| If one or both of your parents have diabetes, | | | | car and helped me up. This was so very scary for |
| chances are you will not escape the genetic | | | | me, because I thought what if I was driving? I |
| consequences. But here is what you can do. You can | | | | remember the feelings I had just before I fainted, |
| be proactive and never have to take an insulin | | | | and I thought this is more than a drink. This is bigger; |
| medication or stick yourself up to 2 times a day just | | | | this must be my double genetic link to diabetes |
| to maintain normal blood sugar. | | | | nudge. This must be the onset of hypoglycemia. If |
| Even if you argue that it has not been proven that | | | | both my parent did not have diabetes, I probably |
| there is such a thing as a genetic link, don't throw | | | | would not have made this association. |
| caution to the wind. | | | | I was determined not to succumb to diabetes so I |
| If you have a family history though, you owe it to | | | | decided to nip this in the bud. I decided to do a |
| yourself to know the symptoms of pre-diabetes | | | | major overhaul of my diet. Knowing my history with |
| otherwise know as hypoglycemia. Unlike diabetes the | | | | one parent dying in a diabetic coma, I was totally |
| symptoms of prediabetes or hypoglycemia is low | | | | motivated. No turning back and definitely no diagnosis |
| blood sugar. This happens when there is an over | | | | of diabetes. |
| secretion of insulin by your pancreas in an effort to | | | | This first thing I resolved was to remove sweet |
| get the sugar, glucose from your blood stream into | | | | alcoholic drinks from my diet. I removed all packaged |
| your body cells. This causes you to have symptom | | | | food drinks from my diet in an effort to lower my |
| that you might not associate with diabetes. | | | | consumption of sugar, artificial colors, preservatives |
| Some of the symptoms are fatigue, irritability, | | | | and high fructose corn syrup. I mixed my juice with |
| dizziness, depression, and anxiety, craving for | | | | water or drink half the serving size on the label. |
| sweets, night sweats, a feeling of tightness in the | | | | That was a great start. That was 15 years ago. |
| chest, constant need to nibble, insomnia, | | | | During this time I have fine tuned my diet based on |
| lightheadedness, swollen feet, and weakness in the | | | | the glycemic index so that I never have any |
| legs. Some of these feelings occur in between meals | | | | symptoms of hypoglycemia or diabetes. My diet has |
| that are high in sweets and fat or after drinking | | | | such a variety of foods; I do not get bored with it. |
| sweet alcoholic drinks. If these symptoms are over | | | | Most of what I eat is found in my book Eat Yourself |
| looked after a while you might be faced with a | | | | Younger Effortlessly. I hesitate to call it a diabetic |
| diagnosis of diabetes. | | | | book because it brings so much contentment, it is |
| Genetic diabetic links are strongly influenced by | | | | much more. I have my thyroid function checked since |
| lifestyle. If you have adjusted your palate to a | | | | reduced thyroid function is associated with |
| modern way of eating with highly processed fatty | | | | hypoglycemia. |
| foods, gigantic soft drinks, large serving sizes at | | | | I go to the gym 3 times per week and concentrate |
| meals and snacks, you might want to note these | | | | on preserving my muscle. I do yoga to increase my |
| symptoms. | | | | oxygen, retain muscle strength and balance and to |
| Being aware of lightheadedness and a feeling of | | | | quiet my mind. |
| tightness in my chest after eating a Greek salad and | | | | This is a small price to pay for tip top health free of |
| a Margarita helped me to nip diabetes in the bud. First | | | | diabetic symptoms. So far my genetic link is inactive. |
| I got the feeling of tightness in the chest. Then I got | | | | Over the years my blood sugar remained normal and |
| light headed. I got so light headed I passed out. I had | | | | I have never been diagnosed as diabetic or taken |
| stopped to fill my car up and fainted at the pump. | | | | any prescription drugs for hypoglycemia or diabetes. |
| The person behind me waiting to fill up got out of his | | | | |