, dietician and/or nurse working with your doctor to help
Pharmacists, nurses, dieticians and doctors all have unique roles to play in helping people manage diabetes. Research is advancing care. Many new medications have become available, offering better protection against heart and kidney problems. New monitoring devices such as the Freestyle Libre reduce the number of finger pricks. (https://myfreestyle.ca//en/products/libre)
Get in touch with your healthcare team to make sure you are on the best path to minimize your risk factors for getting diabetes or to reduce complications from having diabetes.
