Diabetes runs very strong in my family. My grandmother had her leg amputated because of it and now my mother has it. Is there a good strict diet or eating plan out there so that I can lower my chances of getting it? Ive already started monitoring my blood sugar on a daily basis. Im only 21 and so its better to start young. I want a long, happy and healthy life.

5 Comments »

1. 

   You are very wise for your age. You are correct in being cautious.

   You diet should be the same as the healthy diet for anyone. The way to loose weight is to use more calories then you eat. A dietitian can give you a good ideas about how many calories should consume in a day.

   Red meat no more than twice a week. Eat fish at least two to three times a week. Lots of fruit mad vegetables. Avoid trains fats. Eat whole grains and no white bread. Fiber is very good. Eat about the same number of calories in each of your three meals. Do not skip meals and drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

   In addition you should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day five or more times a week.

   You should see a doctor especially one that specializes in diabetes. An endocrinologist is best.
   Tell the doctor your concerns and the reasons for it.

   Doing things now may avert or eliminate your chances for getting diabetes and its complications. Unfortunately for you it needs to be a lifetime commitment.

   Good luck and good thinking.

   Comment by DrIG — January 29, 2008 @ 11:58 am

2. 

   Exercise and weight control are equally important. Make sure you limit your intake of empty carbs, such as sweets, white bread, etc. Keep active. By the way, the propensity for developing diabetes is inherited, but not necessarily the disease itself. You have a very good chance of avoiding it altogether.

   Comment by Cheryl G — January 31, 2008 @ 7:25 am

3. 

   Assuming it is TYPE 2 diabetes that runs in your family (Type 1 is the rarer “severe” kind that is not preventable):

   -Eat small frequent meals with lean protein, non startchy veggies, good fats like oilve oil, and lots of fibre. Limit your carbs, fast acting sugars, and fatty meats. Eat fish daily (i.e. wild salmon). If you want carbs, eat oats, beans, and brown rice.

   -Eliminate trans fats (found in many processed foods), high fructose corn syryp (found in soft drinks), and junk/fast food. Don’t keep processed food in the house, and try to eat as “natural” as possible. Things like crackers are manmade and not always as healthy as we think. Many cracker brands have trans fats. A better choice for a snack would be a handful of nuts, some low fat cheese, and a few stalks of celery with natral peanut butter or a few grapes.

   -Fruit has fibre and is *generally* fine, although some fruit like bananas are high glycemic and do raise the blood sugar quite fast. Don’t avoid fruit, just don’t make it your main course of a meal. DO avoid fruit juices, which are usually loaded with sugars and carbs, and lack fibre. Have actual real fruit instead.

   You should actually try and exercise 45 min, 5 days per week. The more you move, the better. Walk everywhere.

   Do note that some cases of Type 2 diabetes tend to run very strong in families, and there is always a chance that you may still develop it strictly due to genetics. But the good news is:

   -If you do end up developing Type 2 diabetes, you will be able to control it better and stay healthier if you follow a healthy lifestyle.

   -The *vast majority* of Type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or at least delayed into old age with proper lifestyle choices. So the odds are in your favor. Often the reason why Type 2 diabetes runs in families has more to due with a shared *lifestyle* than genetics only.

   Either way, we ALL need to follow a healthy lifestyle to stay healthy period, diabetes or not.

   Good luck and congrats for being proactive with your health! It will serve you well in the long run no matter what!

   Comment by reginachick22 — February 3, 2008 @ 1:43 pm

4. 

   I’m sure you will live long and prosper!!!

   Kidding aside, your grandmother didn’t have diabetes in the 21st century!! Aren’t you glad you can test to be sure you won’t have the problems she had? Her method of testing was to pee on a little chemical stick then compare the color it turned to a chart. This was very inaccurate and yesterday’s results!! She had to guess how much insulin or pill to take! this is why she had to have her leg amputated. She couldn’t have the very tight control we are able to maintain today.

   Your mother has a very good chance of not having the problems grandmother had!! All she has to do is eat correctly, exercise enough and medicate according to glucose testing.

   Now for you!! I like the South Beach phase 2 food plan!! this is the food plan I live with.

   I recommend you go get Atkins Diabetes Revolution from the library and read it carefully. It has some really excellent suggestions in it for defeating this insidious disease!! No it cannot be cured!! In all likelihood you will get diabetes. But if you start low carb food plan now and get really active you can put off for many years.

   So live long and prosper

   Comment by Fluffy Ewe — February 6, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

5. 

   dont really need to do anything special. as long as youre not overweight and excercise on a regular basis, your odds of getting it are pretty low unless you have a heriditary problem. its a pretty common thing so just because your grandma has it doesnt neccesarily mean it runs in your genes (something like 1 in 5 or 6 american adults is diabetic or prediabetic, sad considering its mostly preventable disease), so unless you have other family members that have it too it may not even run in your family. you probably dont need to monitor your blood every day either unless your doctor told you to or youre prediabetic, you dont become a type 2 diabetic overnight onset takes months if not years. but its good your being cautious, maybe even a little bit too much.

   Comment by mnvikes — February 9, 2008 @ 1:06 am

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