s/o Do you change your behavior due to seemingly genetic odds?

[creekland]

This is a spin off from the bacon thread.  It seems several people are amazed that some of us would change our eating behavior - even for foods we like - for health reasons.  Now I'm curious to know just how weird Creekland is in having chosen to do this for my entire adult life.

 

My family has Type II diabetes throughout both sides starting from their 20s.  My dad's side has early onset heart issues - his first heart attack at age 47.  I grew up eating the basic American diet - white bread, potatoes, meat, etc.  I decided for my own life I wanted to try to stave those off so picked a more healthy diet as per science studies.  Years later I don't even like basic white bread (Wonder Bread).  I don't care for cookies or most desserts.  I love the varieties of fruits, veggies, and meats that are out there beyond the American "usual."  My normal diet is considerably different than anyone else in my family of origin (except on some holidays like Thanksgiving) and I don't feel like I'm giving up a thing.  Actually, I feel they are missing out TBH...

 

I still like things like bacon or Spam (found a love for that on a trip to HI actually), but we choose to only eat it on special occasions once or twice per year because NO credible study I've ever seen has listed either of those as healthy.  (Meat, yes, processed meat like those, no.)

 

I'm not perfect.  I enjoy a full sugar caffeinated soda once per day - sometimes more when traveling and I don't have the ability to brew green tea for breakfast.  Still, I won't even pretend that's healthy.  I will argue that caffeine is healthy, but there are other ways to get it if I really wanted to (though I abhor coffee).  I just choose to give myself that exemption until my blood sugar numbers convince me otherwise.  My kids have all given up soda for health reasons.  They're going one more step beyond what I've done I suppose.

 

Are we alone?  It's ok if we are.  ;)  I'm just curious.

 

ps  I've definitely avoided diabetes so far, but of course I can't say it's due to my eating choices.  It just seems likely.  Heart issues?  Not sure.  I'm 50, so have gotten older than my ancestors without a heart attack, but middle son feels my last lung test vs breathing issues make the vascular system very suspect.  Doctors disagree though (without other tests).  They tell me I'm just out of condition.

[Violet Crown]

Yes. My exercise program is shaped by a substantial family history of devastating osteoporosis. My diet is influenced by nonexistent obesity in my family tree, on either side, until my and my parents’ generation. I eat like my grandmothers did (even literally using their [smaller] dishes).

 

ETA: No diet or exercise can fix my bad spelling

Edited January 4, 2018 by Violet Crown

[Laurie4b]

Absolutely. I changed the foods I eat based on health reasons. And I like my new foods and don't miss the old ones!  I had my own health crisis when I had breast cancer which made a healthy lifestyle nonnegotiable for me. In addition, there is a strong family history of Alzheimer's and I absolutely keep abreast of scientific studies on delay/prevention and alter patterns of eating accordingly. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yes I have, but thankfully bacon is not problematic for diabetes. 

 

 

[Arcadia]

We don’t use salt at home because there is plenty of salt in outside food and snacks and we eat two meals out per week. That’s to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

 

I avoid aspartame, sorbitol and msg due to sensitivities and my dad decided to drink coffee black (no sugar, no cream) to lower the risk of diabetes. My dad may not be sensitive to aspartame and sorbitol but he decided he might as well skip those too.

 

My family of origin is used to catering to elderly with diabetes, elderly with mild high blood pressure, picky eaters of all ages, food sensitivities (bad enough for tummy upset but not to the extent of epi pen). So there was no resistance from all the short order cooks.

 

We don’t buy soda but we do drink soda sometimes when we are out. So less than 10 cups worth per person per month. My husband just feels it’s a bad habit and raise the risk of bone loss.

[Carrie12345]

Genetic odds?  No.  My family health history is pretty great, relatively speaking.

Overall awareness of general nutrition?  Yes.

 

On birthdays, kids are allowed to choose whatever breakfast, lunch, snack, drink, and dinner they want.  Many of them request white bread, lol.  My kids don't feel deprived with their whole grain bread, unsugared peanut butter, and non-HFCS jam, but they do get excited to get down with Wonder Bread, Nutella, and Fluff a few times a year!

 

I would eat Taylor Ham for breakfast every day if it weren't so..., well, obvious.  (My mom did while she was pregnant with me, lol.)  I settle for a couple of times a month and fully enjoy it!

[MBM]

Yes, definitely.

 

After genetic testing I learned I’m highly predisposed to bladder cancer and leukemia so I eat a lot of sulphoraphane foods like broccoli sprouts, which I grow myself, and fast for short periods per Valter Longo and Thomas Seyfried’s research. My body does better with Alaskan salmon than bacon but I do eat bacon occasionally anyway. I’m prone to developing blood clots also and for that I eat four large cloves of garlic with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I also use a pemf device for that.

 

All in all, I eat fairly well and never feel deprived because it’s easy to find substitute recipes for many dishes.

[OneStepAtATime]

Yes I have altered my diet based on family history.  My dad had health issues starting in his 40s.  So did my mom even though she actually makes really good choices.  Genetics play a huge part in what they have dealt with.  Both of my parents have had cancer as well.  It killed Dad.  Mom survived and is even more careful about diet and exercise.

 

But I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia at 8 and a thyroid condition in my 20s.  I also had repeated kidney infections and got strep throat frequently until they pulled my tonsils.  Poor diet was not the cause of those issues.  We didn't eat all that badly growing up and we were a fairly active family.  Genetics and possibly some health issues Mom had when she was pregnant may have caused s good portion of my childhood and adult health issues.  Who knows what combination of things has the strongest effect?

 

I do think a healthy diet and regular exercise are absolutely a good idea but I also recognize that based on genetics I am a ticking time bomb.  Every single thing Mom and Dad had to deal with regarding health issues I have too, but usually a lot sooner (including cancer) and in some instances 20 years sooner.  Our family has a laundry list of genetically based or possibly genetically based health issues.  So many that before DH and I married I actually wrote it all out for him so he would be aware of what we might be facing as I aged.  (Yes Mom was horrified and thought it was in poor taste but I felt otherwise I was not being honest.)  I can hopefully stave off or slow down some things but I don't know that just proper diet and exercise can prevent everything that my family is genetically predisposed to. 

 

On the flip side of that coin, though, not eating well and not exercising won't help my situation.  So I try.  I don't drink sodas except on rare occasion when there is nothing else as an option.  I try to eat vegetables and fruits daily.  I try to keep my blood sugar balanced.  DH and I only eat bacon once a month or so when we have our Saturday cook together and the kids don't eat any bacon (their choice).  Mom and I recently hired a personal trainer to make sure we are doing weight training correctly and have a plan that we can follow to maintain bone density, flexibility, a healthy cardiovascular and muscular system, etc.  The kids have joined us.  The trainer works with each of us for our individual needs, which are often quite different in the specifics.  All of these things may help.  They should.  They probably won't solve all of the genetic issues I was born with but hopefully they will help when I do have to deal with those issues and may slow down the issues from manifesting.

[scholastica]

Absolutely. I try to use the best information possible to make the best choices. However, my grandmother never ate right or exercised intentionally. She’s 101.

[MinivanMom]

I don't think all people have a clear genetic predisposition toward certain medical conditions, so they've probably never been in the position of having to make that decision. If you come from generations of healthy family, it may not be on your radar to even think about something like that.

 

I have a family history of blood clots so I have always avoided anything that would raise my risk further (hormonal birth control, smoking, etc). My husband is terrified of dementia and is always following whatever the current advice is for avoiding it. I've always found that very interesting and funny. I've never worried about dementia at all, but I have no family history. Everyone in my family has lived independently (& have been sharp as a tack) until dying at 90+, except for the few that cancer got. I do feel concern about cancer, and I consider that in making lifestyle choices.

Edited January 8, 2018 by MinivanMom

[Joker]

I don't alter due to family history. Most in my family live well into their 90s. There is no cancer and only one person who had diabetes. Almost everyone on my side of the family is overweight and loves food but they have very little health issues and live good, long lives. 

 

I don't consider us eating bacon in dishes or at breakfast 1-2 times a week a big deal. I also keep a full candy dish at home. It's usually always only dark chocolate but no one seems to go crazy. 

 

I am pushing hard for dh and dc to wean themselves off the soda habit they have acquired recently.

 

Everything else I think is fine in moderation. I cook most nights and keep fruits, cheese, eggs, and veggies for snacks. I do keep single serve bags of chips in the pantry for when dh or dc want something salty. I think they eat those too much but it's really not that big of a deal and none of them have weight issues. 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

I will mention that my great grandparents were all long-lived and none of them were known for especially healthy lifestyles.  I had one that smoked daily for decades.  No lung cancer.  However, a brother (my great uncle) got emphysema and died from it.  He had a lot of respiratory issues as an adult.  He smoked, too.  What was the difference?  I wish I knew.

 

Also, as mentioned up thread, my mom ate pretty healthy growing up.  My maternal grandmother was a great cook and a nutritionist for a hospital.  Mom has continued those habits into adulthood.  She still got cancer.  And in fact, every single one of her 1st cousins has also had cancer.  Usually breast cancer, even the men.  And her own brother.  Several 1st cousins were raised away from the rest of the family so it wasn't an environmental cause.  Most tested negative for currently understood cancer markers (I did, too).  And yet, everyone got cancer.  That does not bode well for my own children, regardless of diet and exercise.  Still, the ones that seemed to be the healthiest to begin with were the ones that survived.  The ones that were not very healthy when they got cancer died.  Does that mean they would not have died if they had eaten better and gotten regular exercise?  I don't know.  I do think it played a factor.  I also believe that for my own future and that of my kids healthy diet and exercise could mean the difference between dying and surviving, could have a significant impact on quality of life, etc.  I think it is worth it to acknowledge that genetics can trump diet and exercise but that diet and exercise are still absolutely worth pursuing.

 

Oh, with regards to white bread, when DH and I got married he loved white bread and I had really only eaten wheat or whole grain most of my life.  With other foods we could compromise but we didn't eat enough bread to justify buying two types of bread.  We switched exclusively to whole grain.  The kids have only ever had whole grain bread except when eating out or having Hawaiian rolls as a treat for Holidays and DH adapted quite quickly.  He prefers whole grain now and has for years.  DH just needed to give his taste buds a chance to adapt.  Kids never needed to adapt in the first place because they never had another bread to compare it to, at least not until they were much older and used to the flavor/texture of whole grain.

 

However, I will say that I fully understand how a certain food or foods that you enjoy and are used to would be hard to shift away from, especially for some with sensory issues.  Going from something like Wonder bread to whole grain can be awful for those not used to the flavor/texture of whole grain bread.  I sympathize with anyone trying to make a shift like that.

[Tap]

I think most educated adults (who can afford it )vary their diet based on health reasons.  I don't know anyone who doesn't try to avoid certain foods, eat more foods deemed healthy for their particular situation, and generally try to improve their health through diet.  How successful they are, varies greatly on will power, knowledge and availability of certain foods/choices. 

[VaKim]

I'm not sure, since I already do try to exercise and eat halfway decently. My downfall is sweets, though. I guess I'd be more likely to change/give up things if I was absolutely convinced it would make a difference. As it is, there is so much contradictory information, and family experience doesn't help. 

 

My dad was a healthy,active, fit, thin man. His blood pressure was actually a bit low, and he ate pretty healthy (lots of beans, cabbage, eggs - very little sugar). Same goes for one of his brothers. Dad died of a sudden massive heart attack at the age of 58. His brother died of cancer 6 weeks later. 

 

My mom is 72, has been on blood pressure meds and thyroid meds for years, eats all kinds of junk, is about 45 pounds overweight, but rarely gets sick and is in good shape just from doing everyday things (cleaning, moving furniture, carrying and lifting things, etc.) She never purposely exercises or does any kind of active hobby like Dad did (hunting, fishing, bow shooting, a physically demanding factory job). She has 3 older sisters and 2 younger ones still living. They, like her, eat what they want, don't exercise on purpose, are a bit overweight, on bp meds and others. So I'm just not sure there is any proof that anything I would change would actually be helpful. 

[Guest]

Yes, I do. I am very afraid of Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease and Diabetes because of the effect those diseases have had on family memebrs.

[Pawz4me]

No, not really. Or maybe just a little bit? IDK

 

My father and paternal aunt were diabetics. My father's was bad; the last few years of his life were pretty horrific. But my blood sugar is tested regularly and it's always very good (low end of what is considered normal). And I don't eat low carb by any stretch of the imagination. So until I have reason to change-nope, not going to. Plus my father ate quite well, was active and slender and still developed diabetes. So for him lifestyle factors mattered not one bit.

 

My mother had debilitating osteoporosis that probably contributed to her death (she was in an auto accident that a stronger person her age would have in all likelihood come through much less severely injured than she was). But she was a lifelong smoker and I suspect that had a lot to do with her osteoporosis. I'm relatively active (and certainly have never smoked!) but I do it for general good health and because it makes me feel great right now, not specifically to help ward off osteoporosis.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Pawz4me

[regentrude]

I am the opposite. Seeing that my grandmothers on both sides, and my great grandmother, lived healthy productive lives well into their nineties while eating a traditional diet with limited availability of variety, I came to the conclusion that genetics so far outweighs diet that I choose not to worry about it at all.

If my meat, potatoes, and cake loving grandma lived to 93 and died in her own bed after three days of illness, I find it hard to be convinced that replacing the potatoes and cake with kale will guarantee me a better outcome.

 

ETA: My slender, nutrition conscious, physically active MIL developed MS and Alzheimers and died in her early 70s. My obese sedentary FIL will turn 90 this year.

Edited January 4, 2018 by regentrude

[J-rap]

I just figured that most people who care about their health have at least adjusted their diet in a general way.  Our diet has slowly evolved, as in cutting out a lot of carbs, adding lots of veggies daily, especially broccoli, cauliflower, dark leafy greens, etc.  Most of our food is unprocessed, homemade.  We eat beef maybe once every two weeks.  Lots of legumes, plain nonfat yogurt, lots of water.  My sweet tooth is becoming much smaller these days, and I always under salt.  Lots of garlic and daily turmeric.  Coffee, a glass of wine most days.  None of it feels like a sacrifice.  I love this kind of food.  We do have a few health conditions that seem to run in our family that I'm hoping to avoid.

 

One thing I definitely lack right now is exercise.  It's easy until November, and then it's too cold, snowy, and icy for me!  I need to work on that.

[OneStepAtATime]

I'm not sure, since I already do try to exercise and eat halfway decently. My downfall is sweets, though. I guess I'd be more likely to change/give up things if I was absolutely convinced it would make a difference. As it is, there is so much contradictory information, and family experience doesn't help. 

 

My dad was a healthy,active, fit, thin man. His blood pressure was actually a bit low, and he ate pretty healthy (lots of beans, cabbage, eggs - very little sugar). Same goes for one of his brothers. Dad died of a sudden massive heart attack at the age of 58. His brother died of cancer 6 weeks later. 

 

My mom is 72, has been on blood pressure meds and thyroid meds for years, eats all kinds of junk, is about 45 pounds overweight, but rarely gets sick and is in good shape just from doing everyday things (cleaning, moving furniture, carrying and lifting things, etc.) She never purposely exercises or does any kind of active hobby like Dad did (hunting, fishing, bow shooting, a physically demanding factory job). She has 3 older sisters and 2 younger ones still living. They, like her, eat what they want, don't exercise on purpose, are a bit overweight, on bp meds and others. So I'm just not sure there is any proof that anything I would change would actually be helpful. 

Yeah, see this is why when someone else makes different choices from me I absolutely do not go around feeling like they brought it on themselves if they start having health issues.  I am so painfully aware of how much other factors besides diet and exercise are at play and individuals have vastly different balances of these things.  I'm sure many of us could share anecdotal information about someone in their family not following what would seem a healthy diet and exercise routine and still living a long and productive life or maybe someone ate really well and was very active but still died relatively young of some health related issue.

 

My maternal great grandfather lived to be 103.  He did not have a healthy lifestyle until he was in his 90s and came to live with my grandparents.  Since his DIL (my grandmother) was a nutritionist she fed him a lot of healthy foods and kept him active but he had made it into his 90s, still very functional and happy, without any of that.  

 

While I do think a healthy diet and an active life play a factor (absolutely) in potential quality of life and ability to handle health related issues, I also believe that other powerful factors are at play and that dietary and activity needs for one person may not be the same for the next person.  Hopefully someday we will understand all the various pieces to this puzzle much better.

[JudoMom]

No, not really.  I try to eat well, but often fail.

I've come to the conclusion that keeping my weight under control is the most important factor for me.  I also have autoimmune hepatitis with joint pain, and know I feel better with less sugar, but that doesn't always mean I eat less sugar.  I walk 2-4 miles a day on my treadmill, because my life is not naturally active (unlike my dh, who can walk several miles throughout his workday).  I also guard my sleep. 

So moving and sleeping are more important factors in my mind, and as long as my diet is within reason, I don't stress too much about the details.  I'm the only one in my family of origin without diabetes (Dad is type 1, mom and brother are type 2), and all of my labs looks good (except for the ones that are wonky because of my freak autoimmune disease).

[Violet Crown]

I am the opposite. Seeing that my grandmothers on both sides, and my great grandmother, lived healthy productive lives well into their nineties while eating a traditional diet with limited availability of variety, I came to the conclusion that genetics so far outweighs diet that I choose not to worry about it at all.

If my meat, potatoes, and cake loving grandma lived to 93 and died in her own bed after three days of illness, I find it hard to be convinced that replacing the potatoes and cake with kale will guarantee me a better outcome.

 

ETA: My slender, nutrition conscious, physically active MIL developed MS and Alzheimers and died in her early 70s. My obese sedentary FIL will turn 90 this year.

 

I agree to the extent that we’re discussing content of one’s diet; my grandparents and great-aunts/uncles ate plenty of carbohydrates: potatoes, bread, tortillas; ate desserts, drank alcohol; and their few vegetables came out of a can. But everything was in much smaller amounts than their children and grandchildren were consuming by the 21st century. Adults didn’t snack between meals, eat candy or drink soda, take seconds, or eat while engaged in other activities: I still remember both my grandmothers in old age amazed at adults eating “like childrenâ€, which they considered not so much unhealthy as rude.

 

Like yours, mine were physically active: they didn’t go to the gym, but they went dancing, did heavy farmwork or housework, walked or bicycled everywhere. TV was for children to wach.

[regentrude]

I agree to the extent that we’re discussing content of one’s diet; my grandparents and great-aunts/uncles ate plenty of carbohydrates: potatoes, bread, tortillas; ate desserts, drank alcohol; and their few vegetables came out of a can. But everything was in much smaller amounts than their children and grandchildren were consuming by the 21st century. Adults didn’t snack between meals, eat candy or drink soda, take seconds, or eat while engaged in other activities: I still remember both my grandmothers in old age amazed at adults eating “like childrenâ€, which they considered not so much unhealthy as rude.

 

My experience is different. Taking seconds was normal; bowls were on the table, everybody served themselves until they were full or the food gone.  "Seconds" was not really a concept.

In Germany, we have a designated mid-afternoon meal that traditionally is something sweet: pastry, cake, or a roll with jam. That is a meal for which you often invite company, so sitting for an hour with coffee and cake chatting was traditional. You'd consider this a "snack", because it is between lunch and dinner. My grandmothers loved their candy, and they always had something to nibble on while watching TV in the evening.

But yes, serving sizes were smaller, there were NO processed foods, everything from scratch, fastfood did not exist, and people just moved a lot more. 

[AnnE-girl]

I’m working on it. I have high blood pressure and heart disease in pretty much every branch of my family. There’s some more distant diabetes and Parkinson’s as well. I have a weakness for cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream that I really need to work on.

[LucyStoner]

Trust me, literally no one is amazed that anyone would change their dietary choices for health considerations. That is a somewhat distorted takeaway from that thread.

 

I've made many changes for my health and I think most people do, to some degree.

 

Due to family history of reproductive cancers, that was a big consideration when I opted for non-hormonal birth control options. I know that the risk increase doesn't outweigh the benefits of reliable birth control for most people but given my specific family history, it's a factor for me.

 

It's not because I think it is funsies that I (mostly) wake up at 5am to exercise.

 

Food wise, I don't do much dairy because of inflammation and lactose intolerance. I could take lactaid or whatever but my numbers are better when I don't ignore my body on this one. Fortunately, most dairy products disgust me so I don't miss them.

 

For dietary and budget considerations, we do meat primarily on the side or as a flavoring. About 1/2 of my regular dinners are vegan recipes I've added a little bit of meat to for the kids or served with a dairy option for my lactose digesting family members.

 

When caregiving needs caused me to slack heavily on sleep and exercise and make up for sleep with sugar and caffeine, without any change in my meals, I packed on some extra weight. My caregiving obligations are not substantially different but I've dragged myself back onto the wagon exercise and minimizing caloric beverages wise and fortunately, the new weight is falling off. I can't forgo the caffeine but that's life right now. I also can't ignore my sons and nieces who variously need me starting at 6am and running until 10pm. Reliance on caffeine is what allows to me get an hour of adult time after they go to sleep, keep a somewhat clean home and still wake up in time to exercise on 6ish hours of sleep so that's that. 🤣

Edited January 4, 2018 by LucyStoner

[Alicia64]

I think that because health care in our country is turning into a circus -- and we have a "good" health plan -- it's even more imperative to eat well and workout often.

 

Alley

[hornblower]

Yes, I do. 

But I think you need to blend large scale population studies and your own genetic risks.  n=1 (or even n=10) sample sizes of one's own family are only part of the picture because obviously it's multifactorial. 

 

What grandma ate is not what we're eating because the ingredients have changed, the soil has changed, the exposure to pesticides and herbicides has changed, the exposure to radiation has changed. Of course so has the availability of vitamins, testing, and medicines etc....  I think historical records are pretty weak evidence for how we should eat now. My mother's mother lived well into her 90s and was a fit healthy woman with no cancer .. My mother is 75, has no cancer and is power walking every day;  & yet here I am, diagnosed with cancer at 50. If you'd asked me last year, I could have happily claimed my health was because of my good genes.....

fwiw, biggest risk for many diseases (inc diabetes and cancer) is an elevated bmi and lack of exercise (neither of which are in my profile either). 

 

Generally speaking, if you want to hedge your bets, keep a low bmi, exercise, don't smoke, limit or eliminate alcohol, avoid known carcinogens (which include all processed meats and some unprocessed meat) But still, turns out some diseases just come out of seemingly nowhere. 

I think many people are fundamentally fatalistic and don't care to change things on the odd chance that it will prevent them getting a disease or extend their life by a few months. 

I also think we are all superbly inclined to believe what we want to believe and to continue doing what we want to do so we will justify it with all sorts of explanations. 

[MBM]

Because your relatives lived a long life doesn’t mean you will. The converse is true as well. For example, most centenarians have the FOXO3A gene. That doesn’t mean their offspring will have it or, if they do have it, that it will be active enough to prevent health problems. Telomere length also plays a role in longevity and that can be influenced for better or worse as well. Pemf devices can lengthen them and unhealthy lifestyles can shorten them at a faster pace.

 

Many elderly people lived through times when food was scarce or they ate during a 12-hour window. A single period of fasting can confer future health benefits that last for quite awhile. Actuarial studies have shown this. Fasting kills white blood cells, induces autophagy and upon refeeding, new stem cells grow. A carefully monitored 7-day fast can yield 40% new stem cells. This is Valter Longo’s research, human studies done on cancer and autoimmune diseases.

 

Sleep, exercise, exposure to healthy stresses like sauna and cold and social support play a part, too.

[regentrude]

What grandma ate is not what we're eating because the ingredients have changed, the soil has changed, the exposure to pesticides and herbicides has changed, the exposure to radiation has changed. Of course so has the availability of vitamins, testing, and medicines etc....  I think historical records are pretty weak evidence for how we should eat now.

 

OTOH, we have access to an unprecedented variety of fresh foods they did not. The single biggest difference between mine and my grandmothers' diets is that I can go to the store and buy various fresh fruits and vegetables every single day of the year. The access to nutritious foods is unbelievably easier for us.

 

ETA: As far as exposure to environmental factors: they lived through two world wars and lived in a society with horrible environmental pollution. Air and water are noticeably cleaner for me now than they were in my childhood. heck, all cars were two stroke engines using leaded gasoline and everybody heated with very poor coal. You could smell and see it. 

 

Generally speaking, if you want to hedge your bets, keep a low bmi, exercise, don't smoke, limit or eliminate alcohol, avoid known carcinogens (which include all processed meats and some unprocessed meat) But still, turns out some diseases just come out of seemingly nowhere. 

 

This. I can do the above easily. Beyond that, I have to trust in having inherited favorable genetics.

Edited January 4, 2018 by regentrude

[Bootsie]

My father died of a heart attack in his mid-50s in 1994.  Given my family history, and the nutritional advice at the time, the doctor advised me to eat margarine instead of butter, limit egg intake to one a week, limit sodium, avoid bacon and ham, avoid nuts, severely limit cheese, only use skim milk products, etc.  Low-fat, processed, packaged food was encouraged.  Much of the advice from that time period has changed.

 

I try to eat healthfully and stay active but not take anything to extreme.  The advice now of "eat like your grandparents or great-grandparents did" iis questionable to me in that they all had heart problems and died by their mid 50s; they lived on a farm and as close as I can tell, their diet was much like what is now promoted as a healthy diet and they were active doing farm chores.  My dad did not develop diabetes, but all of his siblings except one did.  About 1/2 of their offsprings (my generation) have developed diabetes--some of the ones who developed diabetes were active and relatively healthy eaters and other were not.  But, of those of us who have not developed diabetes, there are some who are extremely overweight, have poor eating habits, and are inactive.   

 

My dad also had low cholesterol, was not overweight, had low blood pressure, and was physically very active.  Besides family history, he had none of the warning signs of heart problems.   It has been difficult looking at my family history to see how much food choices, versus pure genetics, has played a role in health problems.

 

[La Condessa]

Women in my mother's family have terrible osteoporosis, so I have always tried to be careful about getting enough calcium.  Particularly when I was breastfeeding, and especially with my lactose-intolerant baby, for whom I had to find different dietary sources of calcium than my common ones.

 

My great-grandmother lived to be 93, but she broke so many bones!  She broke a hip seven times.  Three times she broke a hip or ribs rolling over in bed.

[TravelingChris]

I don't do diet changes based on genetics other than the diet I have to have because I am on blood thinners which is from a genetic source and probably is what killed my grandmother in the 50's before I was born.  My other relatives had prostate cancer (no diet change there and I am not a guy). heart disease (not due to high cholesterol or plaque, nor high blood pressure, nor arrythmia) so nothing I can do diet wise, and ALS (which is not heriditary, nor diet based).  

 

I try to eat more tasty (and much of that is more healthy) food.   I am not usually one to love deep fried, battered food.  I drank coffee because I liked it and it turns out to be beneficial.  

[Nan in Mass]

Yes.  I thought everybody did.

[hornblower]

.  My other relatives had prostate cancer (no diet change there and I am not a guy). 

 

 

just fyi, some of the same mutations responsible for genetic prostate cancer risk are associated with breast cancer risk. The q came up in several of my breast cancer genetic screening tests - 'family history of prostate cancer?'

 

& prostate cancer dietary risks are high consumption of red meat & high fat dairy 

[wintermom]

Yes, diabetes, bowel diseases and heart concerns in the genes. It changes how frequently we visit the dr, how we eat and how physically active we are.

[desiree77]

Creekland, I'm confused why someone who has changed their diet for genetic reasons would drink a soda per day while trying to avoid diabetes. That seems like a major disconnect. Isn't soda known to cause or trigger type 2 diabetes? Or am I wrong? I'm asking sincerely because I love soda, but I avoid it even without diabetes in my family.

 

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[Sandwalker]

Creekland, I'm confused why someone who has changed their diet for genetic reasons would drink a soda per day while trying to avoid diabetes. That seems like a major disconnect. Isn't soda known to cause or trigger type 2 diabetes? Or am I wrong? I'm asking sincerely because I love soda, but I avoid it even without diabetes in my family.

 

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No one's perfect. :)

 

We have lots of obesity and heart disease in my family. My mother had a major heart attack at 54, coding on the table of the ER. Luckily she lived another 44 years after being revived and following doctor's orders..

 

Dh, Ds, ddil and I have been eating low salt, high carb, whole food vegan for about a decade. My father had high blood pressure in his 30s. We've been able to maintain normal weights and have been lucky enough to be healthy. I'll be 60 this year, so far, so good.

[J-rap]

just fyi, some of the same mutations responsible for genetic prostate cancer risk are associated with breast cancer risk. The q came up in several of my breast cancer genetic screening tests - 'family history of prostate cancer?'

 

& prostate cancer dietary risks are high consumption of red meat & high fat dairy 

 

Yes, many types of cancers are linked together and believed to be caused by the same gene, such as some breast cancers for women and prostate cancer for men.  Breast cancer runs in my family.  In fact, every woman for the past three generations has had it:  my mother, her mother, her mother's mother.  I had the genetic testing and so did my mother (she is 90 now, after having breast cancer twice in her 40's!), and all the known breast cancer genes were tested, and we don't have any of them.  But clearly, we are predisposed to it and we must have some kind of gene that hasn't yet been discovered.  And, my brother had prostate cancer, even though he has been into extreme health foods and exercise for probably 25 years.  So many factors play into this, probably the gene + several environmental factors (including diet) that we don't yet fully understand.  Many years ago, my brother went about a year without much sleep (grad school + full time job + babies) and then ended up getting a concussion one day while riding his bike, and his health changed from that point on.  He developed an autoimmune disease and years later prostate cancer.  So in his case, maybe even a lack of sleep for a long time plus a severe injury that his body had to work hard to heal was enough to kick in an autoimmune gene which eventually led to the cancer gene kicking in.  Who knows.

 

Boy, have I rambled!

[Elizabeth86]

I'd change my ways for sure if all my family had this condition or that, but there is no strong predominant health condition of any kind. My grandpa had prostate cancer, but no one else ever did. My uncle has glaucoma, no one else does. My dad has had some pre-cancerous skin issues, but no one else does and I have completely different skin from him anyway. My dad has had some heart problems, but none of his siblings do. Several ppl have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, but my family eats straight up crap food. I'm talking sausage, biscuits and gravy every single morning, the only meat they eat is like bacon, sausage, bologna, hot dogs,ground beef. Never touch a veggie or fruit. Only drinks soda and coffee. Like many multiple sodas a day. Chips and candy every day. White bread only. No exercise. And the choleserol and bp.didnt become an issue until their 60's. I enjoy their junk too, but I keep it more moderate and eat a lot of healthy things along with junk. I drink plently of water only maybe 1 soda a week. I'm just not concerned as their health is kept ok with meds. My mamaw lived to 85 eating straight junk. Im good with 85. Like I said all the junk for me is waaaaay moderate compared to them. As I've mentioned here before I have had many many realtive killed in vehicles and by vehicles and many that have had accidents that seriously altered their quality of life. Traffic terrifies me especially with my kids. Lime, it's bad guys. Bad. My brother was killed in a firey explosion driving a tanker truck. My grandma was hit by a car crossing a street. My 3 year old cousin was killed by getting hit by a car. My uncle was in a vehicle accident that left him in a child like state. I have another cousin that was hit by a car as a small child and she has developmental issues because of it. Countless others. So...I don't overly worry about my health, but I don't blame those who do. If my whole family were diabetics for. example, I'd be careful about my sugar consumption for sure. I just need to keep my ass at home and off the roads.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's disease.  As we learn more about the disease and prevention, I definitely consider and make lifestyle changes where appropriate.  

[Violet Crown]

My experience is different. Taking seconds was normal; bowls were on the table, everybody served themselves until they were full or the food gone.  "Seconds" was not really a concept.

In Germany, we have a designated mid-afternoon meal that traditionally is something sweet: pastry, cake, or a roll with jam. That is a meal for which you often invite company, so sitting for an hour with coffee and cake chatting was traditional. You'd consider this a "snack", because it is between lunch and dinner. My grandmothers loved their candy, and they always had something to nibble on while watching TV in the evening.

But yes, serving sizes were smaller, there were NO processed foods, everything from scratch, fast food did not exist, and people just moved a lot more. 

 

What I'm seeing in common from these experiences from different cultures and continents is eating as a culturally embedded set of practices, similar not necessarily in their forms and rules but in their relation to human lives. A forensic approach to food is alien to both sets of experiences. My great-grandparents would have been bewildered by the technical nutritional explanations for modern "fasting"; they fasted because it was a fast day. My grandparents didn't refrain from snacking because it was extra calories -- they certainly enjoyed Happy Hour -- and I doubt they would have considered the mid-afternoon meal you describe as "snacking," because like their own afternoon drinks, it was an established adult practice, with cultural rules.

[Garga]

Yes, I do. I am very afraid of Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease and Diabetes because of the effect those diseases have had on family memebrs.

I keep bumping into articles that talk about how lack of sleep is tightly linked to developing Alzheimers. There is Alzheimers in my family and also in my DH’s family. I am currently working on the two of us getting lots of sleep.

 

Google alzheimer and sleep if you want to read some articles for yourself. There have been a lot lately. A sleep doctor recently published a book about it, so that’s probably why I’m seeing an upsurge in articles about it.

[Garga]

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's disease.  As we learn more about the disease and prevention, I definitely consider and make lifestyle changes where appropriate.

 

I meant to quote you, too, for the post I wrote above this one about sleep and alzheimers.

[SanDiegoMom]

I am in the middle of trying to alleviate high blood pressure through dietary and lifestyle changes.  But with my family history (mother, grandmother, both uncles and my sister) all on medication I doubt I will have much luck. However now that I have already made these changes I feel so much better, and I doubt I will go back to my normal eating habits. I am prioritizing exercise more, cut out caffeine for the most part, and we have cut out going out to restaurants due to high sodium content in everything. I knew all these changes were good for me, but having a bigger reason than just "I should do better" seems more motivating. 

 

Now if only the blood pressure monitor would agree. :)

[Liz CA]

I consider familial history as much as I have access (some limitations here) and draw some conclusions. I have switched to naturopathic care in late 2007 after having been ill and she is a rather thorough doctor who checks for all kinds of things allopathic physicians have never mentioned to me.

I try to stay educated on supps and current research but cannot always keep up with every facet of it. I try to "listen" to my body and avoid foods that leave me feeling sluggish and tired instead of energized.

I try to work out in various ways I can with a congenital back issue (not super serious but occasionally rather annoying and painful).

In summary, I'd say I take the info I have at the moment and my physician's knowledge and recommendations and choose the best path but I am aware that there are no guarantees.

[Bluegoat]

For me it depends I think.

 

I have some type II diabetes in the family, but it's related to a really rather bad, and entirely immoderate, diet.  I'd not eat that way in any case.

 

We mostly die of cancer - all my grandparents did, but I don't actually think there is any real evidence food changes that much.  Or much else - smoking or certain chemical exposures being the exception.  I'd certainly avoid those.

 

I seem to have a tendency to arthritis and I exercise to help with that, though that's only become an issue fairly recently.

 

I think the other side though for me is - it doesn't matter what I avoid eating, I am going to die.  Very likely of cancer.  Sooo - I'd rather not die very young, but  apart from that I'm probably not going to avoid something I really enjoy for very questionable results.  

[LucyStoner]

Creekland, I'm confused why someone who has changed their diet for genetic reasons would drink a soda per day while trying to avoid diabetes. That seems like a major disconnect. Isn't soda known to cause or trigger type 2 diabetes? Or am I wrong? I'm asking sincerely because I love soda, but I avoid it even without diabetes in my family.

 

 

All people rationalize things.

[J-rap]

I keep bumping into articles that talk about how lack of sleep is tightly linked to developing Alzheimers. There is Alzheimers in my family and also in my DH’s family. I am currently working on the two of us getting lots of sleep.

 

Google alzheimer and sleep if you want to read some articles for yourself. There have been a lot lately. A sleep doctor recently published a book about it, so that’s probably why I’m seeing an upsurge in articles about it.

 

I believe this.  My mother has been an insomniac for years, and has now developed dementia which up til now never seemed to run in her family.  But several doctors have told us about this link.

[MBM]

I am in the middle of trying to alleviate high blood pressure through dietary and lifestyle changes. But with my family history (mother, grandmother, both uncles and my sister) all on medication I doubt I will have much luck. However now that I have already made these changes I feel so much better, and I doubt I will go back to my normal eating habits. I am prioritizing exercise more, cut out caffeine for the most part, and we have cut out going out to restaurants due to high sodium content in everything. I knew all these changes were good for me, but having a bigger reason than just "I should do better" seems more motivating.

 

Now if only the blood pressure monitor would agree. :)

Beet root powder helps some with high blood pressure. 9 grams per day. Activz is a good brand. Takes a few weeks to see changes.

[SanDiegoMom]

Beet root powder helps some with high blood pressure. 9 grams per day. Activz is a good brand. Takes a few weeks to see changes.

 

 

Thanks! I will look for some! 

[Sandwalker]

Beet root powder helps some with high blood pressure. 9 grams per day. Activz is a good brand. Takes a few weeks to see changes.

Yes and so does tumeric.