Prediabetes, also called impaired glucose tolerance, is a serious health condition that occurs when someone’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. As someone who comes from a long line of diabetes in their lineage on both maternal and paternal ends, and someone who was once diagnosed with prediabetes, I can safely say that it is reversible.
With some lifestyle changes, you can avoid a type 2 diabetes diagnosis in the future. The key is understanding your body and being cognisant of what you’re fueling your body with.
What is prediabetes?
Healthy blood sugar (glucose) levels are between 70 and 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If you have prediabetes, you might fall anywhere between 100 to 125 mg/dL. In 2021, 4 234 000 adults in South Africa were diagnosed with diabetes, which makes up 11.3% of the adult population. In 2021, 45.4% of people with diabetes in South Africa had undiagnosed diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of death in women and the second leading cause of death for the entire population in South Africa.
According to data from 2022, more than 9 million people in South Africa are pre-diabetic, which makes up 15.56% of the population. Before we look at ways to prevent it, let’s delve into what prediabetes actually is.
How to reverse pre-diabetes with lifestyle changes:
Fibre
Include more fibre in your diet and ensure that every meal has at least a portion of fibre-rich foods. Cut out carbs and processed starches and opt for complex carbs instead.
Exercise
Moderately intense exercises work best and experts recommend exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day.
Losing weight
If you have a bit of pot belly (as I do), doctors recommend losing weight as that could contribute to insulin resistence.
Cut out sugar
The obvious answer is to reduce your sugar intake. Many times sugars can be hidden in everyday foods like bread, cereals and even fruit. Cut out sugary drinks like cooldrink, and fruit juice.
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