Did you know being diagnosed with prediabetes is good news? Well, at least if you consider yourself the type of person who sees a glass as half full. While prediabetes tends to catch many people off guard, it is in reality, a warning of what is to come if no action is taken to be tested regularly to be sure you have your levels back in check. And by realizing a prediabetes diagnosis has this silver lining, you can act to prevent the problems that go hand-in-hand with a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Your blood sugar levels are not quite high enough to give you a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, but it means you are on your way unless you intervene now. When it comes to dealing with a prediabetes diagnosis, this is the time to deal with your rising insulin levels which may be very high, although your fasting blood sugar may be only mildly elevated.
How are you dealing with this, or how would you act if it happened to you? Take a brief moment to reflect.
Being diagnosed with full-blown Type 2 diabetes is not the end of the world. Even though it is a harmful and deadly disease, there is much you can do to stop insulin resistance and the ensuing high blood sugar levels in their track. Therefore, the first step to dealing with being diagnosed with prediabetes is to stay calm.
What prediabetes means is your blood sugar levels are higher than normal – but not enough for you to be considered a Type 2 diabetic. Prediabetes is defined as having a fasting blood sugar reading of 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L). Since you are somewhere in between, you are in a great position to recover. With just a few lifestyle changes and the guidance of your healthcare provider, you can reduce your blood sugar back to a healthy range and no longer be at risk of developing a concerning disease.
Besides, it is a likely time for you to make some changes in your life anyway. Most of us could either start to exercise or afford to put in more effort. More importantly, each one of us can eat healthier than we currently do.
Food is fuel for your body. The nutrients you choose make a difference. Quality foods are conducive to a healthy body – physically and mentally. Eating well also has an immediate effect on how you feel. Compare how you feel on the days you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to those where you consume fast foods or junk meals. The difference is night and day.
Prediabetes presents a chance to change or improve. If you have prediabetes, you should begin taking action right away to reverse the process. The thing that tips a person with insulin resistance into Type 2 diabetes is the pancreas starts to wear out. It loses the ability to continue putting out enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance. With the combination of insulin resistance and a gradually weakening pancreas – your blood sugar levels start to rise. Your pancreas becomes too exhausted to compensate any longer.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.