Pre diabetes
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What are the symptoms of diabetes or Pre diabetes?

In AMERICA, MORE ARE DIABETIC OR PRE DIABETIC THAN WATCH THE SUPER BOWL.

According to the CDC, 122 million American's have diabetes (34 Million) and pre diabetes (88 Million). But only an estimated 98 Million American's watched Super Bowl LV. That means that you are statistically more likely to be diabetic or pre-diabetic than you are to watch to Super Bowl. But most people don't know they have it.

This is a serious problem and it’s getting worse every year. In 1980, there were 108 million adults suffering from diabetes globally, today that number has risen to well over 400 million. 

The CDC now predicts that 1 in 3 U.S. adults suffer from prediabetes and 85% of those people don’t know they are prediabetic.  Not knowing if you suffer from prediabetes is a serious issue considering that 70% because it only increases the risk of prediabetes progressing to full-blown type 2 diabetes. 

Do you want to know if you should be concerned about prediabetes? Take our 1-min test to assess your prediabetes risk.

WHAT IS PREDIABETES?

You may be wondering what it means to be prediabetic. Prediabetes means that your blood markers of diabetes are elevated but not quite high enough to be considered diabetic. Being diagnosed with prediabetes puts you at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes which is why early diagnosis and intervention is so important. One of the most alarming details about our increased rates of prediabetes is the age groups being affected. Of those nearly 88 million adults diagnosed with prediabetes, only 24.2 million are aged 65 or older. This means that age is no longer the best predictor and that prediabetes is starting to affect our population at a younger and younger age.

Prediabetes Symptoms

Prediabetes can manifest itself in many ways from high fasting blood sugar to weight gain and chronic fatigue. This is one of the reasons why so many people don’t realize they have prediabetes, the symptoms do not always appear to be related to the condition.

Here are a few of the most common prediabetes symptoms:

- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Excess hunger between meals 
- Fatigue
- Weight gain or trouble losing weight
- Blurred vision
- Brain fog

While these symptoms can be indicators of prediabetes, they can also be indicators of other health complications which is why it is important to diagnose prediabetes to be sure. 

How to Reverse Prediabetes

You may be wondering if prediabetes is reversible? The answer is yes! Prediabetes medication can and in some circumstances should be used but prediabetes treatment should also consist of lifestyle interventions like diet and exercise. In fact, research has shown that 70% of individuals with prediabetes who do not follow a diet program progress to type 2 diabetes so the biggest emphasis should be on diet. 

Effective prediabetes management must consider the role of nutrition. While there is no specific prediabetes diet plan, we do know that carbohydrates play a big role in prediabetes so low carb is a great strategy for a prediabetes diet.  

You may be wondering if there is a prediabetes food list you can follow. Here is a short list to help you get a feeling of what foods are best to eat and avoid or limit when you have prediabetes 

Prediabetes Foods

- Meat
- Eggs
- Fish
- Vegetables
- Low Glycemic Fruits

Prediabetes Foods to Avoid

- Sugar
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice
- Oatmeal
- High Glycemic Fruit
- Soda/Sugar Sweetened
- Beverages 

Take Home

Prediabetes is a serious issue in our country. In addition to the 1 in 3 adults diagnosed with prediabetes, research has estimated that nearly 89% of our adult population is metabolically unhealthy which means they are on the path towards prediabetes.

The good news about prediabetes is there is something you can do about it and we want to help. Check out our BioCoach program to finally get the help you need to take control of your health and combat prediabetes.

Medical Review

This is a picture of Dr. Jaime Seeman, M.D., a board certified nutrition specialist and OBGYN based in Omaha

Dr. Jaime Seeman, MD

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Jaime Seeman, MD - a practicing OBGYN and board certified nutrition specialist based in Omaha, Nebraska.