Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert starches and sugars into energy needed for daily life. While an estimated 17.9 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, a staggering 5.7 million people are unaware that they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Prediabetes and Diabetes Defined
Type 2 diabetes is a condition defined by high blood-sugar levels and abnormal insulin action. (Insulin helps the body use a type of sugar called glucose, which the body gets primarily from carbohydrates in food. Glucose provides energy for movement, growth, repair, and other functions.) Poor control of type 2 diabetes affects the heart, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Prediabetes, as the name implies, is characterized by blood-sugar levels that are above what is considered normal but not as high as those that occur with full-blown diabetes. People with prediabetes also tend to have high blood pressure, high triglycerides (fats that circulate in the blood), low HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, and significant belly fat — a cluster of symptoms that raise their risk for heart disease. Unfortunately, most people with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within ten years unless they make certain lifestyle changes — changes that have been found to be more effective for reversing prediabetes than medications, according to the National Institutes of Health. And if you’re following the South Beach Diet lifestyle, you’re already on the right track.
"The most frustrating part about prediabetes and diabetes is that they are largely preventable, and in circumstances where diabetes can't be prevented, the onset can usually be postponed," says Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of the South Beach Diet Heart Health Revolution. "These conditions are brought on by a Western lifestyle — eating refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats like trans fats and saturated fats, and by inactivity," he explains. But a straightforward South Beach Diet approach to eating nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, wholesome foods (with an emphasis on lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole-grains, vegetables, and good fats) along with daily exercise can reverse prediabetes and diabetes. "Many of my patients actually started the South Beach Diet because they were diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, and I've witnessed their blood-glucose levels revert back to the normal range," adds Dr. Agatston.
When to Get Tested
The ADA recommends diabetes screenings every three years beginning at age 45. If you have symptoms of diabetes, which include excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss or fatigue, and irritability, see your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
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