Pre-diabetes is the body's quiet signal that it has begun to struggle with insulin, a stage where blood sugar has risen above normal yet not reached the threshold of diabetes. In a feature published in early September 2025 by The Indian Express, surgeon Dr Pankaj Sharma of Fortis Hospital and Shalya Clinic in New Delhi argued that this in-between state can often be turned around, sometimes within a month, through steady changes to diet, movement, sleep and stress. His central conviction is that the earlier a person responds, the more the body has left to give back, though the swift timeline he
Can Pre-Diabetes Be Reversed in 30 Days? Doctors Say Diet, Exercise and Sleep Can Make the Difference
Every meal should stabilise your sugar, not spike it
Mark
Why does Dr Sharma call pre-diabetes a red flag rather than a diagnosis?
Mimi
Because blood sugar is above normal but not yet in the diabetes range. He says insulin resistance has already started, so it's a warning that there's still time to act.
Mark
What does he actually ask people to do?
Mimi
Four things: eat a high-fibre, whole-food diet, move 30 to 45 minutes daily with strength training twice a week, protect sleep and manage stress, and track fasting sugar, post-meal sugar and weight.
Luke
Before we get excited, where does the 30-day claim come from?
Mimi
From Sharma's own clinical experience. He says patients with a disciplined routine can normalise sugar within 30 days.
Luke
So it's one doctor's observation, not a trial. The article gives no patient numbers or study data, and it says reversal happens 'sometimes' in a month.
Mark
And the weight figure?
Mimi
He says a 5 to 7 per cent reduction can bring significant improvements. Again, that's his statement; no source is cited.
Luke
Also worth noting the two doctors differ a little. Nagda suggests exercising five times a week for 45 minutes, while Sharma says daily.
Mimi
Both agree on early action, steady activity and avoiding crash diets. The piece closes with a disclaimer to consult a practitioner first.
Luke
Which is the sensible reading: the direction is clear, but the speed is unproven here.
El Pulso
- A warning light has flickered on in the body: blood sugar is climbing, and insulin resistance may already have taken hold.
- Routine habits of refined carbohydrates, fried snacks and packaged food are being named as the quiet drivers of the problem.
- Experts are urging a fast response, with brisk walking, strength training twice a week, and high-fibre meals as the chosen tools.
- Sleep and stress are being pulled into the fight, since poor rest and chronic tension raise cortisol and make sugar harder to control.
- The promise of normalising sugar within 30 days rests on one clinician's practice, so the outcome remains a hopeful trajectory, not a guarantee.
Pre-diabetes is the body's quiet signal that it has begun to struggle with insulin, a stage where blood sugar has risen above normal yet not reached the threshold of diabetes. In a feature published in early September 2025 by The Indian Express, surgeon Dr Pankaj Sharma of Fortis Hospital and Shalya Clinic in New Delhi argued that this in-between state can often be turned around, sometimes within a month, through steady changes to diet, movement, sleep and stress. His central conviction is that the earlier a person responds, the more the body has left to give back, though the swift timeline he describes reflects one clinician's experience rather than the verdict of controlled studies.
Dr Pankaj Sharma, a bariatric and general surgeon at Fortis Hospital and founder of Shalya Clinic in Rohini, New Delhi, calls pre-diabetes a red flag from the body. Blood sugar has risen above normal but not yet reached the diabetes range, and in his view that in-between stage is a window worth acting on quickly. In a feature published by The Indian Express on 2 September 2025, he made the case that the sooner a person changes course, the better the outcome is likely to be.
His first lever is the plate. He asks patients to cut back on refined carbohydrates, sugary treats, fried snacks and packaged foods, and to build meals around whole grains, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. He wants every meal to steady blood sugar rather than spike it, so that food does the work of medicine.
Movement follows. Sharma recommends 30 to 45 minutes of brisk walking, cycling or swimming each day, along with strength training twice a week to improve insulin sensitivity. Fellow physician Dr Nimitt Nagda of Zynova Shalby Hospital in Mumbai echoed the urgency, advising daily walking and warning against crash diets. Sleep and stress, Sharma notes, are easy to neglect, yet poor rest and chronic tension push up cortisol and make sugar harder to manage. Relaxation practices such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing, he says, go hand in hand with better reversal.
Progress, in his telling, is measured by fasting and post-meal sugar and by body weight, since losing even 5 to 7 per cent can make a meaningful difference. The 30-day timeline he offers comes from his own clinical experience rather than controlled research, and the article itself urges readers to consult a doctor before changing their routines.
Pre-diabetes, says Dr Pankaj Sharma, is a red flag from the body: a sign that insulin resistance has already begun. Sharma is a bariatric, general and laparoscopic surgeon at Fortis Hospital and founder of Shalya Clinic in Rohini, New Delhi. In a feature published by The Indian Express on 2 September 2025, he argued that the earlier a person acts, the better the outcome.
The condition itself is defined simply. Blood sugar is higher than normal but has not yet reached the range that counts as diabetes. Sharma's message is that this in-between stage can often be reversed, sometimes in as little as a month, if the right lifestyle changes are made.
His first step is dietary. He advises cutting back on refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, fried snacks and packaged items. In their place he recommends a high-fibre plate built around whole grains, fresh vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. His framing is that food should work like medicine, with every meal stabilising blood sugar rather than spiking it.
Physical activity comes next. Sharma suggests at least 30 to 45 minutes a day of brisk walking, cycling or swimming, plus strength training twice a week, which he says improves insulin sensitivity. Dr Nimitt Nagda, an internal medicine specialist at Zynova Shalby Hospital in Mumbai, also said that acting early can prevent future health problems. He recommended at least 30 minutes of walking daily, and said lighter activity such as cycling, dancing or yoga helps the body use insulin better and lowers blood sugar. Nagda also advised exercising five times a week for at least 45 minutes to bring blood sugar under control. He warned against crash diets, favouring healthy eating and regular activity, and stressed the need to maintain an optimum weight.
Sleep and stress, Sharma notes, are often overlooked. Poor sleep and chronic stress raise cortisol, which makes blood sugar harder to control. He said patients who practise relaxation methods such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing show better reversal rates.
Progress, he says, should be tracked: fasting sugar, post-meal sugar and body weight, checked regularly. He pointed to weight loss as a lever, saying even a reduction of 5 to 7 per cent can bring significant improvements.
The 30-day figure rests on Sharma's own experience. In his clinical practice, he said, patients who adopt a disciplined routine of mindful eating, daily activity and stress control can normalise their sugar levels within 30 days. He described pre-diabetes as a window of opportunity and said that, with commitment and medical guidance, reversal is very much possible, sometimes faster than people expect.
The timeline comes from a clinician's experience quoted in an expert-led feature, not from controlled study data. The article carries its own disclaimer: readers should consult a health practitioner before starting any routine.
Citas Notables
It's a red flag from your body, telling you that insulin resistance has already started. The earlier you act, the better the outcome.— Dr Pankaj Sharma, Fortis Hospital and Shalya Clinic, New Delhi
Focus on healthy eating and regular activity rather than crash diets.— Dr Nimitt Nagda, Zynova Shalby Hospital, Mumbai
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