Prediabetes, formerly known as Borderline Diabetes, is a condition where your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. However, people with prediabetes are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes within 10 years, since the damage has already begun. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you have blood glucose levels that are high enough to indicate that you are already experiencing some of the negative health effects of diabetes, and you also have an increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 57 million people in the U.S. have prediabetes. The good news for prediabetics is that there is still time to change your eating habits and lifestyle to delay or avoid developing full-blown type 2 diabetes. By bringing your weight to within the normal range, eating nutritiously, and exercising, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by 60 to 70 percent.
Here is what you need to keep in mind if you’ve been diagnosed as having prediabetes:
Exercise Regularly Make sure that you have a regular exercise routine that involves some physical activity every day. If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, start of slowly by taking a 30-minute walk every day for a couple weeks; if that seems too much at first, try 10- or 15-minute walks and build up to half an hour. You can then progress to more moderate exercise such as swimming, cycling, or aerobics. Even yard work or walking your dog can go a long way towards improving your health. By converting your blood glucose into energy, exercising will help keep your blood sugar levels where they need to be.
Eat Meals At Regular Intervals Try to develop an eating schedule where you eat at the same times every day. This will help to keep your blood sugar levels even. To prevent a sugar rush, try having five smaller meals per day instead of three large meals.
Choose Carbs Wisely Carbohydrates are what primarily drive blood sugar levels up or down, but they vary widely in their nutritional content. Processed carbs, including white rice, white potatoes, white bread and cookies are digested very fast and can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket. The better option is to consume complex carbs from whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which are digested very slowly and keep blood sugar levels more stable. Try to get 40 percent of your calories from complex carbs.
Minimize Your Fat Intake Eat fewer fatty meats and full-fat dairy products and desserts. Stay away from anything that contains trans-fats, such as packaged foods, baked goods and chips. Try to make sure that less than 30 percent of your calories are from fat, and that less than 10 percent are from saturated.
Cook At Home If you enjoy eating out, try to get into the habit of cooking your own meals at home. That way, you will have complete control over the ingredients you use. Make sure your meals low in fat and calories, and load up on the vegetables. Choose cooking methods that don’t add too much fat, like baking, grilling and roasting.
Lose Weight If you are overweight or obese, your prediabetes is more likely to turn into diabetes. To reduce your risk of diabetes, make sure your weight is within the normal range for your height. You don’t have to go crazy here - just losing 5% to 10% of excess body weight can help. Ask your doctor what your healthy weight should be.
Choose High-Fiber Foods Fiber slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, which creates a more even increase in blood sugar levels. Good sources of fiber include lentils, vegetables, whole fruits, beans, oats, cereal and whole-grain breads.
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