Question: There’s a lot of diabetes that runs in my family. My doctor says my chances of getting it are very high. I’m really concerned. What do you think and what can I do to prevent it.
Answer: First and foremost, we now know that your family’s medical history does not have to be your destiny, unless you live the way they do. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, more than anything else. And the good news is that research has proven that you don’t have to get sick that your genes aren’t fixed and your family history isn’t your destiny. It’s how you live that plays the most significant role in your health and it’s far more important than your access to medical treatment.
Today, people are developing diabetes at an alarming rate. I remember the first time I made the diagnosis of type 2, adult onset diabetes in a 17 year old young man, about 10 years ago-I was flabbergasted, When I was in medical school, type 2 diabetes was unheard of in people under fifty. Poor nutrition is fueling an obesity pandemic, and the cancers of “old age” breast, prostate, and colon, now regularly occur in men and women in their twenties.
1.Eat a healthy diet, in particular monitor your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, i.e., limit your intake of high fructose corn syrup, processed foods, grains, sweets, sodas and diet sodas, etc.
2. Exercise regularly (decreases insulin resistance)
3. Maintain a healthy body weight
4. Take care of your emotional health and manage your stress