The first thing you should know about prediabetes is that it is asymptomatic, meaning that if you are a person who suffers from this condition, you will not feel any particular discomfort related to it. You will not have headaches, dizziness, fatigue or visible body signs.
But prediabetes is the initial stage of type II diabetes mellitus, which is a fairly serious disease and causes various discomforts. That is why the best way to prevent the occurrence of prediabetes is to verify the risk factors that may predispose you to it.
Risk factors in prediabetes
Below we provide you with a list of 5 signs that can help you determine if you may be suffering from prediabetes:
- Family genetic history: if in your family or ancestors there have been at least 3 generations of people who have suffered from type II diabetes mellitus, your predisposition is quite high, with a probability of between 80% and 100%, according to the presence of the gene and the number of members who have suffered from it.
- Tests: If, after performing at least 2 or 3 blood glucose tests, your values have been between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter on an empty stomach.
- Fast-paced lifestyle: if your work days and daily lifestyle do not leave much time for food or diets, and you consume only fast foods, sweets or sweets with a high carbohydrate content, sugary drinks and sweets, you should have a medical check-up. and check your blood values; especially those that have to do with metabolism, such as glycemia, cholesterol, cortisol and triglycerides.
- Need to consume sweets: drinking sugary drinks, a lot of thirst and the urge to urinate quite frequently is a clear sign that you could be on the path to prediabetes or diabetes.
- Difficulties healing small or large wounds.
Indicators of prediabetes
Prediabetes: is a set of primary conditions linked to diabetes, which begin to appear at any age, and which are conditioned by some factors, both hereditary and dietary, quality of life, and consumption of sugar or glucose in quantities greater than normal. recommended by nutrition specialists.
Some research studies in US universities indicate in their statistics that more than 54 million Americans are suffering from prediabetes, and that this number continues to increase at an exponential rate; That is why if a projection of the Western world is made, the levels of prediabetes would be a little alarming.
How to determine if you have prediabetes?
Will it take too many tests to determine if you have prediabetes? The answer to this question is no. Blood sugar at high levels, but not enough to diagnose diabetes as such, can be an indicator that in the coming years you could suffer from the disease, which is ultimately the evil feared by many and which tells you that you should radically change. your lifestyle.
Prediabetes prevention
Below we present a list of 4 preventive measures to avoid prediabetes:
- Change your lifestyle: abandon a sedentary life and dedicate yourself to doing at least half an hour of exercise daily.
- Change fast food rich in carbohydrates and sugars for a healthy diet abundant in vegetables, greens and salads. Increase dietary fiber and prefer not to consume fried foods, but rather steamed, grilled or cooked.
- Avoid sugar intake and replace it with sweeteners that are not fructose, cellulose or lactose-based.
- Improve your diet: change sweets for fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, melon, watermelons, passion fruit and guavas. Change your drinks, abandon sugary sodas and soft drinks for sugar-free fruit juices and if it is necessary to sweeten, do so with sweeteners.
- Increase your intake of vegetables: chard, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, celery, peppers, tomatoes, avocado, among other vegetables. Create your own salads to complement white meat, chicken and fish, reduce red meat and eliminate pork completely.