Having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes does not mean you need to let it control your life! Why don’t you control this condition by first acknowledging it is real, it is here and here to stay. You will need to lose weight; always watch your weight. It will always be there in your life but it does not need to be the chief executive officer. You are the one with the power, not your diabetes.

Are these the stages you are going through You aren’t weird, it’s just difficult to accept even if you had obvious signs when you were first diagnosed.

1. Shock. Were you shocked when you were first told you were pre-diabetic or had diabetes Did you feel numb This is a protection we put in place when we are given bad news.

2. Disbelief. Despite the blood results you ask yourself: “How can I have type 2 diabetes” Maybe you didn’t know you had this in your gene pool. And you didn’t know some illness, eg. pancreatitis, could lead to this condition. And you really don’t want to think about giving up your favorite foods. Then the next step could be:

3. Denial. That’s easier to do than thinking about changing the world as you know it. Even being told you are pre-diabetic helps you to deny, you can tell yourself it’s not really diabetes. But it stops you from really helping yourself, it’s not a mistake, it’s really there. Maybe you will then start to become:

4. Angry. This happens as you really start questioning all your thoughts about whether or not you really do have type 2 diabetes. You also become concerned about the complications, eg. neuropathy, retinopathy, and how they could affect your life. But now it really has your attention. Maybe you will feel sad because you think this new lifestyle creates too many problems, and this will then become:

5. Depression. You may feel these concerns are too large to overcome. If you feel this way talk to your health care provider so he can help you with your diagnosis. He will explain the benefits of lifestyle change; how this will reduce your blood sugar levels and how you will then feel the best you have in years.

We all use these stages as coping mechanisms to deal with unexpected issues in our lives. The goal is to reach acceptance as soon as possible. Although type 2 diabetes will be part of your life forever, a positive attitude will bring the changes to help you control this condition.

Studies show twenty five percent of thin people are pre-diabetic and don’t know it! And there are twice as many people with pre-diabetes as there are with type 2 diabetes. What does this tell you?

Whether you are thin or overweight, if you have been diagnosed you have the opportunity to take steps to at least delay, or prevent the full diabetic condition developing. You will need to work harder to regain your health if you wait too long.

One of the earliest signs is tiredness which occurs after you have eaten a large amount of sugary food or carbohydrates. This is your body letting you know you cannot handle these very well. The truth is, if you continue to eat these foods your intolerance will continue to get worse.

At the moment your blood sugar levels would be in the range between normal and diabetes.

There is very good evidence that moderate lifestyle changes in someone early in the disease process, can delay the progression.

What can you do?

Step 1: Reduce your body weight. You don’t need to lose a lot, 5 to 10 per cent of your body weight when you where diagnosed will do the trick.

Step 2: Follow a diet low in saturated (animal) fats. This will help your insulin to regulate your blood sugar levels.

Step 3: Increase the amount of low-GI carbohydrates in your diet. Studies show people who have low-GI foods are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Many foods listed as low-GI contain a lot of fiber and that helps to reduce your blood-sugar.

Step 4: Adding soluble fiber to your diet has a lowering effect on blood-sugar and fat levels, particularly cholesterol.

Step 5: Increase your omega-3 intake as this improves insulin sensitivity and in turn your diabetes risk. You can do this by including fish and seafood at least twice a week.

Step 6: Include regular physical activity in your lifestyle plan. Walking, cycling, swimming and dancing are all beneficial to people with pre-diabetes.

Step 7: Every bit counts. Small lifestyle changes reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Pre-diabetes is something that many of us are not entirely familiar with. The term seems almost vague to people who have never been diagnosed, yet it is a remarkably common condition. Pre-diabetes is what we call a condition that results in blood glucose levels that are elevated but too low to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Pre-diabetes is somewhat like an early warning system for patients. A diagnosis of pre-diabetes lets us know that it is time to make some pretty big lifestyle changes. When pre-diabetes is diagnosed, it is time to start taking better care of our diets, our exercise habits, and even our bodies a bit more carefully.

Diabetes can have many dangerous effects, and controlling the condition before it has fully developed is always the best course of action when possible. If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it is very important to learn all the steps you can take to lessen your chances that the disease will progress.

There is much you can do when you are diagnosed. For starters, take a careful look at your diet and your overall weight. If you are significantly overweight, you should know that obesity is one of the most common factors in the development of diabetes. Even if you have a completely healthy weight, your diet will have to undergo some pretty large changes.

Because diabetes means that your body is not using glucose properly and producing enough insulin, you will have to eat properly to ensure that you do not build dangerous glucose levels in your bloodstream. This means cutting out simple sugars as much as possible and striving to lose even ten pounds. Studies show that losing ten to fifteen pounds and adding even ten minutes of exercise daily can significantly reduce our chances of developing pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Pre-diabetes increases our chances of having a stroke or heart attack by almost fifty percent. This means that we must take extra precautions to ensure our health. Proper glucose monitoring and intake coupled with a healthier diet and lifestyle can do much for us, and can slow the onset of diabetes by as much as fifty eight percent.

The diagnosis of pre-diabetes can be worrisome, but it should serve as a wake-up call. With the right treatment and the proper self care, we can do a lot to reduce the risks of diabetes and associated complications. For this reason, knowing about diabetes before it has fully developed can truly help to save lives.