Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not so high that you would be classified as a diabetic. About 79 million people in the United States have the condition. If you have prediabetes, your game plan for eating is to make healthy changes that help you prevent or delay diabetes. According to the CDC, most people with prediabetes go on to develop diabetes within 10 years. If you take steps to change your diet and get more exercise, you could prevent diabetes, and authorities with the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse say your blood sugar level could even return to normal.
Reduce Your Calories
The National Diabetes Education Program, or NDEP, says that prediabetics can prevent diabetes by losing weight. Your biggest priority with your diet, then, is to lower the amount of calories you take in each day and at each meal. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, you don't have too many restrictions on "what" you eat, per se. Rather, it's more important to control how much you eat. Portion control is key. This means you should consume fewer calories than you burn each day and reduce your intake of high-calorie foods. Also begin cutting back or replacing those items that add unnecessary calories to your meals, including butter and margarines, high-fat salad dressings and full-fat dairy products. NDEP says losing just 5 to 7 percent of your weight reduces your chances of getting diabetes by close to 60 percent. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse says if you are age 60 or older, this same amount of weight loss cuts your chances of developing diabetes by 71 percent.
Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The American Diabetes Association recommends you eat from the rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is not only important for weight control, but doing so also helps you get important nutrients, control your blood pressure and maintain the right balance of electrolytes in your body. Canned or processed fruits and vegetables may contain too much salt or sugar. The sugar adds unnecessary calories, and the salt may increase your chances of high blood pressure. Hypertension is an important concern for prediabetes because the heart-related complications associated with type 2 diabetes are already beginning in people with prediabetics. Furthermore, high blood pressure medications are often diuretics that deplete your potassium levels and increase your risk of developing diabetes.
Limit Unhealthy Fats and Seasoning
Saturated and trans fats are not healthy for your heart. Saturated fats and trans fats can increase your total cholesterol as well as bad cholesterol levels. Trans fats can also lower your good cholesterol. These actions can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Saturated fats are found in meats, whole-milk products, butter, lard, beef tallow and suet. Trans fat is man made. It goes under the name "hydrogenated oil" or partially hydrogenated oils in processed foods, from dessert snacks to chips and crackers. Remember also that fatty foods provide excess calories. You should cut back on fried foods and eat more grilled and baked items. Use fat-free versions of items like sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, cheese and salad dressings. In addition, NDEP suggests you use herbs and spices, rather than salt, to season your low-fat recipes.
Eat More Fish
Public health authorities, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, recommend that you eat more fish for several reasons. Replacing meat meals with fish can lower the calories you take in and the amount of saturated fat you eat. In addition many fish, such as salmon, sardines, trout and tuna, have good amounts of heart-healthy fats, called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats protect you from heart disease and lower the incidence of cardiac deaths when you get about 250 mg of omega-3s daily or approximately 8 oz per week, according to the Dietary Guidelines.
Increase Physical Activity
An important accompaniment to your diet and weight-loss efforts is more exercise. Both physical activity and weight loss help your body respond better to insulin, the hormone produced by your pancreas that helps feed blood sugar to your cells. "By losing weight and being more physically active," says the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, "people with insulin resistance or pre-diabetes may avoid developing type 2 diabetes."
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Insulin Resistance and Pre-diabetes; August 2008
- Joslin Diabetes Center: What is Pre-diabetes?
- American Diabetes Association: Making Healthy Food Choices
- National Diabetes Education Program; Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your GAME PLAN to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Information for Patients; July 2006
