Type 2 diabetes is incurable, but pre-diabetes is a reversible condition. If your blood glucose levels are above normal but not considered diabetic, then you are pre-diabetic. Diet, calorie intake, fat intake, exercise and weight loss help lower your blood glucose levels, preventing type 2 diabetes. Overweight people are at risk of type 2 diabetes as they get older. If you lose 5 percent to 7 percent of your weight, it can help bring your blood sugar level back within the normal range, according to the American Diabetes Association. Following a low-calorie, low-fat diet and exercising every day are the best strategies for reversing pre-diabetes.
Fruits and Vegetables
Rather than following a fad diet to lose weight, make healthy food choices with balanced nutrition. Vegetables and fruits are good choices for cutting calories and fat. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, green peppers and string beans are non-starchy with the lowest calorie counts.
Grains
Choosing whole grains instead of white bread or rice adds fiber to your diet, keeping you full longer. Whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal and high-fiber cereals are healthy choices that give you the fiber you need to keep your digestive system functioning normally. Eating high-fiber grains helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Protein
When choosing protein for your diet, select lean loin meats that have less fat than other cuts. Poultry is low in calories and fat, especially if you remove the skin. Broil or bake the meat to reduce the fat and calories from vegetable oils used in frying. Lentils are another low-fat protein source you can add to any meal. The ADA recommends eating two to three servings of fish each week as a protein source.
Dairy
Select non-fat dairy products for your pre-diabetes diet, adding calcium and vitamin D while cutting calories and fat. Skim milk, fat-free yogurt, fat-free cottage cheese and fat-free cheese add variety to your meals and are healthy alternatives to whole-milk products.
Avoid
Avoid sabotaging your diet with high-calorie fats and snack foods. Find healthy alternatives to chips, cakes and ice cream by eating raisins, reduced-fat crackers or frozen yogurt instead. Portion size is important also. Even if your are choosing healthy foods, eating too much during meals adds calories, preventing weight loss.
Fitness
Exercising 30 minutes each day burns off excess calories and maintains your weight loss. Exercise not only helps regulate your pre-diabetes glucose level but also lowers blood pressure. The more you exercise the more calories you burn and the quicker you will lose weight. You can increase physical activity in your everyday schedule by walking up the stairs instead of the escalator, parking further away from building entrances, walking every day and lifting light weights every other day.
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