Last week, we put the call out to send us questions about diabetes.
We got them, and then went to an expert to find answers.
We start with Curt, who asked “What’s the best way to lose a big belly for a man with type two diabetes?”
Registered Dietician Patti Hennrick says:
“We all need to look at our whole nutritional intake. We need to look at our exercise and activity patterns. And we find that when we get a calorie deficit and we eat whole good foods that provide good nutrition in a moderate way. And move; burn some calories. We will lose weight, but we can’t target. Our belly will go down as everything else does.”
John wanted to know, “Does eating fat cause you to be fat?
Hennrick:
“Fat is the highest calorie source in our daily diet, and so sometimes people think fat makes us fat. Extra calories from any foods is really what makes us fat. If we eat more calories than we burn, we store any nutrient as body fat. So there is a differentiation between the two types of fats: beef and pork fats are animal fats, they’re higher in saturated fat. Now we’re really promoting the Mediterranean plan, which uses some of the healthier fats like avocado and olive oil.”
Laura asked, “What are ways to overcome food addiction?”
Hennrick says:
“I have worked with people with food addictions, but it’s part of a team, so, we really need to recognize that it’s psychological and an emotional issue and not just about the food, so, we would really encourage a person with suspected food addiction to talk to their physician and possibly get a referral for some behavioral health counseling.”
Elizabeth asked about popular supplements with big promises, ” Does Garcinia Cambogia work?”
Hennrick says:
“Garcinia Cambogia is an herb. I think my main message is about herbs and alternate products are that in some situations they can act as medicines in our body. Depending on the dosage and what else a person is taking from a prescription standpoint, we really need to be aware that they can act to either counteract or enhance the medication effect of things that are prescribed.”
Julie asked, “Is type 1 diabetes genetic and does it skip generations?”
Hennrick says:
“Type one diabetes is a different type of diabetes than type two. Type two has a very big hereditary component and type one does have a thread through the generations. I don’t know if it necessarily skips generations, but there is some research that says if a person has a mother or father with it, they might have a 10 percent more propensity of developing type one diabetes.
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