Would you believe that in 2022 that 23.0% of adults in the United States had no idea that they had diabetes? In fact, the number keeps growing according to Diabetes Research Org. Yet, becoming another statistic does not necessarily have to be in your future. This is why it is to your advantages to pay more attention to how predisposed you are to prediabetes as a preventive before type 2 diabetes has a chance to set in.
You may think that there are signs that you can spot before full fledged type diabetes emerges in your body. However, noticing symptoms of this problem is hard to pinpoint. You may be extremely thirsty all the time and urinating a lot more that can’t be justified by the amount of liquid that you drink. Something else that may signal this problem is occasional blurry vision from swelling within the eye caused from high blood sugar. If you’re also noticing that you’re hungrier or more tired than usual, these two can be a clue that something is off with your blood sugar. Furthermore, you may discover a patch of darkened skin in places such as your neck, armpits or groin, but the best proof of prediabetes is having your doctor write an order for a fasting plasma glucose test to measure blood sugar levels or a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, which averages your blood sugar from the past two to three months. Screening is recommended by the American Diabetes Association for most people starting around age 35. Yet, if you are on the heavy side, you should start testing earlier.
The best way to lower your chances of developing prediabetes is losing excess weight. Believe it or not, losing just 5 percent of your body weight can greatly reduce your odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
You also might want to change some of your dietary habits by eating fewer processed foods that are full of sugar, salt, fat from unhealthy oils, and preservatives. Instead, it is a wiser idea to concentrate more on gaining the most nutrition by following a diet low in fat, but high in fiber that can help control blood sugar spikes and weight. Basically, you should strive for adding more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil to your diet.
What else that helps to prevent it is trying to become more physically active. The reason this can make a big difference is that your body is burning up the excess sugar in your system more as fuel for better use of that insulin. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise.
Smoking may be a passion, but it doesn’t allow the insulin to be used to your benefit. Giving up that expensive habit can improve the way the insulin functions in your body.
This information is not intended to diagnose a medical problem because only your physician can do that. It is meant to give you some insight into prediabetes and suggestions on what may reverse it before type 2 diabetes has a chance to become reality.
