Hello dear reader, walk with me in unmasking the elephant in the room who goes by the name diabetes. Are you ready for this adventure? I hope you are, for it promises to be sour and sweet.
Now, what exactly is diabetes? We live in a world where excess of everything is bad, including the sweetest things in life. Diabetes, occurs when our blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. In a nutshell, diabetes is the aftermath of having excessive blood sugar. Diabetes has various variants. There is predominantly Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately, statistics have shown that in Africa, Nigeria has the highest number of diabetic patients. In light of this report, the soundtrack, "Help me! Help me! E dey carry me dey go where I no know" comes to mind but without the usual humour. Diabetes is taking our countrymen, parents, relatives, friends and loved ones to the great beyond (death), and we must unite to put a stop to this. Trust me, dear comrade, you are not too young to lend a helping hand.
One factor fueling diabetes in Nigeria is the massive bridge in knowledge. Consequently, people lead self-destructive lifestyles often mistaken for pleasure. Lifestyles like being inactive and obese have perilous consequences. This is why the disease is prevalent in older people. Do well to educate your parents and loved ones that being inactive is not enjoyment and fat is not a sign of good living, but an open invitation to diabetes and other health challenges.
Also, tasty does not equate to healthy. Regularly drinking soda, eating ice cream, munching cakes, candy and other sugary foods is not a flex, rather, it is an unwise decision comparable to the actions of the five foolish virgins in the bible.
Oops! Did I hit a nerve? Well, dearest reader, remember, we are unmasking both the sweet and sour truth about diabetes and sometimes the truth stings 🫂. If you identify as a sweet tooth, today is a good day to turn a new leaf and eat more vegetables.
The very essence of this piece is to educate you about this disease which I describe as a menace to society so you can become an agent of change.
So far we have unmasked just the sour truth about diabetes, is there a sweet side at all or was the title a cheap bait?
At the end of every tunnel there is light, so also is there a sweet and liberating truth about diabetes. While diabetes may have no cure it is not a death sentence. It can be managed and with the right diet and lifestyle one can manage diabetes and live healthily without pills. If your parents are diabetic, it is your duty to ensure they eat right and timely (see meal plan for guidance).
Dear reader, not all heroes wear capes, some help their parents and loved ones manage their diabetes. Choose to be a hero! Also, always make good lifestyle choices to prevent ever being diabetic.
With all my love,