Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers , is one of many celebrities who has been diagnosed with diabetes. He found out in November of 2005 that he has Type 1 diabetes. This form of the condition is usually diagnosed in young adults and children. It has previously been referred to as Juvenile Diabetes. The problem is that his body is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to convert carbohydrates, sugars and foods into useful energy.

A couple of months before Nick was diagnosed, he began to notice symptoms. “It was just insane,” says Nick. He was losing weight, constantly going to the bathroom, was thirsty all the time, and had a bad attitude. “I had a terrible attitude, which was totally odd for me because I’m actually a nice person. Especially being on the road around people all the time, you have to keep that positive energy going. And it was hard.”

Nick took some time off from The Jonas Brothers tour to see a doctor to find out what was going on. In one episode, his doctors discovered that his blood sugar was over 700. They sent him right to the hospital. Nick says, “For someone who had no bad medical history ever, to suddenly have the shock of diabetes was a bit overwhelming in itself, and then I had to learn all about it, learn all these things in such a short period of time. All of it was crazy. I also wondered if I could continue making music…but I had the support of my friends and the band to be there with me. Although Dad had to stay at home with my three brothers, my Mom stayed with me at the hospital every single night.”

Nick started doing shows again as soon as he left the hospital. He had to take multiple daily injections of insulin along with pills to help control his blood sugar. He also had to check his blood sugar about twelve times a day. “When we were on the road, I’d be in the back of the band trying to give insulin shots and manage my diabetes, and it was just too hard,” he says. “I was getting frustrated with it. I knew that I needed something different, a solution to the problem, which in fact was a new kind of insulin pump. It’s really changed my life in a big way. I started using [the new insulin pump] in about April and absolutely love it. And all my friends think that it’s a really cool device.”

“What’s awesome about the new ’smart’ insulin pump,” Nick says, “is that it works as a blood glucose meter, so I just put the test strip in it.” He tries to check his sugar nine to ten times every day. Reportedly, his blood sugar is between 150 and 175 mg/dl. This would normally be a high reading, but because Nick is so fit and active and has a tendency to go low, he has been advised that this should be his normal range.

The new insulin pump lets Nick he can enter the amount of carbs in something he eats, and it will give him a suggested amount of insulin. The insulin pump also has a database of different foods. If he ever has a question about how many carbs are in a certain food. When he gets low, he prefers to drink orange juice or some other liquid because they work so quickly. Nick does not follow any particular special diet. “I could eat all the steak in the world,” he says, “but I’ll eat pretty much anything.”

In March 2007, about a year and a half after his diagnosis, Nick publicly announced that he has diabetes at Carnival for a Cure, in an appearance sponsored by the makers of his new diabetes testing gadget.

Nick likes that he can be a role model for children and teens and raise awareness to his fans. “I have a platform to be able to share my story. As a singer I can share this passion with other young people my age. This can put things in a positive light that is is a situation that might not be so positive. I’ve heard stories about kids who were in depression because after they got diagnosed they were just so upset about what was going on. That just touched my heart, and I wanted to be able to do something about it. I hope that I can be that positive light [to people].” Nick is also planning to become very involved with the diabetes community.

In a very short time Nick has transformed himself into a responsible adult. “Diabetes is a huge part of my life and I can’t just forget about it, obviously,” Nick explains. “I have to keep taking care of it and managing it, and learning more things about it. Hopefully one day they’ll come up with some type of cure, and I hope I’ll be one of the first to know about it.”

To newly diagnosed kids with diabetes, Nick would say, “Don’t let it slow you down at all. I made a promise to myself on the way to the hospital that I wouldn’t let this thing slow me down and I’d just keep moving forward, and that’s what I did. Keeping a positive attitude and moving in the right direction. Don’t be discouraged.”

Nick has written a song that he performs with his brothers, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas. The song is called “A Little Bit Longer.” In the song, Nick sings, “Got the news today/Doctor said I had to stay/A little bit longer/And I’ll be fine/When I thought it’d all been done/When I thought it’d all been said/A little bit longer/And I’ll be fine/All this time goes by/Still no reason why/A little bit longer/And I’ll be fine/Waitin’ on a cure/But none of them are sure/A little bit longer/And I’ll be fine.”

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The nutritional recommendations for juveniles with diabetes are much the same as the general population in this country. Children with diabetes need to eat a well balanced and healthy diet in order to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range. Because of this need to control blood sugar they must eat foods in specified amounts depending on how they affect blood sugar levels.

Finding out that their child has diabetes can be quite shocking for many parents. One of the most challenging parts of any diabetics lifestyle change is learning how to prepare meals and snacks. This can be doubly hard for the parents of a diabetic child because following the dietary advice of the doctor and dietician can affect the entire household.

Attempting to learn what foods to feed a juvenile with diabetes can be confusing at first. There is a wealth of information in books and on websites but for most parents in can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. The important thing for parents with newly diagnosed diabetic children to do is learn to spot the good information from the bad.

The best place to start is the American Diabetes Association where they will find the Diabetes Food Pyramid. This pyramid is much like the USDA food pyramid that everyone is familiar with with one difference. The USDA pyramid classifies food by the group they are in whereas the diabetic food pyramid groups foods based on their carbohydrate, protein, and fat content and breaks them down into the amount of servings for each. There are six groups that make up the diabetic pyramid and they include starches, proteins, fats, meats, fruits and vegetables.

If we take a look at each category we can get a better understanding of each and how they fit into a well balanced diabetic diet plan.

Starches and Grains: These are the primary sources of carbohydrates for everyone. These include foods like whole grains, rye, oats and the starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. This group also includes the dry beans such as pinto beans and black eyed peas. The suggested number of serving per day is between six to eleven. This is a range and must be personalized to the individual’s needs and goals with the help of a registered dietician.

Vegetables: Vegetables should always be a part of every dietary plan. They are full of many vital nutrients, are low in fat, and high in fiber all of which contribute to good health. Diabetics should have three to five servings per day. It is important to note that the starchy vegetables are not included in this category and should not be substituted into this group of the pyramid.

Fruits: Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber as well as carbohydrates. Serving sizes are determined by the individual fruit and suggested serving are two to four per day.

Milk: Milk and dairy products are essential in that they contain protein, calcium and many of the vitamins we need each day. Because they can contain a substantial amount of fat it is best to choose low fat or non fat versions of these products. The pyramid recommends two to three servings per day.

Meat and Meat Products: Meat and meat products are a primary supply of protein for all people. They also provide essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids the body needs to function in a healthy fashion. Choose only lean cuts and trim any visible fat to help keep the amount of saturated fat ingested to a minimum.

Fats, Sweets and Alcohol: While diabetics can partake of these it is recommended to keep their use in meal preparation and snack to a minimum. For the juvenile with diabetes this is important in that it teaches them food habits that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

The American Diabetes Association is a good place to start when it comes to learning about feeding a juvenile with diabetes. They have everything needed for healthy meal planning, exchange lists, weight control and recommended exercise programs.

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Now, the big question is, “what about school?” Here are a few tips about what we did when my daughter was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes:

1. Contact the school. Set up a meeting with the nurses. Explain to the nurses how to perform the insulin injections according to your child’s sliding insulin scale and how to figure the insulin dosage based upon what they are going to eat for lunch. (Helpful Tip: My daughter packs her lunch every day. Since we count carbohydrates, we premeasure everything at home and put a note in her lunch with the amount of Carb points and the amount of insulin that she should take based upon on her meal alone. Then, all the nurses have to do is take her blood glucose levels, apply the sliding scale (if needed), and give her the insulin injection.) Also, have the school put out your child’s recent picture into the mailboxes of all employees who work there. This will help to get the word out just in case of an emergency in the school with your child.

2. Set up a “Diabetic Kit” for your child. Since my child is a girl, she uses a purse. Inside of it, she has her glucometer, test strips, lancets, alcohol pads, insulin pen, pen needles, ketosticks (used to check ketones), glucagon pen, and even some peanut butter and cheese crackers (just in case). Upon arrival at the school, she takes her kit straight to the nurse’s office and leaves it. At lunch time, she goes a few minutes before her class does in order to go to the nurse’s office to get her insulin injection. Then, prior to getting on the bus in the afternoon, she just swings by the nurse’s office and picks up her kit.

3. Leave extra at school. We provide the nurse’s office with an extra glucagon pen at the beginning of the school year. We also provide snacks that they keep in the office in case her blood sugar is low. We send extra test strips and insulin to be kept at the school, as well.

4. Do not go anywhere without the kit! We have made it a habit that before she leaves the house that we ask her if she has her kit.

5. Train other family members how to care for your child in an emergency. In the beginning, my daughter couldn’t go anywhere. First, we had to get everyone trained on how to care for her. Cell phones nowadays make this a lot easier. We even taught her older brother how to give insulin injections, take her blood sugar, and how to use the glucagon pen.

6. Clean your cabinets out. Although, a diabetic can have sweets and other items, as long as they take their insulin for it, we cleaned out cabinets out and got rid of anything that was not recommended for her. This was just in the beginning until she became used to the idea that she could not have these items like she once did. Once she learned, we began to purchase those items again.

All of the tips listed here we have used ourselves. As a parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, once you come home from the hospital after the initial diagnosis, you feel lost. I wish I had information like this; it would have made our lives easier at that point in time. I hope this helps you, your child, and your family!

By: TJacks

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Tami Jackson is a freelance writer who has dedicated most of her past 6 years to learning about Type 1 Diabetes. She has done a lot of research on the subject in order to try to make her daughter’s life much easier. From new research studies that have been initiated to new insulin forms and beyond, her research has entailed countless hours of trying to find the best resources that are available on the market today for Type 1 Diabetes. She and her daughter have helped to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Association and more. They have participated in numerous walks, fundraisers through various organizations such as Hardee’s, and even have set up a lemonade stand in their hometown in order to raise funds for the cause.

One of the main concerns with type 2 juvenile diabetes is the affects it can have later on in a child’s life. Children with type 2 diabetes have been found to have more life threatening complications than type 1 diabetics. Some of the major problems juveniles with this type of diabetes face include heart disease, damage to the nervous system, renal failure, blindness, and limb amputations, particularly of the feet and lower legs.

The first line of defense against juvenile type 2 diabetes is probably the most obvious. Maintain a healthy body weight through proper diet and exercise thus preventing the onset of the disease. For children already diagnosed this same treatment applies if they are to avoid the complications to their health later in life.

For the juvenile diabetic a healthy diet is the cornerstone of their treatment. A well balanced diet low in sugar, saturated fats, and salt is the way to go. High fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables, along with complex carbohydrates are best for the diabetic. Even then foods high in carbs should be eaten throughout the day to help prevent large rises in blood glucose levels. Regular physical activity or exercise is also recommended to help insulin move glucose out of the blood and into the cells.

Childhood obesity is an epidemic all parents should take seriously. The long term health affects of all children are at stake, particularly with an increased risk of juvenile diabetes, a disease that will affect any child for their life time. By making easy lifestyle changes centered on a healthy diet and physical activity the onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or even delayed in children at high risk.

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As you’ll, or may not, already know, Type two Diabetes is the commonest type of Diabetes that can really be cured with a little bit of effort. It’s also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes and it affects 90-95% of the entire twenty-one million person community who is unfortunate enough to have it.
They’re also considered to have a variety of autoimmune disease because their body disables their own defenses of the cells that are wanted to produce said insulin.

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