Living With Diabetes

02/08/2026

SUNDAY EDITORIAL 📰
Black History Month: How Black Doctors Were Excluded—and How They Changed Diabetes Care Living with Diabetes

✍️By Jamies Shuford

Living with diabetes in America is not just a medical condition it is a daily negotiation with access, trust, history, and systems that were never designed equally for everyone. During Black History Month, it is important to confront an uncomfortable truth often left out of healthcare narratives: Black doctors were systematically excluded from American medicine, yet their contributions fundamentally reshaped how diabetes is understood, treated, and managed today.

For Black Americans, diabetes has often arrived not as a sudden diagnosis, but as a familiar presence passed through families, neighborhoods, and generations. What is rarely acknowledged is that Black physicians—despite being barred from hospitals, medical schools, research institutions, and professional societies were instrumental in building the very frameworks used to treat diabetes today.

Early Black doctors were denied admitting privileges and blocked from mainstream healthcare systems. In response, they created their own institutions community hospitals, clinics, and training programs focused on prevention, education, and dignity. These spaces became lifelines for Black patients and incubators for approaches to chronic disease care that mainstream medicine would later adopt.

Black physicians were also among the first to reject the narrative that diabetes in Black communities was the result of personal failure or biological inferiority. They identified what many institutions refused to acknowledge: that food deserts, economic instability, environmental exposure, limited healthcare access, chronic stress, and systemic racism were driving higher diabetes rates. Long before “social determinants of health” became accepted language, Black doctors were already practicing it.

This perspective changed diabetes care. It shifted medicine away from blame and toward context. Black doctors pioneered culturally competent models of care meeting patients in churches, community centers, barbershops, and homes, not just exam rooms. These approaches were not symbolic; they produced measurable outcomes: improved blood sugar control, better medication adherence, and reduced complications.

Trust is central to diabetes management. It requires honesty, continuity, and long-term engagement. Research consistently shows that when Black patients are treated by Black physicians, health outcomes improve. In diabetes care, that means earlier diagnoses, fewer amputations, fewer kidney failures, and longer, healthier lives.

Beyond clinical care, Black doctors have reshaped diabetes research and public policy. Through advocacy, scholarship, and national medical leadership, they challenged exclusion from clinical trials, demanded equitable funding, and reframed diabetes as a public health issue connected to housing, nutrition, labor conditions, and environmental justice—not merely individual behavior.

During Black History Month, this legacy demands recognition. Living with diabetes today across all communities means benefiting from the work of Black physicians who were excluded from medicine yet refused to be erased from its progress. Their leadership transformed diabetes care from a narrow clinical problem into a broader fight for health equity.

The work, however, remains unfinished. Diabetes continues to disproportionately affect Black Americans not because of who they are, but because of the conditions many are forced to live under. Black doctors have shown what progress looks like when medicine confronts inequity instead of ignoring it.

That lesson extends beyond healthcare.

•It is historical.

•It is structural.

•And it is ongoing.

Living with diabetes is not only about survival.
It is about justice, leadership, and the right to live well.

02/01/2026

Sunday Editorial 📰
Diabetes and Black America
Confronting a Health Crisis That Hits Home

✍🏽 By Jamies Shuford

Diabetes is not merely a medical diagnosis—it is a narrative woven with history, disparity, and community resilience. In the United States today, Black Americans continue to bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes and its complications. Adults who are non-Hispanic Black are about 24% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the U.S. adult population overall. In addition, Black individuals die from diabetes at a rate nearly 78% higher than the total population and are more than twice as likely to develop end-stage kidney disease because of diabetes.

Why Are Our Numbers So High?

There is no single cause; rather, a complex mix of biology, environment, and systemic inequities.

Social and economic factors—including limited access to healthy foods, safe places to exercise, and high-quality healthcare—play a major role. Many Black Americans live in neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce and obesity rates are high, both of which are well-established risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Socioeconomic stress and the chronic strain of systemic racism also matter. Long-term stress can affect hormone levels and contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Brian Hughes Speaks

Genetic predispositions might contribute to risk differences, but genetics alone do not explain the disparities in diabetes prevalence or outcomes; social determinants of health do.

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Finally, healthcare access and quality are unequal. Black Americans are more likely to experience delays in diagnosis, have lower access to early intervention, and face barriers to diabetes education and effective chronic care.

The Cost of Disparities

The consequences are devastating: higher rates of eye disease, kidney failure, amputations, heart disease, and premature death. Communities lose loved ones and strength, and families bear emotional and financial burdens that are far too heavy.
This is not a biological inevitability. It is a health equity failure.

Voices of Black Leadership and Advocacy
Amid these stark statistics, leaders from within the Black community are stepping up with clarity, urgency, and personal testimony.

Anthony Anderson—actor, producer, and longtime advocate—knows the stakes firsthand. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in his late 20s and deeply affected by losing his father to diabetes complications, Anderson has used his platform to promote diabetes awareness and management, especially in Black communities. He actively speaks about the importance of education, prevention, and honest conversations about health.

The Educated Patient

Organizations like the African American Diabetes Association (AADA) tackle the problem structurally by advocating for culturally relevant prevention education, improved healthcare access, and community-based solutions. Leaders such as AADA co-founders work to close gaps in care and raise public consciousness about diabetes in Black America.

African American DIabetes Assoc

Beyond celebrity advocates, Black health professionals and equity champions like Dr. Uché Blackstock, who focuses on racial inequity in healthcare, research, and access—are moving the broader conversation forward, connecting systemic racism to chronic disease outcomes.

These voices remind us that the fight against diabetes in Black America isn’t just medical—it’s social, economic, and political.

A Call to Action

To change the trajectory, we must:
Expand access to preventive care and diabetes education in Black communities.

Invest in healthy food access, safe recreation spaces, and community wellness programs.
Address systemic barriers that produce uneven health outcomes.

Support advocates and organizations amplifying Black voices in health policy.

Diabetes didn’t emerge in isolation it is rooted in a history of unequal opportunity and care. But it can be met with organized, informed, and sustained action.

This Sunday, let’s not only reflect on the numbers but honor the lives behind them—those lost, those managing, and those working every day to make better health a reality for Black America.

01/25/2026

Living With Diabetes the Right Way A Sunday Reflection on Discipline, Dignity, and Daily Choices
📝Sunday Editorial
✍🏽 By Jamies Shuford

Sunday is a day many of us slow down, take inventory of our lives, and prepare our minds and bodies for the week ahead. For those of us living with diabetes, Sunday reflection carries an added weight because diabetes is not something you clock out of. It’s a daily companion that demands responsibility, honesty, and respect for your own body.

Living with diabetes the right way doesn’t mean living perfectly. It means living intentionally.

Too often, diabetes is discussed only in medical termsnumbers, prescriptions, and appointments. But the truth is, diabetes is also spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. It tests discipline. It exposes habits. And it forces us to confront whether we truly value our long-term health over short-term comfort.

The right way to live with diabetes begins with ownership. Not denial. Not excuses. Not blaming genetics, stress, or circumstance—though all of those are real. Ownership means understanding that while diabetes may not be your fault, your daily choices are still your responsibility. What you eat, how often you move, how well you rest, and whether you listen to your body all matter.

Living right with diabetes means respecting food, not fearing it. Food is fuel, not an enemy. The problem isn’t eating it’s eating without awareness. Portion control, balance, and consistency can do more than any fad diet ever will. The right way is learning what your body responds to and honoring that knowledge daily, even when it’s inconvenient.

It also means movement as a form of self-respect, not punishment. You don’t have to live in a gym. Walking, stretching, light strength training simple movement done consistently can be life-changing. Movement reminds your body that it was designed to function, not just survive.

Equally important is mental and emotional health. Stress spikes blood sugar just as surely as poor food choices do. Living the right way with diabetes means learning when to pause, when to breathe, and when to say no. Peace is not a luxury for diabetics—it’s part of the treatment plan.

And on this Sunday, let’s be honest: living with diabetes the right way requires faith—faith in your ability to change, faith in discipline over impulse, and faith that small daily decisions compound into longer, healthier years.
Whether that faith is rooted in God, purpose, or love for your family, it matters. Because no one manages diabetes well without something bigger than willpower alone.

Diabetes does not define your worth, your strength, or your future. But how you live with it does reflect how much you value the life you’ve been given.

This Sunday, make a quiet commitment—not to be perfect, but to be consistent. Not to be afraid, but to be informed. Not to give up joy, but to choose a version of joy that doesn’t steal tomorrow’s health.

Living with diabetes the right way is not about restriction.

It’s about respect—for your body, your life, and your future.

And that is a commitment worth renewing every Sunday.

12/17/2025

Living With Diabetes: One Day, One Choice at a Time

By Jamies Shuford
Living With Diabetes

I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with diabetes. It wasn’t dramatic no cinematic moment, no sudden epiphany. Just a calm doctor, a few numbers on a chart, and a sinking realization: my body and I were about to have a very honest conversation.

At first, I thought, How bad can this really be? Then came the reality check: tracking meals, monitoring blood sugar, reading labels like I’d gone back to school, and figuring out that my “quick snack” choices had consequences. Diabetes doesn’t respond to denial it responds to consistency.

The Early Days: Reality Bites

Let’s be real: nobody wakes up thrilled to check blood sugar. But diabetes forces you to pay attention—really pay attention. Fatigue isn’t something you push through anymore. Stress isn’t something you ignore. Even a simple meal comes with choices you can’t overlook.

Yes, I’ve had frustrating moments. Moments when the numbers surprised me despite my best effort. Moments when I just wanted to pretend everything was fine. But diabetes has a sense of humor: it reminds you immediately when you cut corners.

What Diabetes Has Taught Me

Before my diagnosis, I didn’t always listen to my body. I ignored stress, overate, and treated fatigue like a badge of honor. Diabetes said, Nope, we’re doing this differently.

Now, I ask myself daily:

How will this food make me feel?

Did I move today?

Am I managing stress, or letting it manage me?

It turns out, paying attention isn’t punishment it’s self-respect.

Living With Balance And Why Laughter Is The Medicine

One of the biggest misconceptions about diabetes is that life becomes joyless. It doesn’t. I still enjoy food. I still live my life. I just live it with awareness.

Some days, my numbers surprise me despite doing everything “right.” Other days, I slip up and own it without guilt. Progress, not perfection, is the key. And yes—I sometimes laugh at myself. Because if you can’t find humor in checking your blood sugar before a meal, you might just go crazy.

The Emotional Side

Diabetes isn’t just physical it’s mental and emotional. There’s pressure to always do better, always stay disciplined. I’ve learned that grace is part of good health. One off day doesn’t erase months of effort.

Support matters family, friends, faith, community. And reminding yourself that you are more than a diagnosis matters most of all.

Reflection

Diabetes changed how I live, but it also changed how I appreciate life. It taught me responsibility, patience, and gratitude for my body and what it does for me every single day.

I didn’t choose diabetes, but I choose how I live with it. And if my story helps even one person take their health seriously or feel less alone then this journey has purpose beyond me.

One step. One meal. One day at a time.

Thank you for following this page.
🍍🥦💧🚶‍♂️🌞 ---Jamies Shuford

12/03/2025

San Francisco City Attorney Office Files Lawsuit Against 10 Food Manufacture Companies.

OP-ED:The Ultra-Processed Trap Fueling America’s Type 2 Diabetes Crisis

Written by Jamies Shuford

In a country that prides itself on innovation, convenience, and abundance, it’s striking that our greatest health threat isn’t a lack of food it’s the kind of food we’re eating. Ultra-processed foods, the brightly packaged, endlessly marketed products that line every aisle of every grocery store, have quietly become America’s most widespread addiction. And their impact is written in the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes across communities of every age, race, and income level.

Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be irresistible. They’re designed to hijack the brain’s reward system, keep you reaching for more, and keep profits flowing for the companies that manufacture them. These aren’t just snacks or meals; they’re lab-crafted formulas built around sugar, refined carbohydrates, additives, and chemical preservatives foods that barely resemble anything that comes from the earth.

And the cost? A national health crisis.

Type 2 diabetes was once considered a slow-moving disease that came with age. Today, we’re seeing it diagnosed earlier, faster, and more frequently even in children. This isn’t genetics suddenly evolving. It’s our food system. When daily meals include cereals with more sugar than dessert, “healthy” yogurts loaded with sweeteners, and drive-through dinners packed with hidden calories and salt, the outcome has been entirely predictable.

Communities with the least access to fresh, whole foods suffer the most. Food deserts urban, rural, and everywhere in between ensure that the cheapest calories come from the most harmful products. And companies know exactly where to target their marketing. When ultra-processed foods become the default diet, Type 2 diabetes follows like a shadow.

Yet we rarely discuss accountability. We blame individuals for their choices without acknowledging the system that shapes those choices. Ultra-processed foods are cheaper, faster, and deliberately addictive. Meanwhile, healthier options require time, money, and access luxuries that not everyone has.

The United States cannot continue pretending this is a matter of personal willpower. It is policy. It is corporate power. And it is the direct result of a food industry that has prioritized profit over public health for decades.

If we are serious about reversing the Type 2 diabetes epidemic, we need more than awareness campaigns. We need structural change:

• Food policies that prioritize real nutrition over corporate influence.
• Investment in community-based food programs and urban agriculture.
• Clear labeling that doesn’t hide sugar under a dozen different names.
• Education that starts early because industry marketing starts early too.

But we also need a cultural shift one that values whole foods, local foods, and foods that nourish rather than numb. Type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. It is preventable. But only if we confront the uncomfortable truth: America’s food system is built on products that undermine our health, and pretending otherwise only allows the crisis to deepen.

Our country cannot thrive on ultra-processed convenience. We deserve a food system and a future that actually sustains us.

11/27/2025

Enjoying Thanksgiving With Diabetes: A Holiday Guide to Flavor, Balance & Joy

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, gratitude, and let’s be honest good food. For people living with diabetes, the holiday table can feel like a challenge. Between the pies, stuffing, and carb-heavy dishes, it’s natural to wonder: “Can I really enjoy Thanksgiving without throwing my blood sugar out of balance?”

The answer is yes absolutely.

With mindful choices, a little preparation, and a focus on what the holiday truly represents, diabetics can enjoy Thanksgiving just as fully as anyone else.

1.)Start With a Smart Plate

Thanksgiving plates tend to get overloaded. Instead, aim for a balanced approach:

Half of your plate: Non-starchy vegetables (green beans, brussels sprouts, salads, roasted veggies)

One quarter: Lean protein (turkey breast, baked chicken, plant protein options)

One quarter: Carbs you truly enjoy choose your favorites and skip the rest

This helps prevent blood sugar spikes while still letting you enjoy your best-loved dishes.

2.)Don’t Skip Breakfast

It’s tempting to “save room,” but skipping meals can cause blood sugar fluctuations and lead to overeating later.
Have a protein-rich breakfast—like eggs, Greek yogurt, or nuts—to keep your levels steady.

3.)Choose Smarter Sides

Thanksgiving sides can be carb landmines. You don’t need to avoid them—just choose wisely:

Swap mashed potatoes for cauliflower mash or have a smaller scoop

Try stuffing made with whole grain bread, wild rice, or vegetables

Choose sugar-free cranberry sauce or a low-sugar homemade option

And when it comes to casseroles, watch out for hidden sugar in canned soups and toppings.

4.)Enjoy Dessert—With a Plan

You don’t have to skip dessert! Just manage portions and choose options with less sugar:

Sugar-free pumpkin pie

Fresh berries with a dollop of whipped cream

Tiny “tasting-sized” slices of the traditional pies

A small piece savored slowly is often more satisfying than a big slice eaten quickly.

5.)Stay Active Between Courses

A short walk after dinner can significantly help with blood sugar control.
Invite family for a 10–15 minute stroll—it’s good for your body and a perfect moment for connection.

6.)Drink Wisely

Beverages can be sneaky:

Choose water, sparkling water, unsweet tea, or diet drinks

If drinking alcohol, keep it moderate and pair with food

Avoid sugary cocktails, punches, and sweet wines

7.)Bring a Diabetic-Friendly Dish

If you’re visiting someone else’s home, bring something you know works for you—like a low-carb veggie dish, sugar-free dessert, or lean protein.
This ensures you’ll always have something comfortable to enjoy.

8.)Give Yourself Grace

Thanksgiving is one day not the whole year.
If your meal isn’t perfect, or you enjoy a few more carbs than planned, don’t be hard on yourself.
Check your blood sugar, stay hydrated, and get back on track at the next meal.

A Thanksgiving Focused on Gratitude, Not Guilt

Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food it’s about family, community, and gratitude.
Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to sit out on holiday joy. It means being aware, prepared, and kind to yourself.

With smart choices and a balanced mindset, you can fill your plate and your heart with everything that makes the season special.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone living with diabetes. May your holiday be full of health, warmth, and joy. 🦃💛

10/24/2025

Great Information.

Diabetes Day by Day is a podcast intended for people with diabetes and their caregivers. In each episode, Neil Skolnik, MD, and Sara Wettergreen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, will discuss the everyday challenges of living with diabetes and will offer practical advice for overcoming those challenges. Join....

09/26/2025

Great Podcast

Diabetes Day by Day is a podcast intended for people with diabetes and their caregivers. In each episode, Neil Skolnik, MD, and Sara Wettergreen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, will discuss the everyday challenges of living with diabetes and will offer practical advice for overcoming those challenges. Join....

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Bernie Sanders getting to the point.

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