Paula Deen Controversy

The recent controversy surrounding celebrity chef Paula Deen, famed for her high calorie, high fat(and, I'm sure, delicious)Southern recipes, brought attention to the subject of Type 2 diabetes, and how it can be affected by diet.
As most know, Ms. Deen revealed a couple of weeks ago that she has had diabetes for about three years, and is now teaming up with a pharmaceutical company to promote a diabetes drug.
There are many questionable celebrity endorsement deals, and I am not writing as a judge of Ms. Deen's ethics or form of self-promotion. This story just gives an opportunity to point out that what you eat can be a crucial factor in whether or not you contract this life-threatening illness.
Genetics is the main factor, of course, and if you have a family history, you must be extra careful to avoid the excess sugar, starches, fried and processed food. Lifestyle, age, and stress also play a part.
Diabetes is a breakdown in the body to produce or effectively use insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Your fasting glucose level can be tested with the blood work associated with your annual physical. Range for adults is 65-99, and I'm happy to report mine was a comfortable 82 this year.
Mistakes you make in your diet (the Fat Darryl sandwich at the Rutgers grease trucks immediately comes to my mind) can be made up for with exercise. However, a truly bad diet is hard to overcome with working out.
Diabetes is something no one wants. It is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, and the leading factor to kidney failure. While Type I, or juvenile, diabetes is unavoidable in sufferers, Type 2 can be prevented by a combination of moderate diet and exercise.
I think Paula Deen can be a helpful voice in recognizing this problem, and she offers some tips in a website called diabetesinanewlight.com. The key thing is doing those things to prevent diabetes, rather than the much tougher steps required after you get it.