Working as a registered nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Sue Behr was closely familiar with the serious health problems that could result from diabetes.
But life was busy, her shifts were long, and she didn’t always make the most healthy choices. Diet soda and cheesy popcorn were her go-to snack when she was stressed, and fast food from the drive-thru made for convenient meals.
She knew, though, that her diet was impacting her health, especially as she got older. She felt fatigued, always thirsty, and started having vision problems. She knew she needed to make a change, and a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis confirmed it.
“It was a real wake-up call for me that if I didn’t do something, I was going to end up in serious trouble,” says Behr, 71, a Blue Cross member who lives in Bloomington.
Years later, with significant changes made to her diet and lifestyle with help from a nutritionist and the support of others, Behr is in a much better place. She serves as an example of the power of healthy choices, showing that it’s never too late to change your habits and improve your well-being.
A CHRONIC PROBLEM
More than 34 million Americans are living with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and up to 95 percent of those have Type 2. About a quarter of adults age 65 and older have diabetes and half of those who don’t are considered to have prediabetes, which puts them on the cusp of developing Type 2.
The disease is characterized by the body’s resistance to insulin, a hormone needed to absorb glucose, or sugars that are broken down from carbohydrates. When the body can’t absorb glucose properly, it leads to high blood sugar that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease, according to the CDC.
Common risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include family history, age (45 or older), obesity, inactivity, and high blood pressure. Certain populations, including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and some Pacific Islanders, are also more predisposed to developing diabetes.
Symptoms can often go unnoticed for years, or be mistaken for normal changes associated with aging. The CDC recommends seeing your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you experience any of the following:
• Frequent urination
• Irregular thirst
• Weight loss without trying
• Ongoing hunger
• Blurry vision
• Numb or tingling hands or feet
• Fatigue
• Dry skin
• Slowly healing sores
• An increase in infections It was more than a decade ago when Behr began experiencing some of these symptoms, and sought help to turn her life around.
MAKING A CHANGE
Behr’s son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that stops the body from producing insulin, when he was a teenager. Though different from Type 2 diabetes, Behr says that experience put her on a path to learning more about both types and how blood sugar affects health.
“He has a glucose monitor and a couple of times, he let me check my blood sugar just for the heck of it,” Behr says. “And that’s when I discovered, wow, you know, I’m running these really high numbers.”
She started looking into it more and checking out how different foods impacted her blood sugar levels—and how she felt. She tried it after her favorite snack of cheesy popcorn and diet soda.
“I didn’t like what it was doing to my body,” she says. “I’d get these blood sugars that shot way up, which was totally not normal, and one or two hours later it was still high. And I thought, this isn’t right.”
Behr was diagnosed with Type 2 not long afterward and though she had started making diet changes on her own, she reached out to Darlene Kvist, a licensed nutritionist, counselor, and founder of Twin Cities-based Nutritional Weight & Wellness. Behr had heard Kvist speak at the VA Medical Center and liked her approach to wellness through better eating.
Working with Kvist, Behr cut back significantly on sweets—including dropping soda completely. She also reduced her intake of non-nutrient rich carbohydrates and processed foods with unhealthy fats. Rather than getting carbs from bread, pasta, or rice, they are now coming primarily from vegetables. She tries to keep her meals balanced, mixing in meats or eggs for protein and a variety of vegetables and beneficial, natural fats.
In retirement, Behr has found more time to cook and enjoys finding new recipes, or experimenting with her own—she loves a good lettuce wrap, something she hadn’t considered years ago.
“I even started making my own mayonnaise using avocado oil,” she says. “And bit by bit, through all of this, my weight started dropping and I started to feel a whole lot better.”
Behr has lost 70 pounds, is able to maintain healthy blood sugar levels (which she checks at least a couple of times each day), and has more energy. Though she was initially prescribed Metformin, a drug that helps the body respond to insulin and slows the production of glucose, she no longer needs it to manage her diabetes successfully.
STAYING ACTIVE
Regular activity is another key to preventing and managing diabetes, even if it’s as simple as a walk around the block.
When she was a nurse, Behr was on her feet all day, often doing 10-hour shifts. She also joined a gym and started working with a personal trainer, though that has been paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To fill the void, she teamed up with a neighbor to start walking 30 minutes a day and doing weight-bearing exercises twice a week. They don’t actually exercise together, but they hold each other accountable.
“We just kind of keep each other on track,” Behr says. “I’ve never been able to walk as fast as she does, so we wouldn’t be a good match, but at least I’m getting out there and doing something again.”
Behr says she has also made a point of staying socially active, even if it’s virtual. She still speaks regularly with her son, who helps support her health goals, and she participates in video conferences with a group of scrapbooking friends.
For anyone struggling to manage diabetes, or feeling like she used to, Behr says there’s no reason to struggle alone. Reach out for help, build a network, and others will help bring out your strength to live healthier.
“If somebody would have told me 10 years ago that I’d be feeling as good as I feel today, I would have said they were nuts,” Behr laughs. “But I made it happen. You have to believe that you can change.”