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TV Chef Paula Deen |
The buzz of the day is that TV Chef Paula Deen has type 2 diabetes. It seems that she has known about having the disease for about three years. Paula is known for her Southern cooking, full of butter, sugar, and other tasty ingredients high on the list of unhealthy foods.
No one is buzzing about it, but I’ve lived with type 2 diabetes for almost 25 years. My son Kreighton also lives with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans and over 40 million Americans have pre-diabetes (early type 2 diabetes). So, Paula, welcome to the club.
You probably already know someone who has diabetes, either a family member, co-worker, or family friend. But, just so that we start on the same page, here’s a brief rundown on the basics of diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both.