If your health care provider says you have prediabetes, consider it a second chance. Routine blood screening, such as an A1C test, can tell doctors when a patient’s blood sugar is abnormally high, but not yet diabetes.

“A normal fasting blood glucose level is less than 100,” says Gabrielle Dunchuck, a physician assistant at Tidelands Health Endocrinology. “We make a diagnosis of diabetes for a blood glucose result over 126. That middle ground between 100 and 125 is prediabetes, where people have the power to prevent serious illness.”

Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to produce insulin or develops a resistance to it. Both scenarios mean the body is unable to properly metabolize sugar in the blood. It is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. It can also cause blindness, circulatory issues and neuropathy, or damage to the nerves in the extremities.

The risk factors for prediabetes are the same ones that lead to diabetes: obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history and age. There’s nothing a patient can do to change the last two, but patients who are determined to avoid diabetes can make a difference by choosing to maintain a healthy weight and get active.

Often, when a patient has prediabetes, the care provider will recommend they consult with a dietitian or a diabetic educator. These experts can help answer questions and set achievable and sustainable goals for weight loss and healthier diet.

“It often doesn’t take a lot of weight loss to get blood sugars back in the normal range,” Dunchuck says. “When patients focus on improving those key lifestyle elements, it’s very likely they can get back into normal ranges and stay there.”

The keys to healthy eating are to choose whole foods, rather than highly processed ones, including:

• Lean protein like chicken, fish or turkey; beans, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or nuts
• Non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, kale, squash and many others

Choosing a healthy diet also means cutting down or avoiding foods that raise your blood sugar:

• Reduce high-carb foods including bread, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables like corn or potato
• Avoid sugary snacks and drinks, candy and other sweets

“The other key is to be mindful of portion sizes,” Dunchuck says. “Even foods that are good for you can contribute to excess weight if you are eating too much. A dietitian can help you understand appropriate portion sizes.”

Remember, serving sizes on food labels are a suggestion by the manufacturer, and may be more or less than the amount you should eat.

Life expectancy increases with the amount of activity we undertake. Even housework and gardening contribute to the bigger health picture.

Ideally, though, Dunchuck recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, to maintain physical fitness. That’s about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

If you have a diagnosis of prediabetes, you have a chance to change the trajectory of your health. Your body is giving you a warning flag that it’s time for some changes.

“For many patients, a prediabetes diagnosis is a real eye-opener and they want to know what they can do to fix it,” Dunchuck says.

The solution may not be easy, but it’s simple. The benefits of avoiding diabetes are worth the effort.

If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, you may be eligible to join the Tidelands Health diabetes prevention program. This program is offered at locations throughout the region and teaches healthy habits and offers support as participants improve their health and delay or prevent the onset of diabetes.

The program also provides education about healthy eating habits at home and in restaurants, encourages physical activity, teaches techniques for coping with stress and challenges and offers strategies for getting back on track if participants stray from those healthy habits.

For more information on joining a class, please call 1-866-TIDELANDS.