By Mary Ircink, parish nurse
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3John 2)
Prediabetes means that blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes. It is a serious health condition that increases the risk of
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
It is estimated that 1 of every 3 US adults has prediabetes and the vast majority of people living with prediabetes do not know they have it.
Without lifestyle changes to improve health, a large percentage of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes.
The most powerful and proven ways to prevent diabetes are:
- Lose weight
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day
- Eat healthy
- Quit smoking
- Manage your stress
Talk to your healthcare provider. Explore some of the risk assessments American Diabetes Association or CDC (Center for Disease Control) has on their web sites.
If you are thinking of changing your diet, a great place to start – and a resource that is free – is choosemyplate.gov. Million Hearts is another great website with recipes and meal plans – recipes.millionhearts.hhs.gov/