Are You Pre-Diabetic? Make These 3 Changes To Your Diet To Prevent Sugar Spike

Prediabetes is a serious health condition, wherein the blood sugar levels are 'higher than normal', but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC).

A pre-diabetic is a person who is susceptible to diabetes, having been exposed to it either genetically or because of making poor lifestyle choices. According to the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), prediabetes is a serious health condition, wherein the blood sugar levels are 'higher than normal', but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes yet. While insulin hormone made by the pancreas acts like a 'key' to let blood sugar into cells, when a person has prediabetes, the cells in the body do not respond normally to insulin. The pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond; eventually the pancreas is not able to keep up and the blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Signs And Symptoms Of Prediabetes

The CDC states that one can have prediabetesfor years but have 'no clear symptoms'; it often goes undetected until 'serious health problems' like type 2 diabetes show up. It, therefore, is important to talk to a doctor and get blood sugar tested if you have risk factors for prediabetes:

• Being overweight
• Being 45 years, or older
• Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
• Being physically active less than 3 times a week
• Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome

Can Making Dietary Changes Help?

Can making dietary changes prevent diabetes and help a person in the pre-diabetic stage itself? Yes, it is possible. In an Instagram post, Ayurveda and gut health coach Dr Dimple Jangda said one can make three dietary changes if they are pre-diabetic or if diabetes runs in their family. Take a look.

Soaking Rice Before Eating

The first thing to do is to soak rice in water for at least three to four hours before cooking it. Why is it helpful? According to the expert, this practice helps to reduce glucose spikes in the body by almost 20 per cent to 25 per cent.

Drinking Warm Water Before Meals

Dr Jangda recommended that before you sit down to eat your meal, consume half a glass of warm water that has a pinch of black pepper in it. Why is it essential? "This reduces your glucose spike; pepper is great for its antibacterial, antiviral properties and also stimulates your digestive juices and your metabolic fire," said the expert.

Drink A Special Tea

The gut health coach suggested making a special tea with one teaspoon cumin seeds, one teaspoon fennel seeds, and one teaspoon coriander seeds. "These are carminative in nature," said the expert. Carminative, meaning a drug that causes expulsion of gas from the stomach. "Add a cardamom and a cinnamon stick to it, boil it and drink this tea at least three times a day," the doctor advised. According to her, cinnamon has anti-diabetic properties. It helps in reducing the glucose spike in the body and also prevents pre-diabetes symptoms.

What do you think about these tips?