As a person with type 2 diabetes, I am well aware of the stereotypes and erroneous beliefs about my disease:

• I must have type 2 diabetes because I brought it upon myself eating chips 24/7 on the couch while watching TV.
• I must not diet or exercise as much as I say I do, because otherwise I would be a waif.
• I should "just" be able to give up all carbs and sweets.
• I should "just" be able to exist on four lettuce leaves a day and a cherry tomato.

Even some friends with type 1 diabetes get very insulted for being mistaken as someone with type 2 diabetes, "the one caused by poor lifestyle."

The root cause of diabetes is not yet known.  Many people are quick to say extra weight is the cause.  However, there are many more fat people in the world without diabetes than there are fat people with diabetes.  There is debate about whether excess weight precedes diabetes, or diabetes precedes gaining excess weight.  In other words, does our body somehow change into a fat-making, fat-storage machine because of something not working correctly?  There is research that seems to point that way, but the fact is we really don't know yet.

While we may not know when physiologic changes happen to cause easy weight gain and weight loss resistance, we know it does happen in the disease.  People diagnosed with diabetes may have their bodies working against them.  Hyperinsulinemia, a condition that happens in type 2 diabetes, can make it difficult to lose weight.  It might cause fat retention despite hard work and calorie restriction.  It can also feel like you took a pill that increased appetite and cravings.  This makes sense because our cells starve when their energy source (sugar) remains in the bloodstream.  Signals are sent to the brain demanding food, especially quick-fix sugar. This is the reason why someone with diabetes can still have strong cravings after eating a big meal.

So people with diabetes have to jump over bigger hurdles than people without diabetes.  It's like running a race with a 50 pound millstone around your neck and your millstone-free opponent is bragging they are faster than you.

The good news is that if you make smart lifestyle changes and have awareness of what is happening, you may be able to lessen the challenging effects and have an easier time losing weight and dieting.  The problem is that many people are just given general one-size-fits-all advice for diet and exercise and they are not aware of the current general guidelines for people with diabetes.  Read about Smart Diabetes Lifestyle Changes to help make things easier and improve your quality of life.

Learn more about how Hyperinsulinemia Can be Mistaken for Low Fitness Motivation. 

Did you know that lifestyle changes are more powerful than medications?  In addition, diabetes is a disease that is not made up of just one symptom (high blood sugar).  We often deal with high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high insulin levels, and other conditions.

Each symptom or associated condition of diabetes could be treated with different medications, but lifestyle changes could bring sweeping changes across the board.  Granted, lifestyle changes may not be enough for everyone.  However, it doesn't hurt to give them a try.

Read about Diabetes Lifestyle Changes that could change your life.

My refrigerator's vegetable drawers are usually brimming with bunches of kale and kale drying in a strainer on the counter.  Kale grows in pots in my back yard.  I use it in juice, purees, stir fries, salads, soups, and egg scrambles.  I love kale because I just plain feel good when I eat it.

Kale is considered one of the healthiest, most nutritious foods on the planet.  It is beneficial for your general health and can be helpful for your diabetes prevention or management.

Learn more about the nutritional benefits of kale.  Try this baked kale chips recipe, one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

Do you enjoy kale?  How do you use it?

Eating less animal fat and cholesterol might decrease a woman's risk for gestational diabetes in pregnancy. Eat too much, and the risk almost doubles.  This is according to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University.

The increased risk of gestational diabetes due to a diet high in these fats was not lowered by other factors such as exercise which have been found to reduce risk.  Women whose total fat or other fat consumption was high (not animal fat or cholesterol) did not have increased risk.

This has been the largest study conducted on pre-pregnancy diet and it's effects on gestational diabetes.  Researchers used information from over 13,000 women from the Nurses' Healthy Study II.  Subjects were divided into groups according to percentages of calories from animal fat.  The women in the group with the highest percentage had almost twice the risk as those in the group with the lowest percentage.  Women in the group with the highest cholesterol consumption were 45% more likely to develop gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is one of the most common pregnancy problems.  It is a condition where blood sugar levels rise too high in pregnancy and increase the risk for complications for mother and baby.  Having gestational diabetes in pregnancy increases the mother's risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.  There are usually no symptoms, so most women are screened in pregnancy for the condition.