Who, Me??!! Prediabetes??

Who, me??!!  Prediabetes?? Well, that’s exactly what I thought to myself when I recently saw my A1C blood test results- 5.9 – clearly in the prediabetes blood test range of 5.7-6.4. Greater than or equal to 6.5 is considered diabetes.

For those of you who do not  know what the A1C test is, it is a reflection of your overall blood sugar levels over a 2-3 month period.  Why did I ask to have this test done on my annual physical blood testing?  Well, my fasting glucose number had been slowly creeping up over the years (although still in the “normal” range), I had gained a little weight and I do have diabetes in my family, so I was curious.  Actually, I had a little intuition going on, but I was still very surprised to get that diagnosis.

I am wondering, have you ever had an A1C test?  Most people do not know about this test, unless they are overweight and their doctor suspects diabetes.  It’s a valuable tool, since it is not just a snapshot of one day’s fasting blood sugar.

For those of you who know me, have taken a class from me (I am a wellness coach, in addition to a life and style coach) or have been following my blog know that I have had a gluten, dairy, and soy free diet among other food sensitivities for years and I am very careful about what I eat (the picture on this page reflects the kind of things I eat, mostly).  Or I thought I was being careful….

I had not given up sugar completely, because I do enjoy making gluten free chocolate chunk cookies with my granddaughter about once a week.  However, I would have some dough (of course), eat one and then send them to work with my husband or home with my granddaughter, so I would not be tempted to eat more.

Just how much very dark chocolate was I consuming in a day?  It all adds up.

The only other real source of sugar in my diet were “protein” bars that  would eat as a snack – which I now see have 12 -15 grams of sugar in them or LARA bars which have a high sugar content by way of the dates they are made of.  I really didn’t pay attention to that, because in my 20’s I had been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, so I had been taught to eat 6 small meals a day and not allow myself too hungry between meals.

I am also fond of fruit, so bananas, apples, berries, oranges and dried fruit were/are a part of my diet, too.  In smoothies and with peanut butter or unsweetened sunflower seed butter.  Not that these are bad for you. Fruits are an important part of a healthy diet.  But too much fruit can keep your blood sugar levels up, especially when eaten alone without fat or protein.  I was in the habit of eating half a banana when I first got up.

Upon my nurse practitioner’s advice, I am testing my blood sugar myself first thing in the morning before eating and several times a day to determine what foods may make my blood sugar rise dramatically.

You may be wondering what are the risk factors for prediabetes.  They are:

1. Obesity and weight gain.  Dramatically increases the risk of diabetes and has contributed to the explosion of prediabetes and diabetes in our country.
2. Physical inactivity.
3. Cigarette smoking.
4. Low fiber and a highly processed food diet.
5. Saturated fats.  May worsen insulin resistance and increase diabetes risk.
6. Sugar sweetened beverages.  Again a habit that is rampant in this country.  With no nutritional value at all.

The good news is:  you can turn prediabetes around by lowering your intake of of sugar, processed food, non-whole grain flour foods, and too much fruit. Adding a consistent exercise program to your lifestyle is very important. If you feel you are at risk, ask your health care practitioner for the A1C test.

I found good sources of information about prediabetes in these books (no affiliation):

The Prediabetes Diet Plan by Hillary Wright, The Prediabetes Detox by Sarah Cimperman and Everything Guide to Managing and Reversing Pre-Diabetes by Gretchen Scalpi.

Ready for a life and style makeover for a healthy and amazing new year?  Ready to lose some weight, so you aren’t at risk for prediabetes or diabetes?  Contact me now!!

Wishing you  a happy and healthy new year!!