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Good Evening
- Thread starter Alka
- Start date
- Status
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome from me too.
Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to find out that you are at risk of diabetes? Was it a routine blood test or have you been feeling under the weather?
Do you know the blood test result.... it is likely a number between 42 and 47. This is called your hba1c result and is used to diagnose and track your diabetes management.
Since you have been diagnosed in the "at risk" range, this gives you an opportunity to make some small changes now to hopefully prevent a full blown diabetes diagnosis.
Things you can do are....
Lose some weight if you have some to lose.... I know sometimes easier said than done!
Reduce your carbohydrate intake a bit... Obviously cut back on the cakes biscuits and sweets etc but also reduce your portion sized of starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals etc.
In fact revamping your breakfast if you currently have cereal and/or toast is one of the easiest ways to cut down on carbs in your diet and should have quite a significant impact on your results without too much effort. So... many of us have full fat Greek natural yoghurt with a handful of berries (berries are the lowest carb fruits) some mixed seeds and chopped nuts. Or eggs are great in all their many ways of cooking them. I find an omelette with whatever filling I fancy works well but usually including mushrooms and cheese and can be eaten without the need for any bread (or anything else) to soak up runny yolks you get with some other forms of cooking, but as you are only at risk, a small slice of bread with your eggs shouldn't cause you too much Blood Glucose (BG) disruption assuming you currently have more than that.... the idea is to look for a reduction.
Proteins and fats will help to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Carbs tend to hit the blood stream quite fast and then leave you feeling hungry and craving a snack 2 hours later, whereas proteins and fats release their nutrients over 4-8 hours. If you do feel the need for a snack, having a good selection of low carb snacks to eat can really help. Things like a boiled egg with mayonnaise or a pot of olives with feta if you like them, or a chunk of nice cheese or even some cooked meat with coleslaw... I make little rolls with just ham and cheese coleslaw. no bread... or veggie sticks with sour cream and chive dip (I'm currently having microwaved broccoli with that dip and some cheese chunks for lunch) A few nuts are another good high protein and fat snack but some nuts are better than others.... walnuts, brazils, hazel nuts and almonds being lower carb than peanuts or cashews.
Exercise or increasing your activity levels. Nothing too exertive needed. A brisk daily walk is as good as anything if you are able. You want to try to push on a bit rather than just a stroll so that you breath a bit deeper and your heart rate increases a bit and perhaps you get a little sweaty. Think of it more as striding out with purpose rather than just a walk. Good alternatives are swimming or cycling or running, but walking is as good as anything.
Anyway, not wanting to get too bogged down in information which may not be helpful to you, but just give you an idea of the things you can try to reduce your risk of developing that diabetes diagnosis that you have crept a bit too close to.
Good luck and let us know if there is anything you don't understand of need help with.
Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to find out that you are at risk of diabetes? Was it a routine blood test or have you been feeling under the weather?
Do you know the blood test result.... it is likely a number between 42 and 47. This is called your hba1c result and is used to diagnose and track your diabetes management.
Since you have been diagnosed in the "at risk" range, this gives you an opportunity to make some small changes now to hopefully prevent a full blown diabetes diagnosis.
Things you can do are....
Lose some weight if you have some to lose.... I know sometimes easier said than done!
Reduce your carbohydrate intake a bit... Obviously cut back on the cakes biscuits and sweets etc but also reduce your portion sized of starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals etc.
In fact revamping your breakfast if you currently have cereal and/or toast is one of the easiest ways to cut down on carbs in your diet and should have quite a significant impact on your results without too much effort. So... many of us have full fat Greek natural yoghurt with a handful of berries (berries are the lowest carb fruits) some mixed seeds and chopped nuts. Or eggs are great in all their many ways of cooking them. I find an omelette with whatever filling I fancy works well but usually including mushrooms and cheese and can be eaten without the need for any bread (or anything else) to soak up runny yolks you get with some other forms of cooking, but as you are only at risk, a small slice of bread with your eggs shouldn't cause you too much Blood Glucose (BG) disruption assuming you currently have more than that.... the idea is to look for a reduction.
Proteins and fats will help to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Carbs tend to hit the blood stream quite fast and then leave you feeling hungry and craving a snack 2 hours later, whereas proteins and fats release their nutrients over 4-8 hours. If you do feel the need for a snack, having a good selection of low carb snacks to eat can really help. Things like a boiled egg with mayonnaise or a pot of olives with feta if you like them, or a chunk of nice cheese or even some cooked meat with coleslaw... I make little rolls with just ham and cheese coleslaw. no bread... or veggie sticks with sour cream and chive dip (I'm currently having microwaved broccoli with that dip and some cheese chunks for lunch) A few nuts are another good high protein and fat snack but some nuts are better than others.... walnuts, brazils, hazel nuts and almonds being lower carb than peanuts or cashews.
Exercise or increasing your activity levels. Nothing too exertive needed. A brisk daily walk is as good as anything if you are able. You want to try to push on a bit rather than just a stroll so that you breath a bit deeper and your heart rate increases a bit and perhaps you get a little sweaty. Think of it more as striding out with purpose rather than just a walk. Good alternatives are swimming or cycling or running, but walking is as good as anything.
Anyway, not wanting to get too bogged down in information which may not be helpful to you, but just give you an idea of the things you can try to reduce your risk of developing that diabetes diagnosis that you have crept a bit too close to.
Good luck and let us know if there is anything you don't understand of need help with.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Status