What is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are not normal and have been found to be high enough to be diagnosed as prediabetes but are not high enough to be termed as type 2 diabetes.

While what exactly causes prediabetes is not known, experts believe that the condition is associated with a state where your cells stop responding to insulin as they should, also known as insulin resistance.

prediabetes doesn’t always show up with symptoms, but some people do develop darkened skin around the neck, armpits and elbows. So, now that you know what prediabetes is, the big question is: Can prediabetes be reversed?

Can Prediabetes Be Reversed?

In certain cases, Yes. But, just because you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, there is no hard and fast rule that you will develop type 2 diabetes – with the right lifestyle changes, it is possible to reverse prediabetes

8 Tips That Can Help You Control or Reverse Prediabetes Naturally

Tip 1: Keep your diet clean and healthy

Processed foods and prediabetes do not mix at all. Processed foods come packed with fat, sugar and empty calories that have no nutritional value. Similarly, red meats, too, put you at a higher risk of prediabetes.

That’s why eating a diet that is clean, or one that consists of healthier food choices and alternatives to junk and processed foods can help restore your blood sugar levels back to normal and can also aid in reversing prediabetes – preventing its progression into type 2 diabetes.

Some foods that you can add to your diet are:

• Whole grains such as rajgira, amaranth, lapsi, barley, sattu, quinoa, buckwheat, whole wheat
• Fruits and vegetables that have complex carbs such as carrots, spinach (palak), apples, berries, banana and broccoli
• Foods that have ‘healthy fats’ such as avocado and certain fish
• And, lean meats such as chicken, beef, lamb, fish and seafoods

Tip 2: Eat lesser carbs

Like we mentioned in tip 1, eating clean is integral to lowering your blood sugar levels and reversing prediabetes. But, apart from that, you also have to remember to choose carbohydrates carefully and eat fewer foods that are high in carbs to successfully reverse prediabetes.

Now, we don’t suggest that you completely wipe out carbs from your plate but suggest that you choose complex carbohydrates that are unprocessed instead of their unhealthier processed cousins. This kind of carbohydrate is full of fibre and takes longer to break down hence preventing a blood sugar level spike and keeps you feeling satiated for longer. Some foods you could choose are:

• Vegetables such as broccoli, green leafy veggies and carrots
• Whole grains like oats and whole wheat
• Beans such as rajma, chickpeas, black eyed beans

Tip 3: Exercise regularly

Being sedentary is another big red flag when it comes to prediabetes. That’s because exercise helps lower your blood sugar levels and increases insulin sensitivity – allowing your body to utilise the hormone (insulin) more efficiently, keeping prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes.

In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), exercising can help lower your blood sugar for up to 24 hours after a workout – it’s well worth the effort to give exercising a shot.

Ideally, you should spend about 30 to 60 minutes on physical activity and do it at least five days a week. But if you’re a beginner to exercise, you can start off with light exercises for about 15 to 20 mins and then increase the intensity and time spent on your workout as you get stronger. Some exercises that you could try are:

• Walking ,Jogging ,Swimming , Aerobics, Or playing a sport

Tip 4: Lose weight

Exercising regularly and eating clean can also help you lose weight.

In fact, shedding that excess weight can have a drastic effect on your blood sugar levels because being overweight and having a large waist size (35inches in women and 40 inches in men) can increase your insulin resistance — making you prone to being diagnosed with prediabetes.

Therefore, eating healthy and regularly exercising can help you lose weight and stop the progression of prediabetes.

Tip 5: Stop smoking

Smoking is bad for you. Not only does it increase your risk of suffering from heart disease and lung cancer, but it also is a risk factor for insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. So if you want to dial back those high blood sugar numbers, reverse prediabetes and stop its progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, then you must stop smoking.

Tip 6: Get enough sleep and get any sleep-related ailments treated

Lack of good quality sleep also affects your blood sugar levels. In fact, lack of sleep due to sleep-related ailments has also been associated with insulin resistance.

So, finding ways to get enough good quality sleep for at least seven to eight hours is what the doctor ordered when it comes to lowering your blood sugar levels and reversing prediabetes.

Tip 7: Stay hydrated

Drinking water and staying hydrated is another way to reverse prediabetes and prevent its progression into type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies have found that drinking water helps control your blood sugar levels.

So drink up! But avoid drinking drinks that contain added sugars and additives. If you’re confused, stick to water – it’s the best calorie-free option out there!

Tip 8: Work with an expert

Knowing what to eat when you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes can be tricky, and in such a time, you need an expert to guide you through the process. Your expert will be able to provide you with nutritional guidance and tell you which foods you should eat and which ones you should avoid.

Summary

Prediabetes or borderline diabetes is a wake-up call and early sign of impending Type 2 Diabetes. Taking the right action at the right time can reverse prediabetes, prevent the progression to diabetes and its related expenses and complications.