Get prediabetes care
Find a prediabetes specialistPrediabetes
Been told you’re at risk for diabetes? There’s good news. Through lifestyle changes, prediabetes can be reversed.
What is prediabetes?
When your blood sugar levels are higher than what’s normal for your body, you have prediabetes. That doesn’t mean you have diabetes. But it does mean you’re at risk for developing diabetes in the future.What are symptoms of prediabetes?
You may not have any symptoms of prediabetes until it’s progressed to become Type 2 diabetes. However, prediabetes symptoms can include:
- Higher-than-usual blood sugar levels (between 100 and 125 — normal is under 100)
- Feeling sleepy or sluggish after eating
- Overall lack of energy
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
Who’s at risk for prediabetes?
Certain behaviors, genetics and risk factors raise your chances of developing prediabetes, including:
- Having a family history of prediabetes or diabetes
- Being overweight
- Eating a lot of processed foods
- Living an inactive lifestyle
- Being over 45
- Having high blood pressure
Several chronic health conditions also increase your risk of prediabetes, including:
- High blood pressure
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Prediabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant)
Preventing diabetes
If you don’t get prediabetes treated, it can progress into Type 2 diabetes. But there’s good news: You can reverse prediabetes through simple lifestyle changes. By cutting out processed foods and exercising more, you can lower your blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and lose weight. And that can reverse prediabetes.
Healthier eating — and controlling diabetes — is within reach
When you can eat healthy food, you can live a healthier life. Your A1C (or blood sugar) level is better maintained when you eat well, making diabetes easier to deal with. That’s why, if you live in northeast or central Pennsylvania, you may be eligible to receive “food as medicine” from Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy®.
When you enroll in this free program, we write you a “prescription” for healthy, nutritious food. Each week, you’ll go home with a bag full of wholesome ingredients: produce, whole grains, canned goods, lean meats and fish. But it doesn’t stop there.
You’ll also get:
- Recipes: Step-by-step directions to make a lighter lunch or a slimmed-down supper.
- Education classes: Learn the connection between nutrition and wellness, as well as cooking tips.
- Nutrition coaching: Learn about diabetes, healthy blood sugar numbers and how what you eat affects your A1C.
And you won’t just get food for you — we’ll provide enough for your whole family. Each week, you’ll get 10 meals’ worth of food, enough to cook 2 meals a day for 5 days. Learn how to eat healthy, without worrying about your budget. You may even be able to better control your diabetes.
Learn more about Fresh Food Farmacy.
Diabetes care at Geisinger
Whether you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or told you’re at risk for developing it, you can use these resources to make healthy choices and take an active role in your care. We’re here to help you, every step of the way.
- Dedicated care team – After you receive a diabetes diagnosis, we don’t just write you a prescription and send you on your way. You’ll have a large network of doctors, nurses and specialists involved in your care — from your primary care doctor to an endocrinologist, a dietitian, a pharmacist, a cardiologist and a community health assistant.
- Diabetes educators – Your diabetes educator will teach you about the importance of a healthy diet, show you how to check and monitor your blood sugar, provide you with resources for self-management, and get to know you and your family personally. They’re here to answer your questions and help you live your best life.
- Diabetes classes – Our free education classes cover different topics each week, like diet and exercise, diabetes monitoring and how to lower your risk of complications. These sessions are a great way to connect with others and take charge of your health. Find diabetes classes near me.
- Clinical nutrition assistance – Whether through group appointments, culinary medicine cooking classes, our Fresh Food Farmacy program or nutritional counseling, you’ll learn how what you eat affects your blood sugar — and how you can make healthier food choices.