Prediabetes: What It Is, How It Progresses, and How to Reverse It
When your blood sugar runs higher than it should but hasn’t crossed into full-blown diabetes, you’re in prediabetes, a condition where the body starts to resist insulin, causing glucose to build up in the bloodstream. Also known as impaired glucose tolerance, it’s not a diagnosis you ignore—it’s a warning sign you can act on. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has it, and most don’t know. Unlike diabetes, prediabetes doesn’t always come with symptoms. No extreme thirst, no frequent urination. Just a slow, quiet rise in numbers on a lab report. That’s why it’s so dangerous—and why it’s so reversible.
Prediabetes isn’t just about sugar. It’s tied to insulin resistance, when cells stop responding well to insulin, forcing the pancreas to pump out more to keep blood sugar in check. Over time, that strain wears down the pancreas. That’s how you move from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition where the body can’t make or use insulin properly. But here’s the truth: most people with prediabetes don’t end up with diabetes—if they make changes early. Weight loss, even just 5-7% of body weight, cuts risk by over half. Moving more—walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week—helps more than most pills. Eating less refined carbs and sugar? That’s not a diet. That’s damage control.
What you eat, how much you move, even how well you sleep—all these things directly affect your blood sugar. You don’t need a fancy plan. You need consistency. The posts below show you how real people manage their blood sugar without drastic measures. You’ll find advice on what foods help or hurt, how certain medications interact with your metabolism, and why some common habits—like drinking coffee right after taking thyroid meds—can quietly worsen insulin resistance. You’ll also see how conditions like fatty liver and high cholesterol often travel with prediabetes, and why treating one helps the others. This isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity. You’re not doomed. You’re just at a turning point. And the next step is yours to take.