Self-deception is high in most of us. We refuse to look too hard at our actions. I know many men who optimistically think they will reach an old age like the man you wrote about, but take zero steps to make it happen. Instead, they drink plenty of beer and eat plenty of fried food, while sitting around every evening for hours watching Netflix. I'm afraid most of them won't change their ways without a big scare.
Yes, it often does take a big scare, but even that doesn't completely get rid of the self-deception. I saw my newly diabetes diagnosed friend today, and he assured me he's given up all cakes and biscuits and now trying to retrain his taste buds. I asked him what he has for breakfast. Toast and jam, was his reply :(
I sympathise with you, Joan. I have a friend in exactly the same situation. Her only beloved son smokes and nothing she says about the risks gets through to him. She's resigned herself to trying not to worry about it, but I know it's hard for her, and it must be for you, too. My mother was a longtime smoker. She started at 14 but gave up at 60 when she had a really bad dose of flu, I mean really bad. She went on to live another 25 years as a non-smoker, having learned that her smoking habit had made this flu worse.
I have a very dear friend who is slowly killing herself through lack of exercise and incorrect eating. When I say lack of exercise, it is really lack of movement - long sedentary days, only getting up off the chair to go to the loo or too bed, or the occasional shopping trip by car. That effort exhausts her totally, requiring a stop at a coffee shop for coffee and cake despite her diabetic status which is controlled by medication.
In my early 60’s, vital stats yesterday -134/82 @ 215.8 lbs, your article shares great info on activities, diet, and outlook. More nuts, legumes, and mobility/basic core workouts. Yet, pre-diabetic and need more knowledge towards reversing VLDL and muscle/sugar release prevention and maintaining balance with Dex4 and sweets during use for staving off sugar levels dropping. Love your ideas…
Hi Willie. I have to say from the outset that I'm no expert on diabetes. Having reached the age of 78 with no medications other than eye drops for an inherited eye disease, which I've had for five years now, good health continues to be my priority. I was diagnosed with prediabetes during the first pandemic lockdown and was determined to reverse it. Which I did, through reading up on it and no longer eating the biscuits I'd begun to devour on a daily basis. Also, increased my activity levels, and it worked. I wrote a book about how I aged healthily and included my diet and exercise regime. I go into the glycemic index in it, which is a good indicator of which foods are good for health. It's not easy to reverse the diagnosis for everyone. I'd been health-conscious for years so started in a relatively good place. I'm happy that you like my ideas. I've written other posts on diet and exercise. Here's one on diet you might like: https://patriciacusack.substack.com/p/eat-well-to-be-well-e65. There are doctors and diet experts here on Substack who can help you with the diabetes. My ideas about health are simple, eat unprocessed nutritious food in smaller portions, keep your weight down to what it should be for your height, and exercise regularly. Will power and positive thinking have much to do with it, too.
Self-deception is high in most of us. We refuse to look too hard at our actions. I know many men who optimistically think they will reach an old age like the man you wrote about, but take zero steps to make it happen. Instead, they drink plenty of beer and eat plenty of fried food, while sitting around every evening for hours watching Netflix. I'm afraid most of them won't change their ways without a big scare.
Yes, it often does take a big scare, but even that doesn't completely get rid of the self-deception. I saw my newly diabetes diagnosed friend today, and he assured me he's given up all cakes and biscuits and now trying to retrain his taste buds. I asked him what he has for breakfast. Toast and jam, was his reply :(
One of my beloved sons possesses a high level of self deception regarding his smoking habit. He is killing himself but refuses to think about it.
I sympathise with you, Joan. I have a friend in exactly the same situation. Her only beloved son smokes and nothing she says about the risks gets through to him. She's resigned herself to trying not to worry about it, but I know it's hard for her, and it must be for you, too. My mother was a longtime smoker. She started at 14 but gave up at 60 when she had a really bad dose of flu, I mean really bad. She went on to live another 25 years as a non-smoker, having learned that her smoking habit had made this flu worse.
I have a very dear friend who is slowly killing herself through lack of exercise and incorrect eating. When I say lack of exercise, it is really lack of movement - long sedentary days, only getting up off the chair to go to the loo or too bed, or the occasional shopping trip by car. That effort exhausts her totally, requiring a stop at a coffee shop for coffee and cake despite her diabetic status which is controlled by medication.
In my early 60’s, vital stats yesterday -134/82 @ 215.8 lbs, your article shares great info on activities, diet, and outlook. More nuts, legumes, and mobility/basic core workouts. Yet, pre-diabetic and need more knowledge towards reversing VLDL and muscle/sugar release prevention and maintaining balance with Dex4 and sweets during use for staving off sugar levels dropping. Love your ideas…
Hi Willie. I have to say from the outset that I'm no expert on diabetes. Having reached the age of 78 with no medications other than eye drops for an inherited eye disease, which I've had for five years now, good health continues to be my priority. I was diagnosed with prediabetes during the first pandemic lockdown and was determined to reverse it. Which I did, through reading up on it and no longer eating the biscuits I'd begun to devour on a daily basis. Also, increased my activity levels, and it worked. I wrote a book about how I aged healthily and included my diet and exercise regime. I go into the glycemic index in it, which is a good indicator of which foods are good for health. It's not easy to reverse the diagnosis for everyone. I'd been health-conscious for years so started in a relatively good place. I'm happy that you like my ideas. I've written other posts on diet and exercise. Here's one on diet you might like: https://patriciacusack.substack.com/p/eat-well-to-be-well-e65. There are doctors and diet experts here on Substack who can help you with the diabetes. My ideas about health are simple, eat unprocessed nutritious food in smaller portions, keep your weight down to what it should be for your height, and exercise regularly. Will power and positive thinking have much to do with it, too.
Thank you so much, have a great day