Diabetes in NDN Country

[ndnMSW]

Don't feel like a thread killer.......we've just been busy...lol.

You know, I believe in what you are saying. Although it hasn't been researched with an empirical study that I know of, I believe that our bodies are not programmed to handle simple carbs and other starches that were not a part of our traditional diet. I think most Indians are carb sensitive, meaning if when they eat simple carbs it will set them off and make them hungry. I always feel like that when I eat an apple or a banana, I HAVE to have some kind of protein to keep from feeling hungry real quick after eating. Even though an apple and banana have some fiber and are considered a complex carb, it still has alot of natural sugar (think sugar = carbs) which always sets me off.

I believe too that our bodies are programmed for feast and famine. Again, it hasn't been proven in any clinical research, but I really feel that our bodies haven't evolved enough to be able to process carbohydrates, especially the simple carbs. Add in the fact that most doctors believe that as people get older they lose the ability to process carbs effectively, and the wealth of simple carbs available, no wonder so many people have type 2 diabetes.

BTW, I just had a baby which is why I haven't been posting. She was 11 pounds!!!!! Now some people think I had gestational diabetes, but I didn't. I got screened twice and had very healthy ranges both times..........big girls just run in our family.....lol. Now she's almost 11 weeks old and I'm back at work (different job, still working with diabetes prevention), and trying to lose the baby weight. I'm getting ready to get some labwork done in a couple of months and I asked my doctor to do a fasting blood glucose test and a lipid profile so I can see where I'm at healthwise. It's sad that with some doctors you have to request that, that it's not a routine part of preventive care.

[Singing Otter]

ndnMSW.... girl you just made me cross my legs GOT DANG! lmao you had a full grown toddler ennit? hehehe j/k

Seriously my mom's diabetic. It runs on both sides of the fam. I worry about her alot. It's affected her eyes, her legs, her kidneys, her heart, etc. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose her at times. It seems to go up and down... and I feel so helpless because she gets really depressed. I started reading up on it and decided to fix recipes that she can have ( http://www.recipezaar.com/r/q=diabetic/155 is a decent site, so is http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/low_carb/ .) Maybe by starting early, I can prevent myself from getting it.

[Blackbear]

Just got diagnosed two weeks ago with diabetes. I've been borderline for probably 15 years and had gestational diabetes so it's no big surprise to me. I just barely crossed over that borderline now. On medication, but not injections.

[ndnMSW]

YES, I had a toddler sized baby. The doctor said that she must have been carrying the extra pounds in her cheeks...lol. I obviously had a C-section with her, as with my first (who was 10 pounds). She was just too big and I didn't progress and never kicked into labor. When she was 4 weeks old everyone said she looked like a 3-month old. She's already rolling over, started that early at 11 weeks, and trying to sit up.

Anyway, depression is common in people with diabetes who are suffering complications, especially if they have to dialize more than twice per week. I lost my adopted dad to complications from diabetes (the late Dave White from Prairie Island, MN and lead singer for Ironwood Singers), and he had suffered from complications for a long time. It's scary and it's sad to see your loved ones suffer like that. So even people who are newly diagnosed can prevent complications if they do appropriate self-care and stick to their medical regimen. Just understanding what that is, and finding a way to make it a part of their lifestyle is the key, along with getting alot of family and socail support.

[DaCotau]

I also believe that Native people metabolize carbs differently than europeans and that when we eat a diet high in carbohydrates, sugars and fat this has a much more devestating impact on our health than it does on people whose traditional diets consisted of these types of foods over many generations. I am an MSW working in NYC and I see an immense number of Latino people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. The fact that most Latinos are of native descent is a significant factor I believe in raising their vulnerability to these health problems. To eat the foods that most closely resemble what your ancestors ate for thousands of years is what your body will best recognize and understand how to process.