Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes , heart disease , and stroke. The good news is that if you have prediabetes, the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.

Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond.

You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes show up. You can get a simple blood sugar test to find out if you have prediabetes.

Ask your doctor if you should be tested. Regular physical activity means getting at least minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity. Imagine: You and the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Watch the video! A lifestyle change program offered through the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make those changes—and make them stick.

Highlights include:. The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. Prediabetes — Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

Español Spanish. Minus Related Pages. Fogg, a renowned Stanford University behavior change researcher, shows you how to form healthier habits. Watch the video now. Remember, your well-being is affected by both your mind and your body. Learn how to care for the whole you.

As you work to stay healthy and prevent diabetes, a health coach can help you explore your options and offer support to stay on track and reach your goals. Prediabetes Good health is awareness.

What Is Prediabetes? Preventing Prediabetes And Diabetes Get support and tips from a health coach. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: preventing diabetes Prediabetes Risk Assessment test Which treatment should you use to prevent type 2 diabetes? Use this decision-making tool to consider your options.

Más Información Sobre La Prediabetes ¿Que es la prediabetes? Am I At Risk For Prediabetes? Risk factors include: Being overweight Lack of physical activity Family history Learn more about additional risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk.

How Can I Prevent Or Delay Diabetes? Steps you can try: Planning and eating balanced meals and snacks Making physical activity part of your regular routine—aim for 30 minutes daily Maintaining a healthy weight , which helps your body use insulin more efficiently Talking to your doctor about medication that may help Learning more about prediabetes self-care Quitting tobacco —tobacco use makes prediabetes and diabetes problems worse.

Are There Programs That Could Help? There are several offerings that can help you prevent diabetes: Understanding Prediabetes webinar Strategies for Healthy Living webinar class CDC Diabetes Prevention Program — find a program near you Get advice, encouragement, and tools with online wellness programs that help you create positive changes in your life.

Do I Have To Worry About Symptoms?

Below are the average GI values for 10 common kinds of food and drink. It is worth keeping in mind that GI values can change from item to item. Some apples, for example, are sweeter than others. Foods that contain fiber, such as fruits and whole grains, have lower GI scores than those containing refined ingredients.

The body processes sugars and refined carbohydrates quickly. This is why white bread has a higher GI value than wholemeal bread. People with prediabetes should try to avoid foods with high GI scores because these raise blood sugar levels quickly.

However, the overall amount of carbohydrates a person eats has a greater impact on their blood sugar levels than the specific GI scores of foods.

However, researchers have not confirmed whether following a low GI diet helps all people manage prediabetes. It is best to ask a doctor or dietitian for specific advice. Protein sources such as tofu, lean meats, and low-fat yogurts can help people maintain a balanced diet without adding large amounts of carbohydrates or fats.

Limiting carbohydrate intake can help people to manage their blood sugar levels, while high-fat diets have links to diabetes development. Healthful protein intake can help people to fill fuller after meals and may even lead to prediabetes remission. Alcohol consumption can increase weight and the risk of diabetes.

Limiting or avoiding alcohol consumption can help people control their blood glucose levels and lose weight. Reaching and maintaining a moderate weight can help prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.

Paying attention to overall calorie intake is a key step. It can help to limit :. Excessive amounts of saturated fats can also raise cholesterol levels and contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Learn more about the relationship between cholesterol and diabetes here.

For more science-backed resources on nutrition, visit our dedicated hub. Experts recommend eating regular meals throughout the day to avoid fluctuations. They also suggest making sure that meals are balanced, with each containing a source of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

A person with prediabetes may also find it helpful to eat a consistent amount of carbohydrates at each meal. The Department of Agriculture has developed this simple way to determine how much of each food type belongs in each meal.

Following this method:. Health authorities, including the National Institutes of Health NIH , recommend following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension DASH diet. Combined with an awareness of GI scores, it can help people with prediabetes.

However, some research indicates that full-fat dairy products, particularly yogurt and cheese, may be beneficial as part of a balanced diet for people with prediabetes.

Numerous studies have found that full-fat dairy products do not have a negative impact on insulin sensitivity or blood pressure and may protect against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Learn more about the DASH diet here. A person with prediabetes can still enjoy eating in restaurants, but making strategic choices is key.

Anyone who has just received a diagnosis of prediabetes may be wondering what they can eat. Here are some suggestions:. To reduce the effects on blood sugar and increase feelings of fullness, a person can try pairing fruit with a source of protein or healthy fat, such as nut butter, a small handful of nuts or seeds, or avocado.

People can check with a doctor or dietitian about how much of each favorite food is appropriate to eat. Dietary changes alone may not prevent prediabetes from developing into diabetes.

Some other strategies involve exercise and medication. Physical activity can help a person lose weight and control their blood sugar levels.

Exercise uses up excess blood sugar and can improve insulin sensitivity. At least one study suggests that making dietary changes and getting more exercise can prevent the progression from prediabetes to diabetes.

For people with type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends getting up every 30 minutes to do some light walking or resistance training during periods of prolonged sitting. This can help reduce blood glucose levels.

For some people with prediabetes, doctors may prescribe metformin to help control blood sugar levels. While this figure is hopeful, the NIH states that medications do not appear to be as effective as certain lifestyle changes.

Learn more — and about how lifestyle changes can make a difference to your health. Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes. This means their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Watch as Alma learns she has prediabetes. Learn more about causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention. Mire lo que pasa cuando Alma se entera de que tiene prediabetes. Este folleto tiene mas informacion sobre la prediabetes.

Making lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of prediabetes. Learn more about additional risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk. You can even take a quiz about healthy eating! View the recording now.

This booklet has more information about prediabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a major cause of vision loss and blindness, kidney failure requiring dialysis, heart attacks, strokes, amputations, infections, and even early death. And one in four people who have full-blown diabetes don't know they have it.

Research suggests that a healthy lifestyle can prevent diabetes from occurring in the first place — and even reverse its progress. The Diabetes Prevention Program DPP , a large, long-term study, asked the question: we know an unhealthy diet and lifestyle can cause type 2 diabetes, but can adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle prevent it?

This answer is yes: the vast majority of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes, and this has been proven by 20 years of medical research.