my mother in law is 72 years of age and up till now she haven't had any major medical issues. she recently had a stroke and was hospitalized, while in the hospital they told her that she's pre diabetic. she love eating spicy foods and it is hard for the family to take it away. Also she wants to know if she can still have hot sauce on her foods.
Yes, I know that "pre-diabetics" (and many fully diagnosed diabetics) are often advised to test once a day -- or far less. The "only" problems with that are: 1) without frequent testing at least in the early days, one can have no idea what foods work with one's glucose, and which foods do not, and 2) since glucose fluctuates throughout the day, infrequent testing can hide Big Issues -- which may eventually force a move to meds, if one is not on them already.
This is why regular glucose testing is so important -- because we do differ in our levels of tolerance.
Back to spicy/hot. Spicy sauces and powdered spices rarely (well, with the exception of sriracha) have any extra sugars or starches. As long as labels are carefully read, and glucose tests are done, there should be no problem with the hot stuff.
If MIL is overweight, then losing some weight or at least not gaining any more is going to be a good goal.
Managing your blood sugar is not like weight-loss dieting. If you are counting calories and you know you are going to a big party you can eat more lightly during the day to make up for it. It doesn't work that way when you are managing carbohydrates. You can't avoid eating carbs all day and then splurge at a party. You need carbs throughout the day, and each eating event is separate -- they don't "average out."
Can a diabetic eat a dinner roll, rice, pasta, corn-on-the-cob, a baked potato, barbequed pork, and a chocolate brownie? YES! BUT not at the same meal, please! The total carb count for the entire eating episode is what is important.
To answer can MIL continue to use her hot sauces, yes she can. Look at the carb content of the sauce, and add it to the other carbs she is eating. It is the total that is important. And if she really likes a sauce that is kind of high in carbs, maybe she will prefer cutting back on some other carb in that meal.
It is about PORTION SIZE and total carb counts, rather than giving up specific foods.
There is a lot of information available about healthy eating for persons with prediabetes. One good source is the American Diabetes Association website.
This does mean the end of MIL's enjoyment of food. It just means being more aware of what is in the food she is eating, limiting carbohydrates to what her body can process at one time, and being aware of portion sizes.
Sadly, sriracha sauce is too sugary for me, but Tabasco, Tapatio and Cholula brand sauces (among others) have no added sugar and are quite tasty.
Dried spices, such as chili powder, chipotle, cayenne and *hot* paprika are also good.
If she's already at home, maybe you could ask the doctor for a dietician consult. However, there are cookbooks that might help you.
Kudos to you for being so proactive. Being Pre Diabetic means that she has the potential to become diabetic, but isn't yet. You have the ability to head it off at the pass, so to speak. Good luck!