How long does it take to reverse prediabetes?

How long does it take to reverse prediabetes? The timeline can vary significantly based on individual factors such as lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and overall health. For some people, with consistent and focused efforts, it may take about 3 to 6 months to see significant improvements in blood sugar levels. However, for others, it might take a year or more to fully reverse prediabetes. It’s essential to work closely with a healthcare provider to monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments to your plan.

Pre-diabetes is a condition that, if left untreated, can exacerbate and lead to diabetes. How to diagnose your stage of pre-diabetes? How to avoid exacerbation of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes?

What are the warning signs of prediabetes?

Often, pre-diabetes is detected by chance through a routine screening examination, because those who suffer from pre-diabetes do not experience any decline in their health.

If you have one of the following prediabetes signs, that doesn’t mean you are prediabetic. However, you can discuss with your doctor these symptoms to see if you may better change your habits or lifestyle.

Check out prediabetes foods to avoid

• Blurry vision.
• Cold extremities.
• Excessive thirst and dry mouth.
• Frequent urination and increased risk of urinary tract infections.
• Nervousness and anxiety.
• Itchy skin.
• Neuropathic prediabetes symptoms such as tingling, numbness, burning sensation, and pain.
• Immunocompromised and more susceptible to infections.
• Thick, dark patches on the skin (especially near the elbow, neck, and armpits)
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Slow wound healing.

Prediabetes symptoms skin

Sometimes, during a physical examination, the doctor may find areas of the body that have dark-gray hyperpigmentation, especially in the folds of the body. This hyperpigmentation could be an indication of a pre-diabetes condition. However, the best indications for us are good about the processes that symbolize the emergence and development of diabetes in the future are the various tests and their results.

What are the tests that can be done to diagnose prediabetes?

Prediabetes can be diagnosed through several tests:

Fasting blood sugar test 

in the results, normal glucose values ​​range from 70 to 100 mg / dL. As against, the glucose level is higher than 126 mg / dL. In the fasting state, it is convenient to diagnose diabetes. In the average case, the range is between 100 and 126 mg / dL. We are talking about pre-diabetes.

Glucose tolerance test 

A test in which they require the recipient to drink 75 grams of glucose. After about two hours, his blood sugar level is checked. Values ​​between 140-200 mg / dL are considered “glucose intolerance”, and this means a high probability of developing prediabetes.

Glycosylated hemoglobin test (hemoglobin A1c)

If values ​​are greater than 5.7% to 6.4% then the patient is probably prediabetic. A level of 6.5% and above is appropriate for the diagnosis of diabetes.

Who needs to be tested to diagnose prediabetes or diabetes?

Under the recommendations of the ADA (American Diabetes Association), they recommended that fasting glucose be tested for: 

1- Everyone aged 45 years and over, once every 3 years, also, screening before this age is recommended.

2- For people with risk factors for diabetes:

• Who have a family history of diabetes.
• Those who are overweight.
• Mothers who developed gestational diabetes in the past. the birth of a child weighing over 4 kg in the past, and others. 
• People with a sedentary lifestyle.

In certain cases, the attending physician may decide to perform a sugar load test as well, or even a glycosylated hemoglobin test.

How common is prediabetes?

Recently, cases of pre-diabetes are very common among people. According to ADA data, it was found that in 2007 alone, about 57 million people developed pre-diabetes in the United States. It is estimated that about 30% of the adult population (over 20 years of age) in developed countries suffers from this condition. The prevalence increases with age, but prediabetes is also present in adolescents and children, mainly in those who are obese.

Why is it important to diagnose pre-diabetes?

Firstly, those who suffer from pre-diabetes are at an increased risk of developing all diabetes complications: damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerve extremities, and even cardiovascular disease. 

However, the prevalence of these complications is lower than that of people with diabetes, and through correct treatment and follow-up, it is possible to prevent and avoid the development of complications and treat them at an early stage.

Second, the transition from a “pre-diabetes” state to diabetes itself can be avoided through proper nutrition, exercise, and sometimes even medication.

Practically, prediabetes is a condition through which the body signals us, silently and almost imperceptibly, that it needs balance. Type 2 diabetes is considered one of the “modern epidemics”, a large percentage of the population suffers from it and from its unpleasant complications that affect the quality of human life and health.

However, that condition can be treated to avoid developing diabetes.

What is the treatment for pre-diabetes?

However, if you were diagnosed with pre-diabetes, several health principles should be adhered to, for sure, to prevent the transition to diabetes:

• Nutrition and sport (physical) activity – Major research has shown that proper nutrition, a reduction of between 5-7 percent of body weight, and regular physical activity for about 150 minutes per week, would prevent the aggravation of the condition and reach diabetes in about 60% of recipients. treatment. It is a very great prevention rate from infection with this disease and by very simple means.
• Quitting smoking – there is a significant effect of quitting smoking on preventing diabetes.
• Medicines – Some drugs have been tested in people with prediabetes and have been shown to have specific protective capabilities, such as metformin (Glucophage, Glucosamine), Acarbose (Prandase), and Orlistat (Xenical). Of the drugs examined, the most acceptable is metformin, which can reduce diabetes development by up to 30%. It should be noted that according to the directives in effect today, this drug should be administered only to recipients of treatment who are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, according to the considerations of the attending physician.

In parallel with the effort to reduce blood sugar levels, attention must be given to normal blood pressure levels, as well as lipid values ​​and

Healthy cholesterol in the blood. These are vital to reducing the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels.

Can you reverse prediabetes?

Yes, you can reverse prediabetes – if you consume the right foods and get active. Scientists believe that interfering with lifestyle can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes for up to 10 years. If you start dealing with diabetes at an early stage, you will reduce your risk of developing the disease.

Check out Can Diabetics Eat Mango?

Food to eat if you are prediabetic

Vegetables 

• Pumpkin,
• Spinach. 
• Turnip. 
• Radish. 
• Collard greens. 
• Green radish.
• Swiss chard. 
• Brussels sprouts. 
• Tomatoes. 
• Cucumbers. 
• Green peppers. 
• Eggplant. 
• Rhubarb. 
• Cabbage. 
• Cauliflower. 
• Broccoli.
• Bok choy.
• Chives.
• Onions Green.
• Onion.
• Celery.
• Fennel.
• Purple cabbage.

Fruit – 

• Apple.
• Avocado.
• Cantaloupe.
• Banana.
• Watermelon (high in sugar, but rich in dietary fiber)
• Pears.
• Kiwi.
• Raw mango.
• Lemon.
• Orange.
• Grapefruit.
• Tangerine. 
• Dry plum. 
• Strawberry 
• Cranberry,
• Acai berry.
• blackcurrant.

Protein 

• Skinned chicken breast.
• Wild fish.
• Mushrooms.
• Eggs.
• Lentils.
• Beans.
• Sprouts.
• Soybeans.
• Tofu.
• Ground turkey.
• Ground beef.

Dairy products– 

• Whole milk.
• Full cream ricotta cheese.
• Yogurt.
• Cottage cheese.

Fats and oils – 

• Olive oil. 
• Avocado oil. 
• Rice bran oil. 
• Sunflower oil. 
• Butter and ghee.

Nuts and seeds 

• Almonds. 
• Walnuts. 
• Pistachios. 
• Pine nuts.
• Macadamia. 
• Sunflower seeds. 
• Flax seeds. 
• Melon seeds.

Grains

• Wild rice.
• Rolled oats.

Herbs and Spices

• Dill. 
• Rosemary. 
• Thyme. 
• Coriander. 
• Thyme. 
• Star Anise. 
• Cardamom. 
• Cinnamon.
• Cloves. 
• Ginger. 
• Garlic. 
• Cumin. 
• Carrom Seeds. 
• Nigella Seed. 
• Black and White Pepper. 
• Saffron.
• Mace. 
• Nutmeg. 
• Coriander Powder. 
• Turmeric. 
• Chili Flakes, powder, pepper.

Drinks 

• Water. 
• Black coffee.
• Tea.
• Fenugreek water. 
• Lemon water. 
• Detox water. 
• Freshly squeezed fruit/vegetable juice.

As you can see, you have a lot of food options, and you can enjoy a diabetic diet. Here is the list of foods you must avoid to prevent type 2 diabetes completely.

Check out the best diet to help you lose weight on diabetes type 2.

Foods to limit

• Fast food – potato chips, fried chicken, french fries, pizza, burgers, open sandwiches with lots of cheese, breakfast cereals, and other foods containing trans fats.
• Fruit – pineapple, jackfruit, sapodilla, ripe mango.
• Protein – pork.
• Dairy products– cream cheese, ghee, butter.
• Fats and Oils – Pork Fat, Dalda, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, and Peanut Butter.
• Nuts and seeds – cashews, salted nuts, peeled pistachios.
• Drinks – canned fruit and vegetable juices, soda, and energy drinks.

How long does it take to reverse prediabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a group of disorders that affects how your body stores glucose stores, which may appear several years before the development of type 2 diabetes. 

Unfortunately, about 25% of people with prediabetes will develop diabetes within 3 to 5 years.

However, the time you will need to reverse prediabetes will depend on how strictly you stick to the pre-diabetic diet. If you are going in the right direction you can be 2 – 3 months and maybe less. But what matters most is sustainability and how you can manage to fix your lifestyle instead of considering it as a one-time treatment. 

It might seem that you should limit all the foods you love. Well, think of it as a relationship that has gone bad, and you need to get out of it to be happy again. Sometimes, you just have to let things run and be open to the life ahead of you.

Prediabetic meal plan 

Example of a pre-diabetes diet plan for 1 day:

What will you eat

• Early morning (6:00 AM) 2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in a glass of water
• Breakfast (7:00 a.m.) 2 boiled eggs (or baked beans) + 4 almonds + 1 cup of milk (or soy milk or green tea)
• Mid-morning (10:00 am) 1 cup of watermelon/cantaloupe/apple
• Lunch (12:30 PM) medium bowl of mushroom/tuna/chicken salad with a light dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, herbs)
• Snack (3:30 pm) 1 cup of green tea + 1 digestive biscuit
• Dinner (6:30 PM) 1 cup of lentil soup with vegetables or 3 ounces of grilled fish with vegetables + 1 cup of milk with a pinch of turmeric before bed

7-day meal plan for prediabetes

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