Strong Family History of Diabetes-Best Ways to Prevent?

BlueLikeJazz
BlueLikeJazz Posts: 219 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Both of my parents are diabetic and a scare this past week with my dad's eyesight helped to wake me up to the realization that I really need to essentially act as if I'm pre-diabetic in order to prevent myself from developing it, too.

My fasting blood glucose was 96 this past week, down from around 110 when I was 40 lbs. heavier and not watching what I was eating. So that's a step in the right direction. My questions are: what is the suggested carb/prot/fat ratio for diabetics/pre-diabetics? Or how many grams of carbs/sugar is considered safe (though I imagine it differs greatly from person to person)? Is any added sugar at all a big no-no? Is agave nectar any safer to sweeten things with than sugar? Any other suggestions?

More specifically: does anyone know of any vegan, sugar-free treats (esp. dark chocolate) that I might find locally instead of having to special order them online? Also, feel free to share any vegan, low-sugar recipes for cookies/bars/etc. as Pepperidge Farm cookies tend to be my downfall on both the sugar and vegan front.

That brings me to my last note: I eat mostly vegan foods for ethical and health reasons. I do not eat any meat ever, or eggs/dairy outright, but do occasionally eat foods with "hidden", minimal levels of dairy/eggs in them. I just mention this because I have a feeling any suggestions for getting more protein/less carbs will tend to involve fish/chicken/egg whites/cottage cheese/etc. and those aren't really options for me.

Replies

  • BlueLikeJazz
    BlueLikeJazz Posts: 219 Member
    bumpity bump
  • happyatsea9999
    happyatsea9999 Posts: 5 Member
    I don't have any answers to this, but am very interested in what others may say. The fact that you lost 40 pounds and saw your fasting Glucose drop 14 points is outstanding, really fantastic. I congratulate you on that great success!

    My last Fasting Glucose was at 114 and I also have family history of Diabetes, with my mom, many aunts and cousins who suffer from the problem. So your success gives me hope and motivation. Diabetes is a path that I really do not want to go down, and that is probably the biggest reason I am here. I just found this site a few days ago and I am certain it will help.

    Thanks for your post.
  • nightangelstars
    nightangelstars Posts: 337 Member
    Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or medical professional.

    However, my mother is a nurse and we had a conversation a while back about diabetes, (it's something I worry about too, just because I have such a bad sweet tooth), and she told me that exercise can prevent and help manage diabetes. She felt pretty strongly about the subject, and I really respect her medical knowledge as she's been in the field for a long time. It seems, from our conversation, that regular exercise is really the best thing you could do for yourself. (And that's not even counting the dozens of other health benefits one gets from exercise.)

    The other thing you should probably do is try to avoid blood sugar spikes, as far as eating habits go. Avoid simple sugars like glucose and fructose, and if you do have something sweet, try to make sure you eat something high-fiber with it or before it. Fiber helps slow down your body's absorption of sugars and thus helps keep your blood sugar from spiking so badly.

    I hope this helps!
  • navstar
    navstar Posts: 113 Member
    My mother in law is diabetic and also almost vegan (will have milk/yogurt and butter) This is what her dietitian recommended that she try to stick to each day:

    • 2-4 servings of vegetables, plus 2 to 3 servings of vegetables from the 'green leafy' sub-group

    • 6- 10 servings of bread, pasta, rice and fortified cereals

    • 2- 3 servings of beans, pulses and protein foods

    • 1- 2 servings of nuts and seeds

    • 2- 3 teaspoons of oils and fats

    • 1- 2 servings of fruit, plus 1- 2 servings from the dried fruits sub-group

    • 3 servings from the fortified non-dairy sub-group (such as soya milk)

    • 8 glasses of water daily (more if very active)

    In addition to this, adults should try to eat:

    • Vitamin B12 - 2.4 micrograms daily

    • Vitamin D - 5 micrograms daily

    • Calcium - 600 milligrams daily

    Getting enough protein may be a challenge in a vegan diet, so here's a quick run-down of foods that are high in protein:

    • Nuts and seeds

    • Peas, beans, lentils

    • Soya products and mycoproteins

    • Wheat protein (seitan)

    • Wholegrains (rice and cereals).

    I have no advice re carb/protein/fat breakdown as my mother in law never looked after herself and is now living with the consequences (she is on dailysis/blind/and obese).

    Good luck with your journey as every time my mother in law goes to the dietitian she is always told if she were to lose weight her diabetes would become more manageable but she is not interested.
  • mpos
    mpos Posts: 55
    These are just facts in my head...You can always go through various medical sites for more information.

    I`ve learned that there are 2 types of diabetes:

    Type 1 - Insulin Dependent. This individual will have a lifelong dependence to insulin since the islets within the pancreas which produces the hormone are being attacked by the body`s autoimmune system. Therefore, it cannot consume the body`s sugars.

    Type 2 - Non-insuln dependent. Commonly known as a lifestyle illness because it could be prevented through diet, exercise & proper nutrition.

    The most common of the two is the latter. People have neglected exercise and also into more processed foods. The body has more sugar than the insulin of the pancrease can process. As the PP mentioned, diabetics are usually taught to eat small portions at regular intervals to prevent spikes or lowering blood sugars. When you intend to exercise, eat a bit more because you will be burning a lot of energy - causing your blood sugars to spiral down. Also, complex carbohydrates are absorbed at a steadier pace than ``empty calories`` i.e. junk food or processed foods.

    With that said, talk to your GP and asked to be referred to a diabetic clinic. There`s a lot of information out there. As the old adage says, ``An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.``

    Best of health to you.
  • BlueLikeJazz
    BlueLikeJazz Posts: 219 Member
    Thanks for all the great advice! I'm going to start by being more conscious of my overall carb intake, making sure they're mostly coming from veggies/beans and try to decrease my simple sugar intake. I do have quite the sweet tooth but with some effort, such as making my own sugar-free treats, I bet I can reign it in a bit. After doing a little research on my own, I found that the two major things emphasized by the ADA were exercising every day and losing at least 5-10% of your weight, ideally getting into a healthy weight range in the long run.

    Hopefully taking these steps will put me on the lifelong path of being diabetes-free!
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