Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen appeared on the Today Show with Al Roker this morning to address rumors that she has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes more than 3 years ago. While it’s a sad thing to hear that any of us have Type 2 diabetes, I have to admit that I wasn’t overly surprised to hear that she was diagnosed with it. While I love Paula’s fun-loving, southern hospitality approach to life, her food is laden with carbohydrates, fat and sugar. Now, depending on the type of fat you consume, it can actually be a healthier lifestyle and is absolutely encouraged on the Paleo and Primal Diets, but I’m guessing that Paula isn’t cooking with Coconut, Grapeseed or Flax oil, but rather, using good oil Canola and Vegetable Oils mixed in with some Olive Oil.
According to Pub Med Health, Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood, and is the most common form of diabetes. When you have type 2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin (insulin resistance). As a result, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy. When sugar cannot enter cells, high levels of sugar build up in the blood (hyperglycemia).