Energy is what we use to run, jump, play…and think. Glucose (GLOO-kos) is the main source of energy to fuel our bodies. Glucose comes from the food we eat and is also made in our liver and muscles. We always have some glucose in our bodies because we need glucose for energy. You’ll find more facts at http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Youth_Tips_Diabetes.pdf ( PDF - 782 KB) – Learn more about PDFs.

We use energy for everything we do. When we are active, we use even more.

Do you want to know MORE about energy? Calories are measures of energy! A calorie is a unit that stands for the energy provided by food. See http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/dictionary  for more information about calories.

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats can all provide calories that provide energy. We need all of these sources of energy everyday. Find good information about healthy food choices at http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Youth_Tips_Eat.pdf ( PDF - 298 KB) – Learn more about PDFs

One way to think about healthy choices is to think about everyday foods and sometimes foods. Can you guess which foods might be everyday foods and which might be sometimes food?

Everyday foods include fruits and vegetables. They are low in fat. Here’s another tip—if you eat a variety of these, your plate will be full of color! You may see red, yellow, orange, purple, green, brown, and more!

What about sometimes foods? Did you guess that these are foods you don't choose everyday but can be a treat for a special time—like cake for a birthday party?

Here are some more cool things to know about foods. There are six main food groups.

• grains
• vegetables
• fruits
• oils
• milk
• meat and beans

You can learn more about these at http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx.

Think balance—in food, in being active, in all you do!

When we eat more food (calories) than our body needs, we will gain weight. Staying at a healthy weight (not too fat or too thin) can help many people prevent diabetes. Learn more at http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Youth_Tips_Weight.pdf ( PDF - 560 KB) – Learn more about PDFs

What is diabetes?

Diabetes means that a person’s blood sugar, or glucose (GLOO0-kos), is too high. Our bodies always have some glucose in it because we need glucose for energy. But too much glucose in the blood isn’t good for our health.

An organ called the pancreas (PAN-kree-as) controls the amounts of glucose in the blood. The pancreas makes insulin (IN-suh-lin) which helps glucose get from food into our cells. Cells take the glucose and make it into energy we need for life.

When a person has diabetes, their pancreas makes little or no insulin or the cells don’t use insulin very well. So glucose builds up in the blood and can’t get into the cells. The blood glucose gets too high and diabetes can then damage the body, over time. You may have diabetes or know someone who does. You can learn more about diabetes at http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Youth_Tips_Diabetes.pdf ( PDF -781 KB) – Learn more about PDFs

An important thing to know is that there’s good news for people with diabetes. Studies show that keeping the glucose in the blood close to normal helps prevent many diabetes problems. Getting regular health checkups helps too. You can find more information about what to do to keep diabetes in good control at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/tcyd/index.htm. 

To learn about how the body works with diabetes, visit  http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/human_body.htm. 

To learn more about an important study that found that many grownups at risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent it by losing some weight and exercising regularly, like walking 30 minutes a day 5 times a week. Look for Health for Native Life magazine, a special Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) issue. You can order this free magazine at http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Diabetes/resources/rde/index.cfm?module=catalog.

For some healthy recipes visit
http://www.ihs.gov/PublicInfo/Publications/Kids/health/IHS_
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