Move Toward Healthy Carbs
- Dont over do it on carbohydrates at one meal or snack. Combine a carbohydrate with lean protein and unsaturated fat for a more satisfying meal.
- In place of fruit juice with toast and jam, eat a slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter or with an egg white omelet and have half a banana on the side.
- Choose high fiber, unrefined, whole grain carbohydrates . You still must watch your portion sizes.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Avoid all trans fats. Eat healthy, unsaturated fats instead , but remember that all high-fat foods are dense in calories.
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How Is Prediabetes Diagnosed
To test for prediabetes, your healthcare provider will use a blood test. You may have:
- Fasting plasma glucose test, which tests your blood after you have fasted for eight hours .
- A1C test, which provides your average blood glucose level over the past two to three months.
You would be diagnosed with prediabetes if:
- Your fasting plasma glucose test is 100 to 125 mg/dL .
- Your A1c test is 5.7% to 6.4% mg/dL diabetes is 6.5% or higher).
Choose Your Carbs Carefully
Be careful about the kinds of carbohydrates you eat and spread them evenly throughout the day. Remember, it is important to control your portions and not overeat!
Healthier choices:
Whole grains , beans, lentils, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables .
Minimize intake of:
White bread, white rice, pasta, pastries, potatoes, sugared soda, highly processed foods . Remember, the more processed a food is, the less fiber, vitamins, and minerals it has leaving behind mostly starch.
Avoid:
Pastries, sugared soda, highly processed foods ! These foods are mostly empty calories with no nutritional value which can add extra calories to your diet.
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Is There A Prediabetes Diet
Thereâs no official diet, but four swaps can reverse prediabetes and lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes:
- Choose whole grains and whole-grain products over processed carbs like white bread, potatoes, and breakfast cereals.
- Drink coffee, water, and tea instead of sugary drinks.
- Choose good fats like those in vegetable oil, nuts, and seeds over those in margarine, baked goods, and fried foods.
- Trade red meat and processed meats for nuts, whole grains, poultry, and fish.
What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar
High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, usually occurs when the body cannot use insulin properly or has extremely low levels of insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for moving glucose, or sugar, into the bloodstream where it can then be delivered to cells and used for energy. High blood sugar is usually associated with diabetes.
Symptoms of high blood sugar may include:
- Frequent urination
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Increased hunger
- Tingling and numbness in hands and feet
- Skin changes, such as blisters and dryness
- Swollen and bleeding gums
- Confusion
- Abdominal pain
Patients can have symptoms of headache and dizziness with high blood pressure, but patients can also be completely asymptomatic, adds Dr. Raja.
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Carbs To Lower Blood Sugar In Prediabetes
Regardless of the total number of prediabetes carbs per day that you have, you will get better results if you choose healthier sources and stay aware of portion sizes. Look for high-fiber, high-nutrient sources, and know that a serving size may be smaller than you think!
Healthy Carbs for Prediabetes
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What Is The Difference Between Prediabetes And Type 2 Diabetes
- Prediabetes occurs when there is too much sugar in the blood. It is an early warning sign that the body has more sugar in the blood then it can use.
- Type 2 diabetes is a condition that occurs slowly over time. The pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to keep up with the increased need to move sugar into the cells for energy. Medication and lifestyle changes are necessary to manage blood sugar levels and avoid diabetes complications.
- Type 1 diabetes is different, and results from auto-immune attacks on the pancreas.
What are the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes?
Without reversing prediabetes, blood sugar continues to rise and signs and symptoms of diabetes may develop. The most common symptoms and early signs are thirst and excess urination. Sometimes people will notice unexplained weight loss. Later signs of type 2 diabetes are
Unfortunately, there really are no symptoms or signs of prediabetes. It almost always is diagnosed by chance during a medical screening or routine bloodwork. This is why it is important to get screened, especially if you are overweight or have family members with diabetes or pre-diabetes. However, the most common sign associated with prediabetes is being overweight.
It is common for a person with prediabetes to only have slightly elevated blood sugar levels, but the body continues to require increased insulin to maintain it. Hyperinsulinemia or high insulin, has signs and symptoms of:
- Sleepiness
- Weight gain around the abdomen
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The First Step: A New Grocery List
Changing eating patterns is critical for reversing the progression of diabetes, but theres not a one-size-fits-all diet, Dr. Kalyani says.
Friends who had successfully managed a prediabetes diagnosis raved about high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets, and a study published this year seems to back up such anecdotal evidence: It found that this way of eating was associated with reduced blood sugar levels and greater weight loss. I stripped almost all carbohydrates from my dieta sugar addict going cold turkey . I was tired, thirsty, and agitated. But to my genuine amazement, after four days, the cravings ceased. I looked at my teen sons peanut-butter-and-extra-jelly sandwich and did not want one for myself.
Other patients succeed with a fat- and protein-heavy keto or Atkins diet, Dr. Tan says, or sometimes intermittent fasting or a vegan diet. Celeste Thomas, M.D., a diabetes specialist and an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, likes the Mediterranean diet, which includes generous portions of fruits and vegetables, beans, and olive oil along with moderate portions of fish, chicken, and cheese.
What Are The Symptoms Of Prediabetes
Many people have no symptoms of prediabetes, often for years. Prediabetes may be invisible until it develops into Type 2 diabetes.
Some people with prediabetes may experience:
- Darkened skin in the armpit or back and sides of the neck, called acanthosis nigricans.
- Skin tags, small skin growths.
- Eye changes that can lead to diabetic retinopathy.
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Should We Pick Up Plows And Return To The 19th Century
Of course not. But we can learn a lesson from the Amish in the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania, notes Gomer.
They shun all modern conveniences. Theyre physically active throughout the day, growing and producing their own foods in much the same way their ancestors did 150 years ago. While the Amish diet is a lot higher in fatty dairy products than the Pritikin Eating Plan or the U.S. Dietary Guidelines would recommend, only about 3% of the Amish are overweight, and almost none is obese.
Prediabetes Diet Plan And Eating Healthier
Here are some diet recommendations for prediabetes, including a list of foods that are best for those looking for the best diet to lower blood sugar.
Below are some foods that can help you regulate your blood sugar and keep your weight in a healthy range.
| Foods to Choose: nutrients for prediabetes | Examples |
|---|---|
| Non-Starchy Vegetables: fiber, potassium, low-calorie | Fresh lettuce and salad greens tomatoes celery cucumbers onions snow peas mushrooms broccoli spinach brussels sprout eggplant zucchini bell peppersetc.! frozen vegetables |
| Seafood: protein, healthy fats, potassium | Salmon shrimp tuna crab clams mackerel herring tilapia pollock |
| Legumes: * fiber, protein, potassium | Split and black-eyed peas lentils beans such as kidney, black, garbanzo, and pinto beans soybeans and soy products, such as tofu, edamame, and soy milk meat substitutes |
| Whole Grains:* fiber | |
| Water decaffeinated black coffee and unsweetened tea without cream water with mint, lime, lemon, or cucumber |
Want to Download This Prediabetes Diet Plan As A PDF?
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What Is A Normal Blood Sugar Reading
A normal blood sugar reading for the A1C test is 5.7%. Your doctor will diagnose you with prediabetes if your A1C is between 5.7% and 6.4%, or with diabetes if your A1C is 6.5% or higher.
If you take the random blood sugar test, you will be diagnosed with diabetes if your blood sugar level is 200 milligrams per deciliter or higher.
Dr. Raja says, A normal fasting blood sugar reading should be < 200 mg/dL.
A normal blood sugar reading for the fasting test is less than 100 mg/dL. A reading between 100 and 125 mg/dL may be diagnosed as prediabetes, and a reading of 126 mg/dL or higher may be diagnosed as diabetes.
If you take the oral glucose tolerance test, a normal reading is anything lower than 140 mg/dL. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL is prediabetes, and a reading of 200 mg/dL or higher is diabetes.
Why Is Diabetes So Harmful
The first thing I learned was the scary stuff: Untreated diabetes can result in stroke, kidney disease, and loss of vision along with at least eight different skin conditions, most of which involve itching. About half of diabetics will suffer from neuropathy, nerve damage that begins with tingling at the extremities and can progress to conditions that require amputation, as my great-grandmother came to know far too well.
Then I looked into why certain foods are a problem: The human body breaks down carbohydrates, including beans, corn, and oats as well as my friends pasta and sugarinto glucose, which enters the bloodstream. The pancreas creates the hormone insulin, which escorts glucose to the heart, brain, muscles, and tissues, where its burned as fuel. But for me, along with 88 million other American adults on the prediabetes-to-diabetes spectrum, the pancreas cant keep up, and it doesnt produce enough insulin. As a result, unchaperoned glucose is free to wreak havoc in the bloodstream.
Theres a catch, though: The standard lifestyle advice doesnt work for everyone. In her 20s, Dr. Tan was surprised to find that she herself was prediabetic despite walking 20,000 steps a day and watching her carbohydrate intake. Apparently her family history was too much to overcome. Sometimes, despite their best efforts, people cant fully reverse abnormal numbers, Dr. Tan says. Could I reverse mine?
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Fasting Plasma Glucose Test
A second blood test used to diagnose prediabetes is a fasting plasma glucose test. This is normally the first test healthcare providers use because it renders immediate results. A blood sample is taken after you fast for at least eight hours or overnight. The interpretation includes:
- A fasting plasma glucose level below 100 milligrams per deciliter is considered normal.
- A fasting plasma glucose level from 100 to 125 mg/dL is considered prediabetes. This result is sometimes called impaired fasting glucose.
- A fasting plasma glucose level of 126 mg/dL or higher indicates type 2 diabetes.
An oral glucose tolerance test or a random blood sugar test are also sometimes, but less commonly, used to diagnose prediabetes.
Certain medications can affect your blood sugar levels. Before your test, tell your healthcare provider all the medications that youre using, including herbal, prescription, and over-the-counter medications.
The Standard Possible Results
- Prediabetes: FPG 100 mg/dl, but < 126 mg/dl
- Diabetes: FPG 126 mg/dl
You also need to be fasting for an OGTT, and you will need to set aside extra time. You should also check with your lab to see if you need an appointment. In an OGTT, you drink a solution with 75 grams of sugar for context, that is the amount in 2 cans of soda. Your blood will be drawn two hours later to assess prediabetes.
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What To Do If Your Blood Sugar Levels Are Lower Than Normal
Blood sugar levels that are below 70 mg/dL are known as hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include heart palpitations and feeling lightheaded, jittery, irritable, fatigued, or sweaty.9
Low fasting blood sugar levels can occur if you have diabetes and your medication does not match your carbohydrate intake. So its very important to let your healthcare provider know youre following a low-carb diet so they can adjust your medication to match your carb intake.
In people who do not have diabetes, low fasting blood sugar levels may be the result of a serious underlying medical condition such as an eating disorder or a tumor. If your fasting blood sugar is low and you do not take diabetes medications, see your healthcare provider.
Low blood sugar levels after eating are often called reactive hypoglycemia. This can occur in people with diabetes, as well as those with normal fasting blood sugars. How it should be treated depends on what the underlying cause is. But if you have low blood sugar and experience symptoms, you can remedy this in the short term by eating something with carbs or sugar.
High-carb intake may cause reactive hypoglycemia in people who are very insulin sensitive or have experienced massive weight loss.10 A low-carb, high-protein diet has been found to improve reactive hypoglycemia in adults who have undergone weight-loss surgery.11
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You Have The Power To Change Things
For some people with prediabetes, early treatment as well as moderate lifestyle changes can actually return blood sugar levels to a normal range, effectively preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes. Ask your doctor plenty of questions and listen to the answers you get. Increase your daily physical activity. Start eating healthy. And your life can be yours again.
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As Many As 60 Million People In The United States Have Prediabetes Yet More Than 90 Percent Of Them Dont Know It Find Out If Youre One Of Them And Learn How To Take Action Today
At 28, Jennyvi Dizon wasnt expecting to be turned down for health insurance. I thought I was fairly healthy, she says. The company disapproved her because she weighed 188 pounds and was 5 feet 3 inches tall. They wanted her to weigh 155 pounds or less.
When she reapplied one month later, the insurer requested blood tests. This time, the news was even more startling: her blood glucose level was above normal and her cholesterol was high.
Jennyvis mother has diabetes, so the elevated blood glucose reading was especially worrisome. Online, Jennyvi learned that her test level meant she had prediabetesa condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes and also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
I had been in a little bit of denial because, really, I was overweight and unhealthy, but I didnt realize it, says Jennyvi, a bridal and evening gown designer from Phoenix. I knew that if I get to the diabetes level, itll cause me problems later.
The hidden condition
As many as 60 million people in the United States have prediabetes, yet more than 90 percent of them dont know it. People with prediabetes usually have no symptoms, and many who learn about their prediabetes think its no big deal.
People do not take this as seriously as they need to, says Ann Albright, PhD, RD, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The good news is there is something you can do about it, Dr. Albright adds.
What To Do When Blood Sugar Is High
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What Blood Sugar Level Is Prediabetic
Exercise, Fitness & Nutrition Expert | Lark Health
Prediabetes is a condition with increased blood sugar, but how is it measured? Exactly what sugar level range is considered prediabetic, and how is that different from diabetes? Here is what you need to know about blood sugar levels in prediabetes, and what you can do about yours.
If you have been told that you have prediabetes, or you think that you might have it or be at risk for it, you can take your awareness in a positive way. While nobody actually wants to think about having a chronic health condition, being aware of prediabetes can be seen as a fork in the road of life.
On one branch of the fork in the road, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes. Most people who get prediabetes take this branch, and end up with diabetes. However, you can choose to take the other branch in the road because in most cases, prediabetes is reversible.
Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes? Lark Diabetes Prevention Program is a personalized program to help you lower your risk by making healthy lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and increasing physical activity. Your personal Lark coach is available to support you 24/7 on your smartphone. Lark can help you make small changes that fit into your lifestyle and have big results for your health!