I was recently informed by my doctor that I have ‘pre-diabetes’. Kindly let me know what this is.
Sulaiman (by SMS)
Pre-diabetes is an intermediate stage between normal blood sugar levels and diabetes. It is a warning for you to wake up and act, else you will end up being diabetic in months or even weeks. If you have other problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, then your doctor may ask you to start taking medicines to reduce blood sugar.
If you do not have any other issues, then you don’t need medicine. However, you need to make immediate lifestyle changes. Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder that occurs due to unhealthy eating (too much carbs and processed foods) and sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise).
Stress and lack of sleep can also contribute to high blood sugar levels. Here is what you can do to prevent becoming diabetic and bringing down your blood sugar levels to normal: Change your food habits. Reduce the carb intake. Eat more of fruits and vegetables. Aim for a balanced diet with carbs (complex carbs like whole wheat), healthy oils (fats), and sufficient proteins (atleast 0.8 gm per kg of body weight). Stop or drastically reduce eating processed foods (chips, pizza, burgers, baked foods, cookies, biscuits, pastries, etc). Stop taking sugar or at least try to reduce the quantity of sugar you consume.
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Exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. Even brisk walking is fine. Try to add resistance exercises or weight training to ensure you don’t lose too much muscle. Ensure you get a good night’s sleep (atleast 7 hours) and reduce your stress levels. Reduce your calorie intake so you can lose weight.
Even losing 2–3 kg of weight will be hugely beneficial for you. Get your blood sugar levels checked once a month and see your doctor at least once in three months.
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