What Is It?

If your blood sugar is higher than normal but still below what is accepted as diabetic, you are considered to have prediabetes. It’s a holding tank of sorts, your last chance to turn your health around before becoming diabetic. Lifestyle changes can reverse this deadly chain of events. I never cease to be amazed at how nonchalantly people accept the cascade of prediabetic symptoms into the abyss of full-blown diabetes. In prediabetes, damage to your heart and kidneys could already be occurring. Make lifestyle changes now.

Although prediabetes requires a visit to your medical doctor for diagnosis, you may notice that you’re more tired than usual. You may produce more urine or have blurry vision. The scariest symptom of prediabetes is to have no symptoms at all.

There are factors that predispose you to prediabetes, so if you have these risk factors AND any of the above symptoms, get to a doctor fast.

Risk Factors

• advancing age, especially over 45
• waist larger than 40 inches for a man or over 35 inches for a woman
• eating the Standard American Diet, a lot of red and processed meats, drinking sugar-sweetened drinks and not eating enough fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains and olive oil
• you are African American, Native American, Latino or a Pacific Islander
• have high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol
• have polycystic ovary disease
• had gestational diabetes
• gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• don’t exercise
• have poor sleep quality or don’t get enough sleep

If these traits apply to you, and if you have ever had an unusual blood sugar reading, have heart disease or have symptoms of insulin resistance, you must get tested for diabetes. Insulin resistance symptoms include darkened areas of skin, being more tired or hungrier than usual or having trouble concentrating.

Although no one wants to be diagnosed with this deadly disease, the sooner intervention and treatment are started, the less damage you will incur to your vital organs.

See your doctor today.

Diabetes, Obesity and Life Choices – David’s Way to Health and Fitness (davidsway.blog)