Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic the Essential Diabetes Book: How to Prevent, Control, and Live Well with Diabetes

MAYO CLINIC

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M. Regina Castro, M.D.

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Jennifer L. Duesterhoeft

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Paula Marlow Limbeck

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Christopher C. Frye

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Daniel W. Brevick

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Richard A. Resnick

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Tristan Cummings, Kent McDaniel

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Anthony J. Cook, Amanda K. Golden, Deirdre A. Herman, Erika A. Riggin

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Steve Rath

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Beverly J. Steele

Contributing Editors

Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., Nancy M. Klobassa-Davidson, R.N., Seema Kumar, M.D., Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D., Paula Ricke, Pankaj Shah, M.D., Steven A. Smith, M.D., Sara E. Weigel, R.D., L.D.

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Elizabeth Tyler Austin

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Jeanne de Lathouder

MAYO CLINIC THE ESSENTIAL DIABETES BOOK

Art Director

Christopher Rhoads

Senior Production Manager

Greg A. Amason

Associate Production Manager

Amy Mangus

Special thanks to: Katherine Barnet, Jeremy Biloon, Susan Chodakiewicz, Rose Cirrincione, Jacqueline Fitzgerald, Christine Font, Jenna Goldberg, Hillary Hirsch, David Kahn, Mona Li, Amy Mangus, Amy Migliaccio, Nina Mistry, Dave Rozzelle, Ricardo Santiago, Adriana Tierno, Vanessa Wu

Published by Time Home Entertainment Inc.

135 W. 50th St. New York, NY 10020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, excepting brief quotations in connection with reviews written specifically for inclusion in magazines or newspapers, or limited excerpts strictly for personal use.

2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

ISBN-13: 978-0-8487-4339-0

ISBN-10: 0-8487-4339-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014933598

Second Edition

Printed in the United States of America

Mayo Clinic The Essential Diabetes Book is intended to supplement the advice of your personal physician, whom you should consult regarding individual medical conditions. MAYO, MAYO CLINIC and the Mayo triple-shield logo are marks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

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Cover design by Christopher Rhoads

Its rare to meet someone who doesnt aspire to live a long and healthy life. Often, our desire for longevity is motivated by goals a desire to achieve something be it a personal or professional accomplishment. It might be a desire to raise a family, be a teacher, be a professional athlete or simply be a part of your grandchildrens lives.

Although you may have great genes on your side, none of us is guaranteed health and longevity. Today, more than ever, you have to assume responsibility for your future and play an active role in protecting your health. This is especially true for people with, or at risk of, diabetes.

The good news is that despite the challenges you may be facing, there are multiple opportunities to improve and protect your health. Our goal mine and those of the other contributors to this book is to help you identify and act upon those opportunities. And in encouraging this action, we hope to keep you on the path to good health.

Diabetes is serious and increasingly common. But you can learn how to successfully control the disease and lead a healthy and productive life. In this book, we provide you key steps to living well with diabetes. This includes essential advice on how to monitor your blood sugar, how to eat better, how to become more physically active, how to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, and how to get the most from your medications.

If you have a child with diabetes, youll also learn practical tips, from recognizing key signs and symptoms, to involving your child in diabetes care, to dealing with emotional issues.

Read through this book with a positive attitude. The right attitude will not only help you add years to your life but also allow you to enjoy them.

M. Regina Castro, M.D .
Medical Editor

M. Regina Castro, M.D.
Endocrinology

This threat to our general health is significant enough that for the first time in history, younger generations may not enjoy the long lives that we have come to expect.

We seem to be involved in a losing fight. The number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus, continues to rise.

In addition, were seeing more young people with type 2 diabetes many children and adolescents as well as people of varied ethnic backgrounds and all forms of economic status. This threat to our general health is significant enough that for the first time in history, younger generations may not enjoy the long lives that we have come to expect.

Whats driving this epidemic? Have our genes changed dramatically? The answer is NO! What has changed is the way we lead our lives. Meals are often not prepared at home but eaten on the run, high in fat and calories, and low in fruits and vegetables. Weve become less physically active, both at work and in our leisure time, and as a result most of us are either overweight or obese. The impact of excess weight on health is astounding. It increases the risk of diabetes and predisposes people to many other health problems, including some types of cancer.

Its clear that we cant solve this problem in doctors offices weve tried and failed. Physicians and patients alike have to extend their focus beyond the confines of the doctors office, clinic or hospital. As a general population, we have to focus on the decisions we make every day that affect our health, whether its at home, work or school. This requires change, and change is often hard.