Did you know that prediabetes, with the right care, can be stopped? If you want to know what you have to do to do it, keep reading this article.

Prediabetes. That condition in which your glucose levels are high, but not high enough to be diabetes. For many people a totally unknown condition. But, did you know that prediabetes is the step before type 2 diabetes? Yes, as you read. You may even have insulin resistance without even realizing it.

Diabetes doesn’t come all at once, it happens in stages. That’s why, in today’s article, we’re going to talk about the previous step: prediabetes.

What is prediabetes?

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When you have prediabetes what happens in the body is very simple. The pancreas starts to not being able to produce enough insulin. Then, blood glucose levels begin to rise. This causes them to be higher than normal levels but below those of a person with diabetes.

Before this happens there is another very important step: insulin resistance. When someone is insulin resistant, he or she still produces insulin. But there are complications in getting insulin to do its job. When resistance evolves into prediabetes, the insulin produced is no longer enough, which is why blood glucose levels rise.

Insulin resistance and prediabetes can be considered a wake-up call. Our health warning us that our habits are not correct and are impeding the body’s ability to function well.

This is where factors that cannot be altered, such as genetic conditions or background, come into play. But, there are others that can be changed and also carry a lot of weight. For example:

  • Physical inactivity or sedentary lifestyle.
  • Overweight or obesity.
  • An inadequate diet.
  • Excessive smoking.

If you do not pay the necessary attention to these, prediabetes could keep evolving. Once type 2 diabetes has developed, it cannot be reverted, so it is better to stop it while you still can.

Symptoms of prediabetes

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When the body begins to have problems managing blood glucose, there are no symptoms. However, when levels are irregular and high for a while, that changes. You may experience symptoms such as:

  • Increased feelings of hunger, thirst and need to urinate.
  • Tingling in hands and feet.
  • Feeling of tiredness.
  • High cholesterol levels.
  • Unintentional weight gain or loss.

Can prediabetes be prevented?

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Yes! Prediabetes can be prevented! Like insulin resistance, these are conditions that can be corrected. How? By changing your habits to healthier ones. For example, do more exercise or eat a healthy diet.

How to avoid prediabetes

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Prediabetes is reversible and preventable. That is why, in this section we leave you some recommendations to stop it in time. Are you ready to put them into practice?

Have a varied diet

Diet is the basis for many things. That is why it is very important to have a balanced one. Eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains will keep you healthy. Also, reducing foods high in sugar will help with your blood sugar.

A healthy diet, along with the rest of the actions on this list, can help you get your blood glucose level back to normal.

Do more exercise

Surely your doctor has always told you that you have to do a certain minimum of exercise. Well, from here we confirm it. Exercising has great advantages for your health. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, regulates insulin and improves the sensitivity to it.

For this reason, it is recommended to practice 150 minutes of weekly exercise. If you find it hard to get into workouts, you can make the most of your daily actions. Forget the car and go to work or run errands walking.

Lose weight

Most cases of prediabetes are caused by obesity or overweight. People who are over their ideal weight have more problems controlling their blood glucose levels. The pancreas needs more insulin, but cannot produce it.

If you are above your ideal weight, it would be advisable to lose a few pounds. And, if you are at the right one, try to maintain it as much as possible. How can you achieve this?

  • Reduce the amount of calories you eat.
  • Increase your exercise.
  • Eat healthier.

All of this will help your pancreas function well and prevent prediabetes from worsening.

Insulin resistance: the preliminary step

Normally, before having prediabetes, there is another step: insulin resistance. This condition is much less visible. It only becomes noticeable when blood glucose levels are high.

When you have insulin resistance the next thing happens. The pancreas produces this hormone, but is unable to absorb glucose. To try to correct this, it produces more insulin and your blood glucose levels stay within the normal range. This solution works for a while. However, there comes a time when it is no longer efficient.

If insulin resistance is stopped in time, prediabetes can be avoided. For this, you should take into account the recommendations that have been given above. Also, measuring your blood sugar levels with a glucometer will help you know if they are settling or continue to rise.


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