HEALTH COACH - This competitor of Miss USA showed her blood glucose monitor to prove an important point - Type 1 diabetes

HEALTH COACH -

 This competitor of Miss USA showed her blood glucose monitor to prove an important point - Type 1 diabetes   
 


 Any candidate of Miss USA is obliged to do sport with accessories. Strappy stilettos? Likely. A glucose monitor? Not really. But that's just what Miss Michigan Krista Ferguson, who lives with type 1 diabetes, wore during the contest, which took place on Sunday in Las Vegas. 

 Ferguson shared an Instagram photo of herself before entering the contest. In the picture, the 24 year old garment is equipped with white pants and a panty. Her blood glucose monitor is attached to her arm, and she does not try to hide it. 
 "I decided to carry my Dexcom on my right tricep," said Ferguson  Health  in an email. "I wanted a place that allowed me to walk to the judges without the device directly in their eyes, but when I did my tricks and walked around, they could see it!" 


 This is not the only time Ferguson has shared information about his condition. Since he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago, raising awareness and fighting diabetes stigma has been an important part of his competition platform. 
  RELATIVE: 15 celebrities with type 2 diabetes  
 "It was important for me to wear it because I do not want all type 1 diabetics to be ashamed of what they have to go through," says Ferguson. She also wore it to show that she does not let the condition hinder her goals. "I walk with confidence on this step knowing that I can inspire others not to give up their dreams just because they have a chronic illness," she adds. 



 
 Although Ferguson was diagnosed as a young adult, type 1 diabetes (previously referred to as juvenile diabetes) is often detected during childhood or adolescence. The condition occurs when the immune system attacks the cells producing insulin from the pancreas. This in turn causes the cells to produce a small amount of insulin or no insulin at all. Without enough insulin, the cells can not use glucose for energy. This can cause the formation of glucose levels, resulting in organic damage or other serious complications. 
   To get our best advice on wellness delivered to you in the inbox, subscribe to the Healthy Living newsletter.   
 Ferguson said that the diagnosis "completely reversed [her] life to the reverse". This makes sense because people with type 1 diabetes must manage the condition on a daily basis by receiving regular insulin injections, observing their carbohydrate intake, and constantly monitoring their blood sugar levels . 
 Still, Ferguson does not see the condition as negative. She regularly publishes articles on diabetes on her social networks and works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to raise awareness among middle and elementary schools. 
 "You have to kiss what you have," says Ferguson in a video on Miss YouTube Channel. "It does not define what you are as a person."