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To define what "prediabetes" really means, let's first review how diabetes affects the body. Diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose, orblood sugar levels, are too high. This occurs because the body's cells start to form resistance to a hormone produced by the pancreas called insulin, which helps carry glucose from food to your cells for energy. Insulin resistance is very problematic because the body uses glucose as its main source of energy. When there is too much glucose in the blood, it can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, kidney disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinopathy (an eye condition), and more.
There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can begin in early childhood and the causes are unknown. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the nerve cells within the pancreas, stunting its production of insulin. Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age and is usually attributed to lifestyle habits. It is characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin or to produce enough insulin. The third type, called gestational diabetes, affects some women during pregnancy and often ceases once the child has been born. Of the three, prediabetes is only a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
The name prediabetes can sound a little bit scary or intimidating. Essentially, those with prediabetes typically have high blood sugar levels, but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. Prediabetes can be diagnosed through various tests to measure fasting blood sugar levels such as:
Prediabetes does not always come with clear symptoms or warning signs. In fact, most people with prediabetes are not even aware of their condition. Though a prediabetes diagnosis can serve as an opportunity to make healthy choices and prevent diabetes from getting worse, it can also cause serious symptoms on its own if not managed. Thus, frequent testing is critical.
The symptoms of diabetes and prediabetes have some overlap, but they aren't exactly the same. In some cases, people who are prediabetic have very mild, often unnoticed symptoms, or they don't experience any symptoms at all. In other cases, however, they can be much more severe. Symptoms of all severity can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes and thus should never be taken lightly. The possible symptoms of prediabetes or warning signs that you may develop diabetes include:
Certain lifestyle and inherited risk factors may put you at risk of developing prediabetes and/or diabetes. These factors include:
If any of these factors apply to you, consider speaking with a healthcare professional to schedule regular blood sugar tests. Tracking blood glucose levels can be a useful indicator of prediabetes and diabetes risk.
You can also take thisfree online prediabetes risk assessment (created by the CDC and the American Diabetes Association) to discover your individual risk.
Luckily, a prediabetes diagnosis can help you kick your diabetes prevention program into gear. There are certain lifestyle factors in your control and they may be able to help you decrease your risk of diabetes and prediabetes. According to the CDC these include:
Don't wait on a diagnosis to kickstart your diabetes prevention plan. By following the simple and oftentimes FREE lifestyle changes listed above, you can take hold of the reins and steer clear of prediabetes, before it has you corralled.
"Mom, Dad, I got my acceptance letter! I'm going to Collagen College, home of the fighting Polypeptides!"
In recent years, the benefits of collagen have begun to be recognized among those who are serious about their health and perhaps are wanting to explore an "alternative" diet like keto or paleo. If you already follow a paleo or keto diet, you might be interested to know how collagen and collagen peptides can ensure that you've got your amino-acid bases covered.
You might also be wondering if intermittent fasting is a passing fad, like television or the internet. Maybe you've got no one to discuss your autophagy with or whether your ketosis will prevent you from passing the MCTs. Relax, pour yourself a cup of bulletproof coffee, and let's take a little collagen break together. Your Collagen College orientation is about to begin!
Liquid collagen is a buzzy new take on the cult classic dietary supplement, collagen. Collagen supplements are used by skincare enthusiasts, new mothers,ultra-runners, recovering athletes, and bodybuilders alike. Liquid collagen was originally intended to be taken orally. Now, rather than just adding a bit of collagen to a moisturizer or eye cream, many people are wondering if you can get the same benefits by applying it directly to the skin. Though it's a fairly new product, here's what we know!
