Pre-diabetes..me?..not me?

Wow..when those words were said to me I felt exactly that way. I thought for sure they were talking about someone else because it certainly could not be me. I went through alot of emotions. I finally hit the "scared" emotion and that kick started my diet in the right direction.

What does being "pre-diabetic" mean anyway? Here goes: Prediabetes is a warning sign that you are at risk for getting type 2 diabetes. It means that your blood sugar is higher than it should be. Most people who get type 2 diabetes have prediabetes first, like me!

What causes it?: Doctors do not know exactly what causes prediabetes. It is believed that people who are overweight, not physically active, or have a family history of diabetes are more likely to get prediabetes. It is also believed that women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to get prediabetes. (For me, I was definitely overweight..the only thing out of all of these that I had)

What are the symptoms?: Most people with prediabetes don't have any symptoms. But if you have prediabetes, you need to watch for signs of diabetes, such as:

■Feeling very thirsty.
■Urinating more often than usual.
■Feeling very hungry.
■Having blurred vision.

(I personally did not have any symptoms)


The treatment:

The key to treating prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes is getting your blood sugar levels back to a normal range. You can do this by making some lifestyle changes.

■Make healthy food choices.
■Eat foods high in fiber and go lower in fat.
■Try to eat good carbs and cut out the bad ones. This is important because keeping a steady level of carbs at each meal is essential to keeping your blood sugar level "happy"!
■Talk to your doctor to see what plan they would like you to follow or seek out a nutritionist to help you.
■If you are overweight, losing just a little amount of weight may help you.
■Be active. For me, just cleaning the house is alot of activity! You can also walk, bike, swim, join a gym, get the Wii Fit or Active..anything will help.
■Let it be..All in the Family!..For example, take a family walk after dinner. It will be easier if the family is eating well and gets exercise too. This may also reduce their chances of developing prediabetes.
Making these changes may help delay or prevent diabetes.

I really hope this helps and I will be back again sometime this week with more..thanks again for reading and being such a good support to me! Take care..:)