Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are not quite in the range of diabetes, but are higher than normal. Normal blood sugar is generally considered below 100 mg/dL. According to the Cleveland Clinic, prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, and most people with prediabetes will become diabetic within 10 years of their prediabetes diagnosis. Fortunately, behavioral interventions can often prevent someone with normal blood sugar from developing prediabetes or diabetes.
Step 1
Monitor your blood glucose at home every day. Commercial blood glucose monitors can be purchased through a doctor, pharmacy or medical supply store. Testing involves taking a small drop of blood from the fingertip and wiping it on a test strip to be inserted into the machine. The device reads the level of sugar in the blood and displays it as the number of milligrams per deciliter. The goal of home monitoring is to eat in such a way as to maintain a steady blood glucose level throughout the day and not let it spike or drop rapidly.
Step 2
Eat a diet designed for diabetics. This includes eating smaller meals more often during the day, breaking up daily food intake into four to five daily meals and a few healthy snacks. Foods chosen should be low in fat and salt and high in fiber. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are good choices for a prediabetes prevention diet. Typically, a diet to prevent prediabetes will involve 40 to 60 percent of daily calorie intake from carbohydrates, 20 percent from protein and under 30 percent from fats. A diabetic cookbook can help with preparing healthy meals that keep blood sugar under control.
Step 3
Increase your physical activity. The American Diabetes Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise on five days of each week. This is especially important for people who are overweight, since even a small weight loss of 10 to 15 lbs. can help keep blood sugar levels under control. Some good choices for exercise include jogging, swimming and cycling.
Step 4
Control blood pressure and cholesterol levels. While these things may seem unrelated to blood sugar, they actually can affect how the body processes glucose. The goal is to keep cholesterol lower than 200 mg/dL and blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg.
Things You'll Need
- Home blood glucose monitor
- Diabetic cookbook
