According to a report by the Japanese media Kaigo Post Seven, Dr. Yano Hiroyuki, a Japanese diabetes specialist, stated that diabetes is very common in today's society, but prediabetes is often overlooked. Individuals with prediabetes often experience sudden post-meal blood sugar levels rising above 200 mg/dL, which then drop sharply within an hour to over 100 mg/dL. However, since health check-ups usually only measure fasting blood sugar levels, it's not easily detected.
Yano explained that individuals with prediabetes secrete large amounts of insulin in an attempt to lower blood sugar levels that spike due to poor diet or stress. If this situation persists, it can lead to insulin resistance, where insulin doesn't work effectively enough, subsequently triggering chronic diabetes. Long-term blood sugar fluctuations damage blood vessels, increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
Some habits act like turning on a "blood sugar booster," causing blood sugar levels to skyrocket:
- Preference for refined carbohydrates: Including white rice, buckwheat noodles, udon, etc. The sugar in these is quickly absorbed by the body and converted into energy, causing a sudden spike in blood sugar.
- Eating too fast: Too much sugar enters the body at once, causing a sudden rise in blood sugar. Chew food thoroughly, and take at least 15 minutes for each meal.
- Frequently drinking vegetable juice or sugar-free soda: A 200ml pack of vegetable juice contains 15-20g of sugar. As for sugar-free soda, while blood sugar doesn't rise, it can confuse the brain into thinking "more sugar is needed," leading to cravings for sweets.
- Drinking coffee in the morning: Caffeine stimulates adrenaline release, causing blood sugar to rise. Blood sugar is already higher after breakfast. If you rely on coffee or energy drinks in the morning for a boost, it can increase it further.
- Intense exercise before breakfast: Strenuous exercise also stimulates adrenaline secretion, so it's not advisable to go for a run immediately after waking up. High-intensity gym workouts or sports requiring physical and mental exertion like tennis or table tennis, done before breakfast, can have counterproductive effects on blood sugar control.
- Staying up late: Sleep deprivation increases cravings for high-calorie foods, leading to blood sugar spikes.
- Sleeping immediately after dinner: Eating snacks in the afternoon delays dinner (after 8 PM), and soon after eating, it's time to sleep—this is the worst scenario. Blood sugar elevated from snacking hasn't recovered, and then spikes again with dinner. Sleeping soon after leads to a large secretion of insulin at night to lower blood sugar, which can drop too sharply and easily cause hypoglycemia.
- Others: Frequently drinking beer or sake at night, or spending too long in a sauna.
One Simple Blood Sugar-Stabilizing Habit Each Day to Stay Away from Diabetes
Changing all these habits at once is very difficult. You should slowly review and adjust your diet, exercise, sleep, etc., one by one. For this purpose, Yano proposes 7 days of blood sugar-stabilizing habits. Do one thing each day and stick with it. This can help cultivate a physique where blood sugar doesn't rise easily, turn off the "blood sugar booster," reverse prediabetes, and even help diabetic patients alleviate symptoms, potentially reducing reliance on medication.
Monday: Try to relax and enjoy the day.
Start the new week, but don't be too tense or put too much pressure on yourself. Avoid coffee or energy drinks for a boost. Before breakfast, do diaphragmatic breathing 10 times: inhale through the nose for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds, then repeat.
Tuesday: Pay attention to carbohydrate intake.
Reduce carbohydrate intake at dinner. Eat slowly; don't finish in 10 minutes. If you usually sleep at 11 or 12 PM, finish dinner by 8 PM to allow time for digestion. During meals, eat meat or fish first, and save staples like rice for last. Studies show that simply changing the eating order can lower blood sugar levels from, for example, 199 to 126. Eating meat, fish, and vegetables first, then rice, can prevent rapid carbohydrate absorption and slow the blood sugar rise. Recommended vegetables for lowering blood sugar are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables rich in sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is believed to activate brown fat cells, effectively consuming energy obtained from carbohydrates.
Wednesday: Do 5 minutes of light exercise after each meal.
Blood sugar levels rise 30 minutes to 1 hour after a meal, so exercising within 15 minutes after eating is important. Do stretching exercises, including raising arms, pulling a towel, and lifting legs. The focus is on engaging large muscles like the latissimus dorsi and thigh muscles, which have high energy utilization efficiency. Just 5 minutes each time, once after each of the three meals. Aerobic exercises like walking also help control blood sugar, but avoid competitive sports like tennis or table tennis.
Thursday: Change your snack choices.
If you have a snacking habit, switch to low-sugar, less sweet snacks, and eat them around 3 PM. Check if snacks are made from rice or potatoes (like rice crackers or chips), as these are high in sugar. Switch to nuts, or 2-3 pieces of chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content. Pair it with a cup of mulberry leaf tea. Mulberry leaves contain "1-deoxynojirimycin," which can inhibit blood sugar.
Friday: Pay attention to the type and amount of alcohol.
Many people like to socialize after work on Friday. Before the meal, drink 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Acetic acid inhibits the enzymes that break down carbohydrates, thereby blocking sugar absorption. If drinking alcohol, avoid beer and sake as they are higher in sugar. Switch to distilled spirits with low sugar content, like red wine, shochu, whiskey, or alcohol labeled "zero sugar." Also, don't drink to the point of intoxication.
Saturday: Enjoy your hobbies and interests to the fullest.
Doing things you love helps lower blood sugar. Engage in hobbies or aerobic exercise on the weekend, but avoid overly strenuous activities. A relaxing bath is also recommended. Remember to bring a bottle of water into the bathroom to stay hydrated. Don't stay in for more than 10 minutes, keep water temperature below 40°C, and don't linger in the sauna too long.
Sunday: Go to bed early.
Especially for those who stayed up late on Friday and Saturday, rest early on Sunday night to prepare for the new week. Finish dinner before 8 PM, and do thigh exercises within 15 minutes after eating. Go to bed at least 2 hours after dinner; never sleep immediately after eating.
At What Blood Sugar Level Is It Prediabetes? Watch for 8 Early Symptoms
According to information from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder. When insulin secretion is insufficient or the body cannot properly use the insulin it produces, blood sugar levels rise. High blood sugar leads to disorders in fat and protein metabolism and, in the long term, damages the function of multiple body systems and organs, including the cardiovascular system, retina, nerves, kidneys, etc.
- If fasting blood glucose level is ≥5.6 to <7 mmol/L, it is considered impaired fasting glucose.
- If two-hour postprandial blood glucose level is ≥7.8 to <11.1 mmol/L, it is considered impaired glucose tolerance.
Both conditions fall under prediabetes.
Common Early Symptoms of Diabetes:
- Frequent thirst
- Frequent urination
- Feeling hungry
- Weight loss
- Easy fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Wounds that are slow to heal
- Skin itching (women may experience genital itching)
