Around 79 million Americans have prediabetes, also known as borderline diabetes. This means your blood sugar tests higher than normal but below the level of Type 2 diabetes. Three types of tests -- a fasting plasma glucose test, an A1C test and an oral glucose tolerance test -- measure the levels of glucose in your blood. A low-fat diet may lower your risk of developing diabetes.
Diabetes Prevention
If you lose excess weight and increase your level of physical activity, you can help bring your glucose levels under control, possibly returning them to normal. You can decrease your risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent if you include 30 minutes of moderate activity in your daily routine and lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, according to results of the Diabetes Prevention Program and reported by the American Diabetes Association. Lower the amount of fat -- particularly saturated fat and trans fat -- in your diet and add fiber from sources such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes.
Saturated Fat
A low-fat diet includes no more than 16 to 22 g of saturated fat per day. Animal products provide the main source of saturated fat. Choose lean sources of animal protein, such as salmon, skinless chicken, turkey, lean ham and halibut. Vegetable protein -- from tofu, soy beans, kidney beans and edamame, for example -- contains little or no saturated fat. Avoid fatty meats, such as beef short ribs, veal, ground beef, pork chops and lamb.
Trans Fat
Limit trans fat to 2 g a day. Margarine and shortening contain trans fat, an unhealthy fat that can increase your risk of heart disease. Choose healthier oils -- olive oil and canola oil, for example -- for cooking. Read nutrition labels before buying commercial baked goods, frozen potato products and processed snacks. Doughnuts, french fries and pound cake may contain more than a full day's supply of trans fat. All types of fat contain a lot of calories -- about 100 in 1 tbsp. -- so limit your overall fat consumption. Fat should make up no more than 20 to 35 percent of your total calories for the day.
Fiber
Adding fiber to your diet can also help you lose weight as well as reduce your blood sugar levels. Aim to include 25 to 35 g of fiber in your daily eating plan. Fiber helps you fill you up faster and helps keep you feeling full longer, helping you avoid reaching for high-calorie snacks between meals. Fiber also helps slow your body's absorption of sugar. Whole grains contain more fiber than refined grains. Citrus fruits and fruits with edible skins or seeds, such as apples and bananas, provide good sources of fiber. Legumes, such as kidney and black beans, provide a good source of fiber as well as low-fat protein.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Prediabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Basics: How to Tell If You Have Prediabetes
- American Diabetes Association: How to Prevent Prediabetes
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center; Cholesterol Content of Foods; February 2011
- American Dietetic Association; Health Implications of Dietary Fiber; October 2008
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