Children with Type II Diabetes?
Diabetes is on the rise, especially in children and adolescents.
How can this be?
Diabetes is a complicated medical issue but stems from one common thread: carbohydrate intolerance or insulin resistance.
It could have started in the womb when a Mother consumed more carb than her body could handle during pregnancy or when the beta-cells of her pancreas were challenged due to her genetics. Towards the end of her pregnancy this becomes complicated since the placenta blocks the action of insulin, which makes the baby’s pancreas work too hard before it?s born, setting the metabolic tone for life.
It could also be genetics where one or more parents have insulin resistance, or it could be a combination of DNA and feeding.
Finally, it could be our food supply, which is more than prevalent in starchy, processed carbs combined with little to no activity.
So what can be done?
Although moving more is helpful, it will not treat the root cause. Increasing protein and good fats, and limiting starchy processed carbs, sugars along with limits of healthy carbs will calm insulin resistance.
Appetite and cravings will calm down, and fatigue will improve.
This process is not easy, especially given our food supply, school lunches and the amount of carbs at parties, but it can be accomplished with perseverance.
Future generations are depending on our help, and now is the time to be responsible for setting the example for our youth. Their smaller bodies cannot handle parties each week with pizza, sodas, cake and candies, which used to be a rarity in decades past.
Even a small shift in the balance of higher protein and lower carbohydrate can decrease insulin resistance and lower the chances of type II diabetes in adulthood.
Although we may think we are treating our children to what they like to eat, in actuality the treat is sparing them health consequences for the future.
August 3, 2015 @ 10:28 am
Thank you