Author: thegeneticdiabetic

I'm CJ, a wife and mom of three living with type 2 diabetes since I was diagnosed in 2019. I am a fervent advocate for chronic illness and diabetes. In addition to serving as a moderator and contributor to the Type2Diabetes.com community, I'm also an ambassador and influencer for the American Diabetes Association, Blue Circle Voices network, Chronic Disease Coalition, and Healthline Diabetic App Community. By sharing my journey, I hope to inspire others and educate them about diabetes so they can get tested for their A1C levels and insulin levels, as well as find out if they are genetically predisposed to it. If one person could benefit from my story, then I know that the journey was worth it.

Wellness Wednesday: Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is known by its unofficial name, type 1.5 diabetes. The body’s own immune system attacks and kills the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. However, the process of destroying all beta cells takes longer in people with LADA than it does in people with type 1 diabetes.

As you lose the ability to make insulin, your body is unable to control your blood sugar levels. You may not need treatment for many months or years after diagnosis like those with type 1 diabetes.

LADA usually begins after you turn 30, and doctors sometimes misdiagnose it as type 2 diabetes.

In fact, up to 15% of people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes actually have LADA. Being misdiagnosed puts people at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and other long-term complications.

Furthermore, if the person does not know they have autoimmune diabetes, they will not be screened for other autoimmune diseases, such as thyroid or celiac disease, which are more common in people with LADA than those with type 2 diabetes.

LADA symptoms are similar to those of type 1 or 2 diabetes. Usually if you don’t get better within a few months of taking oral diabetes medications, your doctor might suspect LADA.

LADA is diagnosed with a blood test. Because LADA is an autoimmune disease, individuals with LADA usually test positive for at least one islet autoantibody (a protein produced by the immune system). Tests can be performed on your blood to check for autoantibodies to GAD, IA-2/ICA512, insulin, and ZnT8. These tests vary in cost depending on your insurance coverage.

As soon as oral treatments, exercise, and diet plans fail to control your blood sugar, speak with your healthcare provider about insulin therapy.

Sources: DiaTribe and EnM (Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Motivational Monday

Every member of this community is here because they or someone they know is battling diabetes.
Diabetes is a life-long condition that takes work for us to manage. What may work for us one day might not work the next. So many factors contribute to our numbers fluctuating. There’s always a chance that the condition will progress even if you do everything you can.

However, we still have three options for how to approach the way we handle this:

– Giving up and don’t do anything about this condition

– Giving in and doing the least we can to treat this condition

OR

– Giving our best and not only control our condition, but do our best to learn about diabetes and to try and discover ways to stop its progression by doing our best. Additionally, even when treatment fails, you don’t give up or give in.

This week’s Motivational Monday’s Message:

Don’t give up.

Don’t give in.

⭐️Give it all you’ve got⭐️

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Food and Nutrition Friday: Hydrating Foods

Today, we’ll talk about how to stay hydrated with the food we eat!

Soups and Broths

A great way to hydrate your body is by drinking soups and bone broth. Soups based on broths like non-creamy chicken noodle soup, french onion soup, vegetable soup, and bone broths can help provide total fluid needs and are high in sodium, which is beneficial to your hydration. Sodium is lost through perspiration, and it must be replaced. If you’re athletic or highly active, replacing sodium is especially important.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Food is able to meet about 20% of your hydration needs, which is why eating fresh fruits and vegetables can enhance your hydration levels. Fruits and vegetables also have various minerals and fibers that promote a healthy metabolism.
Here are some fruits and vegetables and their water content percentages:

Cucumber- 96%

Watermelon- 96%

Pineapple- 95%

Celery- 95%

Lettuce- 95%

Blueberries- 95%

Tomatoes- 94%

Pear- 92%

Grapefruit- 90%

Melon- 89%

If you have trouble keeping hydrated, these are great options for preventing dehydration and keeping your blood sugar levels at a reasonable level!

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Wellness Wednesday: Diabetes and Dehydration

Dehydration can be very dangerous for people living with diabetes

The risk of dehydration increases for individuals with diabetes since high blood glucose levels decrease hydration in the body.

Drinking water helps keep your hydration and blood sugar levels in check. Besides fighting dehydration, it can also help remove excess glucose.

People with diabetes should drink plenty of fluids – 1.6 liters (L) or 6.5 cups a day for women; and 2 L or 8.5 glasses of water per day for men.

In addition to water, there are a number of other drinks that are also effective for preventing dehydration and increasing fluid intake. Examples include caffeine-free herbal teas, sugar-free sparkling water, almond milk, and sugar-free coffee.

Drinking sodas, energy drinks, fruit juices, and sweetened drinks is not recommended since they contain a lot of sugar and will increase your blood sugar levels.

What does your water/liquid intake look like?

A. 8 or more cups

B. 6-7 cups

C. 5-4 cups

D. 3 or less

What is your drink of choice?

Share your answers below in the comments!

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Wellness Wednesday: Ways to Combat Diabetes Distress and Burnout to Prevent Depression

Yesterday, we’ve discussed diabetes distress and diabetes burnout. To recap:

Diabetes distress occurs when someone feels overwhelmed by the daily demands of managing diabetes.

Diabetes burnout occurs when a person becomes tired of managing their condition, and then ignores it for a while, or even permanently.

If diabetes distress and burnout are not taken care of, both could lead to depression.

There are ways to prevent diabetes distress and burnout before they cause serious long-term complications or lead to clinical depression.

  1. Observe your feelings. When you have diabetes, you can experience frustration, stress, and fatigue a lot more than usual. When you experience these feelings for a long period of time, you might need help managing your diabetes.
  2. Speak with your healthcare provider about your feelings. If you are experiencing any difficulties with your diabetes care, talk to your doctor, nurse, diabetes educator, psychologist, or social worker. They can help you with problem-solving your diabetes concerns. They may also suggest that you speak with other health care providers.
  3. Consult your healthcare provider if you are experiencing negative reactions from others. It is important not to feel that you must hide your diabetes from others; your health care provider can help you manage feelings of being judged by others.
  4. Find out if you can receive assistance with the costs of diabetes medicines and supplies. Your pharmacist and health care provider may be able to assist you with the cost of your medication if you are concerned about the cost. Additionally, look into community health centers to see if they offer programs to help people get insulin, medicines for diabetes, and supplies (test trips, syringes, etc.).
  5. Talk to your family and friends. Tell the people around you how you feel about having diabetes. Be honest about the problems you’re having. Just verbalizing how you feel can have a positive effect on reducing stress. However, in some cases, the people around you can add to it. Be clear about how and when you need their help.
  6. Allow your loved ones to help you manage diabetes. The people who are closest to you can help you to take your medicine, monitor your blood sugar levels, participate in physical activity with you, and prepare healthy meals. They can also learn more about diabetes and go with you to appointments. Provide your loved ones with ways to help you manage your diabetes that are useful to you.
  7. Speak to others who suffer from diabetes. It may help to talk with others who have diabetes. They can give you insight into how they manage their diabetes and what works for them. Other people with diabetes can help you feel less alone and overwhelmed. You can find diabetic support groups in your community or online by asking your healthcare provider.
  8. Focus on one thing at a time. Managing your diabetes can be overwhelming. If you are suffering from diabetes distress, make a list of every task that you have to do each day. Try to complete every task one at a time.
  9. Take it one step at a time. You don’t have to meet your fitness goals immediately. You may want to walk for 10 minutes, three times a day, five days a week, but you can do it by walking twice a day or every other day.
  10. Spend time doing what you enjoy. Take time to do something you enjoy; it might be talking to a friend, playing with your children, or working on a project you enjoy. Look for activities around your area that you can do with a friend.

When you address the source of your distress and burnout, you will be able to regain control of your diabetes management with the help and resources you need.

Please don’t wait to get help, you don’t have to suffer diabetes stress or burnout any longer.

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Talk About It Tuesday: Diabetes Distress and Burnout

This week, we’re discussing Diabetes Distress & Burnout.

Diabetes distress occurs when someone feels overwhelmed by the daily demands of managing diabetes.

Diabetes burnout occurs when a person becomes tired of managing their condition, and then ignores it for a while, or even permanently.

Here are the signs to watch for:
🔹 Feeling angry and frustrated about diabetes management 🔹 Worried about not taking good care of your diabetes but unmotivated to change things. 🔹 Being hesitant to go to appointments or check your blood sugars regularly 🔹 Making unhealthy foods choices. 🔹 Feeling alone and isolated


Both diabetes distress and burnout can lead to depression if left untreated.

Let’s talk about it: Have you ever experienced diabetes distress or burnout?

Please share your experience and how you managed to get back on track with your diabetes management plan.

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Food and Nutrition Friday: Safe Low Carb/Keto Sweeteners for Diabetes

Yes, we can still eat sweets and desserts!

Moderation with sweets and desserts is the key. Enjoy them in small amounts at once so you can fill your plate with other nutritious foods. Limit other carbs to compensate for the sweets. Seek your doctor’s advice for adjusting your diet to avoid consuming too much sugar.

Try replacing sugar with an alternative sweetener. This is a diabetes hack I’ve been using for years. 

I don’t eat a lot of sweets, but when I do, I prefer ice cream, cheesecake, apple pie, and key lime pie. I am still able to eat all of these foods by changing the sweetener type. Before I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I used to substitute natural, no-added-sugar applesauce in many of my recipes. Nowadays, I use monk fruit and occasionally stevia. 

The sugar replacements have less calories and less or no carbohydrates, so they are great as an alternative to process sugar. I’ve compiled a short guide to sugar replacements and sweeteners that are great for people with diabetes. 

We should be able to eat great tasty food, too!

Until Next Time,

The Genetic Diabetic

Download the guide here:Download