Pre-diabetes- take control & get my top 5 steps to help prevent or reverse it
Are your energy levels on the floor? Perhaps your weight has been slowly creeping up and you’re finding it difficult to shift, despite everything you try? This is common with many people I see in clinic however, some of these people are surprised to find themselves with pre-diabetes. Often it’s easy to dismiss the risk, as the shift into pre-diabetes can happen almost without you noticing it.
COULD IT BE ME?
One in six people over the age of 40 is likely to have diabetes itself, with many more in the grey area of the pre-diabetes stage. Common risk factors for pre-diabetes include being overweight, having a close relative who has a diabetes diagnosis, high blood pressure or low HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, if you’re over 40 or have given birth to a baby over 9 pounds.
Diabetes is diagnosed by testing your fasting plasma glucose level, your oral glucose tolerance and your HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar levels). Pre- diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but can often lead to type 2 diabetes if no action is taken.
Once you know your numbers, you can do something about it and make a huge shift in all aspects of your health, including your weight. Whatever the tests say, by making some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, it is possible to prevent, control and, in some cases, reverse this condition.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK THIS APPLIES TO YOU
Your GP will be able to organise blood tests for you. You can also get tested privately. I offer a range of biochemical tests and can work with you to make manageable changes to your diet and lifestyle to get your health back on track.
From a nutrition professional, what I’m about to say may sound a little biased, but I have seen so many diabetic clients receive unhelpful and incorrect advice about what to eat . Unfortunately, doctors receive no training in nutrition and have no other option than to follow the Eatwell Guide (published by Public Health England) – which, sadly, is outdated and not evidence-based. You may have been told that you could fix this by shifting weight, by just starving yourself into losing a handful of pounds. This is not going to fix the underlying problem and doesn’t work if fundamentally you haven’t made changes to your diet and lifestyle for the long term .
What does work is a whole diet and lifestyle approach. I work with my clients to guide them to make better food choices that help lower their blood sugar levels. The strategy we create is tailored to you and no one else. What you like to eat, avoiding what you don’t like to eat, making changes at a speed that feels right for you to achieve your goals. We also look at these results in a bigger context of other annoying symptoms you might be experiencing and try to mop those up as we go along, too. You would be surprised the impact you can make on your health and how you experience life.
MY TOP 5 STEPS TO GET YOU STARTED:
1. Eat three well-balanced meals (and if needed have up to two healthy snacks) per day. A well balanced meal will contain good quality protein, plenty of vegetables, healthy fats and some slow releasing carbohydrates such as whole grains or starchy vegetables. Avoid refined white carbs such as white rice, bread and pasta s and it goes without saying to avoid sugar.
2. Eat foods which keep you feeling fuller for longer ( see step 1!) and don’t allow yourself to become starving hungry, so you end up having to go for anything you can get your hands on.
3. Check your labels -food manufacturers sneak sugar into processed foods and this is not just the sweet stuff -most shop bought soups, sauces and even some breads contain sugar.
4. Cook from scratch-it’s the only way to ensure that you’re putting the right kind of ingredients into your meals and you can control the amount of sugar too. Try to think of foods and meals you can make yourself rather than going for shop bought versions.
5. Meal planning sound like a chore but it can be especially helpful when switching to healthier options. This will help prevent you from reaching out for unhelpful foods because you are unprepared.