Diabetes Awareness Month in Polk County, Florida

April is Diabetes Awareness Month. While diabetes can be a long-lasting health condition, there are affordable ways to manage it through resources in Polk County.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that impacts how a person’s body is able to turn food into energy using insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows your body’s cells to unlock blood sugar to use for energy. Depending on the type of diabetes, the body may not make enough insulin; the cells may also not respond to insulin properly.

Who does diabetes affect?

Según el Center for Disease Control, more than 40 million adults in the United States have diabetes, but more than 25% of adults with the disease are not aware that they have it.

In Polk County, Florida, in 2025, 29.43% of adults surveyed for Polk Vision’s Community Health Assessment rated diabetes/high blood sugar as one of the top three health problems in their community.

The rates of ER visits, hospitalizations, and deaths from diabetes are higher in Polk County than across the state of Florida and have increased throughout recent years. Black and Hispanic people in Polk County, Florida, are more likely to go to the ER for diabetes-related complications and are more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes than non-minority individuals.

How do I determine if I have diabetes?

Diabetes can be diagnosed through various blood tests that a primary care physician can order during your annual physical. These blood tests may check your blood sugar or your A1C.

Once you know you have diabetes, a healthy diet and regular exercise are key to managing it.

Healthy Diet Tips for Diabetes

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your diet is important in keeping your blood sugar under control and managing your health.

Foods with carbohydrates break down into sugar and can raise your blood sugar. It’s a great idea to balance carbohydrates with other food options. The best general guideline is to fill half your plate or bowl with non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with lean protein, and the remaining quarter with a healthy carbohydrate. This way of eating can help keep your blood sugar in check.

Here are some ideas of foods that could be great to add to your pantry to make that balanced plate or bowl possible:

Canned non-starchy vegetables: Tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, green beans, artichoke hearts, spinach, and asparagus. Vegetable soup can include mixed non-starchy vegetables, with or without meat.

Lean Protein options: Unless you add other ingredients, these foods have no carbs. They would raise your blood sugar very little, if at all. Examples include canned tuna, chicken, and salmon, as well as packets. You can also choose canned shrimp or sardines.

Canned options with both carbohydrate and protein, and slow-down-the-blood-sugar fiber: Beans, like garbanzos, pintos, black beans, and navy beans. Soups, like black bean soup, lentil soup, black-eyed pea soup, and vegetarian chili.

Healthy fats: Nut butters, nuts, and seeds (such as pumpkin, sunflower, or chia seeds), and canned olives.

With the options listed above, here are some affordable meals/snacks that come together quickly:

• Tuna and crackers
• Black bean, corn, tomato salad
• Peanut butter on rice cakes
• Bean salad with kidney beans, black beans, white beans, green beans, olive oil, and vinegar
• Rice pudding with cinnamon, precooked packaged rice, and shelf-stable milk or protein powder
• Canned spinach and artichokes with onion and garlic powders, a Parmesan cheese packet, and tuna or white beans
• Black olives, green beans, and diced tomatoes topped with slivered almonds

The Power of Physical Activity for Diabetic Individuals

Physical activity and exercise also play a fundamental role in managing your blood sugar and overall health and wellness.

Exercise can refer to various types of movement; walking, running, swimming, yoga, strength training, cycling, and recreation are all types of exercise you can do at home – or at one of Polk County’s public parks! Becoming more physically active can prevent diabetes or prediabetes from worsening and becoming more difficult and expensive to manage. Your exercise regimen also does not have to be extreme.

Even taking a 10-minute walk after meals can make a difference and help your body better manage blood sugar.

Physical activity is also a great way to get kids involved, to start them on the road to a healthy lifestyle.

How can I manage diabetes without health insurance?

Individuals in Polk County, Florida, who lack health insurance or other coverage may qualify for the Polk HealthCare Plan.

They must meet certain income and residency requirements.

As National Diabetes Awareness Month highlights the importance of education and prevention, it’s essential to take advantage of available recursos to better understand and manage your health.

Primary care visits, including routine blood tests and annual physical exams, are part of the plan benefits. They can help you find out if you have diabetes or are at risk for the disease. Many of these services are available at no cost to members or with a small copay. To find out if you qualify for the Polk HealthCare Plan, Empieza aquí.

This article was reviewed by Andrea Nikolai, MPH, RDN, LDN. She is a registered dietitian and works with the University of Florida Extension to teach food and nutrition classes. Nikolai can be reached at (863) 519-1072 or [email protected].