What do the rest of your family eat?

[mrsgreensmith]

I'm very curious, I am insulin dependant but a type 2 and my husband is overweight but with no sign at all of diabetes, I also have a 2 year old daughter and I am very keen to prevent her facing the same problems I have and therefore want to minimise her risk factors as much as possible. Basically I eat low carb now, very low carb, between 30-40g a day but hubby eats lots of carbs, but what about my daughter, should I reduce her carbs a bit or not at all? What about others in the same situation, do you allow your kids to eat lots of bread/pasta etc?

Cass x


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[stuffedolive]

There is no reason why your daughter should low carb. Just do what is best - a sensible diet full of fresh food, keep treats as treats and not everyday, and keep her active and within a sensible weight. First and foremost you and hubby should set her a good example of healthy living - you both still have time to do that. If you lead an unhealthy lifestyle (bad food and sloth) then so will she.
Sorry to be harsh, but as a parent I had to be pretty strict with mine while grandparents and friends were trying to undermine my efforts at every opportunity - and I and my daughters are glad I did!

 

[noblehead]

I'm the only diabetic in my family so everyone just eats a healthy well balanced diet.

 

[Lolagirl]

I am T2 and overweight but my hubby and son are both 'normal'. I make sure my son eats properly but still allow the odd treat. I wouldnt encourage him to low carb as he plays a lot of sports but I try to make sure his meals are balanced with plenty of veggies. My hubby on the other hand eats utter **** from morning til night. Chocolate for breakfast, pasties and cream buns for lunch and evening meals consist of something coated in breadcrumbs with chips. He is never going to change his ways but it does mean that I am faced with temptation every day. Occasionally I give in to the temptation and Im struggling with that lately. It would be lovely to cook one meal each night instead of two or three.

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[WhitbyJet]

I am type 2, no medication, I stick to a low carb diet, my family and I eat the same meals, with adaptions, eg I make up a big pot of bolognese sauce, I always add lots of vegetables, eg mushrooms, peppers, garlic, onions, I eat with shredded cabbage sauteed in butter, my 9yr old eats 'cabbetti' = some of my shredded cabbage mixed with spaghetti.

Main meals are all the same, we dont ban any food, my children and husband eat much more fruit, I tend to stick to berries and rhubarb. My husband and children eat boiled new potatoes with meals, basically a so called 'healthy diet', I wouldnt expect them to go low carb with me, though my husband and two elder children often join me.

I always have sweet treats in the freezer, cakes, muffins, ice cream, sugar free and low carb of course and my family dont bother with sugary stuff from outside, its not forbidden though.
I would say all my family knows about healthy eating, my elder two are away at uni and I am pleased to say neither of them is into junk food, they make low carb pizza bases for their friends

 

[Sid Bonkers]

My family just eat the same diet that they have always eaten, it is only me who is diabetic why should they change their diets? That said I dont eat any special diet all I do is eat a reduced carb diet so I dont eat as many carbs as the rest of the family might but I wouldnt expect them to change their diets simply to suit me.

They might take a plateful of rice when I just have a couple of spoonfuls or they may have as many potatoes or mash as they like I dont eat mashed potatoes and would only take a couple of small roast pots or a two or three small new potatoes. I dont miss mashed potato as Ive never really been keen on it anyway so thats not a problem for me

My kids eat pizzas but I dont any more, big deal. Why should I stop them eating what they like the chances of them developing diabetes is very very small.

 

[hanadr]

As Stuffedolive says, there's no particular reason for a toddler to low carb, however, there's also no reason for a child of that age to fill up on low nutrient carbs [ like stuff from cellophane packets] Her teeth will also thank you if you keep her sugar intake under control. Get her used to lots of veggies and fruits and some meat, fish and cheeses. A natural unprocessed diet.
Hana

 

[LittleWolf]

My dad gets insulted if I try to prepare my own food. The rest of the family eats predominantly freezer food when ma is away because dad gets lazy.

Breaded, battered, toasted, any kind of potato product involving, pastry-covered microwave ****. My ma is worried about how dad feeds my little brother. He tested a random 8.3 so I'm concerned. Ma tends to make her own dinner since settling on divorce. Her BG is never over 5


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[mrsgreensmith]

I wouldn't make my child eat low carb just less carbs and definitely not just to suit me but because I have diabetes, as do my grandparents and my husbands dad also has it as well as his grandad which I feel puts her at a significant increased chance of becoming diabetic. She currently eats what is described as a balanced healthy diet and I encourage her to stay active, she loves fruit and cherry tomatoes and will often choose these over sweets. I don't buy any sweets in my house but grandparents do give her sweets when she visits so twice a week. However on a typical day she will have toast or unsweetened cornflakes for breakfast, fruit such as oranges and strawberries mid morning and then a ham or cheese sandwich for lunch with a yogurt, a piece of fruit and a packet of 'healthy' crisps such as French fries (which I never used to give her but when she started at nursery other kids would have them and she would cry because she didn't) mid afternoon she would probably have a handful of cherry tomatoes and a small chunk of cheese or something like that followed by dinner, her favourite being spaghetti bolognese but can be sausage and mash with veg, tuna pasta with salad, chicken, mash, veg and a Yorkshire pudding, chicken and pasta in a cheese sauce all homemade from scratch. She really loves pasta/spaghetti based dishes but I worry that she is constantly eating meals based around carbs. She doesn't usually have pudding but if she is hungry before bed she will usually have a yogurt.


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[JontyW]

The key points about how to minimise the risk of a child getting diabetes when one of the parents, or others in the family have it, are :-

1) Type 1: there is NO action that can be taken to prevent this autoimmune disease striking .. it is TYPE 1

2) Type 2: the major issue here is the child's WEIGHT and BMI. Weight is the sum of several parts:-
- amount of carbohydrates/calories/saturated fats consumed which will put ON weight
- exercise and general activity level ... which will burn OFF weight
- inactivity such as sitting watching TV or computer games etc .. which will leave weight ON

So, as already suggested by many inputs, adopt a healthy balanced diet coupled with regular exercise. The only monitoring required as they grow up is watching that the normal weight for their size (BMI) is kept controlled. I would say that, based on what you told us your daughter eats each day, that sounds fine to me.

I would also add that your hubbie needs a good talking to, since he appears to ignore the fact that his Dad is diabetic and so he is at higher risk... and you say "he eats lots of carbs". But eating lots of carbs is NOT an issue unless he is already over weight and taking little exercise .. what is his BMI?

I think your concern about getting your daughter to eat 'low carb' is totally unnecessary .. based on the reasoning above.

JontyW

 

[LittleWolf]

The key points about how to minimise the risk of a child getting diabetes when one of the parents, or others in the family have it, are :-

1) Type 1: there is NO action that can be taken to prevent this autoimmune disease striking .. it is TYPE 1

2) Type 2: the major issue here is the child's WEIGHT and BMI. Weight is the sum of several parts:-
- amount of carbohydrates/calories/saturated fats consumed which will put ON weight
- exercise and general activity level ... which will burn OFF weight
- inactivity such as sitting watching TV or computer games etc .. which will leave weight ON

So, as already suggested by many inputs, adopt a healthy balanced diet coupled with regular exercise. The only monitoring required as they grow up is watching that the normal weight for their size (BMI) is kept controlled. I would say that, based on what you told us your daughter eats each day, that sounds fine to me.

I would also add that your hubbie needs a good talking to, since he appears to ignore the fact that his Dad is diabetic and so he is at higher risk... and you say "he eats lots of carbs". But eating lots of carbs is NOT an issue unless he is already over weight and taking little exercise .. what is his BMI?

I think your concern about getting your daughter to eat 'low carb' is totally unnecessary .. based on the reasoning above.

JontyW

I disagree...

Like I said, my brother has high numbers here and there (8.3 random) and I am in the teens. Grandmother is T2 an was thin in her youth.

Look at us. I'm 20 and 110 lbs. He is only 12 and a little heavier but tall and SKINNY. He eats in a way considered normal for most 12 year olds (sandwiches, freezer food, biscuits, crisps, those cereal bars thought of as
a relatively 'healthy' snack etc)



He's a skinny thing, ne? I didn't even think to worry about testing him until he asked whilst I was testing myself.

This is why I don't think that obesity is the cause of diabetes BUT don't think that makes a T2 blameless. It's diet. From childhood. As well as the genetics factor. I might whine about how awful I feel with the 10 mmol or more swigs in my blood sugar daily, but I know my diet whilst I was anorexic did not help things It IS my fault and if I don't talk to my parents about my Brother's diet, if he does later turn out to be T2 that'll be my fault as well


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