By Judith Coulson
One person dies from diabetes every seven seconds
| What is Pre-Diabetes and why we need to take it seriously DIABETES is a global challenge and one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. Worldwide, almost 400 million individuals have diabetes. This means that 1 in 12 people in the world today have the disease. This number is expected to increase to 592 million in 2035 that is one new case every three seconds according to Mediterranean Group for the Study of Diabetes. Pre-Diabetes If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it means you have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes yet. If you don’t get treatment, it can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other serious organ failures. It’s real. It’s common. But most importantly, it’s reversible. You can prevent or delay pre-diabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes with simple, proven lifestyle changes. |  |
Understanding pre-diabetes diagnosis
Your doctor may refer to pre-diabetes as the following:
• Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), which means a higher-than-normal blood sugar after a meal
• Impaired fasting glucose (IFG), which means a higher-than-normal blood sugar in the morning before eating
• Insulin resistance, which means your body can’t use insulin effectively
Symptoms of pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes has no clear symptoms. Some people may experience conditions that are associated with insulin resistance, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and acanthosis nigricans, which is a brown to black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin. This discoloration usually occurs around the elbows, knees, neck, armpits, and knuckles.
If you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it’s important to consult your doctor if you experience the following symptoms; increased thirst, frequent urination especially at night, fatigue, blurry vision, sores or cuts that won’t heal.
These are symptoms typical of type 2 diabetes and may indicate that your pre-diabetes has progressed to type 2 diabetes. A doctor can run a series of tests to confirm this.
Causes of pre-diabetes
The food you eat turns into sugar which the body uses for energy. The pancreas makes insulin to allow the sugar in the bloodstream to enter the cells. This is how insulin helps lower the blood sugar level. In the case of pre-diabetes, the cells don’t respond to insulin properly and this is called insulin resistance.
According to newest research and the recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and several government health agencies around the world, pre-diabetes is strongly linked to 90% lifestyle choices and 10% genetics.
Risk factors for pre-diabetes
Anyone is vulnerable to pre-diabetics but some factors might increase the probability. If you’re over 45 years old or you have a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25, your doctor may want to screen you for pre-diabetes. With teenage obesity growing globally, a diabetes screen is recommended for people that are struggling with obesity for 10 years or more, no matter at what age.
Another risk factor for pre-diabetes is being sedentary.
Pre-diabetes treatments
Treating pre-diabetes can also be thought of as a prevention for the type 2 diabetes. If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetes, they’ll recommend certain lifestyle changes. Studies showed that active lifestyle changes can reverse pre-diabetes and prevent the development of diabetes 2 even in genetically prone subject groups.
Furthermore, active prevention is more successful in treating diabetes 2 patients than drugs, with a 58% lower risk of developing stroke heart disease and other illnesses including nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, foot damage where poor blood flow may lead to amputation, skin infections, trouble with hearing, and Alzheimer’s disease.
How to prevent diabetes
Pre-diabetes is totally reversible. You can prevent or slow the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes through lifestyle changes.
One study showed that a 5 to 7 percent weight loss greatly reduces the risk of diabetes.
Eating right
Eat more fibre-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and talk to a nutritionist for personal guidance and nutrition education.
Exercising more
You can reduce your risk of diabetes by being regularly active. Thirty minutes of any activity that raises your heartbeat to your target rate, such as walking, is recommended. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily lives include riding a bicycle to work, walking instead of taking the bus or driving, going to a gym regularly, or participating in recreational sports with friends and colleagues.
According to the American Diabetes Association, a mere thirty minutes of exercise per day and a loss of 5-10 percent will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes progression by over 58 percent. However, to seriously lose weight you will need to increase to at least 200 minutes per week. You might want to ask a fitness trainer for guidance.
Find more information and resources about how to deal with pre-diabetes and make efficient lifestyle choices under http://lifestylefoodclinic.com/lifestyle-food-news/big-chili-resources, password: big chili
Pre-diabetes is totally reversible. You can prevent or slow the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes through lifestyle changes.
One study showed that a 5 to 7 percent weight loss greatly reduces the risk of diabetes.
Eating right
Eat more fibre-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and talk to a nutritionist for personal guidance and nutrition education.
Exercising more
You can reduce your risk of diabetes by being regularly active. Thirty minutes of any activity that raises your heartbeat to your target rate, such as walking, is recommended. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily lives include riding a bicycle to work, walking instead of taking the bus or driving, going to a gym regularly, or participating in recreational sports with friends and colleagues.
According to the American Diabetes Association, a mere thirty minutes of exercise per day and a loss of 5-10 percent will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes progression by over 58 percent. However, to seriously lose weight you will need to increase to at least 200 minutes per week. You might want to ask a fitness trainer for guidance.
Find more information and resources about how to deal with pre-diabetes and make efficient lifestyle choices under http://lifestylefoodclinic.com/lifestyle-food-news/big-chili-resources, password: big chili
Judith Coulson is a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist and Nutritionist working with individuals, executive teams, schools and companies based in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
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