When it comes to chronic conditions like diabetes, a preventive approach is wisest. Annual physicals allow for early detection of prediabetes, and an early diagnosis can give you a chance to improve your health and prevent the development of full-blown diabetes.
At Indus Healthcare, conveniently located in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California, Dr. Amit Paliwal checks for prediabetes at your annual physical and provides chronic care management if you do have diabetes.
Detecting prediabetes
Prediabetes is a borderline condition that indicates you’re high-risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Nearly 50% of the US population has prediabetes by age 65, and many people are developing the condition at an earlier age. If ignored, prediabetes can quickly develop into diabetes, and you’ll be stuck with a chronic condition that’s difficult and costly to treat.
To avoid becoming one of the millions of people living with diabetes, stay vigilant and run routine tests with your doctor. Prediabetes screening should begin at age 35, though you’re smart to ask for a test earlier if you’re overweight or have a family history of diabetes.
7 steps to reverse prediabetes
To reverse your diabetes, try to make the following simple changes in your life:
1. Stay active
You don’t have to get a gym membership or start running for hours every day to stay active. Daily walks, short sessions on a treadmill or exercise bike, or even dance sessions or water aerobics can help you develop a better relationship with physical activity.
2. Stop smoking
Quitting cigarettes is the best way to improve your health overall. Cutting out nicotine improves how your body uses insulin, reducing your insulin resistance and helping to prevent diabetes.
3. Eat with awareness
Many people go through repeated cycles with their eating habits, planning extremely strict meal plans that they then struggle to follow up on. Instead of making immediate, drastic changes, just choose a few foods that can be replaced with healthier alternatives as a start.
4. Get checked for other conditions
Untreated conditions like sleep apnea and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have been linked to insulin resistance. If your bed partner or roommate complains about snoring, you might be suffering from sleep apnea, while irregular, painful periods are a sign of PCOS. Diagnosis and treatment for either condition can help reduce your body’s resistance to insulin and stave off diabetes.
5. Drink more water
Your body is healthier when it’s hydrated, and you’re more likely to drink water if you keep a bottle close by at all times. Replacing sweetened drinks with water can make a huge difference in your blood sugar levels, since you won’t be ingesting large amounts of sugar in each beverage.
6. Watch the carbs, not the scale
While shedding excess weight is a great way to reverse prediabetes, it’s easier said than done. The best way to make changes is to pay attention to carb counts. Fruits, white bread and rice, and sugary snacks can quickly affect your blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables give you energy without the glucose spike.
7. Track your progress
Keep a food and activity journal. If you test your blood sugar daily, add those notes to your entries. This will help Dr. Paliwal get a better idea of how you’re doing and how your daily habits could be affecting your prediabetic condition.
To learn more about prediabetes and how to reverse it, schedule a consultation with one of our providers by calling the location closest to you, or visit the contact page for more options.
