It was almost Thanksgiving. My mom, dad, brother, sister, and I were all in the kitchen cooking for the holiday. Suddenly, my mom dropped a spoon, and her whole body went stiff like a board. We managed to catch her as she fell to the floor. We called an ambulance, and she was rushed to the hospital.
This came as a shock to our family both because of the sudden onset of the disease and because we didn’t know anyone in our family that had diabetes. My mom’s extreme reaction that day indicated she had a dangerously high or low level of blood sugar. She wasn’t overweight. She didn’t have any of the other risk factors for diabetes — yet she had it and would have to manage it for the rest of her life with diet and medication.
In New Mexico, almost 15 percent of the population has diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association; another 36 percent have prediabetes, when blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic. Native American and Hispanic people, along with certain other ethnicities, have higher rates of the disease.
What are prediabetes and diabetes?
There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body doesn’t produce insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas that helps the body use glucose (sugar). Type 2 happens when the body can’t make use of insulin properly. About 1 in 10 people in the U.S. are living with diabetes, and 90 percent of them have type 2.
Without changes to diet and activity level, people with prediabetes are at risk for developing diabetes. Even at the prediabetes level, damage to the heart, blood vessels and kidneys can begin.
While prediabetes often doesn’t have any symptoms, possible signs include darkening of the skin on the neck, armpits, or groin. Symptoms that can indicate you’ve moved into the Type 2 diabetes range, include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the feet or hands, frequent infections, and unintended weight loss.
The high blood glucose levels that come with diabetes may damage blood vessels in the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. This can lead to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure, along with loss of vision and compromised immunity, among other problems.
How are the conditions diagnosed?
Prediabetes and diabetes are usually diagnosed with a blood sugar test, most commonly the hemoglobin A1C test, which shows the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is coated with glucose averaged over the last two to three months. Levels below 5.7 percent are considered normal. Between 5.7 and 6.4 percent point to prediabetes. Above that level indicates diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association recommends everyone over the age of 35 get their glucose levels tested. People who have other risk factors, like being overweight or having a close relative with the disease, should get tested even earlier.
Resources for prediabetes
If your blood sugar level has moved into the prediabetes range, your doctor may be able to recommend lifestyle changes that can lower them.
There’s a free class in Taos offered through Taos Whole Community Health, the nonprofit branch of the local medical practice, Taos Whole Health Integrative Care. The class was organized by nutritional therapist Kristin Swim.
“I had studied different diets and worked with people on metabolic health before, but after I read a book by Peter Attia called ‘Outlive,’ I wanted to learn more,” Swim said.
When she started doing research, she connected with Dorine Conley at the New Mexico Department of Health who mentioned a CDC-certified program. Swim wrote a grant, which the LOR Foundation funded so the class is free to everyone. There are some health requirements to join class, which will be offered again next spring.
As part of the program, Swim recruited three local coaches: Shaun Lujan, Kristen Rivera and Ricki Lee Salazar, all of whom went through the CDC training with Swim to become lifestyle coaches.
When Lujan heard about the free training, he jumped at the chance.
“I’m a peer support worker with Taos Pueblo Recovery,” Lujan explained. “In the program, we focus on relapse prevention for half of the day and do outreach programs for the other half, helping elders, single parents, and people with disabilities with home winterizing, landscaping or whatever they need to make their homes more livable.”
Knowing nutrition is an important competent of recovery from substance use disorder, he is hoping to incorporate what he is learning into his peer counseling work.
“The information also helps me on my own journey dealing with diabetes. I want to bring what I’m learning about making small changes to diet and activity levels back to the tribal community. It gives me a sense of purpose,” Lujan explained.
Coach Rivera was motivated to focus on health due to the history of health problems in his family. “My passion since losing my dad has been learning as much as I can about living healthy and sharing that with others,” he said. “I can’t help my dad, but every person I do help brings me joy.”
Diabetes prevention class
A recent session held last Wednesday (Oct. 9) focused on eating well and making changes to diet with a focus on portion sizes. It started with a relaxation meditation and moved into a discussion about tracking food that had begun at the last class, which meets through March.
Class members use a workbook from the CDC that contains a module for each week and space to set individual goals like weight loss and increasing activity.
One of the participants said she decided to take the class because she has a family history of diabetes. “I have some medical conditions that make my risk higher,” she explained. “For each class, we focus on different areas like exercise and food. My goal is to bring down my A1C and get advice on getting healthier. I have teenagers and I’d like them to make better choices when they are older.”
For people who are diagnosed with diabetes, experts say their focus should be on healthy eating and increasing activity levels, in addition to monitoring glucose levels. Oral diabetes medication or insulin may also be prescribed, depending on what an individual patient’s doctor recommends.
Holy Cross Medical Center has a diabetes management and nutrition therapy program that helps people living with diabetes. It addresses the disease itself, along with medication management, physical activity, nutrition and many other factors that can keep blood glucose levels under control.
Next month is Diabetes Awareness Month. It’s a good time to get your blood sugar tested and to begin making lifestyle changes to improve your health.
Because I knew my mom had diabetes, I’ve had my A1C levels tested over the past few years. Even though I’m very active and not overweight, my blood sugar levels have crept into the prediabetes range, so I’ve been making changes to my diet.
During a recent six-month blood sugar test, my level had not risen any further — a partial victory. My next goal is to reduce the level so that it is no longer in the prediabetic range.
Cindy Brown has been a freelance writer and columnist for the Taos News for the last 13 years. She writes about the outdoors, health, gardening, culture, community, and home. She is the author of “Taos Hiking Guide,” available locally and from Nighthawk Press nighthawkpress.com. Contact her at cindy@taoshiking.com.
