Diabetes Shoppe: Your Partner in Diabetes Care
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the way your body uses food. Food is changed into glucose, which is carried to your body's cells by the bloodstream. Insulin (a hormone made in the pancreas) allows glucose to enter the cells where it is changed into energy or stored for later use. In diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use insulin correctly. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream. High blood glucose levels are one of the main symptoms of diabetes. Today, diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be controlled.
Whether you were just diagnosed with diabetes or have lived with it for years, diabetes can be confusing. There are so many terms to learn, protocols to follow, and actions to take. If you want to take control of your Diabetes, you need to understand your disease. It is important to learn at a pace you are comfortable with. Trying to learn too much too quickly can be counter-productive and can actually result in more confusion. Start with the basics by learning key terminology associated with diabetes. Here are a few terms with which you should become familiar:
 | Exchanges - Food groups used in meal planning. The seven food groups are: starch, other carbohydrates, meat and meat substitutes, vegetable, fruit, milk, and fat. The foods listed within a group can be exchanged for any food in the same group in equivalent portions. |
| Glucagon- a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels. |
| Glucose - a simple form of sugar that acts as the body's fuel. Glucose is produced when food is broken down in the digestive system. |
| Hyperglycemia - a condition in which blood glucose levels are too high (generally 180 mg/dl or above.) |
| Hypoglycemia - a condition in which blood glucose levels drop too low (generally below 70 mg/dl). |
| Insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body use glucose. It is the key that unlocks the door to cells and allows glucose to enter and fuel the cells. |
