By Lenita Hanson MD, F.A.C.E., CDCES, CPI
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 3 American adults (96 million) have prediabetes. Even more shocking is the fact that 8 in 10 don’t even know they have it. Many, if not most, will develop type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years if no action is taken to prevent it.
What is prediabetes?
Having prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than what is considered normal. It isn’t quite high enough to be considered diabetes, but it dangerously close and without intervention, will likely develop into type 2 diabetes. This is true for both adults and children and should be closely monitored since the long-term damage from diabetes may have already started. This damage includes damage to the heart, blood vessels, and the kidneys.
As mentioned above, as many as 8 in 10 people do not realize they have prediabetes. How can that be? Well, it is because prediabetes doesn’t usually have any sign or symptoms. Sometimes certain areas of the body (neck, underarms, groin) will develop a darker shade, but by the time other symptoms begin to show up, type 2 diabetes has already developed.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age. It means that your body cannot properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into the cells of the body. It is produced by the body and in healthy individuals, the body knows how to use it and life is good. However, when they body loses this ability, diabetes is the culprit.
Signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes:
• Feeling unusually thirsty and/or hungry
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections
• Frequent urination
• Numbness in the feet or hands
• Slowly healing sores
• Unexplained weight loss
Preventing prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prediabetes, it is time to make a plan to reverse this diagnosis and prevent it from developing into type 2 diabetes. Usually, it is a question of lifestyle. Changes to your diet and activity level can go a long way to combat the onset of diabetes.
Here is a helpful list of ways that you can improve your chances of escaping a type 2 diabetes diagnosis:
1. Lose excess weight
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with prediabetes lose 7-10% of their body weight. This can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by more than half. The greater the weight loss, the higher the benefits.
2. Get moving
Exercise can help you lose the weight mentioned above, lower your blood sugar, and improve your body’s use of insulin. A good goal is to engage in 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. This can be in the form of running, walking, swimming, Zumba, or any activity that gets your heart rate up for a least 30 minutes. Resistance exercise (i.e., yoga or weight lifting) is also beneficial in that it increases your strength, balance, and ability to maintain an active life.
3. Eat healthy
There is a new diet in the news every week, it seems. While any or all of them may help you lose weight, we know little about the long-term effects these diets have on a person or their benefit in preventing diabetes. The goal should be to lose weight and then to maintain that healthier weight going forward.
Eating healthy should be a lifelong habit. Training your brain and body to choose healthy foods and control portions is a lifestyle, not a fad diet. One strategy that many dieticians recommend is to divide our plate in the following manner:
• Half the plate should be fruits and vegetables.
• One fourth of the plate should be whole grains.
• One fourth should be proteins such as fish or lean meat.
Making a few changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage. It’s never too late to start. If you or someone you love has been told that you have prediabetes or you are showing symptoms of type 2 diabetes, contact your health care professional now.
The Hanson Diabetes Center is your local source for Diabetes Management and Education in Charlotte, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. They are committed to providing you with the most current information and treatments for managing your diabetes. Their “Living Smart Diabetes Self-Management Program” is recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
Classes are offered monthly in their state-of-the-art conference room, located next door to the Diabetes Center, located in Port Charlotte, Florida. Patients come from all over Southwest Florida.
Their experienced team of health professionals includes an endocrinologist, nurse practitioner, registered dietitian, certified diabetes educators and a dedicated office staff.
The Hanson Diabetes Center
Tel: 941-764-9110
Email: info@hansoncrc.com
Website: www.DiabetesFl.com