I will never forget when my oldest daughter called me from the doctor’s office, needing help completing our family’s medical history. While I told my children, which island my ancestors had come from, I realized that I had not done an excellent job teaching them about our medical history. My gene pool gifted me with my brown hair and brown eyes, my sense of humor, and my love of helping others. Unfortunately, it left me predisposed to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. I was able to reverse my prediabetes through healthy eating and exercise. So, I can understand if you might be a little worried about your chances of being diagnosed with this disease.
According to the CDC, if you have a history of diabetes in your family, you are more susceptible to a prediabetes or type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The only way to find out your risk of contracting either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is to speak with your physician and the appropriate blood test. While your genetic pool may influence health outcomes, non-genetic risk factors are also in play, “these factors are likely to include sedentary behaviors such as television viewing computer use, lack of exercise, and poor eating.
The CDC contends that having a history of diabetes in your family does not mean that you will suffer the same fate. “You can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by eating healthier, being physically active, and maintaining or reaching a healthy weight. This is especially important if you have prediabetes and taking these steps can reverse prediabetes.”
You do not have to be a victim of your gene pool. With the proper precautions, you can make the necessary changes to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Make sure that you have a complete family history many families like to keep diseases a secret. Not a reasonable stance to take when offspring need to manage their risk factors. You might need to become a medical detective, start with your mom’s side of the family and go back and far as you can, and then start on your dad’s side. When you are done, you should have a better picture of your genetic risk factors for disease. Partner with a health coach, nutritious, or your family medical doctor to help you create a plan that will reduce your chances of developing historical family diseases.
With Peace and Love,
Renee
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