What is Pre-Diabetes? Plus 5 Proven Tips to Reverse Pre-Diabetes
1 in 3 American Adults has Pre-Diabetes.
Do You?
1 in 3! That is a staggering number. If you do not have it, chances are one of your family members does.
Even more shocking is that 90% of those with pre-diabetes do not know they have it. Having pre-diabetes also significantly increases your likelihood of serious illness if it’s left untreated, so it is important that this pre-diabetes receives attention early.
Find out if you are at increased risk of pre-diabetes or diabetes with our FREE 60-second quiz.
What is Pre-Diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is a condition where a person’s blood sugar/glucose levels are higher than average, but not quite high enough yet for a full diagnosis for type 2 diabetes. The key word here is “yet”. Those who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes are at a much higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health conditions.
Pre-diabetes is caused when the cells of your body do not respond normally to insulin production. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that acts as a key to letting blood sugar into your cells to be used for energy. When your cells are not absorbing the blood sugar, your pancreas begins working even harder to create more blood sugar to try and get your cells to respond. Eventually, your pancreas cannot keep up, which results in your blood sugar rising. This sets the stage for pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and other health problems down the road.
Someone could have pre-diabetes for years and not show any symptoms, however, here are some common signs, symptoms and risk factors related to pre-diabetes:
If you are overweight
If you are 45 years or older
If you have a sibling or parent with type 2 diabetes
If you are physically active less than 3 times a week.
If you’ve given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, which can be a sign of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy).
If you have ever had polycystic ovary syndrome
If you belong to any of the following races or ethnicities you are also at a higher risk of pre-diabetes: African American, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, some Asian Americans
Get your Instant Pre-Diabetes Risk Score with our FREE 60-second quiz.
The Good News
The good news is that pre-diabetes is completely reversible, and it doesn’t mean that you have to necessarily give up your favorite foods or compete in a marathon. In fact, there are some simple lifestyle adjustments that you can make that have been shown to reverse pre-diabetes and prevent or slow the onset of type 2 diabetes. Keep reading below and we will dive deeper into a proven action plan.
Proven Tips for Reversing Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes and diabetes require a medical diagnosis, and any plans or protocols should be closely overseen by your healthcare provider. If you haven’t already done so, take our FREE 60-second pre-diabetes risk score quiz, which will give you some valuable insights into your current risk and provide you with questions to ask your doctor.
We recommend the following tips to potentially reverse pre-diabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes. Before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen, please consult your physician or health care provider.
1. Define Your “Why”
Pre-diabetes is a red flag or a warning sign that there is danger down the road. It is important to see this warning sign and let that inspire you to take positive action. To do this, start with your “why”. Getting clear on your “why” will help you keep moving forward when you have those occasional tough days.
So ask yourself, why do you want to make these positive health and lifestyle changes? Maybe it is so you can continue to be in good health to play with your grandchildren. Maybe it is to help you fit in that dress for your daughter's wedding next year. Or maybe it is simply to help this upcoming year be your best year ever, where you have more energy and break out of your rut. There is no wrong answer here, so have fun envisioning your reasons for making this change.
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Whatever your “why" might be, imagine it, write it down and save an image that represents this why. Picture it often and imagine what it will feel like when you accomplish this goal you are aiming for. Imagine how good it will feel to make this positive change. When you have that tough day, remember the reason why you started. This is key for consistency.
2. Get Active Doing Something You Enjoy
Being active does not mean you need to go compete in a marathon or triathlon. In fact, walking has been shown to be just as effective as running.
The key here is that you need to enjoy what you are doing or you will not do it consistently. If you like to walk, spend just 30 minutes walking 5-days per week. Make it as enjoyable as possible. Download some inspirational books on Audible and listen to them while you are walking, or play some upbeat music to help motivate you on your walk. If it is too cold to walk outside, go to your local mall.
If you enjoy a bike ride at the park, then do that. If you would like to garden, then do that. Again, shoot for consistency. Find something (or a few things) that you can do for 30 minutes for 5 days per week.
We like to suggest investing in an inexpensive FitBit activity tracker which will help you monitor your daily progress and keep you on track each day.
3. Eat Healthier (But don’t worry about perfection)…
Roasting, broiling, steaming and baking meats are the best choices you can make. We suggest avoiding frying you’re foods. Also, make sure you are avoiding the wrong types of fat. Keep in mind that avoiding fat doesn’t mean that your foods are going to be low on flavor. We recommend using spices to add the flavor you want to your foods.
There is too much to cover in just this one blog post about the foods to eat, but make sure to subscribe below for future updates on food recommendations, recipes, and even our soon-to-come Grocery Shopping for Pre-Diabetics webinar, where we will be shopping in the grocery store and sharing valuable tips and pitfalls to watch out for.
If you would like a step-by-step diet plan written by our dietician, Beth Wickliffe, RDN, which is specifically for diabetics and pre-diabetics along with a grocery shopping checklist click HERE.
4. Manage Your Weight
One of the biggest risk factors here for pre-diabetes and diabetes is being overweight. Losing just 5-7% of your body weight is often times enough to make all the difference that you need to in reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and reversing pre-diabetes.
We’ve found that losing 5-7% of your body weight can normally be accomplished in as little as 10-12 weeks, simply by making small lifestyle changes and being mindful of what you eat.
5. Quit Smoking
There’s no surprise here that smoking has also been shown to increase your risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes. We suggest you make a list of all the reasons why you want to quit. Tie these reasons into your “why” mentioned above. Talk to your doctor. There are some tips and some medications that can be provided that makes this process much easier. Consider also quitting with a friend, or receiving additional accountability from a health coach or mentor.
BONUS TIP:
6) Join an Online Pre-Diabetes Support Group with a Proven Plan
Unless you are very self-motivated, making lifestyle changes can be a very difficult process. Those that go at it alone are much more likely to end up frustrated, discouraged and end up giving up. We completely get that, and that is why we put together a step-by-step, easy to follow system.
It is this system that has helped thousands of individuals to transform their lives by losing weight, reversing diabetes/pre-diabetes, and even managing high cholesterol/blood pressure. This helps not only restore energy and vitality, it, more importantly, helps you accomplish your “why”, which can help you experience so much more satisfaction in life.
In this system, it’s not about perfection. In fact, we have found perfection to be the biggest hurdle to results. It really comes down to our name Hope 80/20, which means simply focusing on 80% good and do not worry about perfection. You are given 22 weeks of videos, downloadable workbooks, weekly live webinars, and private one-on-one coaching with our dedicated health coaches. This is everything you need for success.
If you would like to know more about this system and even receive a risk-free 7-day trial, click HERE. Included for a limited time are a grocery shopping checklist and our quick start guide for effective weight loss (valued at $30).
I will end this post with a quote: 'You do not have to be perfect to be healthy. You only have to be consistent.'
We’re here to help you be consistent.
