My VERY Healthy Grandmother is now pre-diabetic

Onesnap

My grandmother is 87. The whole family is leaving next week for a week-long cruise from Boston to Canada. We've gone on a lot of family trips particularly when my grandfather was still alive.

My grandmother is and always has been obsessed with good nutrition. I think it was her way of fighting against bad genetics and also the fact that she ran a candy store for 50 years (with my grandfather). She's never been a good cook (microwave) but she's been very healthy over the years.

A lot has changed in the past few years and this trip should be VERY interesting. There's a lot she cannot eat now. She always goes way off the spectrum for "healthy" though--think Dr. Oz and The Doctors (both shows she loves). She's now pre-diabetic.

It is weird for me that someone so active all these years (and she really does eat a lot of healthy things, but she eats all day long) is now in need of a course correction. I always admired how active she was and how she really tried to eat well.

My Dad is going to become a personal trainer after he retires (he already has a job offer). I've modeled a lot of my fitness and nutrition after both my parents in fact.

It's just tough though when someone that has lived a long life all of the sudden has a list of things she can and cannot eat. The last family trip she got very sick from too much ice cream, dairy in general, and dessert. She had no 'off' switch.

Isn't it interesting that watching your health and nutrition is a lifelong battle.

That just because you made it to your late 80s you can't stop preventing diabetes from coming crashing down?

I'd love to hear what you've learned from your family members. Me, I'm going to keep using my Dad as inspiration. Bits and pieces of my grandmothers wisdom of course can be used as well!

Espressocycle

The best-maintained body will still tend to have some failures by 87. Plenty of very healthy people are dead by then - stuff wears out.

cloud2011

There might be another way to look at your grandmother's diagnosis of prediabetes. If she hadn't taken care of herself, she might have devleoped diabetes years ago.

I wish her the best and good health as long as possible. She sounds like she has been a great example to you.

Christine1110

That is why I started my jouney. I'm so much like my grandma...and she got diabetes when she was 50. That made me think I needed to get the weight off before then. Now I not only eat healthy I eat very little processed foods, if any at all. I also use the glycemic index as a rule to follow to lose weight.

A lot of times people think they are healthy because they are thin....but it is so much more. How active you are and what you eat.


I hope you enjoy the time you get to spend with your grandma...mine has passed years ago. I miss her everyday!!

cmriverside

You say Grandma has very good nutrition...and exercises....so, is diabetes inevitable? Or is Grandma overweight and maybe not so into good nutrition - if she has no "off switch" when it comes to ice cream, dairy, and desserts, then maybe she isn't so into good nutrittion. I'm not trying to be mean or nitpicky, but genuinely want to understand the meaning of your post.

Is Grandma overweight? And is she still excersising?

Dave198lbs

she is 87. if pre diabetes is her only complaint, god bless