Pre
Diabetes




Ian Lloyd
Pharmacist
Peoples Pharmacy

.....The time following New Years and the holidays may not be the best time to bring up medical conditions that involve diet, or perhaps it is. Most of us have an idea of what diabetes is, but there is also a condition called pre-diabetes. It is sometimes called impaired glucose tolerance. You might think of pre-diabetes as that grey area between 'normal' blood sugar and the clinical diagnosis of diabetes. So pre-diabetes is bad, right? Not necessarily. You might think of pre-diabetes as a warning; a call to take better care of your health. Not all people who have pre-diabetes will develop full diabetes with all its complications. Sadly, diabetes becomes a reality for most of these people; but that does not have to be the case for you. With a little knowledge and effort, you can turn things around. This month I will tell you what can be done to help treat pre-diabetes.
.....To understand pre-diabetes we should discuss what diabetes is. The condition of diabetes occurs when the body does not produce, or is unable to properly use, insulin. Insulin is needed by all cells to use glucose, which is the body’s primary source of energy. One analogy is that insulin is the “key” to open your cells' “door” to let in glucose. There are many symptoms which can indicate that you may have diabetes: unusual thirst, frequent urination, weight change (gain or

loss), unusual fatigue, or blurred vision. These symptoms may be absent in pre-diabetes.
.....There are three types of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that affects about 3% of
all pregnancies. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas no longer produces insulin. The most common, and most preventable, type of diabetes is type 2. Usually people who have pre-diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. There are several risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes: being over the age of 40, being overweight, or having a family member who has diabetes.
.....Are there any ways to help prevent pre-diabetes from progressing

to type 2 diabetes? There sure are. The easiest thing to do is to watch your diet. Limit all things sugary, refined and foods of convenience. Another way to remember this tip is to avoid all things white: white bread, white potatoes, donuts, white rice, etc. A very good idea would be to visit a dietitian or nutritionist. Many local chapters of the Canadian Diabetes Association, or your local hospital, may have a nutritionist that you can visit. They are an excellent resource to learn about diabetes and nutrition.
.....Another diet tip to help treat pre-diabetes, is to choose foods high in fibre. Look for ‘brown’ foods: brown bread and brown rice. Fruits, vegetables and unrefined grain cereals are excellent sources of fibre. Fibre helps all forms of diabetes in several ways. It is known to slow the emptying of the stomach and will help to slow the digestion of meals. This will prevent a large influx of sugar into the body after a meal. A more gradual increase in after meal sugar levels will put less demand on the pancreas. A high fibre diet has also been shown to help reduce bad cholesterol, another complication of diabetes. It may also help to prevent certain forms of cancer. So focus on "brown" and "colourful" whole foods and avoid "white" processed and convenience foods to stay healthy.
.....The main reason to watch your diet is, of course, to help keep your
 

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