This blog post contains basic information to build upon as you continue your journey through type II diabetes. The intent of the information given is to promote your safety and savviness at managing your disease. Diabetics can experience feelings of anxiety, shame, frustration, guilt, and hopelessness with every misinformed article they read or video they watch. It is important to consume clear and accurate information to alleviate these feelings and inspire motivation and independence in your disease management.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the onslaught of recommendations from various sources about how you should be taking care of yourself? Type II diabetes is a complex disease that can affect those who have it in many different ways. What works for diabetics on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube may not work as well for you (and vice versa). In addition, anyone can post information to the internet regardless of their credibility for reasons such as fame or desire to sell certain products to diabetics.

In the video above, Dr. Rodriguez explains what is happening in the body of somebody with type II diabetes. It is a common misconception that diabetes is only diagnosed in people who are overweight and do not take care of themselves. In reality, risk factors for type II diabetes include sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, and family history of diabetes.

It is recommended to incorporate diabetic education and resilience training to a regimen of diet and exercise to better handle the stress associated with diabetes. In addition, resilience training provides tools for you to hold a sense of diabetes empowerment (Dubois et al., 2020).

Take advice with “a grain of salt.”

As mentioned above, methods that work for some diabetics may not work as well for you. For example, someone may tell you to never eat potatoes and that they are detrimental to your diabetes. However, maybe this person’s blood sugar rises abnormally high after eating potatoes or they they cannot control themselves around potatoes and have a difficult time limiting themselves to just one serving. Learning about how different foods and methods work for you takes time. The best way to navigate your diabetic journey is to check your blood sugar periodically (usually before meals and at bedtime) and to develop a solid relationship with a physician whom you trust and who understands your life and needs.

Beware of information that seems too good to be true.

It is important to watch videos that claim to have the secret to curing diseases with a critical eye. Right off the bat, this physician has succumbed to using clickbait in his video by claiming that certain foods can cure diabetes. Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be well managed and controlled. Second, “superfoods” is a buzzword that can lure people into sources with false claims. Another red flag is the physician mentioning vague studies, but not citing them. In addition, he does not explain how the foods he mentions have the drastic impact on diabetes he claims they do. 

Communicate with your doctor!

This TedTalk is by a physician who works directly with diabetic patients. In contrast to the previous video, she directly references specific studies with every claim she mentions. Also, YouTube has cited her background and credentials. She makes bold claims and veers off into what seems extreme by attempting to eliminate carbohydrates entirely. While it has been shown that low carbohydrate diets are effective in diabetic management, it is hard to coordinate this diet on your own (Bawazir et al., 2021). After seeing a video like this, you may want to begin following her diet immediately. This can be harmful because you may limit yourself too much and bring your blood sugar dangerously low, or you may try this diet and end up bingeing. If you believe the ideas this physician presents are fascinating and something worth trying, it is recommended to speak with your physician so you both can coordinate a diet plan that works for your unique body.

In conclusion, it is important to critique what you see online or what you hear from peers because it may be contributing to poor diabetic management and mindset. Remember to note who is giving you information and to share any concerns with your physician. Keep in mind the holistic nature of yourself. You are not your disease and diabetes does not have to have complete control over your body and mind.

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