Author

Sandra Wright

GET THE SUGAR OUT

A Guide to Prediabetes

Copyright © 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-

This edition of GET THE SUGAR OUT by Sandra Wright is published by an arrangement with Draft2Digital.

Notice

Medical knowledge is constantly changing. Standard safety precautions must be followed, but as new research and clinical experience broaden our knowledge, changes in treatment and drug therapy may become necessary or appropriate. Readers are advised to check the most current product information provided by the manufacturer of each drug to be administered, to verify the recommended dose, the method and the duration of administration, and the contraindications. It is the responsibility of the practitioner, relying on their own experience and knowledge of the patient, to determine dosages and the best treatment for each individual patient. Neither the publisher nor the authors assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from this publication.

The Publisher

Dedication

To

All diabetic and pre-diabetic patients

&

To

All Healthcare professionals involved in the fight against diabetes

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Combating the Diabetic Epidemic

The origins and dangers of prediabetes

How do I know I have prediabetes?

From prediabetes to diabetes (The transition)

A deadly blow to prediabetes

Dieting: Battling an unhealthy lifestyle

Junks in the kitchen cabinet

Watch your weight

Keep moving: The risks of being sedentary

About stress

Diagnosis

Spotting the metabolic syndrome

Diabetic tests and result interpretation

The elderly – special considerations

The danger of diabetes

Combating the short-term complications

About the long-term consequences

The risk to your sexual health and pregnancy

Preventing and reversing diabetes

The ten’s section

Ten myths about prediabetes

10+ staples for your food shelf

Ten things you or your prediabetic child should know

Further reading

Bibliography

Introduction

Prediabetes is a clinical condition that occurs just before the onset of type II diabetes. It occurs when the level of your blood sugar rises to extremely high levels, but not high enough to be diagnosed of diabetes. In the United States, no fewer than 57 million persons are affected by prediabetes.

Fasting blood sugar has a normal range of 100mg/dL or less. An individual is considered to have prediabetes when his fasting blood sugar level rises up to 126 mg/dL. It suffices to say that prediabetes is marked by a blood sugar level between 100 and 125 mg/dL. Prediabetic patients have a higher risk of getting down with a heart disease. Their risk of developing a heart disease is higher by 50% compared to people who have a normal blood sugar level. On the other hand, fully diagnosed diabetic patients have a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of heart disease. It is now known that prediabetic patients can delay the onset of diabetes or even prevent it by making adequate changes to their diet and lifestyle. There’s a rough estimate that more than half of people with prediabetes do develop full-blown Type II diabetes at some point in their lives.

Normally, medications are not given to prediabetic patients.  Instead, risk factors that may accelerate the onset of diabetes are combated and brought under control. Such factors include a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. Regular exercise and intake of balanced diets are keys to maintaining a good blood sugar level.  It is recommended that the patient undergoes a 30-minute non-stop exercise for five days in a week. For those who have lived a sedentary life for a prolonged period of time, they are advised to first consult with their physician before embarking on any exercise program.

No specific diet has been recommended or designed for those with prediabetes. However, a diabetes diet is appropriate for individuals affected by prediabetes. Part of this includes limiting the intake of foods high in sugar, sweetened beverages, and beverages with alcoholic content and fatty meats. Nevertheless, patients are encouraged to continue with intake of healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

A healthy diet plan is not complete without the

inclusion of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables in any form; cooked, raw or processed are healthy. Eat plenty of vegetables with a low carbohydrate content such as cucumber, green beans and carrots. Vegetables with a high starch content should be consumed in appropriate portion sizes. Among these include corn, winter squash and potatoes. Other carbohydrate foods and legumes (beans, etc.) should be consumed in recommended portions.

Consider it important to include proteins in your meal to ensure a balanced diet. Sources of protein include chicken, lean meat, fish and egg albumen (egg whites). Vegetarians should meet with a registered dietician to ensure that they’re taking in adequate quantities of protein to promote optimal nutrition. A prediabetes diet program can also include dairy products with a low fat content (such as low fat milk and yoghurt).

Prediabetics need a weight control program, especially the obese ones among them. You can kick-start this by drawing a healthy diet plan and increasing your level of physical activity. This plays an important role in delaying or preventing the onset of diabetes. Avoid or

Limit the intake of foods such as cakes, pastries, candy and sodas. You may use sugar-free alternatives such as diet soda, but only occasionally, just to increase the variety of your diet.

Pre-diabetics are advised to consult their physician on a regular basis to effectively monitor their condition and progress. This is very important because it has been discovered that many individuals who are prediabetic may proceed to full-blown diabetes if nothing is done about it. A lot of people think if a doctor tells them that they are pre-diabetic that, yes, they might have that warning sign, but they’ll wait until they actually become diabetic before they begin to make changes.

Please note that if you’ve been told that you are prediabetic, then the damage has already begun. The time to act is now! This is the right time to ask yourself what to do to prevent or delay the onset of the diabetes.

Prediabetes is associated with synonyms such as:

Altered or impaired fasting glucose

Insulin resistance

Impaired glucose tolerance

have a touch of sugar

Borderline diabetic

At risk for diabetes

Any of these terms implies that the individual is prediabetic.

Research and scientific studies have shown that the elderly are more at risk of becoming prediabetic. More than 50 percent of those above 65 years of age fall under this category. The most unfortunate thing about it is that most of the patients do not even know that they are prediabetic, it goes undiagnosed. Studies show that of every 6 prediabetic individuals, only one knows that he is in a prediabetic state. So if you are that one, then you’re luckier than your peers who do not know that their blood sugar level is higher than normal.

We need to understand that prediabetes is widespread, we need to know our blood sugar levels, and most importantly, we need to know that there are things we can do to prevent or delay the onset of Type II diabetes. You should agree with me on this, yes!

It is time we take prediabetes seriously. It is something that can be impacted on and we should start that right

Away. A prediabetic patient has his risk of a stroke or a heart attack increased by 50% and this occurs even before they are diabetic. It is no longer news that heart