Raising awareness

Yes, Virginia, there is a Diabetes Awareness Month–and we are smack dab in the middle of it.  But, before you focus all your awareness on diabetes itself, there’s actually another–even more important–condition you need to know about…

I’m talking about prediabetes.

Prediabetes develops gradually over the years, and follows a slow and insidious course–meaning you never know you have it until your doctor tests your blood sugar and it comes back too high. At least, that’s what conventional medicine would have you believe…

They contend that there are no obvious symptoms associated with prediabetes. But the truth is if you are even remotely aware of your body, you will be able to tell.

The first warning sign is the most obvious–being overweight or obese. And it’s not hard to tell if it applies to you. Look in the mirror, calculate your BMI, get on a scale…if you’ve got some extra padding, it’s time to get serious.

But even if your weight isn’t an issue, there are a couple of less tangible warning signs you may not attribute to “prediabetes.” These signs are more subtle than the pinch of your waistband around your middle–but they can give you some keen insight into what’s actually going on in your body.

Other than being overweight, the two main warning signs of prediabetes are:

1. Feeling tired or sluggish after eating. This is such a familiar complaint that I can guess which patients are going to say it either just by looking at them or just by listening to their history.
2. Craving carbohydrates. Sound familiar? All of the “needing” or “having to have” may be a medical condition after all–but one that can be fixed.

If you are able to pick up on these signs and more importantly do something about them, you will have plenty of time to avoid diabetes.

So over the next few days, I’ll give you even more details on how to spot these signals–and some simple strategies that will help you “just say no” to the things that cause them.