How do I prevent getting diabetes later in life?

In My Humble Opinion
1

More and more people in my life have diabetes. My landlord has diabetes. My mom’s boyfriend (practically my stepdad) has diabetes. A biological uncle and an uncle through marraige also have it. My best friend’s dad has it. All the people I know who have it are also on the heavier side.

Some are dealing with it, some aren’t. It almost reminds me of quitting smoking- some people deal with the challenges because they want to be healtheir in the long run, other people know they need to be changing their habits, but can’t.

I’m still in my twenties, and I don’t want to get to the point where I have to find ways to control diabetes- I want to prevent getting it in the first place. Now I know diet and excersise are the obvious routes, I’m not overweight and have no signs of it now. Is there anything I’m missing?

2

Even seemingly healthy people get adult onset type II diabetes. My un-doctorly advice is to stay healthy, eat well, exercise and limit stress. However, IIRC if it is in your genes to get it you may not be able to avoid it. Do you consume large quantities of alcohol? If so you may wish to temper that as well.

3

I’m in the same boat as you. I’m trying to* prevent * diabetes rather than waiting around until I have to control it.

My dad got diagnosed with it in August. His doctor asked him if he had kids and said that his kids will have a 90% chance of becoming diabetic if they don’t start preventative maintenance now. I’m leary of his statistics but I know my odds did shoot up with Dad’s diagnosis.

A week after he was diagnosed we bought a treadmill for the office. (He and I run his company together) It’s available for any employee to use. I run 5k a day 5 to 6 days a week. As far as diet goes, I’ve made permanent lifestyle changes which aren’t that difficult to do. It’s all in how you do it. I drink alcohol in moderation, I no longer smoke (I quit 14 months ago) I eat what I like but in a modified way. I substitute bad carbs for good carbs. I eat more brown rice than white, go easy on potatoes, I eat alot of whole grain pasta while only ocassionally eating regular pasta. I grill a lot and try to select lean cuts of meat as often as possible. If I eat a sandwhich I choose whole grain breads rather than white and I eat breakfast every day. I also eat small meals often like chowing a banana between breakfast and lunch. Then maybe an apple a couple hours after lunch. Lots of fresh fruit and veggies.

The thing is, you want to find foods that digest slowly, and they are fruits, veggies, whole grains. Stay away from refined sugar as much as possible, go easy on the booze and for Og’s sake* exercise*. Find some kind of physical activity you enjoy. Me? I love running. Some people don’t. I also kayak in the summer and ride my bike. I go for long walks with my dogs.

The thing is, you can’t be 100% sure that living a healty lifestyle will prevent diabetes. If you are genetically predisposed you still may get diagnosed down the road, but if you continue living well, you can prevent/slow the damage that diabetes can do to your body.

My fasting blood sugar, at the age of 35 and still about 25 lbs overweight (still working on it) is 75. Doesn’t get better than that.

Don’t make yourself miserable and not enjoy pizza and beer with the guys. Just do those things as a treat to yourself and make good choices for the majority of your meals. Check out some diabetic recipes to get an idea of what foods you should eat more of and what foods to eat much less of.

Good luck!
ETA: If you’re one of those people that eat fast food alot, stop. That shit will kill you. High fat, high bad carbs, high sodium, tons of preservatives. I’d argue that’s partly why so many people are getting diagnosed with diabetes.

4

The danger is that, in your twenties, you’ve got youth on your side. As you age, it becomes more difficult keeping healthy and in-shape. In my twenties I could not exercise and eat junk- and fast-food and still be pretty healthy. That changes.

I would suggest getting into an exercise routine. Something that you like – running, playing basketball, lifting weights, whatever – and that you will continue to do. If you can find a work-out buddy, all the better. Make it a part of your schedule, so it’s not as easy to slack off.

As the others mentioned, that’s not a guarentee, but it’ll go a good way toward preventing the things that lead to Type II diabetes – obesity being high on that list. Also, if you’ve got a regular doctor, next time you see him or her, mention the number people you know that have developed diabetes. It’s an easy blood test to run to check.

5

In a way you are lucky, since you are talking about Type II diabetes. So much of the disease is within your control (although clearly not whether you got dealt that genetic predisposition).

**The Chao **already laid out some great advice and along with that I’ll just second the notion of diet and exercise to keep you at your healthiest weight. You may still develop the diabetes but if you stay on top of your weight, work out regularly and make healthy food choices, then you’ll be doing a lot to avoid becoming insulin-dependent.

My son has Type I diabetes. I would give anything for him to have Type II instead because he’s a control fiend with regards to his diet and exercise. Instead he’s insulin-dependent and has been since he was 12 years old.

6

What the ADA (American Diabetes Association) has to say about it.