| "Fran Potter, a fitness technician at Curves in Palmer, went through a pre-diabetes training program at Mat-Su Regional last year and made lifestyle changes accordingly. Her blood glucose level has dropped significantly as a result of those changes, she said." "Take a tour in the life of an Alaska Wild cheerleader; from practice, to game time, to hanging out with fans." "Have tips for successful garage saling and selling? Ever find something incredibly valuable at a ridiculously low price?" "In its 50-year history, the Salty Dawg in Homer has seen some wild times and quiet times. What's your most memorable Salty Dawg experience or story?" "Millions of parents can't afford the government's child-cost estimate of $16,000 a year, yet others spend far more. Is that fair? Good for the kids?" "There's nothing worse than a 2-year-old pitching a fit in the middle of the grocery store. Do you have a toddler known for public meltdowns? Tell us your tantrum stories and how you handled it." "PALMER -- A routine blood screening in December 2005 revealed that Fran Potter had pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be called diabetes." "The condition, her doctor told her, should not be taken lightly, since people with pre-diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease." ""My mother had diabetes," she said, "and she died of kidney failure," a common complication of the disease." "Potter determined she would take the steps necessary to avoid a similar fate. She attended a monthly diabetes prevention course at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and implemented the lifestyle changes recommended in the course." "Those recommendations include following a low-fat, reduced calorie diet and increasing your physical activity, said Becky Moore, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator who heads the two-hour courses. Doing so can cut the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, she said." "The American Diabetes Association estimates about 41 million people in the U.S. ages 40 to 74 have pre-diabetes, a condition marked by a fasting blood glucose level of 100-125 mg/dl." "Though people with pre-diabetes often have no symptoms, they tend to share some commonalities, Moore said. They are usually overweight, particularly through their midsections, she said. Men with pre-diabetes often have a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, while women's waistlines are often greater than 35 inches, she said." "And people with pre-diabetes often, though not always, have a family history of diabetes. They might also suffer from other conditions such as high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels. The same high fat diet that increases our risk for those things puts us at risk for diabetes, Moore said." "Our bodies convert most of the food we eat to glucose -- a form of sugar used for energy. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, allows the glucose to pass from the bloodstream into our cells. A high fat diet, Moore said, makes it tough for insulin to do its job." ""What happens (in pre-diabetes) is the insulin you make doesn't work very well. Your body makes it; your insulin just can't open the door to the cells. This is called insulin resistance," Moore said." "When glucose can't get into the cells, it builds up in the bloodstream, leading ultimately to diabetes, a condition that can starve your cells of energy and, over time, damage your heart, kidneys, eyes or nerves." "People with pre-diabetes are at a 50 percent increased risk of developing heart disease or stroke, according to the American Diabetes
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