While reading the work of the students in my class... “Diet Therapy for Health Professional’s”, it reminded me that perhaps everyone could benefit from doing this assignment. How much do you know about your predisposition to chronic disease?

A part of the class is set up to assist nursing, physical therapy and pharmacy students in better understanding their own personal health habits. It’s designed to help students recognize and hopefully improve their health options. They are asked to identify their predisposition to chronic disease, and analyze food and physical activity behavior.  If they are able to shed light on their personal path, they may be able to avoid or stave off disease later in life, as well as be good counselors for their future patients.  

In 2007 the acting surgeon general declared Thanksgiving the national family history day. Whenever family is gathered the surgeon general suggests we Americans talk about and write down the health issues that run in our families.

  “Health care professionals have known for a long time that common diseases - heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - and even rare diseases - like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia - can run in families. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not unusual for the next generation to have similarly high blood pressure. Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents, and other blood relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy.“

This semester the students used Labor Day weekend to interview family members. I’m recommending you take the advice of the surgeon general. Over Thanksgiving talk about illnesses that may run in your family with your loved ones. The Surgeon General has also given us a screening tool to make it easy.  It’s the same one I have my students use. The site is below…it’s a computerized tool that helps you to create a portrait of your family’s health.

https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/

HAVE FUN!

I invite you to try the assignment on for yourself. Create a family health portrait…to determine your risk for chronic disease.  Secondly, you can analyze your food by using the site below to create a dietary analysis. Keep a record of your food intake for one day. Include all foods and beverages with calories and be sure to record the amount eaten.  Use the following web site http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/  click on Assess Your Food Intake , to get started.

The dietary assessment above provides an evaluation by comparing your food intake to current nutrition guidelines for calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates and most vitamins and minerals. It is fun and easy, and both sites are FREE!

Putting these two pieces of information together helps you see how dietary habits and physical inactivity may predispose you to the ailments that have familial patterns. When I did this assignment 15 years ago….it changed my life. I thought I ate healthy, afterall I was a vegetarian..…only to discover that my sodium intake was very high and my fiber was low. My family’s chronic disease health portrait was grim. I found that hypertension, diabetes and cancer (colon) were widespread.

It was my wakeup call and gave me the motivation to clean up my act!

Maybe it can help you too!

LeGreta