Borderline diabetes, also known as pre-diabetes, is a medical condition in which blood sugars are higher than normal but not too high to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. High cholesterol levels cause the narrowing of artery walls and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A diet that consists of healthy food choices can help manage both high cholesterol levels and borderline diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
People with borderline diabetes have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating a healthy diet that promotes a healthy weight can significantly reduce that risk, according to MayoClinic.com. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, or TLC, is a diet specifically designed to help lower blood-cholesterol levels. It can also help manage borderline diabetes due to its emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole-grains along with calorie control. The TLC diet suggests you limit your total fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of calories and total saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total calories. Limiting both fat and saturated fat in your diet will limit your total calorie intake while helping reduce your cholesterol levels. TLC also suggests you limit your intake of cholesterol to 200 mg a day. The diet also encourages the intake of soluble fiber. In addition to lowering blood-cholesterol levels, foods high in soluble fiber take longer for your body to digest, helping to keep you feeling full longer.
USDA MyPyramid Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid plan is a low-fat, calorie-controlled meal plan designed to instruct Americans how to make healthy food choices. The diet classifies foods into the basic food groups, including grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans and milk. The MyPyramid plan provides specific recommendations on how much to eat from each food group to help the borderline diabetic lose weight. In addition, the MyPyramid plan emphasizes foods high in fiber and low in fat to help lower blood-cholesterol levels. The plan also includes tips on how to make healthy food choices and how best to prepare food.
The Healthy Eating Pyramid
The healthy eating pyramid was designed by the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Department as a meal-planning guide for good health. It differs from the USDA MyPyramid plan because its emphasis is on weight management and regular physical activity. Harvard asserts that if you show concerns about weight and exercise regularly, you'll be more likely to make healthy food choices. The diet emphasizes whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes and discourages the intake of foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat and butter, and sugar found in soda and sweet snacks. This type of diet will help the borderline diabetic lose weight while lowering blood-cholesterol levels.
