Prediabetes and The Path to Better A1C: Blood Sugar, Energy, Brain Focus & Insulin Resistance

5 Mindset Shifts That Help Prediabetes Lifestyle Changes Stick | Ep 98

Why do prediabetes lifestyle changes sometimes work for a few days and then disappear when life becomes busy?

The missing piece may not be another meal plan or workout. It may be the way you are approaching the change.

In Episode 98 of Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C, Jenny Pena shares five mindset shifts that can help you move beyond shame, perfection, and temporary fixes so you can create habits that fit your real life.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why a prediabetes diagnosis is not a character evaluation

• How to choose a realistic starting point

• Why repeatable actions matter more than perfect weeks

• How your environment and support system influence your habits

• One question that can help you evaluate whether a change is sustainable

This is the fourth installment of the final five episodes before Episode 100.

Ready to turn prediabetes information into a plan you can actually follow?

Prediabetes Kickstart is a small-group coaching experience focused on meals, movement, and mindset.

Join the waitlist to receive the November enrollment details and deadline reminders:
https://waitlistcohort26.subscribepage.io/

Follow Jenny on Instagram for practical prediabetes support, free resources, and upcoming masterclasses:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

Additional resource:

NIDDK Healthy Living With Diabetes:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/healthy-living-with-diabetes

Subscribe to Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C so you do not miss the final episode before Episode 100.

Can a few minutes of movement after a meal support better blood sugar?

You do not need to go to the gym or complete a long workout every time you eat. Replacing some of your usual post-meal sitting with realistic movement can be a practical place to begin.

In Episode 97 of Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C, Jenny Pena shares five accessible ways to move after meals, including options for people who cannot walk outside, have limited time, or need to modify movement for their abilities.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why your muscles matter for blood sugar management

• How short periods of movement can fit into a busy day

• Alternatives for bad weather, limited space, or mobility challenges

• Why movement should support your meal rather than punish you for eating

• How to connect post-meal movement to something you already do

This is the third installment of the final five episodes before Episode 100.

Ready for more personalized support?

Prediabetes Kickstart is a small-group coaching experience designed to help you create a realistic starting plan around meals, movement, and mindset.

Join the November Prediabetes Kickstart waitlist:
https://waitlistcohort26.subscribepage.io/

Follow Jenny on Instagram for practical prediabetes support, free resources, and information about upcoming masterclasses:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

Resource referenced:

NIDDK Healthy Living With Diabetes:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/healthy-living-with-diabetes

Subscribe to Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C so you do not miss the remaining episodes in the series.

Eating more protein is common advice for prediabetes, but protein is only one part of a balanced meal. What you pair it with can affect how satisfying the meal feels and how it supports your blood sugar.

In Episode 96 of Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C, Jenny Pena shares five practical protein and fiber pairings you can use at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why protein and fiber work better together

• How to improve meals you already eat instead of starting over

• Ways to combine protein with whole grains, beans, vegetables, or fruit

• Why adding protein or fiber does not make carbohydrate portions irrelevant

• How to choose one combination and evaluate your hunger, cravings, energy, and individual blood sugar response

Ready for personalized support?

Prediabetes Kickstart is a small-group coaching experience designed to help you create a realistic plan around meals, movement, and mindset.

Join the November Prediabetes Kickstart waitlist:
https://waitlistcohort26.subscribepage.io/

Follow Jenny on Instagram for practical prediabetes support, free resources, and information about upcoming masterclasses:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

Resources referenced:

CDC Diabetes Meal Planning:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/diabetes-meal-planning.html

CDC Fiber and Diabetes Guidance:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/fiber-helps-diabetes.html

Subscribe to Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C so you do not miss the remaining episodes in the series.

After a prediabetes diagnosis, eating can suddenly feel complicated.

Should you eliminate carbohydrates? Eat more protein? Measure every portion? And what are you actually supposed to put on your plate?

In Episode 95 of Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C, Jenny Pena breaks down the plate method into five flexible building blocks that can help you create balanced meals that support better blood sugar without abandoning the foods you love.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to use the plate method without weighing or tracking everything
• Why carbohydrates do not need to disappear from your prediabetes diet
• How protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, vegetables, healthy fats, and flavor work together
• How to adapt the method to breakfast, lunch, dinner, cultural foods, and combination meals
• One simple way to improve a meal without trying to change your entire diet at once

This is the first installment of the final five episodes before Episode 100. Each episode will give you five practical ideas to help you create your own realistic starting plan for prediabetes.

Ready for more personalized support?

Prediabetes Kickstart is a small-group coaching experience designed to help you create a realistic plan around meals, movement, and mindset.

Join the November Prediabetes Kickstart waitlist here:
WAITLIST LINK

Follow Jenny on Instagram for prediabetes tips, free resources, and upcoming masterclasses:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

Subscribe to Prediabetes and the Path to Better A1C so you do not miss the remaining episodes in the series.

Do your cravings, afternoon energy crashes, or late-night snacking seem to happen around the same time every day?

It may not just be about what you’re eating.

In this episode of Prediabetes & The Path to Better A1C, we’re talking about your body’s natural daily rhythm and how it may influence your blood sugar, energy, hunger, cravings, and sleep.

Your circadian rhythm is often associated with sleep, but your body is also responding to signals throughout the day, including light, meals, movement, stress, and your evening routine.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How your daily rhythm can influence blood sugar, cravings, and energy
• Why that 3 PM crash or nighttime craving may be connected to the rest of your day
• How light, meals, movement, and rest act as four important daily anchors
• Why long gaps between meals may leave you ravenous later
• How simple movement can support blood sugar and energy
• Why your wind-down routine doesn’t need to be complicated
• How to do a simple “daily rhythm check-in” and identify your own patterns
• How to choose just ONE realistic change to test for the next seven days

You do not need a perfectly timed schedule or another rigid routine. The goal is to notice the rhythm you already have and make one supportive signal a little more consistent.

Ready to put some of these habits into practice?

The Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset will help you build awareness, create more balanced choices, practice mindful moments, and incorporate simple movement without following an extreme or restrictive diet.

👉 Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset:
https://energy.subscribepage.io/

All of my free resources are also linked in the show notes.

Follow me on Instagram:
@coachjenp
@prediabeteswithjenny

If this episode helped you, share it with someone who is working on their blood sugar, energy, or cravings, and be sure to subscribe to Prediabetes & The Path to Better A1C.

Have you ever finished a stressful meeting and immediately searched for something to eat? Or received an unexpected blood sugar reading and allowed that one number to ruin the rest of your day?

Sometimes a reaction happens so quickly that it feels as though we were not even part of the decision.

In this episode, Jenny explains how a one-minute mindful pause can create enough space to notice what is happening before making your next choice. It will not eliminate every source of stress or magically lower your A1C, but it can help you move from reacting automatically to responding more intentionally.

You’ll discover:

• Why stress can affect blood sugar even when food has not changed
• How emotional stress may influence cravings, sleep, movement, and eating patterns
• Why a mindful pause is not a strategy for forcing yourself to avoid food
• Four steps to practice: Arrive, Breathe, Notice, and Choose
• How to use the pause after a stressful meeting, before entering your home, after an unexpected blood sugar reading, or before bedtime
• A simple seven-day experiment to help you identify recurring patterns

Your mindful choice may still be to have the snack, spend a few more minutes on your phone, or continue with what you originally planned. The difference is that you are making the decision with awareness instead of reacting automatically.

Try it this week:

When __________ happened, I felt __________. After pausing, I chose __________.

One minute may not change everything happening around you, but it can change how you respond. Sometimes changing your next choice is exactly where a new pattern begins.

THE SUGAR FIX 5-DAY RESET

If you want a structured way to notice your patterns and begin making realistic changes, the Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset can help.

This self-paced experience includes bite-sized email coaching, a printable workbook, realistic snack ideas, meal-building guidance, and a craving and energy tracker. It covers added sugar, balanced meals, satisfying snacks, cravings, energy, sleep, and stress without an extreme eating plan.

Get the $27 Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset:
https://energy.subscribepage.io

FREE PREDIABETES RESOURCES

Prediabetes Roadmap:
https://subscribepage.io/starterguide

Prediabetes-Friendly Snacks List:
https://subscribepage.io/snacks

Free GLP-1 Guide:
https://subscribepage.io/glp1

Visit Jenny’s website:
https://www.jennypena.com

WORKSHOPS AND UPDATES

Jenny hosts live workshops at least every other month. Follow her on Instagram or join the email list through any of the free resources above to receive information about upcoming workshops.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Stress-management and mindfulness practices are not substitutes for medical care, nutrition therapy, mental health treatment, or prescribed medication. Consult your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, medication, or health plan.

Have you ever finished a meal feeling physically full but still wanting something else?

Maybe you barely remember eating because you were working, scrolling, or watching television. Or perhaps you were paying attention to the food, but your mind was filled with questions: Should I be eating this? Does it have too many carbs? Will it raise my blood sugar?

People often recommend mindful eating, but what does that actually mean when your schedule is busy and your mind will not stop thinking about food?

In this episode, Jenny makes mindful eating practical. She explains how it builds on the awareness discussed in Episode 91 and how paying attention during a meal can help you better understand your hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and food noise.

You’ll learn:

• What mindful eating is and what it is not
• Why being physically full does not always mean feeling satisfied
• How restrictive food rules, stress, poor sleep, and unsatisfying meals may make food noise feel louder
• Four simple opportunities to check in before, during, halfway through, and after a meal
• A one-meal mindful eating experiment you can try this week

Mindful eating does not require complete silence, a perfectly arranged table, or an unusually long meal. It begins with creating enough space to notice what is happening and use that information to make more intentional choices.

READY FOR A MORE STRUCTURED START?

The $27 Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset helps you explore patterns connected to added sugar, balanced meals, satisfying snacks, cravings, energy, sleep, and stress.

You’ll receive bite-sized coaching through email, a printable workbook, realistic snack ideas, meal-building guidance, and a craving and energy tracker.

Get the Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset:
https://energy.subscribepage.io

FREE MASTERCLASS NOTIFICATIONS

I usually host a free live masterclass every month. Follow me on Instagram or join my email list to receive information about upcoming classes.

Follow Jenny on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny/

Download the free Prediabetes Roadmap and join the email list:
https://subscribepage.io/starterguide

This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Mindful eating is not a substitute for medical care, nutrition therapy, or mental health treatment. If thoughts about food are persistent, distressing, or interfering with your daily life, please speak with a qualified healthcare professional.

After a prediabetes diagnosis, it’s tempting to immediately eliminate bread, rice, sugar, and every other food you’ve been warned about. But how can you confidently decide what to change if you haven’t identified what is happening now?

In this episode, Jenny explains why awareness should come before restriction, elimination diets, or a complete lifestyle overhaul.

You’ll hear:

• ​ Why changing everything at once can make prediabetes feel even more overwhelming• Five areas to observe: sleep, energy, hunger, mood, and digestion• How to notice patterns without judging yourself or blaming one food• What to examine on three food labels you use regularly• Why serving size can completely change what you think you’re consuming• How to conduct a realistic 24-hour awareness check-in• How to turn one surprising pattern into one small experiment

Jenny also shares how becoming aware of her regular sweet coffee and butter-roll breakfast helped her begin making more intentional choices while navigating prediabetes from her late 20s into her 30s.

Your action for the week: Choose one ordinary 24-hour period and observe how you sleep, eat, and feel. At the end of the day, ask yourself: “What pattern surprised me?”

Awareness is only the first step. The Sugar Fix 5-Day Reset helps you use what you notice to build more balanced meals, make satisfying snack choices, and support steadier energy without an extreme diet or eliminating every carbohydrate you enjoy.

The self-paced Reset includes bite-sized email coaching, a printable workbook, realistic meal and snack ideas, and a craving and energy tracker.

Start today for $27:https://energy.subscribepage.io

Jenny usually hosts a free live masterclass each month. Follow her on Instagram or join her email list to receive information about upcoming classes.

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/prediabeteswithjenny

Grab the free Prediabetes Roadmap Guide:https://starterguide.subscribepage.io

Ready for personalized support? Book a free Clarity Call:https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Jenny Peña is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Coach. She does not provide individualized medical treatment.

Always speak with your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, medication, or healthcare plan.

The Prediabetes Myth Series, Part 4 of 4

Are natural supplements automatically safer than prescription medication? Is berberine basically “natural metformin”? And does needing medication mean you failed at managing your prediabetes?

In the final episode of the Prediabetes Myth Series, Jenny breaks down five common myths about supplements, medications, and blood sugar so you can make more informed decisions without fear, shame, or internet hype.

You’ll learn:

• Why “natural” does not automatically mean safer or more effective
• Why berberine and metformin are not interchangeable
• Why metformin side effects are not the same for everyone
• Why taking medication does not mean your lifestyle changes failed
• Why GLP-1 medications are more complicated than simply calling them weight-loss drugs or “the easy way out”

Jenny also explains why supplements should be discussed with your healthcare provider or pharmacist, how lifestyle habits and medication can work together, and why your health should never be treated like a test you either pass or fail.

Your action for the week: Make a list of the medications, vitamins, herbs, powders, gummies, and other supplements you currently use. Bring that list to your next healthcare appointment or pharmacy visit so your care team has the full picture.

This is Part 4 of the four-part Prediabetes Myth Series. Catch up on Episodes 87–89 for the nutrition, exercise, and sleep and stress episodes.

Start the 5-Day Sugar Fix Reset:
https://energy.subscribepage.io

Grab your free Prediabetes Roadmap Guide:
https://starterguide.subscribepage.io

Ready for personalized support? Book a free Clarity Call:
https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Jenny Peña is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Coach. She does not prescribe medication, recommend medication changes, or provide individualized medical treatment.

Do not start, stop, reduce, or replace a prescribed medication based on information shared in this episode. Always discuss medication decisions with your prescribing healthcare provider.

Dietary supplements can cause side effects and may interact with prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, or other supplements. Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, especially if you take medication or have an existing health condition.

Individual responses to medications and supplements vary. The information discussed in this episode is general education and should not be interpreted as a recommendation for any particular medication, supplement, or treatment.

Blood Sugar Myth File: 5 Myths About Sleep, Stress & Blood Sugar

When you think about improving your blood sugar, food and exercise probably come to mind first.

But what about sleep and stress?

In this episode of the Blood Sugar Myth File, I’m breaking down five common myths about how sleep and stress affect blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, cravings, energy, and your overall metabolic health.

We’ll talk about:

• Whether five or six hours of sleep is really “enough”

• If you can catch up on sleep over the weekend

• Why stress can affect blood sugar even when your food hasn’t changed

• Why managing stress doesn’t require eliminating stress from your life

• Simple ways to support better sleep and recovery without trying to overhaul everything at once

If you have prediabetes and have been focusing only on what you eat, this episode will help you look at the bigger picture.

Need a simple place to start with prediabetes?

Prediabetes Roadmap Guide5 Day Sugar Fix Reset

Need to chat and explore if coaching is for you? - Book a clarity call with me HERE