Reverse Your Prediabetes With These Effective 5 Lifestyle Changes
Mumbai, December 15, 2022
In current times, prediabetes is a health condition that is on a rise. According to recent reports over 96 million people who are 18 years and above are prediabetic worldwide. Blame it on stress, a sedentary lifestyle, or erratic eating habits, more and more youngsters are falling into the category of being prediabetic. The good news here is that certain lifestyle changes can help in reversing this condition.
Let us first understand what is prediabetes.
A person with prediabetes has blood sugar levels that are higher than usual but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. On the sugar level chart, the fasting sugar level of prediabetic patients would be between 100-125 mg/DL which is higher than the normal range of 99mg/DL or below, but lower than a diabetic patient with a typical 126mg/DL or more. Even the Hemoglobin A1C reading is recorded between 5.7 -6.4 percent, which is over the normal threshold.
If prediabetes is not managed well, it can turn in no time into type-2 diabetes -- a long-term medical condition where your body is no longer able to effectively absorb glucose, resulting in blood sugar levels. This further leads to long-term chronic health complications like heart attack, kidney failure, blindness, and other potentially fatal infections. If you fall under this category then this is a wake-up call, time to take some action.
Let’s take a look at 10 easy lifestyle changes that are highly effective in reversing this condition.
1. Shed some Pounds: Being overweight can run you into the danger of developing many major health issues. Additionally, studies in 2011 have proven that people with bigger waist circumferences ( waist size 40+ for men and 35+ for women) have shown drastic insulin resistance which causes the blood sugar level to elevate. Even though diabetes can occur at any age, blood sugar levels chart by age 40 tends to be mostly in the prediabetic range. This occurs because in middle-aged people the metabolism slows down and the tendency to gain weight becomes higher. Losing at least 5-7% of your body weight is recommended by experts if you want to reverse this condition. Healthy eating combined with regular strength training will help you shed those extra pounds and stay fit.
2. Regular workout with a focus on HIIT: Sedentary lifestyle is the biggest culprit for the cells to slack off and lose insulin sensitivity over a while. Working out regularly plays a vital key in reversing your prediabetic condition. When you work out, especially during high-intensity training, your body tends to take up the extra glucose present in the bloodstream to the muscle or body part that is being engaged during the exercise. This helps in regulating the blood sugar level effectively. Not just that, physical activities like dancing, hiking, jogging, and swimming release happy hormones that help you to keep the stress at bay.
3. Try Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent fasting (IF) is a rage among fitness enthusiasts and health freaks. This eating strategy works on restricting meal consumption only to a few hours and staying in a fasting state during the rest of the hours. IF can be practiced in various forms, the most common being the 16/8. Where you remain in fasting condition for 16 hours and consume food during the 8-hour window. How does this help? Numerous studies have suggested that staying in a fasting condition aids insulin sensitivity and reduces appetite among people. This in turn helps you to regulate blood glucose levels. It is also an effective way to reduce weight by restricting the calorie intake.
4. Reduce the intake of food with a high glycemic index (GI): Studies show that high-carbohydrate foods have been linked to increased insulin resistance, slowed metabolism, and weight gain. It’s good practice to stick to food items that have a lower glycemic index to improve insulin sensitivity. Food with low GI includes vegetables that are non-starchy like carrots, sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, and green leafy veggies like spinach, and lettuce. Seafood like fish, crab, shrimp, and legumes like lentils, peas, and soybeans are very low in carbs and are a rich source of proteins and healthy fats. You can also include nuts and seeds for added nourishment. A word of caution here, nuts like cashew, almonds, or even walnuts are calorie dense, so stay mindful to have these in restricted quantities.
5. Avoid alcohol and aerated drinks: Aerated drinks, canned juices, smoothies, milkshakes, alcohol, and mocktails are laden with sugar and are a source of empty calories. These have no nutrients and only will worsen your condition. Replace these with other refreshing drinks like salted fresh lime soda, and coconut water. Drink plenty of water as it has no carbohydrates, no fat, and no calories at all!
It might seem obvious, but you must fix an appointment with a doctor to discuss your prediabetic condition and take their expert advice on managing the symptoms.
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