Pre-diabetes

• Pre-diabetes is the warning sign that a patient may become diabetic. Action to prevent or manage pre-diabetes can delay and even stop type 2 diabetes from developing, according to the American Diabetes Association. Your doctor determines if you have pre-diabetes by one of two tests: the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The FPG is taken after 12 to 14 hours of fasting. If blood glucose levels are between 100 milligrams per deciliter and 125 milligrams per deciliter, you are considered pre-diabetic. The OGTT is also a fasting test, but your blood sample is taken after you drink a glass of sweet liquid containing glucose. If your levels are between 140 milligrams per deciliter and 200 milligrams per deciliter, you are pre-diabetic.
  
  If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your health care provider will suggest a lifestyle change and will monitor your blood sugar levels with regular doctor visits. You will need to purchase a glucometer, or blood glucose meter, to monitor your blood sugar levels every day.
  
  

Counting Carbohydrates

• Counting carbohydrates is part of a diabetic's life. If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetes or targets you as a potential diabetic, you need to limit your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates turn to sugar soon after digestion. Your pancreas produces insulin to move the sugar or glucose into the cells where it is used for needed energy. If your body does not produce insulin or does not use insulin effectively, the blood sugar, or blood glucose, stays in the bloodstream and causes high blood sugar levels. To stabilize blood sugar, it is important to monitor the intake of carbohydrates. If you are diabetic, you must eat balanced meals at regular intervals. Unless otherwise instructed by your doctor or dietitian, the usual amount of carbohydrates is 45 to 60 grams per meal.
  
  If you are pre-diabetic, your doctor may either have you count carbohydrates or limit your intake. Avoid sugary foods such as candy, cake and cookies. Limit your intake of starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas. Eat more non-starchy vegetables and grains high in fiber.
  
  

Weight Loss and Exercise

• Losing weight helps lower blood sugar levels. A BMI, or body mass index, of 25 or more is considered overweight, according to the American Diabetes Association. If you are overweight, you are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Diabetics are prone to heart disease and strokes. According to the American Diabetes Association, "Reducing your body weight by 5-7% (10-15 lbs) and exercising for 150 minutes per week can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58%."
  
  Because exercise helps control weight and reduces blood sugar levels, doctors recommend that people prone to diabetes and diabetics exercise thirty minutes a day, at least five days per week. Because blood sugar levels may drop quickly, the diabetic should check blood glucose levels before exercise, during exercise, and after exercise.
  
  Any form of exercise is beneficial from walking, biking, to work related activities such as vacuuming or mowing the lawn. The key is to stay active and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.