Novant Health’s Dr. Adam Spitz shares the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than one million adult North Carolinians live with some form of diabetes. Whether it’s the autoimmune type 1 or the insulin-resistant type 2, Dr. Adam Spitz shares ways you can live a healthier life.
“The longer you do nothing about it, the more it progresses,” he said, “and the more it progresses, the harder it is to reverse.”
Dr. Spitz, a diabetes specialist at Novant Health, says your body will show you the signs early on.
“More than double the people with diabetes have what’s called ‘prediabetes.’ That’s an abnormal glucose, but you’re not yet diabetic, and the importance of that is that that’s your little warning light,” he said.
That warning light should encourage early detection, as well as a healthy and active lifestyle.
“You can reverse it if you catch it early, and that’s the important thing,” Dr. Spitz said. “The community outreach that organizations like Novant do, the American Diabetes Association has tons of public education things here in North Carolina.”
Type 1 diabetes is often linked to your body’s immune system attacking and destroying insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 develops due to insulin resistance associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
“It can happen, really, to anybody, and it can happen at any age,” Dr. Spitz said. “We now see teenagers — type 2 diabetes is now more frequently diagnosed in teenagers than type 1 diabetes.”
Whether it’s during the month of November, the holiday season, or your average day, he said healthy foods are the better choice.
“Smoke a turkey. Just make sure you choose a healthy glaze, not butter. You can grill vegetables and put on really healthy seasoning. So, get online and channel your creativity to offer healthier foods,” he said.
For more information on screenings or other helpful resources, visit Novant Health or the American Diabetes Association.
Contact Bria Smith at bsmith6@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.