Prediabetes: All You Need to Know.

The word 'diabetes' is intimidating. It is often perceived to be associated with needles, injections, medications, inability to ‘eat sugar ever’ and wasted limbs. But when it comes to prediabetes, you can PREVENT it by making simple and effective changes in your diet and lifestyle.

But before we discuss the changes, let's try to understand the difference between diabetes and prediabetes.

Understanding Diabetes and Prediabetes

Having diabetes means that your blood glucose level is too high and that your body's cells aren't using it as an energy source as they should. The pancreas produces insulin to get glucose into the cells, but sometimes the body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use insulin effectively.

Over time, too much glucose in the blood can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke, nerve damage, kidney disease, and vision problems.

Diabetes can be classified into two major types: type 1, in which the body does not produce enough insulin, and type 2, in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not use it properly. During pregnancy, some women develop gestational diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes often begins with prediabetes.

Prediabetes is one of the most common health concerns in the world today. This condition, where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, is more prevalent than many think. It often goes undetected for years.

If you have prediabetes, there are several steps to help prevent its progression to type 2 diabetes.

Risk Factors for Prediabetes

• Diet and physical inactivity: The more inactive a person is, the more likely they are to be overweight, which increases their vulnerability to type 2 diabetes.

• Genetics: Family history

• Race: Diabetes is more prevalent in African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics.

How You Can Prevent Prediabetes

• Healthy diet and weight loss: Losing 5%-10% of body weight can make a huge difference. Increasing the consumption of non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, onions, and peppers, eating quality lean protein and reducing carbohydrate intake might also help.

• Physical activity that you enjoy, like walking or dancing: Aim to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Depending on your schedule, you could start with shorter duration of exercise and work up to a half-hour gradually. Consult your doctor before doing more.

• Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

• Reducing screentime.

Making these changes and then sticking with them can be difficult, so it is very important to work with your doctor to develop a plan that you can maintain. By making the right changes, type 2 diabetes might be avoided and prediabetes reversed.

KAP Pediatric Endocrinology specializes in a direct patient care model that minimizes waiting times, maximizes patient comfort, and keeps costs low with no insurance involved.

If you are looking for personalized care for prediabetes, then visit kapendocrine.com, one of the best prediabetes treatment centers in Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood. Enroll today to become a member of our practice.