Simple lifestyle changes can ward off diabetes diagnosis

It’s the first day of November which means it’s the kick-off to National Diabetes Month. Most of you are probably aware of Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes, but there is also a relatively new diagnosis called prediabetes.

I have often been told by people that they have prediabetes, but they aren’t exactly sure what it means and what they should do.

Prediabetes is when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetics.

People with prediabetes are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and may have some problems from diabetes already.

Tests that used to make the diagnosis of prediabetes are: fasting plasma glucose test (FPG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), or an A1C test.

FPG

• Requires a person to fast overnight. The blood glucose is measured first thing in the morning before eating.• Normal FPG is below 100 mg/dl. A person with prediabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. If the blood glucose level rises to 126 mg/dl or above, a person has diabetes.

OGTT

• Also requires a person to fast overnight. The person’s blood glucose is checked after fasting and again two hours after drinking a glucose-rich drink.

• Normal blood glucose is below 140 mg/dl two hours after the drink. In prediabetes, the two-hour blood glucose is 140 to 199 mg/dl. If the two-hour blood glucose rises to 200 mg/dl or above, a person has diabetes.

A1C

• A blood test that gives the average amount of glucose in the blood over the past three to four months.

• An A1C 5.6% or below is normal. In prediabetes, A1C levels range between 5.7% and 6.4%. If the A1C is 6.5% or above, a person has diabetes.

—

Some people have no signs or symptoms of prediabetes.

Others report the following signs and symptoms that are similar to those of people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes:

Increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, sores that heal slowly, frequent infections or dark patches of skin around the neck, on the elbows, on the knees, on the knuckles, or in the armpits.

According to www.diabetes.org, the good news is that the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study conclusively showed that people with prediabetes can prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity.

They may even be able to return their blood glucose levels to the normal range.

While the DPP also showed that some medications may delay the development of diabetes, diet and exercise worked better.

Just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, coupled with about a 7% reduction in body weight, produced a 58% reduction in diabetes. Cool!

Changes you can make to your lifestyle are:

• Be careful of your diet. When I say be careful, I do NOT mean completely eliminate foods from your diet.

Try adding more whole grains (whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) in place of processed foods.

Include more fruits and vegetables (with limited cream/ cheesy sauces) to your daily intake.

Fiber from whole grains, fruits and veggies help improve blood glucose levels.

Include at least three servings of low fat dairy. Consume leaner meats and use legumes as protein sources.

Consume LIMITED concentrated sweets. If you try to eliminate them completely, you’ll crave them and consume a crazy amount of them.

Eating for diabetes, any type, is to consume a general healthful diet. People with prediabetes have a high risk for developing diabetes, so it is important to watch your diet.

People with prediabetes can prevent or delay development of Type 2 diabetes by up to 58% by changing their lifestyle.

• Modest weight loss and regular exercise are very important for people with prediabetes.

Only 5% to10% weight loss is necessary in many cases to prevent diabetes.

It is recommended that people with prediabetes (or even people without prediabetes) exercise for at least 150 minutes/week.

More information on the Diabetes Prevention Program can be found on the internet.

Diabetes can be a very scary prospect. Frankly, all chronic diseases can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining.

But, you can do something about this one—do not let your diabetes define you.

Take care of yourself by following a healthy eating pattern, stay active and educate yourself as much as possible.

You can do it!