 Hi, I'm Ashley Shankul, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at MidMichigan Health. I'm here today to provide you with more knowledge on prediabetes and reducing your risk for developing diabetes. Prediabetes affects 35% of adults age 20 and older and half of Americans age 65 and older. Without weight loss and physical activity, 15 to 30% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. So the goal, identify prediabetes and take action to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Prediabetes can be a silent disease. It usually happens without symptoms, but we know elevated blood sugars affects the eyes, nerve endings, the heart and kidneys leading to serious health complications. A prediabetes diagnosis increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%. How is prediabetes diagnosed? If you had a fasting blood sugar of 126 or higher, that is diabetes. Prediabetes is 100 to 125, and non-diabetes is less than 100. If you had a non-fasting blood sugar test and your level was 200 or higher, that is diabetes, 140 to 199 is prediabetes, and a blood sugar of less than 140 is non-diabetes. Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include having a family history of diabetes, if you're overweight with a BMI greater than 25, over age 45, if you've had a diabetes during a pregnancy, have given birth to a baby weighing over 9 pounds, have had the stress of an illness or injury, have high blood pressure, or belong to certain ethnic groups such as African American, Hispanic American, or Native American. How do I reduce my risk for type 2 diabetes? Step 1, decrease your current weight by 5 to 10%, eat a variety of healthy foods, reduce total daily calories by monitoring carbohydrate and fat intake. Step 2, try to accumulate 30 minutes of activity most days of the week. Start by making healthier food choices, balancing calories and increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and try to reduce your intake of sodium, especially in foods like canned soup, canned vegetables, and frozen meals. Drink water instead of sugary beverages. You can also reduce your risk by watching your salt and sodium intake. Try to keep your salt to about 1,500 mg per day. Did you know that a teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium? Increasing your fiber can also reduce your risk. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, especially with foods that have whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Eat brown rice and whole wheat pasta instead of white, and choose higher fiber snacks such as popcorn, vegetables, and high fiber crackers. Try to eat more fresh and less processed foods, and it is better to get fiber from food rather than supplements. Try to know how much you're eating by watching your portions and using easy tools like the size of your hand to estimate what a half cup versus one cup is. You can also use the plate method to help you control your portion sizes. Think of your plate into three sections. You'll have your plate with vegetables and the other half with whole grains and lean protein. How can you increase your physical activity each day to reduce your risk? Studies show trying to include 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week can be helpful. It can be one 30-minute session or three 10-minute sessions. Physical activity is any movement of your body that uses energy. Daily ideas for 30 minutes of physical activity include dancing, household chores, yard work, gardening, walk breaks, park your car further, walk your dog, taking the stairs, or even wearing a pedometer to make you aware of how many steps you're taking each day. Key takeaways for reducing your risk of diabetes. Losing as little as 5-10% of your current body weight will improve blood sugars and reduce insulin resistance, engaging in regular physical activity at least 30 minutes most days of the week, and take action by avoiding sugary beverages and reducing portions. I hope that this information on prediabetes was helpful. At MidMichigan Health, we celebrate the power of health throughout life with you.