Worried about diabetes

boogle

I'm looking for advice.
Bit of background: My dad was diagnosed type 2 diabetic a year and a half ago. He was 50, not overweight (wee bit of a tum but nothing much), fairly fit, non-smoker and quite fit and healthy. His mum (my gran) also had diabetes, as do 5 of his siblings. Many of them lead unhealthy lifestyles. My Dad's doctor told him he seems to be a victim of his genes. I don't know much about the disease, but when he was diagnosed, I started taking my health seriously. I've lost 30 lbs, and increased my fitness. I'm still very worried that diabetes is a likely outcome for me. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area who might advise me on how best to reduce my chances of getting it.

I eat well (minimal processed foods, no sugary stuff at all, good bit of fruit though) and exercise a few times a week. I'm 5'5'' and 11 stone, so am still working on another stone weight loss.

EileenG

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. A diet based on fresh whole food, easy on the grains, plenty of exercise, enough sleep are all good ways to stave off all the lifestyle diseases.

I'd also suggest joining a gym. Lifting weights has been shown to improve blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance.

boogle

Thanks for the reply Eileen. I'm already a gym-user although I have never done weights. I'll definately give it a go. I'm guessing small weights for a woman?

corkcomp

if I were you I would address my concerns with a medical professional

boogle

I've had my blood sugar tested a few times, always around 5/6 which is ok as far as I know. I'm only 26 so it's prevention I'm interested in!

EileenG

boogle wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Eileen. I'm already a gym-user although I have never done weights. I'll definately give it a go. I'm guessing small weights for a woman?

Nope, that's one of the biggest fitness myths out there. Women should train like men, doing compound lifts (squat, deadlift, and bench press) with heavy weights. Of course, the weights will be lighter than a man's but it should be equally heavy relative to your strength.

Endless reps with very light weights don't "tone" your muscles, they just waste your time. Aim for a weight that you can just about manage for 8-10 reps.

Because women have much lower levels of testosterone than men, they have to train much more intensely to see any visible effect on their muscle mass. They certainly don't get too bulky just by using the big barbell.

Interesting fact: Most female bodybuilders have an average of 4kg more muscle than the average woman. What they have is such low levels of bodyfat that they look big and muscular. Stand beside one, and suddenly she's tiny.

The good news is that this sort of heavy lifting means your workout is intense and over quickly. You don't need to spend hours slogging away, you'll see and feel a difference quickly.

boogle

Wow didn't know that! Ok so the scary end of the gym is calling me. I'll stay away from the pink dumbbells

EileenG

It's not so scary once you are there, and now you've got the perfect excuse to ogle the talent from close up.

MaggieMay2

Hey Boogle,

It's great your taking it so seriously at this stage. I'm a type 1 diabetic and I was diagnosed at 19 which was an odd age for it!! Doc's reckon I was a gene victim as well that was triggered by illness. Everything you are doing at the moment is great and keeping away from the foods you mentioned is a great way to avoid an unhealthy lifestyle. I'm assuming your quite young from your Dad's age so I wouldn't worry too much about Type 2 as its more associated with older aged. If it occurs in younger people it's generally because they are quite overweight/obese and your weight seems quite in check.

I'd only suggest not going overboard on fruit though as natural sugars still affect bloods. I have to keep a tab on this as it can push up blood sugars.

Just keep healthy and fit and you'll be fine...

El_Dangeroso

The most surefire way to give a rat that's been bred to be genetically predisposed to glucose intolerance diabetes is to feed them copious sugar and vegetable oil together, so I'd probably avoid that combo. (donuts would be a perfect food to base your diet on if you want diabetes,)

In the meantime you're doing all you can as far as I can see. Might want to invest in a glucometer (bout 25 euro in boots) and measure post-meal sugars the odd time (at 1 and 2 hours post meal). You can then head to the doc with your readings if anything concerns you.

corkcomp

it sounds like your doing all the right things OP and one of the major causes of type II is lack of exercise and very poor diet.. if your diet is ok (doesnt need to be super clean) and you exercise regularly and are a healthy BF / weight I wouldnt worry

Ellis Dee

boogle wrote: »

I've had my blood sugar tested a few times, always around 5/6 which is ok as far as I know. I'm only 26 so it's prevention I'm interested in!

You can buy a blood glucose meter for a pittance - €15-20 or so. The strips to use with it are fairly expensive - as much as €1 each, but checking your glucose level yourself will work out a lot cheaper than going to a doctor. You should check in the morning before you eat anything or else 90-120 minutes after you have last eaten. If the morning figure is significantly higher than 4-5 for a longer period, go to a doctor.:)

boogle

Thanks for the advice everyone. Will keep an eye on the bloods and start pumping iron. Keep the fingers crossed.

Rovi

boogle wrote: »

Wow didn't know that! Ok so the scary end of the gym is calling me. I'll stay away from the pink dumbbells

There's a superb thread on this very subject in the main Health & Fitness forum:
Women and Weights

limerick10

Hi boogle,
its important to remember that just losing weight isn't enough, u really need to follow the gl diet. i HAVE FOUND IT TO BE BRILLIANT. it keeps your blood sugar balanced, reducing your diabetes risk. A must read book about it is the low gl diet bible by patrick holford. his website is www.patrickholford.com. i think he has a book coming out in september about diabetes aswell.
hope this helps and good luck