What causes prediabetes and how to reverse it?
Prediabetes is a serious health condition, where you have high insulin levels coupled with above the normal blood sugar levels, although not high enough (yet) to be classed as type2 diabetes. Known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, prediabetes can develop into type 2 if not carefully managed. Prediabetes is reversible. Today we will discuss the causes of prediabetes, what we can do to combat the causes and how to reverse your diabetes risks for good!
Prediabetes can be an inconspicuous condition: you might be living with it right now and have no clue! There may be no symptoms so once you start developing the signs it could already too late and you may have already become fully diabetic. So, if you can’t see any obvious symptoms for prediabetes, what should you look out for? The most sure-fire way to stop prediabetes, is to stop it at the “source”, if we fully understand the causes, we can stop prediabetes before it can develop further into type 2.
Why should I be worried about prediabetes?
Prediabetes is largely an asymptomatic condition showing few signs or symptoms. This is a concern because prediabetes can be present within a person for years with them having no clues about their situation. Obvious symptoms may only begin when the condition deteriorates further into the fully-diabetic stage. At this point there is a whole other scale of health problem for you to deal with! If you manage a diagnosis for prediabetes, you have a much better chance of preventing more severe health conditions like type 2 diabetes, stroke and kidney failure.. the list goes on.
What causes prediabetes?
- Sedentary lifestyle when you have an inactive lifestyle you have a much higher risk of developing prediabetes, generally it is recommended to have at least 3 instances of physical activity each week, this could simply be going for a walk. (Of course, when it comes to activity, more is better!)
- Obesity being overweight can put you at a higher risk of prediabetes along with many other serious health problems.
- Family history of diabetes If members of your family have diabetes or have dealt with gestational diabetes you, in turn, have an increased risk of prediabetes.
- Gestational diabetes if you suffered from gestational diabetes during pregnancy, you have an increased risk of developing prediabetes and ultimately type2 diabetes.
- Advanced age according to the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) anyone who is 45+ years of age has a higher risk of developing prediabetes.
How will I know if I have prediabetes?
You can have prediabetes diagnosed with a blood test (such as HbA1c) which a Healthcare professional will order to assess whether you have prediabetes. Unfortunately, as we have touched on previously, prediabetes does not have clear symptoms so if you are suffering from symptoms, it is quite likely because your prediabetes has progressed to type 2 diabetes. Even people who believe they live a healthy lifestyle are susceptible to prediabetes. They could be living with prediabetes for decades with no symptoms, then out of nowhere, they are diagnosed with type 2.
I exercise 3 times every week, am I at risk of Prediabetes?
Those of us that exercise regularly like to believe we are healthy, but exercise is only a small factor in determining our overall health. T e rule is 80 : 20, ie around 80% of our health comes from nutrition and perhaps 20% from exercise. For this reason, people who exercise regularly are especially vulnerable to prediabetes. If you eat lots of ultra-processed foods and gorge on sweet treats, it doesn’t matter how much exercise you do, you will still be at great risk of prediabetes and later type 2.
How can I reverse prediabetes?
Thankfully, prediabetes can be reversed! It can be a challenging journey on your own to reverse prediabetes, but it is perfectly possible. To achieve this, you will need to tackle the root causes of prediabetes which can be accomplished with a mixture of lifestyle changes and adjusting your diet. Take out any junk food and include more nutritional “real food” This can seem like a daunting task, which is why ProLongevity offer a range of services all sharing the common goal to help stop prediabetes in its tracks and reverse the condition so people can live healthier, happier lives. To reverse prediabetes, it is crucial that you maintain a good nutritional diet, which ProLongevity can help you achieve. Assisted by our CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) we can see what is causing your blood sugar to spike and help prevent this through structured adjustments to your diet. We are all different and what might be spiking your blood sugar may be something you would have never considered.