Suggestions for a Pre Diabetes Diet

Prediabetes is primarily characterized by a blood sugar level that is slightly higher than normal but not high enough to be categorized as diabetes. Therefore, prediabetes is simply a warning sign and not a life sentence.

You can easily make healthy changes that can improve your health and lower the risk of developing diabetes. Studies have shown that you can

lower the chances of progressing from prediabetes to diabetes by exercising and adopting a healthy pre-diabetes diet which mainly includes reducing fat intake and cutting calories.

Food for Pre Diabetes Diet

Whole grains

Consuming whole grains as part of your healthy diet lowers your risk of developing diabetes by almost one-third. You should consume at least three servings of whole grains per day. Some good examples of whole-grain servings include:

½ cup of whole-grain pasta
1 slice whole-grain bread
½ cup of slow cook oats or cooked steel-cut.
1/3 cup of brown rice

It is important to choose to slow-cook large-flake or steel-cut oats for breakfast due to their high whole grain content, rather than five-minute or instant oats.

Include Lots of Fresh Vegetables and Fruits in your Pre Diabetes Diet

Examples of vegetable and fruit servings include:

1 cup of blueberries
1 medium-size apple, orange or banana
2 cups of blackberries or strawberries
2 plums
½ a grapefruit
2 kiwifruit

A fruit smoothie can be a very easy and quick breakfast to include in your diabetic diet plan, that you can have all year round. You can always include fruit servings in your smoothies, thanks to various frozen berries.

Adding silken tofu or plain yogurt increases the protein in your smoothies, which keeps you feeling full longer. You can also add flaxseed (ground) for omega 3 fats and extra fiber, which are beneficial especially for people who are at risk of stroke and heart disease.

Boost your intake of vegetables by having dip pre-made and vegetables in the fridge as snacks that are instantly available whenever you feel hungry. Chop up cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, celery, or cherry tomatoes, and serve with eggplant or hummus.

Solutions for a Healthier Diabetic Diet

Choose variety

Ensure that you include something from each food group when planning your meals. A well-balanced meal that includes, fruits, vegetables, healthy sources of fat, and whole-grain makes you less likely to crave sweets and snacks because it keeps you satisfied for longer.

Eat breakfast

People who skip breakfast are likely to overeat later in the day, feel sluggish and gain weight. Besides fresh whole fruit, homemade smoothies, and oatmeal, other great breakfast choices include low-fat cheese, boiled eggs, or high protein yogurt (try Greek yogurt).

Be more selective about meat

Consuming processed meat increases the risk of developing diabetes. You should therefore limit high fat and high salt meat choices such as salami, hot dogs, and bacon. Do not take more than two servings (2.5 ounces of cooked meat per serving) of lean meat per week.

Nuts can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Dry-roasted or raw nuts with no added sugar, salt, or fat are the best picks to use in your prediabetes diet plan. Add them to grain dishes or salads for extra nutrition or flavor. You can also top your morning whole-grain toast using natural almond or peanut butter.

Read about Practical food guidelines from The American Diabetes Association HERE!

What are Normal Hemoglobin A1C Levels?

Hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c levels indicate the average blood sugar level over 2 to 3 months. The A1c test, also known as glycosylated hemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin, glycohemoglobin or HbA1c test must be done in order to determine your hemoglobin A1c levels. T

his test is commonly used to diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetes, and it also helps you and your diabetes healthcare team create an effective diabetes management plan. Higher hemoglobin A1c levels are associated with diabetes-related complications. Therefore, it is essential to achieve and maintain your Hemoglobin A1c goals if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

People who have pre-diabetes or diabetes need the A1c test regularly to check whether their A1c levels are within range. It also tells your diabetes care team if your medications need to be adjusted.

What is the A1c test?

When glucose enters the bloodstream it bonds with hemoglobin, a type of protein the red blood cells. Although we all have sugar attached to our hemoglobin, if you have higher blood sugar levels, you have more sugar attached to your hemoglobin. Physicians use the A1c test to measure the percentage of red blood cells that have glucose-coated hemoglobin.

Testing for pre-diabetes and diabetes: Who should get tested and when?

Anyone over the age 45 should get a baseline A1c test. You should also go for the test if you are under 45 and have any risk factor for type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.

How often should you get tested?

If your A1c levels are within the normal range and you have ever been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or have one or more risk factors repeat the test every 3years.
If your A1c levels indicate that you have pre-diabetes, consult your physicians about the steps you can take to improve your health and minimize the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Repeat the test as often as recommended, usually every year.
If you’re not showing any symptoms but your A1c test results show you may have diabetes or pre-diabetes, confirm the results by getting tested on a different day.
If your A1c test results show you have diabetes, work with your doctor to create the best diabetes healthcare team and join diabetes education and support groups so you can effectively manage your diabetes.
People who have diabetes should get the test twice a year or more often if they have other health conditions or if your medication has been altered. Consult your doctor about how often you should get an A1c test.

Diagnosing Diabetes or Pre-diabetes

Normal	Less than 5.7%
Pre-diabetes	5.7% to 6.4%
Diabetes	6.5% or more

Normal A1c levels are typically below 5.7%, levels of between 5.7% and 6.4% indicate pre-diabetes, and levels above 6.5 indicate diabetes. If your A1c levels are within the pre-diabetes range, you have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A1c test results can also be displayed as eAG (estimated average glucose), the same numbers displayed on most blood sugar meters (mg/dL).

A1C	eAG mg/dL
7%	154
8%	183
9%	212
10%	240

Factors that can affect A1c test results

Various factors can falsely decrease or increase your hemoglobin A1c levels, including:

Conditions such as severe anemia, liver disease, and kidney failure.
A rare kind of hemoglobin that people with certain conditions (such as thalassemia or sickle cell anemia) as well as people of Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, or African descent may have.
Medications, including some HIV medications and opioids.
Blood transfusion or blood loss
Late or even early pregnancy.

You should let your physician know if one or more of these issues apply to you.

Your Hemoglobin A1c Goals

The goal for most diabetes patients is to maintain A1c levels of 7% or below. However, personal goals depend on several factors including other medical conditions and your age. Therefore, you should work with your diabetes healthcare team to set your own personal A1c goal.

For instance, your people with diabetes may have more years with the condition ahead. As a result, their A1c goal could be lower in a bid to reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. The goal may also be different for patients who frequently have hypoglycemia.

On the other hand, older folk, people who have severe lows (hypoglycemia) or other health complications may have a higher A1c goal.

Although the A1c test is an important test, it is extremely essential to keep in mind that A1c tests are not a substitute for daily blood sugar self-testing, particularly for people who have diabetes.

Can I Go Tanning With Diabetes?

During the longer and sunnier summer days, it would be nice to suntan at the beach or on the porch. However, for people with diabetes, certain concerns may arise making it necessary to understand whether it’s safe to go tanning with diabetes. For instance, some studies show that some diabetes symptoms such as hypoglycemia, heat exhaustion, and dehydration may occur while tanning, especially if you ignore the precautions recommended by your physician.

Tanning and Diabetes

People who are under treatment for diabetes and lupus or those who are prone to cold sores should understand that exposure to UV radiation from natural sunlight, sunlamps, or tanning devices can aggravate these conditions. Also, if you take medications such as antihistamines, your skin might be more sensitive to sunlight or artificial light.

For diabetes patients, dehydration is one of the most common issues that can come from tanning. Tanning or hot weather increases the risk of hyperglycemia, especially for people who are taking medication for lowering blood glucose levels.

Furthermore, people with diabetes have a higher risk of experiencing heat exhaustion during or after tanning. The main symptoms of exhaustion include dizziness, racing heart rate, cramping muscles, clammy skin, headaches, and sweating.

It is recommended that you check with your healthcare provider before exposing your skin to UV (ultraviolet) radiation from extreme sunlight or tanning salons.

Some tanning salons keep a record of information on their client’s medical history, treatments, and medications. Be sure to keep the file at your tanning salon up to date.

How is vitamin D produced in the body?

Vitamin D is produced by the body subcutaneously when the body is exposed to the sun or UVB (ultraviolet B radiation) or devices such as tanning beds.

You may be surprised to learn that vitamin D is also stored in adipose tissue and gradually released when production or intake is limited, such as during the winter months. Studies show that depending on seasonal changes, exposing your legs and arms for 5 to 30 minutes during mid-day is enough to stimulate vitamin D activity.

For people with fat malabsorption, which tends to reduce vitamin D availability, exposure to ultraviolet B radiation while adhering to recommended therapeutic guidelines has been shown to help treat vitamin D deficiency.

However, according to recent studies, in individuals aged 65 and above, exposure to the sun does not affect the inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and percent body fat. This shows that increased exposure to the sun, especially in obese people, may be ineffective and might put increase their risk of developing other health complications.

How can you protect yourself?

The only way of protecting yourself from getting these symptoms is by limiting your exposure. Moreover, if you want to use a tanning device, enquire about the recommended exposure limit for your specific condition and skin type.

The salon staff or the manufacturer can help with this kind of information. The device should have a timer that alerts the staff or automatically turns off the light once you reach your exposure limit.

Be sure to stay well-hydrated throughout the entire tanning process. Monitor your blood glucose levels by taking accurate measurements before, during, and after tanning. Moreover, you can also keep a fast-acting source of carbohydrates on hand.

Glucose tablets are an excellent source of fast-acting carbohydrates. Lastly, ensure that your diabetes supplies including insulin and glucose test strips are stored in a cool place while you’re tanning.

It’s important to know your tanning lotion if you have diabetes

There’s a wide variety of tanning products whose ingredients do not include sunscreen. Remember, sunscreen is an essential component that plays an important role in sun tanning by blocking UVA as well as UVB. You should keep in mind that all it takes is a few serious sunburns to raise complications and damage the skin.

The FDA has cautioned consumers against using sun-tanning products that lack sunscreen and advises consumers to read labels and ensure that the product offers SFP protection.

Sunscreen is considered an OTC (over-the-counter) item. Choose sun-tanning products with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Products with higher SPF offer higher protection against potentially harmful UV rays.

Apply sunscreen liberally to the skin for about 30 minutes before going out in the sun. You can apply sunscreen every 2 hours after the initial application.

Safe tanning with diabetes

It is recommended that you learn more about tanning, especially with conditions such as diabetes. Another safe alternative is to self-tan using sunless tanning lotion. The lotion gives you a great tan without the dangerous effects that come with exposing the skin to harmful UVA and UVB.

Ever thought of Sunless Tanning For Diabetics?

Foods Diabetics Should Avoid

Post updated: 17th May 2023

Controlling diabetes requires a balance of various lifestyle habits including exercising, eating a healthy balanced diet, and taking the proper medication. However, navigating proper medication can be tricky, especially because various foods that sound healthy can wreak havoc on blood glucose levels and overall health.

If you have diabetes, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating the types of food you enjoy. You can still eat most foods but you need to avoid some or eat them in smaller portions. Let’s explore some of the foods diabetics should avoid:

Avoid low-quality carbohydrates if you are diabetic

Carbohydrates are an essential source of energy. However, diabetics should be very careful when choosing carbohydrates to eat. Moreover, it’s important for the carbs to be spread evenly throughout the day.

The main types of carbs in food include sugar, starch, and fiber. Carbs directly affect blood sugar levels more than other types of nutrients.

Our bodies break sugars and starch down into glucose. In the past, there were set guidelines about how many carbs diabetics should eat. But now, there are no specific recommendations.

You can speak to your dietitian or doctor about your individual dietary needs. They can design a diet program specifying how many carbohydrates you should eat and when. Some of the main factors that affect your individual dietary needs include weight, height, medications, and activity level.

Avoid foods with added sugars

Diabetics should avoid foods that contain added sugars and processed carbs as much as possible. These foods include:

Cereals and white bread
Foods with added sugar such as candies and sweets
Baked foods especially foods made with processed white flour

Foods that provide healthful carbs include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. These foods provide fiber, energy, and nutrients such as minerals and vitamins without raising blood sugar levels as quickly.

Grains to avoid if you are diabetic

Although grains contain starch, whole grains also contain fiber, minerals, and essential vitamins. Diabetics should avoid:

White rice
White bread, cakes, tortillas, muffins, bagels, and baked goods containing highly processed white flour
Cereals, pretzels, and crackers that contain added sugar
White pasta

According to a 2012 study that explored the development of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, people who consume more whole grain have a 34% lower risk of glucose tolerance worsening. Healthful grains include oatmeal, quinoa, wild or brown rice, barley, millet, and amaranth.

Limit baked goods and packed snacks

Aside from all the junky white flour, sugar, preservatives, and sodium they contain, baked goods and packed snacks like cookies, doughnuts, snack cakes, and crackers often have trans fats.

Unhealthy trans fats have been shown to lower “good” (HDL) cholesterol, increase “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, and raise the risk of heart disease. Therefore, for people who have type 2 diabetes, there’s no safe amount of trans fats they can safely include in their diet.

Fortunately, it’s now easier to steer clear of trans fats because they are now listed just below saturated fats on ingredient lists.

It’s also important to check food labels to make sure the food doesn’t contain partially hydrogenated oils, a source of unhealthy trans fats. You can get healthy fats in fatty fish such as salmon, as well as in avocado, nuts, olive, and canola oils.

Tips for a good diabetic diet

Following the short diabetic food guide below can help you eat healthfully and maintain stable blood glucose levels within your target range.

Start the day by checking your blood sugar levels (before eating breakfast) and 2 hours after at least 1 meal
Eat a wide variety of foods
Eat three meals a day with 2 or 3 snacks between meals
Eat reasonable portions of starch at meals (1 cup or less)
Limit your milk intake to avoid blood glucose spikes (1 cup at a time)
Limit cholesterol and fat if consuming a high-carb diet
Never skip breakfast and be sure to include whole grains, which help prevent overeating and make it easier to manage blood sugar levels.
Satisfy your hunger cravings with lean protein, seeds and nuts, and low-fat dairy, which are rich in valuable nutrients.
Limit consumption of pre-made fruit juices with added sugar.
Go for fruit-based desserts and limit candies
Avoid or limit foods with added sugar, such as syrups
Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
Limit salt and sodium intake
Check the carbohydrate content of products
Be keen with servings. For instance, you can use a smaller meal
Minimize artificial sweeteners to avoid affecting your insulin resistance and gut bacteria

Bottom line

The key to a healthy diet for everyone, even diabetics, is to eat a wide range of healthful foods from various food groups. It is also essential to avoid processed foods high in salt, fat, and sugar.

There is a wide variety of healthful alternatives regardless of the type of foods in your diet. Moreover, once you adjust to a new diet plan, you may not even crave the foods you used to eat.

A dietitian or diabetes educator can help you develop a simple meal plan. They will recommend the types of food to eat, when to have meals, and how much to eat.

Learn about Diabetic Food Stores HERE

What is Extracellular Matrix Replacement?

Extracellular Matrix Replacement is a non-cellular structure that regulates the function, structure, and communication of cells and tissue through a network of macromolecules.

The highly dynamic structural network of the extracellular matrix continuously undergoes changes mediated by various matrix-degrading enzymes during pathological and normal conditions. Interactions of the cell-extracellular matrix are facilitated mainly by heterodimer molecules and are very important to the structure of the tissue.

Deregulation of extracellular matrix structure and composition is associated with the progression and development of many pathologic and psychological conditions. Therefore, it is important to understand the function and structure of the extracellular matrix as well as its role in wound healing and neuronal regeneration in the PNS (peripheral nervous system) and CNS (central nervous system).

What is the function and structure of the extracellular matrix?

ECM (extracellular matrix) comprises of non-cellular constituents that form a scaffold for the cellular components within tissues. Its structure is essentially made up of fibers, proteoglycans, collagen, and multi adhesive proteins.

The main functions of the ECM include:

Facilitating communication between cells
Forming a support structure for cells
Regulating essential cell processes such as differentiation, migration, and growth
Segregating tissues
Tissue repair

There are two main types of extracellular matrices, each with a different structure;

interstitial matrices and
pericellular matrices.

Interstitial matrices surround cells whereas the pericellular matrices are cell-associated.

The basement membrane which is found between the connective and functional tissue is a good example of pericellular matrices. The structure of the basement membrane provides an important anchoring layer that ensures functional cells are kept together. Cells within the extracellular matrix communicate through integrate signals and surface receptors that are associated with their specific function.

Moreover, cells play a critical role in the formation of the ECM through the secretion of multi adhesive proteins and matrix macromolecules. Therefore, differences in the extracellular matrix structure influence the biomechanical practices of the entire network as well as signals that determine cell response.

What is the relationship between the extracellular matrix and diabetes?

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the serious complications of diabetes. Morphological changes are caused by changes in the extracellular matrix. Therefore, basement membranes thicken and the tubulointerstitial space and the glomerular mesangial matrix are expanded as a result of increased amounts of the extracellular matrix.

In diabetic neuropathy, the proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix exhibit a complex pattern of changes. The proteoglycan in the tubulointerstitial space and the mesangium are increased but decreased in the basement membranes. There are also significant changes in the structures and amounts of heparan sulfate chains.

Such changes affect growth factors that regulate cell-extracellular matrix synthesis and growth factors, whereas cell attachment affects podocytes and endothelial cells.

Enzymes that modulate heparan sulfate structures, including sulfatases and heparanase, are implicated in diabetic neuropathy. Other enzymes also modulate proteoglycans and extracellular matrix proteins, such as serine proteases and metalloproteinases, as well as their inhibitors.

In diabetic neuropathy, changes in the levels of these enzyme classes and their corresponding inhibitors are seen in the kidneys and plasma. Signaling pathways, hyperglycemia, and several growth factors affect extracellular matrix synthesis and turn over in diabetic neuropathy. Whether extracellular matrix components can be effectively used to detect early kidney changes is a very important research topic.

One of the key elements in diabetic neuropathy is changes in the ECM of several components in the kidneys. Therefore, changes seen in the extracellular matrix are critical in diagnostics as well as therapeutic and prognostic purposes.

Tissue Regeneration

The extracellular matrix is the main factor necessary in the process of creating new tissue and networks. Many different factors trigger the growth of extracellular matrix or help form a synthetic extracellular matrix. Currently, extracellular matrix replacement is involved in many mechanisms including wound healing and neurological regeneration capacity associated with neurodegenerative and/or pathological disease.

The wound healing process is largely influenced by the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts in the site of injury. Fibroblast is a part of the extracellular matrix and it determines wound healing outcome. Fibroblasts produce collagen that links to the wound and it also affects the reepithelialization process that closes the wound. During proliferation, fibroblasts produce type III collagen and aid in wound closure.

An important part of the tissues’ holding capacity is the extracellular area which is mainly occupied by the extracellular matrix. Even though the extracellular matrix mainly consists of collagen, the composition varies depending on the ground or developing molecules. However, the extracellular matrix is composed of three main classes of biomolecules. Proteoglycans, linked to glycosaminoglycans and fibrous protein (collagen, laminin, vitronectin, elastin, and fibronectin).

Some of the most important constituents of connective tissue, which is mainly composed of the extracellular matrix, are ground substance and fibroblasts. Ground substance is an integration complex between proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, and glycoproteins (mainly fibronectin and laminin). Fibroblasts secrete the matrix constituents in most connective tissues. However, in some specialized connective tissues, like bone and cartilage, matrix components are secreted by osteoblasts and chondroblasts.

In general, each cell needs to attach to the ECM (extracellular matrix) in order to multiply and grow. The extracellular matrix is mainly responsible for providing anchorage and support for the shape of cells, regulating and determining cell behavior and dynamics including cell adhesion, cell survival, cell polarity, cell migration, and cell proliferation. Moreover, the extracellular matrix is involved in the regenerative and growth mechanism, healing process, and it also provides mechanical support for tissues.

The bottom-line

In clinical applications, many different factors that trigger the growth and development of the extracellular matrix are being used to create a synthetic extracellular matrix.

In addition to being involved in wound healing, it is also possible to use scaffold by acellular nerve allografting, a chemical decellularization process, to maintain most of the extracellular components and eliminate antigens that may cause allograft rejection, which effectively guides and enhances nerve regeneration.

In tissue engineering, extracellular matrix replacement and development has been used as a scaffold to enhance direct axonal growth, especially on peripheral nerve injury, as is common in diabetic neuropathy.