Let’s face it, there are a lot of stigmas associated with the different types of diabetes. So, in this short article, I’m going to debunk some common myths and misconceptions.
1. All People with Type 2 Diabetes are Overweight or Obese
Our understanding of diabetes has changed drastically over the past few decades. We now know that diabetes doesn’t discriminate. It affects people of all shapes and sizes. Type 1 diabetes used to be known as a disease that you get as a juvenile, and type 2 diabetes was a disease that you get as an older adult (usually 40 and over). But nowadays, masses of people are getting diagnosed with both types of diabetes at opposite ends of the spectrum. There are fifteen-year-olds getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and sixty-year-olds getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This goes against all previous knowledge of the disease and how it manifests.
Perhaps the most bewildering part of all is that type 2 diabetes is no longer seen as a disease that only affects people who are overweight and obese. In fact, there are young professional athletes getting diagnosed with the condition. For example, there have been cases of professional triathletes and marathon runners who eat diets high in saturated fat and highly processed foods, who end up developing the condition.
Regardless of your shape and size, if you consume huge amounts of saturated fat which builds up in muscle and liver cells (called intramyocellular and intrahepatic lipids, respectively), you’re inducing a state of insulin resistance which can ultimately increase the likelihood of developing insulin resistance, pre-diabetes or even type 2 diabetes.
2. Type 1 Diabetes is Caused by Eating Too Much Sugar
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. In other words, the immune system attacks and destroys the cells of our own body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes our own insulin-producing pancreatic Beta cells for invaders and elicits a killer immune response. As a result of this brutal attack, people with type 1 diabetes can no longer produce insulin and are required to administer it themselves.
Sure, eating too much sugar probably doesn’t help the situation, but it certainly doesn’t play a role in the pathogenesis or manifestation of the disease. There are a number of lifestyle factors in the literature that have been shown to trigger the autoimmune response, but sugar has not been shown to be one of them.
In a nutshell, type 1 diabetes manifests by a process called ‘The Perfect Storm’. It’s basically a number of variables have to happen all at once which leads to the onset of the disease. Here are some examples of variables that have been reported in the scientific literature: genetic predisposition, C-section birth, non-breast fed babies, viruses, dietary triggers such as gluten and dairy, antibiotic use, rapid and drastic change to your microbiome (gut bacteria), and leaky gut syndrome.
3. Diabetes Cannot be Prevented or Reversed
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have been proven to have a genetic element to them, but that does not mean that you are destined to get it. In fact, we have more control over our genetics than you think. It’s called ‘Epigenetics’. In other words, we have the ability to control which genes are expressed and which genes are suppressed simply by our lifestyle choices. Just because you have a genetic predisposition to developing diabetes – does not mean that it is your fate.
Type 2 diabetes, for the most part, can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle. Things like exercising every day, eating a high fibre plant-based diet, eating healthy fats, avoiding saturated and trans fats, eating probiotic-rich foods, avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugars, getting some sunlight, and sleeping adequately. A balanced holistic approach to healthy living is your safest bet for preventing, managing and even reversing diabetes!
There is even evidence to suggest that type 1 diabetes can be potentially prevented. Animal studies have shown that certain gut bacteria are protective against the autoimmune attack that causes type 1 diabetes. There is also evidence in the literature to show that avoiding potential dietary triggers such as gluten and a1 beta casein found in cow’s milk may reduce your chance of developing diabetes. Most fascinating of all is the case of a 6-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes who went into remission after adopting a strict gluten-free diet.
The point here is, if you do have a family history of diabetes, there is evidence to show that eliminating potential lifestyle triggers may improve your chances of avoiding it.
4. Exercise is Dangerous for People With Type 1 Diabetes
This has to be the most gear-grinding myth of all. People with type 1 diabetes are often afraid of exercise because they aren’t on an appropriate insulin therapy protocol. If you are on the correct amount of insulin for your activity levels, not only is exercise perfectly safe – it is vital for optimal health!
As someone thriving with type 1 diabetes, exercise is my fundamental management strategy to control my insulin and blood sugar levels. I like to say:
“Exercise is a form of medicine that we can freely and happily administer to ourselves”
My philosophy is: “In order to thrive with diabetes, I need to take 2 types of medicine daily: Insulin and exercise – with exercise being at the core”.
In other words, my daily dose of insulin is dependant upon my daily dose of exercise – NOT the other way around. So on days when I don’t exercise – I require more insulin. It is quite simply a balancing act between two medications for optimal insulin and blood sugar control.
As an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, a big problem that I see in clinical practice is that people with type 1 diabetes are afraid to exercise (and even afraid to partake in activities of daily living) in case their blood sugar level drops too low. The result: a sedentary individual surviving on large amounts of insulin, rather than an active individual thriving on minimal amounts of insulin.
5. Diabetes Always Leads to Long-Term Health Complications
It’s true, diabetes can lead to some pretty scary long-term complications. But just because it can, doesn’t mean it will. When I was first diagnosed, I was horrified when I learned about them. The big 3 are known as the ‘opathies’. Nephropathy, Retinopathy, and Neuropathy. In layman’s terms: kidney disease, eye disease/blindness, and nerve disease.
We’ve all heard of the worst case scenario of an elderly diabetic who ends up on kidney dialysis, who suffers from blindness and has had their feet amputated. I’m not denying it, very poorly managed long-term diabetes can lead to those things, but it certainly isn’t that fate for all people with diabetes.
Controlling your blood sugar levels in the normal range can help to avoid all of the scary things that come with living with diabetes. In fact, there are thousands of people who have had diabetes for over fifty years and don’t show any signs of chronic complications.
Diabetes is not a death sentence. It may even prove to be the push you need to get into the best shape of your life. In my personal case, I am fitter and overall healthier today than I was before being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The fact is, if you properly manage your diabetes through lifestyle factors, being fit and healthy is within your control, regardless of your disease state.
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