Inherited Risk?

[larsson]

Hey Dilinger,

Restricted, up to a point, but not low by yours or my standards!
I try to make sure they eat enough fat and protein in the hope that they have less desire for the empty carbs. That said, my wife gives me a hard time about the dangers of me imprinting 'food issues' upon them. I prefer to think in terms of teaching them better long term habits without overt indoctrination.
So, for example, they often have a pizza on a Saturday night, but not during the week. They occasionally have pasta, but not as the main component of a meal. They do eat biscuits and cakes, but we try to be careful in rationing them. Not easy though. They are all quite lean, fairly active, and at least have an understanding that a 'healthy balanced diet' isn't what many people believe it to be. Beyond that, it's more and more up to them to make choices for themselves as they grow older.
How about you and yours?

larsson

[Dillinger]

Well it is a difficult one; my son is only 11 months old so he has a pretty normal 'healthy' diet plus formula still.

I'm not letting him have any refined sugars at all, but he has carbs at most meals I'd say. I'm looking more carefully at how much of the carbs in things like the porridge he eats turns to sugar, but I don't think I'd be able to (as my wife would strongly object) or would want to put him on a me shaped diet.

I can't help but note that formula has about 1/4 of the fat that breast milk does which seems a shame.

As he eats more of the food that we eat I suppose his carb consumption will come down but I'm not overly stressed about it just as long as our house continues to be a biscuit,Sunny Delight, cake free zone...

Dillinger

[larsson]

Yeah, it's pretty difficult to find the right balance between a diet that offers the best nutritional balance and simultaneously doesn't restrict the kids freedom of choice. We can only do our best I suppose. I'm very much in admiration of people like Mitch who seem to have been able to modify their family diet to eliminate the crappy foods almost completely.
That said, if the T2 gene is strong, the dangers inherent in high carb diets can manifest themselves pretty clearly if you know what to look for. With T1's like us those warning signs may not appear at all until the tiping point when things may change very suddenly and dramatically.
My eldest is almost at the age I was when diagnosed and does have the sweet tooth I had. He knows my concerns but if I push it too hard, well, counterproductive is the word that comes to mind.

Best,

larsson