So you found out that you are pre-diabetic . . . based on your latest test results. Consider yourself lucky because there are millions of pre-diabetics who go undiagnosed with this tricking time bomb. Now what?
Your first steps will be to have a sit-down with your doctor to. You want to know what may have caused it and the implications of this disease if left untreated. As part of your discussion, you’ll want to find out what you can do to reverse your condition and prevent pre-diabetes form turning into full blown diabetes.
At this stage of the condition there are four steps to take:
(1) change your diet
(2) Become active by start an exercise program
(3) Lose weight if you are overweight or obese
(4) begin a round of medication, such as metformin, to control the condition if necessary
Let’s look at these individually.
Change you diet
If you are eating the standard American diet, which is loaded with an overabundance of unhealthy carbohydrates, then it’s time to change.
You must eliminate from your diet unhealthy trans fats and excess carbs that’s so common-place in the foods we eat everyday. Your goal here is to eat foods that will help to keep your blood glucose or sugars in the normal range.
You must reduce the amount of sugars in any form and include more fibrous foods in your diet such as fruits and veggies.
Identify and reduce your intake of products made from bleached flour such as pizza, white bread, cakes and the endless list of other food items. And start eating more whole grain foods like oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread, quinoa, and rye.
You also want to include more fibrous foods in your diet, as mentioned, like spinach and other green veggies, apples and bananas and other low glycemic fruits.
If you eat out frequently, patronize restaurants that serve foods that are close to their natural state as possible and include healthy fats such as avocados, eggs from free range chicken and nuts.
Do an assessment of the contents of your food pantry. Discard all food items having excess sugars such as cereals, sodas, and crackers. If it’s there you will eat it. This will also force you to read food labels.
Get you family on board with your new eating plan so that they can help keep you accountable . . . especially the person preparing meals.
Become more active
If you have been living a sedentary life in the past, now is the time to get on the ball. Start an exercise program that you enjoy and will continue indefinitely. Start slowly by learning how to do the movements correctly so as to avoid injuries.
It’s best to get a personal trainer who understand the issues of pre-diabetes and diabetes. They can explain the nuances of various workouts and which ones are best to do in-order to keep you blood sugar in balance.
Lose weight if you are overweight or obese
One of the risk factors of pre-diabetes is being overweight or obese. It’s no wonder our population is gaining weight at an alarming rate – the foods we eat is laden with sugars and other ingredients that causes us to put on extra pounds.
Seek the help or guidance from a qualified nutritionist who can help you plan your daily meals.
You want to lose an average of twenty pounds over a period of three months. That’s about two pounds per week. You didn’t gain the weight overnight so don’t try to lose it any faster than that. And do not fall for any of the quick weight-loss gimmicks advertised in the media. You will gain the weight back and then some.
Follow the advice given for improving your diet and becoming more active.
Medication to control glucose levels
If you have been told by your doctor to start taking meds to control your sugar level then by all means follow her directions. Ultimately, you want to eliminate all pharmaceuticals and take control of your condition by using natural remedies – fixing your diet, being more active and reducing the stresses in your life.
You can prevent pre-diabetes from happening to you. You can also reverse the condition if you have it. It requires that you take action as soon as you can before it progresses to full-blown diabetes. You are in control.