DiabetesWhat is diabetes? Should I worry about getting it? What food can diabetics eat? Can they live as long as non-diabetics? These were some of the questions racing through my head when two of my close relatives were diagnosed with diabetes. After my relatives were diagnosed with the disease, my entire extended family changed the way we ate and looked at food. I became very aware of this disease and thought I knew something about what it was, but I still had a lot of questions. Now I feel like I know exactly what diabetes is, how to deal with it, and most importantly, how to prevent it. You may wonder: what is diabetes? Diabetes is usually a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is high blood sugar. To understand this, however, you must first understand how insulin works. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar levels. When you eat, your body turns that food into a sugary substance called glucose. Your pancreas should now release insulin. However, if you have diabetes, this process does not work, causing ...