Have you had your blood sugar (glucose) level checked lately? An increased level of sugar in the blood can be a sign of pre-diabetes. When you have pre-diabetes, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes increases. Your chance of developing heart disease and stroke goes up, too. The good news is that you can possibly reverse pre-diabetes by making some changes.

When It’s Pre-Diabetes
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells turn blood sugar into energy. When the body’s cells don’t use insulin properly or the body doesn’t make enough insulin or both, you have insulin resistance. It can cause sugar to build up in the blood.

What You Can Do
Regular physical activity and weight loss can help improve the way your body uses insulin. That can help treat pre-diabetes.

The following tips can help:

• Talk with your doctor about an exercise program.
• Build up to moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days if your doctor says it’s OK.
• If you’re overweight, aim to lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight gradually.
• Eat your usual foods in smaller amounts.
• Limit fat intake to less than 25 percent of your daily calories.