You Have Prediabetes; Now What?

Often called borderline diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, prediabetes is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Prediabetes is a condition in which a person's blood sugar (glucose) level is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022b) explains that one in three people in the United States has prediabetes, but most of them are not aware of it. This is because prediabetes is a "silent condition," as it does not usually come with obvious symptoms.

Learning that you have prediabetes may feel like bad news at first, but maybe it's time to reconsider. You actually have been given the power to reverse your diagnosis! Take the news as an opportunity to look at your lifestyle and make changes that will lower your glucose levels and benefit your overall health.

What Is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is the body's inability to keep the blood glucose at a healthy level. Insulin is a vital hormone produced by the pancreas that allows blood glucose (which the body turns into energy) to enter the body's cells. In prediabetes, sometimes your cells don't recognize the insulin (often referred to as "insulin resistance"), and sometimes your pancreas can’t produce enough insulin. If left unchecked, prediabetes has the potential to develop into type 2 diabetes, a much more serious condition.

Thankfully, there are several lifestyle choices that you can make to prevent or even delay type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the CDC say that even small day-to-day changes can make a difference. The following recommendations come from the ADA (n.d.) and the CDC (2022a, 2022b).

Be active regularly.

Being active is one of the best ways to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. It can help lower weight and blood pressure, as well as improve cholesterol levels. It can also help improve insulin resistance and help keep your blood glucose levels in a healthy range.

More specifically, the CDC (2022b) recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This can be broken down into 30-minute walks over the course of 5 days. If you don't have time for a 30-minute walk, try splitting it up throughout the day. You can also start out with a 5- to 10-minute walk and gradually increase to 30 minutes. Common chores around the house and farm—such as cleaning, sweeping, and carrying heavy loads—are also beneficial forms of activity.

Lose weight. If you are overweight, even a small weight loss can be beneficial for your blood glucose levels. The CDC (2022b) explains that it considers a "small" weight loss to be losing 5–7% of your body weight, which, in turn, can reduce progression to type 2 diabetes by as much as 58% (71% if you're over 60). For a 200-pound person, that weight loss would be about 10–14 pounds.

Make healthy food choices.

Small steps can go a long way toward building healthy habits. Here are some useful tips for how to build healthy eating into your day:

• Cut down on calories by having smaller servings of your usual foods. Share your main course with a friend or family member when eating out at a restaurant or take half home to be eaten as a meal the next day.
• Choose foods that are roasted, broiled, grilled, or baked rather than those that are deep-fried or pan-fried.
• When you prepare food, choose vegetable oils (such as olive oil or canola oil) over ingredients high in saturated fat (including butter, lard, and shortening).
• Select at least one vegetable as part of every meal. At mealtime, use a 9-inch plate. Before adding your protein and carbohydrate foods, fill up half of the plate with a non-starchy vegetable such as Brussels sprouts, green beans, a leafy green salad, or cauliflower.
• Cut back on processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, or sausages. Aim for fish, chicken without the skin, and lean meats (such as round or loin cuts).
• Eat smaller portions of desserts and treats, such as ice cream, cakes, and cookies. Save these foods for special occasions. Instead, choose whole fruit without added sugars.
• Limit regular soft drinks and juice, and choose water or other calorie-free beverages instead.
• Choose lower-calorie snack foods (for example, popcorn instead of potato chips).
• Sign up for Penn State Extension's Dining with Diabetes workshop or webinar. This program is for adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes and their families. This series will increase your knowledge of healthful food choices and diabetes management. You can find and sign up for a Dining with Diabetes workshop or webinar by searching 'dining with diabetes' using the search bar at the top of this page.

Diabetes is a common but serious disease. If you learn that you are at risk for it, incorporate healthy lifestyle choices that will benefit you and your family. By staying physically active, making healthy food choices, and receiving support, you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

References:

American Diabetes Association. (n.d.) Tips for eating well.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022a). Diabetes risk factors. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022b). Prediabetes - Your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.