-with sugar! In the United States, 88 million adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes, but more than 84% don’t know they have it (CDC). Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US, and it’s also the #1 cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness.
Classis symptoms include
- Urinate a lot (often at night)
- Are very thirsty
- Lose weight without trying
- Are very hungry
- Have blurry vision
- Have numb or tingling hands/fee
- Feel very tired
- Have very dry skin
- Have sores that heal slowly
- Have more infections than usual
If you feel like you could be in a high-risk group for pre-diabetes, your health care practitioner can do blood tests to get more information:
- An A1C test measures average blood sugar level over the past few months
- A fasting blood sugar test measures blood sugar after an overnight fast
- An oral glucose screening test measures blood sugar after drinking glucose
People that are higher risk for diabetes (Types 1 & 2, pre-diabetes, & gestational) have multiple risk factors below:
- Overweight
- Older (> 45 years for prediabetes, > 25 years for gestational)
- Family history of diabetes or gestational diabetes
- Are physically not as active (< 3x/week)
- Have birthed a baby weighing more than 9lb
- African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
There are people suffering every day, and the numbers keep rising. Please join me in breaking up with sugar – it doesn’t have to be a radical break-up with significant withdrawals… plan for a gentle reduction and substituting those decadent desserts into less sugar-filled ones. It’s all about progress, and we really have to start somewhere… If you want help with meal planning and satisfying your sugar cravings, give me a call and let’s see how we can co-author your breakup with sugar!
