Normal blood sugar can still lead you to prediabetes. 2 Signs to be aware of

Are you hungry before meals, and tired after meals? If you feel this way all the time, it could be an indicator that your body has insulin resistance. This is prediabetes. Pre-diabetes can affect anyone, even if their blood sugar tests are not abnormal. If you have any of the symptoms listed here, be aware.

Why is there Insulin Resistance when blood sugar levels are normal?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately one-third American adults were affected by prediabetes. 

Pre-diabetic people develop insulin resistance because of the decreased sensitivity of their cells to insulin. Therefore, the body must secrete large amounts of insulin to suppress blood sugar.

People with insulin resistance chronically are at high risk for developing diabetes later in their lives. Even if diabetes does not occur, a high insulin level and blood sugar levels can cause oxidative stress and inflammation that may lead to various health problems. complicationsYou can find them at hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (e.g. (e.g. dementiaCancer and emphysema.

However, what many people don’t realize is that blood test results may still show normal blood sugar levels when insulin resistance is already present in the body.

Prediabetes can be detected mainly by blood tests at the moment. 

Fasting blood sugar level: Normal fasting blood sugar levels should not exceed 100 mg/dL. Prediabetes is defined by a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL. 

Hemoglobin (HbA1C), test: It represents the average blood glucose index for the past 2 or 3 months. The normal value should be below 5.6 percent. Prediabetes is defined as a level between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent.

“There is a huge problem with such diagnostic criteria,” Dr. Chun-Hsu Chen was the director of Dr. Chen Natural Health Centers (DCNHC) in the United States. Diabetes means that both fasting blood sugar and postprandial sugar levels are high. The A1C level will be also relatively high. Prediabetes patients are more likely to experience significant blood sugar swings but their average blood sugar levels remain within the normal range. Misjudgment can sometimes result from relying on HbA1C or fasting blood sugar levels.

The HbA1C level represents the average blood sugar level for three months. It cannot reflect fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, A and A had A1C levels of 5.7. percent. However, A’s fasting blood glucose and two-hour postprandial blood glucose are 95 mg/dL and 125 mg/dL respectively; while B’s fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose are 90 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL. B clearly experienced blood sugar swings.

Dr. Chen said that the difference is that A is more energetic during daytime, sleeps well at nights, and doesn’t feel drowsy after eating. whereas B’s insulin will rise very high after a meal to suppress the blood sugar level, and the blood sugar level will drop significantly before the next meal. B will also be hungry and want to snack before a meal. Fluctuations of blood sugar can cause hunger before meals, and drowsiness afterwards.

Prediabetes may be diagnosed by drowsiness after meals and a large belly.

How can you tell if you have insulin resistance? It can be detected by physiological responses, physical appearance, blood tests, and other methods.

1.) 1.) Hunger before meals, drowsiness after meals

Blood sugar swings are closely tied to physiological responses, such as hunger before meals or drowsiness after meals. Dr. Chen explained that such responses are common in modern humans, but does not necessarily mean that they are normal.

2.) A big belly and “dirty” Neck

Insulin resistance is characterized by more abdominal and visceral fat. This can be seen in the appearance of a large belly and a thick waist, also known as “central obesity”.

The waist-to-hip ratio is calculated by dividing the waist circumference and the hip circumference. If the ratio is >0.9 for men or  >0.8 for women, it means that there is too much fat in the waist and abdominal area, and it indicates the presence of insulin resistance.

You can also see how much muscle and fat you have. If you are losing weight, it is important to be aware. The body fat meter measurement will show that your body fat has increased while your muscles have decreased.

Acanthosis Nigerians is the third sign to watch out for in terms physical appearance. The typical symptom includes black patches appearing in the crease at the back of the neck—hence it is called the “Dirty Neck”.

Acanthosis Nigerians is caused by excess insulin stimulation of the proliferation of skin cell cells. This causes melanin accumulation and hyperkeratosis. It can also be found on the neck, underarms, and front of the elbows. Acanthosis Nigerians is not a common condition in patients with insulin resistance.

3.) 3.) Insulin and blood sugar tests

The following values are indicative of insulin resistance in blood tests:

Fasting insulin level >5mIU/L

There is a difference between preprandial and postprandial blood glucose levels of > 40 mg/dL

Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) ≥ 2

HOMA-IR calculates the ratio between fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin. It is an indicator of insulin resistance if it is less than 0. ≥2However, it is often based on clinical symptoms.

Dr. Chen suggests that blood sugar levels be tested at four times to determine if there is insulin resistance. These are: before meals (on an empty stomach), 30 min after meals, 1 hour after meals and 2 hours after meals.

Normal circumstances dictate that the tests are performed 2 hours before and 2 hours after meals. However, this may not be enough to determine if the patient has prediabetes. Assume that the patient’s preprandial and 2-hour postprandial blood sugar levels are 100 and 130, respectively. These numbers look good, but the patient’s blood sugar levels may actually rise to 150 and 180 half an hour and one hour after a meal, respectively.

Some people may not feel full after meals, or have large bellies, but they are insulin resistant. These people should have their blood sugar and insulin levels tested.

Dr. Chen explained that many of these people are stressed and overworked. They may have a normal body shape or look slim, but they develop insulin resistance from chronic stress-induced adrenaline overproduction.

Studies have also shown that stressLong hours of work can lead to burnout. sleep loss All of these can lead to insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

A South Korean study More than 25,000 healthy adults monitored their insulin resistance and work hours. The results showed that those who worked 35-40 hours per week had a lower rate of insulin resistance. People who worked 41 to 52 hours per week, and those who worked over 52 hours per week, had a 28 percent or 180 percent higher risk of developing insulin resistant.

Stress causes high blood sugar levels due to the body’s mechanism. The body releases adrenaline when there is danger. It also breaks down glycogen into glucose and secretes insulin to transport glucose quickly to the muscles. The above-mentioned reactions can be used to help a person flee from dangerous situations.

Adrenalin will also be increased by sleep deprivation. This is because the body must secrete adrenaline to sustain itself when it lacks energy. After a certain time, adrenal fatigue will set in.

People who are often under pressure, work late, or overworked are likely to have increased adrenal hormones and insulin secretion. Over time, many cells in their bodies will become less sensitive and susceptible to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. Dr. Chen described the phenomenon as misbehaving kids becoming numb after being scolded repeatedly by adults. “Our senses and cells adapt to many stimuli over time,” He said.

3 Ways to Reverse Insulin Resistance

Patients with prediabetes can reverse insulin resistance and avoid developing diabetes. There are three methods that can be applied in daily life.

1.) Avoid “high-frequency eating” And “high-carbohydrate diet”

Consuming too many high-carbohydrate foods and constant eating will cause insulin resistance, which can lead to longer-term insulin resistance. 

Feeling tired after eating can be an indication that the starch in the meal may be too high. It is best to reduce the amount of starch, remove staple foods like flour-based food, and increase the intake of vegetables and protein. In order to feel satisfied after eating, we should not feel drowsy. However, it is important to change the order of your meals so that you eat protein, vegetables, and starch first. 

Dr. Chen suggested that you take a break if you feel tired after eating. This is because staying awake when tired stimulates adrenaline.

You can eat food rich in protein and high-quality oils (eggs or soy milk and cashew nuts) if you feel hungry during meals. You can also avoid biscuits, cakes, and candy.

2.) Do some resistance training

Insulin resistance can be caused by the accumulation of energy (high sugar and high-frequency diet) as well as a reduction in physical activity. In order to prevent insulin resistance, patients should do aerobic exercise and resistance training along with dietary adjustments. These exercises can increase muscle sensitivity to insulin and reverse insulin resistance.

Resistance training It can increase the rate at which glucose enters muscle cells, allowing blood sugar levels for stabilization to be stabilized quickly. Skeletal muscle It is the most important tissue that controls blood sugar levels. It is responsible for storing, and withdrawing about 85 percent It is responsible for the removal of glucose from the blood and plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar stability.

Insulin resistance can also be caused by excess visceralfat. A three-week course experiment It was found that resistance training of high intensity was the most effective way to shed visceral fat.

Dr. Chen said that the maximum number of repetitions for resistance training must be between 8-12RM in order to achieve effective blood sugar control. RM is the rate at which you can train. “maximum number of repetitions” You can lift them with a certain “weight”.

Aerobic exercise can also improve insulin sensitivity. It is best to choose high intensity sports like speed walking, mountain climbing and swimming. 

Aerobic exercise and resistance training are both essential to reaching long-term goals like improving insulin resistance and controlling blood sugar. One studyResearchers in the United States divided 262 Type 2 diabetic sedentary patients into four groups: nonexercise control, resistance, aerobic exercise, combined aerobic and resistance training. After nine months of exercise, it was discovered that patients who combined resistance training and aerobic exercise had the best results in controlling blood sugar. The absolute mean HbA1c change was 0.34 percent.

3.) 3.) Reduce stress from time-to-time and maintain a good quality of sleep

People who suffer from sleep apprehension and other problems often have difficulty sleeping. “dreaminess” Stress can be caused by a lack of sleep. It is important to stop staying up late or being under pressure.

We should generally sleep for at least 8 hours and get to bed before 11 p.m. Dr. Chen explained that this is because 11.00pm to 3.00am is the critical time. “4 golden hours”It is best to fall asleep deep during this time. You can miss the “4 golden hours”You may not be able make up the difference even if it is a good night’s sleep.

There are many options for how to relax. Mindfulness meditation, yoga and tai-chi, as well as breathing exercises and qigong, all help to relax the body and mind.

Dr. Chen suggests using a far infrared electric heater to warm your feet. This is for relaxation and sleep aid purposes. “This is the fastest way to relieve stress and fall asleep.” Place the far infrared electric heater approximately 30 cm from the footboard of the bed. Adjust the temperature to a low setting. Then, lie down on the blanket-covered bed and let the heat radiate to your soles. After approximately 5 minutes, the warmth stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to relaxation, yawning, or falling asleep. 

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