SAN ANTONIO — Diabetes is an growing epidemic in south Texas taking more lives every year. About one out of every seven people in San Antonio has diabetes and many don't even know they have it. Listening to your body is key to knowing when to get help.
"I was feeling pretty bad for for a few days and kept, you know, drinking large amounts of water like gallons of water throughout the day," said Albert Dillard who knew something was wrong. Dillard told us, "And then I went and checked into the hospital and the sugar levels were like eight thousand eight hundred."
Normal blood glucose levels are between 200 and 300 after eating --- Dillard's was four times that. He eventually landed at the Texas Diabetes Institute where a nutritionist taught him meal prepping and added veggies into his diet. Dillard added, "Almost always fruit, but not the veggies as much, but it kind of brightens the horizon of the different veggies."
He also developed an exercise plan and insists you've got to keep at it. Dillard told us, "You might want to slack one day and that one day throws off the other day and then you go a week and it's like, oh, I've got to get back to it."
His changes led to big results. Dillard said, "I dropped maybe from eight to 10 percent body fat to like 12 percent muscle, so within a six month period."
His advice to others struggling with diabetes...Dillard insisted, "Maintaining really learning and having the knowledge and educating yourself and just, you know, kind of sticking to it. You know, it's just is the most important thing."
To learn more about what the Texas Diabetes Institute has to offer you can call them at 210-358-4000, or check out their website here.
For more information on family health call 210-358-3045. You can also find the rest of our Wear The Gown stories just go to WearTheGown.com.