Hidden Diabetes

I love Christmas and the Holiday Season, but if it doesn’t end soon, I am going to look like an overstuffed suitcase. Our office meeting room is already filled with boxes of multiple treats, all smothered in chocolate. I am afraid I will end up in the ER after ingesting a pen or a hole puncher thinking they too, are covered in chocolate!

Although I appreciate that our vendors want to say thank you for the business throughout the year–I hope none of the companies had a mischievous intention–I can’t help but think, haven’t they heard about Diabetes? Is it too much to ask to send a basket of fruit or sandwiches?

I can honestly say that I never think about giving candy or chocolate to people, unless it is for an enemy. Nothing amuses me more than the thought of people I dislike blowing up like a Macy’s Day balloon!

Kidding aside, the holiday season gives a mental free pass on food, disrupting any efforts to follow a measured diet. Sweets and carbs become king and healthy food is deemed for The Grinch.

According to the 2014 stats from the CDC, (Centers for Disease Control), there are more than 29 million people diagnosed with Diabetes in the US. Diabetes is a complicated disease and it goes beyond the despair to lose weight. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart failure, and stroke.

This epidemic, regardless of government and social efforts, still doesn’t seem to gain the importance it deserves. Even though there are some cases that have no relationship with eating habits, the vast majority do. Like Donkey from Shrek says, “You are what we eat.“

In contrast to the general public’s obliviousness, there is a sector that is very interested in Diabetes: the pharmaceutical industry. Pharma companies profit greatly from the increasing number of people with high sugar levels. Almost every month, new diabetes drugs run TV ads with their ridiculous list of side effects that make these medicines look like suicide.

My husband jokes about these commercials and came up with his own warning sign: “If your throat swells, if you start thinking like the opposite sex, if you feel the urge to shave somebody else’s head, or if you die on the spot, please call your doctor immediately, especially if you are dead!“

Eating healthy is a difficult task, period. And it is more challenging during Christmas. As much as I try to control myself at home, at the office I give up. It is only 10 a.m. and I already have assaulted the meeting room twice. I ate three chocolate covered-pretzels and five chocolate-covered cherries–they are fruit after all, aren’t they?

Thank God December goes fast, otherwise I could get a part time job and dressed up as Santa for the local grocery store.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Xiomara Spadafora

This column was sponsored by Zellner Insurance Agency. Many things in life don’t have insurance. For everything else call Zellner (888) 208-8119