Are you prediabetic? Here's what you can do

About 84 million American adults are considered prediabetic, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 90 percent of them don't know it.

So, what can you do if the doctor says you're at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes? 

CentreSpring MD founder Dr. Taz Bhatia says there is actually a lot you can do to lower your risk.

"I think it's very easy to say, my family has diabetes, so I'm going to get diabetes, too," Bhatia says. "That's not true. I think it's, again, about being super educated, proactive and understanding your health and chemistry."

Two big factors you can control, she says, are your diet and digestive health.

The more sugar and processed foods you're eating, the more your insulin levels will spike, and make your pancreas work harder, Bhatia says.

"So, I think the first place to start is to just look at your diet," Dr. Bhatia says.  "What is your diet doing? Take out the things that are obvious. We know sugar is one of them. Watching caffeine is important.  Many people don't realize that a spike in caffeine, or caffeine can actually spike insulin levels as well."

So can that drink in your hand.

"Alcohol ultimate turns into sugar, and sugar will raise insulin levels," Bhatia says. "Anytime you're introducing a ton of alcohol, you're also introducing yeast.  When you introduce yeast, you spike insulin."

She also recommends eliminating diet sodas and soft drinks in general.

"Both of them spike insulin in different ways," Dr. Bhatia says.

And, pay attention to your gut health.

"Make sure you're having a regular bowel movement, make that you're urinating enough, that you're getting in things like probiotics to help balance the gut," Bhatia says.  "Probiotic rich foods, too."

And, finally, Dr. Bhatia says any kind of movement is helpful.

"So that's anything form a 30-minute walk to a 30-minute run, to doing a yoga class, to doing a spin class, doing tai chi," Bhatia says. "Whatever it is, that movement in itself is going to help blood sugar stabilization and is going to help insulin."

Exercise can help you get to a healthy weight, or body mass index of 25 or lower. 

Experts also recommend increasing the whole grains in your diet, lowering the amount of processed food you eat and limiting red meat.

If you smoke, quitting can lower your risk of type-2 diabetes.

So how can you tell if you might be pre-diabetic?  The CDC offers a 1-minute test you can take to find out. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/