Introduction

This course will show a very constructive and positive approach to dealing with diabetes. Its layout encourages persons as we believe to develop a good understanding of the condition and to question their approach to the disease. We have no hesitation in commending this course – it helps towards our understanding of diabetes as well as being very constructive in dealing with issues that surround the condition. We have always maintained that “I have diabetes but it doesn’t have me.” Learning more about diabetes is very positive, as is going out and leading a very active and normal life, not allowing diabetes to restrain you in anyway.

Happy learning!

All about diabetes

There are two main types of people with diabetes:

Treatment without insulin

Knowing about the right type of food and the amount that you can eat is important.

Most of the questions we have included help explain the general principles but people’s diets are very individual, so do ask for help and further explanations from your own diabetes advisers and dietitians. It is particularly important to have an opportunity to review what you are doing about diet on a regular basis. If you are looking for new ideas for meals, there are now many helpful recipe books written especially for people with diabetes.

Most people with diabetes, and especially parents who have a child with diabetes, long for a miracle cure.

Diet

There must be many people like me who have diabetes but who are not on insulin. Why have I been told to control my weight?

People who develop diabetes later in life are often overweight. For the first few years after diagnosis, they do not usually need treatment with insulin injections – instead their treatment is by diet alone or by diet and tablets.

If you are overweight, the insulin produced by your pancreas is less effective because of the excess fat in your body. This is known as ‘insulin resistance’, and you overcome it by losing some of the fat. Achieving and maintaining a sensible weight therefore helps you improve control of your diabetes. An additional benefit is that it also reduces all the other health risks associated with being overweight, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.