So what is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a blessing in disguise. It warns you about your risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes. It is a condition where your blood sugar is higher than normal. However, not high enough for you to be considered diabetic.
Prediabetes range is diagnosed when:
- Hemoglobin A1C is 5.7-6.4 percent
- Fasting blood glucose is 100 -125 mg/dl
- Oral glucose tolerance (post 2 hours) – 140 mg/dl-199 mg/dl
Also, Read At What Blood Sugar Level Should One Start Medication?
What Everyone Needs to Know About Prediabetes???
Watch the below 2 videos to know in detail
Insulin consumption.
How Should Insulin Be Actually Used?
When your body uses insulin properly, it works like this:
What Happens If Your Body is Insulin Resistant
If your body is insulin resistant, this is what happens:
Over time, high blood sugar levels damage your cells and lead to nerve damage, blood vessel and organ damage, cardiovascular disease and more.
Get to Know How lack of Sleep is related to Insulin Resistance
Who is at risk of developing prediabetes?
There is no one particular reason for developing prediabetes. Several reasons contribute actively and passively for a person to develop prediabetes which would eventually turn into diabetes.
- Overweight and obese adults (a BMI >25 kg/m2).[Know How Weight Loss can Reverse TYPE 2 Diabetes?]
- People with a family history of diabetes.
- A person who is extremely physically inactive
- Experiencing elevated blood pressure
- Have previously been identified as having IFG (impaired fasting glucose).
- Have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a child weighing more than 4 kilograms
- Hold a history of vascular disease. [Know How To Prevent Heart Disease In Diabetics]
- Have an HDL cholesterol level of 35 mg/dl or lower and/or triglyceride level of 250 mg/dl or higher
- Have polycystic ovary syndrome.
- A lifestyle filled with alcohol and junk food and smoking. [Lifestyle for a diabetic free Living]
What are the Prediabetes Symptoms?
Prediabetes has no clear symptoms. Some people may experience conditions that are associated with insulin resistance, such as
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Acanthosis Nigricans – development of dark, thick, and often velvety patches of skin in elbows, knees, neck, armpits, and knuckles.
What is the Best Prediabetes Treatment?
The simplest and most reliable and irreplaceable answer is – Lifestyle changes. Changing your lifestyle in all ways possible is the best prediabetes treatment.
- Your Body Weight: Lose 5-7 Percent of it
- Move More: Extensive physical activity
- Eat More Vegetables: Go Green Should be your mantra.
- Know Your Carbs: Count your calories.
- Yoga and Meditation: Heal your body and mind
Your Body Weight – Lose 5-7 Percent of it
When you have a lot of weight to lose it’s scary to think of the work involved. Setting a goal of 5-7 percent makes it seem more manageable.
Weight loss will help reduce inflammation, which is a symptom of insulin resistance. It will also reduce the bad cholesterol in your body improving your overall health. It will make you more active and improve your mood.
Move More – Extensive physical activity
Exercise is a big part of reversing Prediabetes. It plays a major role in promoting insulin usage in the body. It dissolves all the bad cholesterol making the body more fit. It lifts up your mood and improves your spirit.
Exercising regularly not only cures prediabetics but also prevents other cardiovascular diseases. It will stop you from becoming lethargic and always keep your spirit positive.
Eat More Vegetables – Go Green Should be your mantra.
When planning your prediabetes diet plan, start with vegetables and don’t stop till they are half the room on your plate. Vegetables have lots of fibers to help manage the levels of glucose in your system. Plus, they’re high in vitamins and minerals that help your body work better. They play an active part in ensuring your blood sugar levels don’t take unnecessary spikes.
Also, Read How You Can Make Your Healthy Food Choices and Eating Plan
Know Your Carbs – Count your calories.
All carbohydrates break down to glucose in your blood. They are one of the major causes of uneven blood glucose levels. Always keep a check on the kind of carbohydrates you consume.
There are three main types of carbohydrates:
- Simple carbohydrates: Fast-acting carbohydrates that cause an immediate rise in blood sugar. These are found in foods like fruits, juices, maple syrups, milk, yogurt, and honey. They need to be avoided as much as possible.
- Refined carbohydrates: These are also fast-acting carbohydrates. These are plant-based, processed foods that have had the whole grain removed during processing.
- Complex carbohydrates: These carbs take longer for our bodies to break down and are absorbed into the system more slowly. This helps keep blood sugar stable. Examples of complex carbs include most vegetables, whole grains (unprocessed!) and beans.
Also Know How to treat diabetes naturally with food!!
Yoga and Meditation- Heal your body and mind
Apart from medical advice meditation and yoga can be very beneficial for you. If you are insulin resistant, it is better if you try and add yoga to your daily routine. Yoga along with meditation helps bring down the level of stress in your body.
Additionally, yoga is the best way to add flexibility to your body which improves blood circulation through the body and increases your metabolism. Better metabolism equals more fat burned which in turn leads to a reduction in body weight. This helps in majorly reducing the risks of developing diabetes.
Is a prediabetic Curable?
Diligent attention to food choices, activity, and most importantly weight loss can improve blood sugar numbers. It Effectively helps in “reversing” the disorder and reducing the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes Can Be Reversed. Yes, you can stop diabetes before it begins…
Conclusion:
Diabetes should never be considered as a disease. It is a lifestyle disorder. Prediabetes should be considered as a blessing in disguise. Prediabetes is a stage your body is alerting you to the risks of developing diabetes.
Instead of feeling scared and dejected you can follow the above tips to bring back your blood sugar levels to normalcy. By protecting yourself against diabetes, you are avoiding various other cardiovascular diseases as well.
Take all the care and necessary actions necessary to protect yourself from prediabetes and eventually diabetes for a healthy and happy life.
