Prediabetes (High Blood Sugar)

 Before a person develops Type 2 Diabetes, they always develop prediabetes beforehand (but may never be aware). As the name suggests, prediabetes is the condition that occurs prior to diabetes. Essentially, prediabetes is when a person’s blood sugar numbers are higher than the “normal” guidelines but not as high as a person with full-fledged diabetes. The good news is, if a person is on the verge of getting or already has prediabetes, this doesn’t automatically mean that he or she will end up with Type 2 Diabetes. However, to curb the onset of diabetes, it is critical if you are showing any signs or symptoms of prediabetes that you schedule an appointment with a functional medicine provider near you. If left untreated, prediabetes, in most cases, will manifest into Type 2 Diabetes, a chronic condition that is much more challenging to reverse than prediabetes. Let’s take a look at what the causes, risk factors, and symptoms are of prediabetes, as well as the testing required to discover whether or not high blood sugar is present. We will also discuss holistic treatment options and lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of both prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Do You Have Prediabetes/ High Blood Sugar? Unfortunately, one of the main reasons that people develop Type 2 Diabetes is because the symptoms of prediabetes often go unnoticed or are not present. Only 10% of people with prediabetes even know they have it since many do not display signs and conventional medicine is not catching it. One symptom of prediabetes is darkened skin (acanthosis nigricans) around the elbows, knees, knuckles, neck, and armpits. However, not all people have this prediabetic symptom. Meaning just because you don’t have darkened skin around your knuckles, armpits, neck, etc., doesn’t mean that you are in the clear.

Keto Flu- Some dieters experience the ‘keto flu’ which can cause low energy, nausea, increased hunger, and inhibited mental function. It should only last a few days. Can be much less intense if carbs are decreased over time. Increased Urination- With a low carb intake your body needs less insulin. When this happens more sodium is released into the urine. This is another reason you would see rapid weight loss in the first few weeks. Constipation- Change in the diet tends to affect the bowels- drastically minimizing carbs. Increasing fat is a big change to your gut bacteria so expect a few weeks to adjust. Insulin Resistance- Drastically decreasing carb intake results in decreased glucose levels in the blood allowing the pancreas to take a break from creating insulin. Bad Breath- Acetone is the ketone responsible for the less than desirable smell. Once in full ketosis, acetone leaves the body through urine and breath. While this may be annoying it’s a good sign for your diet.

A keto diet drastically lowers your carb intake. Forces your body to use fatty acids for energy. With far less glucose entering the bloodstream, high doses of insulin are no longer needed, and the symptoms of diabetes are downplayed. With stabilized glucose levels, one study found that the need for insulin decreased by 75% for folks eating a ketogenic diet. The keto diet also resulted in weight loss (read: excess fat), which is extremely helpful for those with Type 2 Diabetes. Another study found that after a 16 week trial on the keto diet 7 of 28 participants with Type 2 diabetes were able to discontinue all medication. Another 10 participants saw a decrease in the dose of medication required to manage their disease. You could infer from these results that the keto diet might also be good for someone with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. To mitigate the side effects, some research suggests slowly reducing carb intake a few weeks before beginning the proper keto diet.

Cramps- Due to the increased urination and loss of sodium, cramping may occur. This can happen when blood glucose is too high. Mostly affecting those with Type 1 diabetes, people with Type 2 diabetes with high levels of ketones can also be at risk. Ways to help manage this is to consult your doctor. Regularly check glucose levels throughout the day. Note: if you don’t have diabetes then this really isn’t a concern for you. Drink more water- With the loss of water and sodium, your body will experience dizziness, nausea, headache, and cramps. Keeping the body hydrated and even adding some salt to the water will help ease the symptoms. Eat more fat- Remember, removing carbs is essentially starving your body of energy. Replacing it with more fat helps to supplement the missing carbs (i.e. energy). So why not try a sample of KetoLogic’s meal replacement or Keto Crisps to see how your body reacts? If you’re diabetic and already measuring your blood glucose levels, you’ll know pretty quickly how well your body processes them. Again, we’re not doctors, so ask yours if this is right for you.

The first thing you should know is that both the ketogenic diet. Diabetes affect how your body processes food for energy. The ketogenic diet forces the body to use fat for energy (rather than carbs), while diabetes is when the body has trouble processing carbs (or glucose in the blood). So, going on a keto diet should be a great option for someone with diabetes since it flatlines glucose intake and seriously reduces the amount of insulin needed. And that’s a good thing for folks with diabetes. But of course, you need to consider the potential risks and side effects before diving into keto. As always, consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet to see if they might have implications for any medication you are taking or existing illness you have. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin hormone. Type 2 diabetes occurs when organs and tissues stop responding to insulin, which forces the pancreas to work much harder (at producing and releasing insulin).

This coarse salt adds crunch. Bursts of flavor to the otherwise mild snack. Hard pretzels may also contain extra salt as a preservative to help them stay fresh. While not everyone needs to watch their salt intake, about 25% of healthy people are considered to have salt sensitivity. If you already know that you’re salt-sensitive or if you’re watching your salt intake in general, choosing unsalted hard pretzels is an easy way to make sure you don’t accidentally overdo it on the salt. Unsalted hard pretzels might not seem like the most exciting of these choices at first glance, but remember, there are many ways to liven pretzels up! Try pairing them with a few bits of dark chocolate or a cinnamon-yogurt dipping sauce. Regular pretzels are high in carbs and salt and low in protein and fat. Depending on the type of flour used, they also contain some fiber and B vitamins and a few minerals, including iron and zinc.