How To Control Early Diabetes (Pre-diabetic)

How To Control Early Diabetes (Pre-diabetic)

Early diabetes, in medical terms, is the period when blood sugar levels are almost on the borderline. It is also looked upon as a warning sign for the patient before he gets diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Fortunately, type-2 diabetes is avoidable if you can take control of it during the pre-diabetic stage. In this blog, we will take you through the necessary steps, changes, and restrictions that you need to follow if you wish to control early diabetes before it gets worse. 

To simplify it even further, we just need to follow the DCMR Rule:

Following the DCMR rule, you can not only control your diabetes but also lead a healthy life.

Do:  Here we will talk about the activities or habits that health professionals encourage you to add to your lifestyle. 

Balanced Diet: Starting with a balanced diet will help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels while ensuring you’re taking the right nutrients in the right proportions. Include a mix of lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet. To simplify it even further, we are sharing a chart with a list of food options for each of the aforementioned nutrients. 

Complex Carbohydrates: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Oats, Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Grain Pasta, Corn, and Peas.

Vegetables and Fruits: Carrots, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, Strawberries, Grapefruits, Apples, Raspberries, Bananas, Grapes, Peaches, and more. 

Lean Proteins: Poultry, Fish, Tofu, Legumes, and Low-Fat Dairy

Healthy Fats: Avocados, Nuts, and Olive Oil 

Regular Exercise: A regular workout regime, as we all know, is good for health. But let’s focus on how differently it will work out for somebody struggling with pre-diabetes. Adding the following activities to your regime will improve your insulin sensitivity while building and maintaining muscle mass. Improved insulin sensitivity means your body will be able to utilize insulin more effectively. Meanwhile, muscle mass assists in better blood sugar control. 

Engage in physical activities such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming.

Hydration: Hydration, as per health professionals, is said to be directly linked with your blood sugar levels. These two are so closely related to each other that dehydration will lead to an imbalance in blood sugar. Thus, it is recommended to replenish your bodily fluids regularly. Not limited to this, hydration has several other health benefits for someone with high blood sugar levels that we will discuss below:

• Hydration improves the ability of cells to utilize insulin more efficiently. 
• Diabetes could deteriorate kidney health; thus, proper hydration encourages kidney health. 
• At times, the signals for thirst might be mistaken for hunger, which may lead us to overeat. Thus, regular hydration will ensure this does not happen. 
• Hydration improves digestive health, which in turn aids in the absorption of nutrients from food. 

Changes: Here we will talk about the activities or habits that health professionals encourage you to add to your lifestyle. 

Portion Control: Controlling your portion size can give you the power to control your diabetes. Of the many factors regulating your blood sugar levels, what you eat and how much you eat hold much greater significance than others. Having covered what you need to eat, let’s come down to how you can control the portion size of what you eat and why it is important. 

• Blood Sugar Regulation: Smaller portion sizes mean a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream, which ensures the insulin management mechanism works smoothly. 
• Caloric Intake Management: It is medically proven that obesity makes you more prone to getting type 2 diabetes, along with many other diseases. With portion control, you lead towards a healthier, more sustainable body weight. 
• Hunger Control: This is another major factor that you need to be mindful of with diabetes. By controlling your portion sizes, you successfully prevent overeating or excessive snacking that could lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. 
• Mindful Eating: Being in control of how much to eat encourages mindful eating, where you foster a healthier relationship with the food that you eat. 

Stress Management: As it may not look on the outside, stress plays a vital role in managing your diabetes. If handled carefully, it could help you regulate your blood sugar levels and vice versa. Let’s look deeper into why stress management is crucial for someone struggling with pre-diabetes. 

• Chronic stress is known to trigger the release of hormones such as cortisol or adrenaline that contribute to increased blood sugar levels. 
• Chronic stress can also affect your body’s ability to utilize insulin, ultimately leading to reduced insulin sensitivity. 
• People dealing with stress are known to adopt unhealthy eating habits, thus losing control over every factor that may trigger their blood sugar levels. 
• Similarly, people dealing with stress tend to adopt unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, excessive sleep, insomnia, no workouts, etc., which can negatively impact their health. 

It is encouraged to practice activities that are known to reduce stress, such as meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises that can be practiced anywhere, anytime. Spend more time around nature or other peaceful environments that make you feel positive about life. More importantly, regulate your sleep cycle to control your stress levels. Good, sound sleep can positively affect your body’s ability to use insulin, thus increasing insulin sensitivity. 

Monitoring and Awareness:

In this part, we are going to talk about activities that you need to monitor regularly to avert type-2 diabetes. 

Regular Monitoring: The battle with diabetes could be more complicated than any other health issue because you need to be extra careful with every aspect/ activity of your life. No matter how strictly you have been following the aforementioned regime, regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is a must. Regular blood sugar level monitoring could help you identify certain patterns so you can make more mindful decisions about dietary and lifestyle choices. 

Below is a chart to help you monitor blood sugar levels pre and post-meal:

Fasting Blood Sugar Levels:

Normal Range: Less than 5.6 mmol/L

Pre-diabetes (Impaired Fasting Glucose): 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L

Diabetes: 7.0 mmol/L or higher

Postprandial (Two Hours After Eating) Blood sugar levels:

Normal Range: Less than 7.8 mmol/L

Pre-diabetes (Impaired Glucose Tolerance): 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L

Diabetes: 11.1 mmol/L or higher

Limit Sugary Foods: Alongside the blood sugar levels, you also need to monitor your sugar intake. Sugars can rapidly increase your blood sugar levels, thus creating a problem with your body’s insulin coping mechanism. It’s advised to minimize consumption of sugar through artificial means and switch to healthier alternatives, such as fresh fruits or natural sweeteners. 

Quitting/Limiting: 

Last but not least, there are certain activities that you must limit or bid adieu to while battling with diabetes. 

Quit Smoking: Smoking, as we all know, is a warm invitation to an endless number of health complications in your life, diabetes being one of them. As a pre-diabetic, the best you can do in a bid to avert the risk of type-2 diabetes is to quit smoking as soon as you can. Instead of getting into ways in which smoking worsens your diabetes, let’s positively focus on ways to quit smoking. 

• Seek support from smoking cessation programs, support groups, health professionals, therapists, and more. 
• You may consider opting for a nicotine replacement theory or taking a medicinal course under the guidance of a qualified health professional. 
• Since many people relate smoking to stress, engage in stress-relieving activities that may keep you distracted from the urge to smoke. 
• This goes for everyone; build a healthy lifestyle habit to support the process of quitting. 

Limit Alcohol Intake: While alcohol is universally consumed, it is taken more moderately compared to smoking. However, it still poses a risk of disrupting blood sugar levels. For those struggling with pre-diabetes, alcohol consumption can lead to more health-related complications and interfere with your diabetes management program. 

Do follow the tips shared below if you are pre-diabetic and consume alcohol:

• Limit the number of drinks that you take every day/ week. 
• Try switching to beverages with low-alcohol content by volume or non-alcoholic alternatives. 
• Avoid cocktails with high sugar content. 
• Eat healthy and compatible snacks while drinking alcohol. 
• Monitor your blood sugar levels before and after drinking alcohol to make more mindful choices the next time.  

Living with the knowledge of being on the borderline of diabetes presents an opportunity for positive change. By focusing on a holistic approach that encompasses dietary adjustments, lifestyle modifications, and regular monitoring, individuals can effectively manage and even reverse the course of prediabetes. Remember, small, consistent efforts yield significant results. Embrace a balanced diet, prioritize regular exercise, and make mindful choices that foster overall well-being. Engage with healthcare professionals for personalized guidance, and with determination and the right support, it’s possible to rewrite the narrative, turning the page toward a healthier, diabetes-free future. Each small step taken today is a stride toward a vibrant and fulfilling life.