The sound of salt grains landing on the freshly served tortilla chips sent a look of injustice flying across the table. I watched this confusing exchange of two co-workers as I sipped on a diet soda at my corner of the table. "Did you ask Scott if it was okay for you to put salt over all of the chips?", came from the accusing coworker. I was instantly puzzled and was trying to figure out the punch line of what I thought was some misunderstood joke. I realized he was dead serious when the ensuing diabetes conversation hit the table.

My friend and coworker knew very little, along with too many others, about diabetes and was confident too much salt would have some immediate negative response on me. And if salt could hurt me, in his mind, then ginger ale or excess paprika would no doubt kill. While at the time I recall that even I made no connection between diabetes and hypertension, I am confident that he didn't either.

So I patiently explained that it was carbohydrates that played an immediate effect on my body, and not salt. As I sat and talked about what I knew about the disease, I started to realize how much I still needed to wrap my head around. Even when you think you have all the answers, this is a complicated disease with a bundle of catch-22s: Exercise to balance blood sugars, but too much with send you into hypoglycemia. Insulin will counter-balance carbohydrate intake, but if that food is high on the glycemic index the insulin will have trouble doing its job in a time effective manner. And my all time favorite, diabetes is completely manageable, as long as you test your blood sugar multiple times a day, monitor food intake, count carbohydrates, administer insulin and/or medication in calculated and multiple daily doses, maintain proper fitness, see a nutritional counselor, certified diabetes educator, primary physician, eye specialist, and endocrinologist multiple times yearly while routinely monitoring key health levels through blood samples and urine analysis.

Thinking back in time at that restaurant dining table, I had no idea of the level of knowledge I would have to attain to stay healthy. Although always learning more and more, at this point in my diabetes journey I would still ensure someone that extra salt on the chips would not hurt. But I will now acknowledge that for long term well-being a couple of shakes less wouldn't hurt anybody.