DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a 40-year-old chubby girl identified with Type 2 diabetes just a little over a yr in the past. I’ve grow to be extra aware in regards to the meals our household eats, limiting sugar and incorporating extra fruit and veggies into meals at house. Recently, although, I discovered my 14-year-old daughter has been “snacking” on spoons of granulated sugar each day. What can I do to scale back her danger for diabetes and scale back her dependancy to sugar?
ANSWER: Adherence to a strict food regimen may be difficult, whatever the cause. While the highway could also be bumpy, try to be pleased with your efforts to handle your sickness and set a great instance for your loved ones to be extra healthful.
Having acquired a analysis of diabetes definitely makes you extra conscious of sugar, however ingesting a variety of sugar won’t instantly trigger a analysis of diabetes.
The physique makes use of sugar as gasoline and diabetes is a situation the place the physique has bother managing blood sugar ranges. Type 2 diabetes occurs as a result of there’s a breakdown in how the physique regulates and makes use of sugar.
When we’ve sugar within the bloodstream, insulin sometimes is launched from the pancreas to assist break down the sugar and carry it to the cells in our physique.
In Type 2 diabetes, there’s a breakdown within the course of. Instead of shifting into the cells, sugar builds up within the blood. As blood sugar ranges rise, the pancreas releases extra insulin. Eventually, the cells within the pancreas that make insulin grow to be broken and might’t make sufficient insulin to fulfill the physique’s wants.
If you haven’t shared along with your daughter your analysis, she might not be conscious of why you could have made dietary adjustments. Start by telling her what Type 2 diabetes is and the significance of wholesome meals selections.
Also, discuss together with her about her danger of growing the situation. The important danger for growing Type 2 diabetes is being chubby. Being inactive and having a household historical past additionally elevates her danger.
Here are some methods to assist your daughter overcome her sugar dependancy:
— Encourage your daughter to hitch you in making higher selections and get her concerned by asking her to assist plan menus, go grocery buying with you or prepare dinner.
— Identify more healthy options to fulfill her candy tooth. Swap sugary snacks for issues like contemporary fruits, yogurt or nuts. And don’t overlook to combine and match — equivalent to a bowl of contemporary berries with a chunk of darkish chocolate, or a cup of plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon on high.
— Gradually scale back the quantity of sugar in recipes when baking or cooking. Experiment with options like honey or maple syrup.
— Replace sugary drinks like soda, fruit juices and power drinks. Keep a provide readily available of tea or naturally flavored water as an alternative.
— Read labels and restrict the quantity of processed meals you purchase. These usually include hidden or extra sugar.
— Make bodily exercise a precedence. The much less energetic an individual is, the better the chance of diabetes. Physical exercise helps management weight, makes use of up glucose as power and makes cells extra delicate to insulin. Make household outings extra energetic by strolling, mountain climbing or biking collectively.
As a mother or father, you’re an vital position mannequin in your daughter. Continue to indicate her how one can make more healthy selections by practising them your self. Also, share your experiences and challenges with managing diabetes and emphasize the significance of a wholesome life-style.
It could also be useful to talk to your daughter’s pediatrician or healthcare skilled to get a baseline of her blood glucose, weight and ldl cholesterol. They may also be a useful resource to supply extra tailor-made solutions. But bear in mind, small, constant adjustments, as you could have doubtless discovered, are the important thing to success. — Dr. Christine Nguyen , Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
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