You’ve known for a while now that you need to knock off a few pounds, but you always figured that could wait until after the holidays… until after that big project at work was done… until after you didn’t have to run after little kids.
But now, your doctor delivers the news: you have pre-diabetes. You’ve joined approximately a third of the adult American population. There is no more time for excuses. You have to get this under control. Today we’re going to walk you through the steps you need to take to kick pre-diabetes to the curb!

Exercise to combat prediabetes

Your doctor probably already talked to you about this, but it’s easier said than done, right? Sometimes, the biggest hurdle is just carving out the time in your day to fit. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week. A few places you can carve out exercise time include:

• Lunch breaks. If there is an area around your workplace where you can walk, exercise or otherwise move, take advantage of that. You may even find that spending part of your workday moving around can help you return to your job feeling refreshed for the rest of the day.
• Morning routine. We know, it can be hard sometimes to sneak in those 8 hours of rest every day. But, if you have the kind of chaotic schedule during the day that makes predicting when you can get in a workout impossible, sometimes getting up a half hour early can really help.
• In between tasks. If you have a few moments in between certain tasks throughout the day, try sneaking in a bit of a workout. Have exercise equipment—such as a stationary bike—close by so you can jump on it

Healthy eating for prediabetes

The best way to go about this is to stick to a low-fat, reduced calories plan. But, just like exercise this can be easier said than done, especially when you start to get hungry. A few things you can do to combat that empty feeling are:

• Try to eat as much lean protein as possible. This will give you energy and help you eat less throughout the day. For example, eggs, fish, chicken and turkey all tend to be high in protein and low in fat and calories. Make sure you read the nutrition information and compare how much it has of each.
• Portion control. Understand what it takes to help you feel satisfied and stick with that. With some food, it takes more calories than others to help you feel full. For example—a cup of broccoli will last you longer and contains far fewer calories than a cup of ice cream!

Remember, losing 5 to 7 percent of your weight is a big step towards reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It will take some life changes, but you can do it! If you or a loved one are currently battling type 2 diabetes, we carry diabetic supplies to help you manage it.

Maybe you’ve seen those bright pink earplugs in the medicine aisle at your local grocery store. They’re specifically marketed towards women whose bed partners snore.

It’s not a bad idea—in fact, statistically speaking, men are twice as likely to snore as women. However, by plugging up your ears and enabling his snoring, you might actually be endangering his life!

What is sleep apnea?

See, snoring is often caused by a condition known as sleep apnea. Taken from the Greek word “apnoia” which means “breathless,” sleep apnea occurs when someone stops breathing in the middle of the night. Their body, starved for air, will force the person to wake up so they can take a breath. This cycle of waking up and going back asleep occurs continuously throughout the night.

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your partner’s throat relax, which causes the soft tissue they support to fall down and block or restrict the airway. It’s this obstructed airway that causes the loud snoring to emit from your partner’s mouth.

What does sleep apnea affect?

The result? Your partner may wake up in the morning feeling as if he got no sleep at all (because often he has not). Not only that, sleep apnea puts wear and tear on their heart, because there’s not enough oxygen intake.  Depression, Type 2 diabetes and liver problems can also result from sleep apnea.

How can I treat sleep apnea?

Luckily, there is help! Your partner can use a device known as a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine. This machine forces air into nose, pushing past that collapsed soft tissue and delivering much-needed oxygen into your partner’s lungs. They’re not glamorous-looking, but CPAP machines can save your partner’s life and let you sleep better at night!

To find out for sure if your partner has sleep apnea, your doctor will order a sleep study performed on him. If the results come out positive, your doctor can then write a prescription for a CPAP machine.

If it turns out your partner does have sleep apnea, we can help! We carry a wide variety of CPAP machines and other CPAP supplies in our online catalog.