Enjoy Prediabetes? Here are Top Nutritional Picks for Your Diet
Prediabetes can be a serious issue, but it doesn't have to mean the end of the road. With the right diet and lifestyle changes, you can take control of your health and potentially reverse the condition. So, let's dive into what you should eat and avoid to help regulate your blood sugar levels.
Foods to Embrace
- Low-GI Carbs: Veer towards foods that don't increase your blood sugar too quickly, like whole grains (brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa), some gluten-free meals, and whole-wheat bread and pasta in moderation.
- Fiber-Rich Veggies: Munch on fiber-filled veggies, such as butternut squash, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens. They'll fill you up without affecting your blood sugar levels.
- Low Sugar Fruits: Enjoy fruits with lower sugar content like lemons, limes, apples, raspberries, grapefruit, pears, prunes, and strawberries.
- Protein Staples: Opt for lean protein sources like chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, firm tofu, and tempeh.
- Nutrient Dense Nibbles: Choose snacks like cashews, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds (when mixed in smoothies or puddings).
Give These a Miss
- Sugary Drinks: Skip high-sugar sips like hot chocolate, sweetened lattes, energy drinks, soda/pop, boba milk tea, sweet tea, lemonade, sports drinks, and most cocktails.
- Refined Carbs: Avoid white bread, white rice, plain pasta, bagels, donuts, cookies, cake, and other simple carbs with little nutritional value.
- Processed Meats: Steer clear of breaded or fried meats, meats covered in sauces or high in saturated fat, and plant-based meat alternatives with high fat content.
- Booze: Alcohol can hinder weight loss efforts and should be consumed in moderation or, ideally, avoided.
Now, let's talk about what else you can do to manage your prediabetes:
Eat this
Exercise Regularly
Not that
Daily exercise can improve insulin efficiency and aid weight loss. Aim for a combination of strength training and cardio for at least 150 minutes a week.
Manage Stress
- omelet with feta and veggies- whole-wheat toast with avocado and egg- cottage cheese with fruit- small portion of overnight oatmeal topped with cinnamon - drinks like black coffee or unsweetened green or black tea
Stress can interfere with your other efforts, so consider activities like yoga, breathing exercises, nature walks, and meditation to help reduce your stress levels.
- sweetened cereal- bagels or white toast- pancakes and syrup- sugary lattes with whipped cream
Mind Your Portions
Losing weight requires a calorie deficit. Here are some strategies to curb your calorie intake:
- taco bowl with lean beef, lots of veggies, and guac- low carb chili-stuffed red peppers (swap the rice for quinoa)- big green salad topped with a protein and vinaigrette
- Check your labels. Aim for foods with lower carb and calorie counts.
- Share restaurant meals. Split larger entrees with a friend or take half home for later.
- Use smaller plates. This can help stop you from overfilling your plate and eating too much.
- Practice mindful eating. Savor your food, focusing on each bite, and stop when you're full.
- drive-thru combos- salad dressings brimming with added sugar or saturated fat- baguette sandwiches
Consult Your Doctor
Managing or reversing prediabetes can be challenging, so it's crucial to talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian about formulating a personalized plan for your nutrition and fitness. A personal trainer might also be helpful.
- handful of nuts or seeds- piece of fruit- unsweetened Greek yogurt
Remember that it's essential to keep things enjoyable while eating to reverse prediabetes. Here are some meal ideas to kickstart your journey:
- candy - cookies- granola bars with added sugar
| Eat this | Not that || --- | --- || Breakfast | - omelet with feta and veggies
- whole-wheat toast with avocado and egg
- cottage cheese with fruit
- small portion of overnight oatmeal topped with cinnamon | - sweetened cereal
- bagels or white toast
- pancakes and syrup || Lunch | - taco bowl with lean beef, veggies, and guac
- low carb chili
- stuffed red peppers (swap the rice for quinoa)
- big green salad topped with a protein and vinaigrette | - drive-thru combos
- salad dressings brimming with added sugar or saturated fat
- baguette sandwiches || Snacks | - handful of nuts or seeds
- piece of fruit
- unsweetened Greek yogurt | - candy
- cookies
- granola bars with added sugar || Dinner | - salmon + sweet potato + steamed veggies
- chicken + tomato sauce + side salad
- eggplant lasagna (easy on the cheese) | - pizza
- greasy burgers
- white noodles with premade sauces |
- pizza- greasy burgers- white noodles with premade sauces
In the end, prediabetes means high blood sugar levels, but it's often reversible with the right diet and lifestyle modifications. So, work closely with your healthcare team to develop a plan that suits your needs and goals.
- salmon + sweet potato + steamed veggies- chicken + tomato sauce + side salad- eggplant lasagna (easy on the cheese)
- Brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread and pasta in moderation are examples of low-GI carbs that can help manage prediabetes.
- Butternut squash, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens are fiber-filled veggies that won't affect blood sugar levels.
- Apples, raspberries, grapefruit, pears, prunes, and strawberries are low sugar fruits that are good for prediabetes diets.
- Chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, firm tofu, and tempeh are lean protein sources that can be beneficial for those with prediabetes.
- Cashews, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds (when mixed in smoothies or puddings) are nutrient-dense nibbles suitable for prediabetes diets.
- High-sugar drinks like hot chocolate, sweetened lattes, energy drinks, soda/pop, boba milk tea, sweet tea, lemonade, sports drinks, and most cocktails should be avoided.
- Processed meats like breaded or fried meats, meats covered in sauces or high in saturated fat, and plant-based meat alternatives with high fat content should also be avoided.
