Having elevated blood glucose levels can lead to type 2 diabetes if you don’t change your lifestyle. Most people with pre-diabetes don’t display any symptoms and switching to the pre-diabetic diet in time can help in preventing getting a very serious disease.
Pre-diabetes is diagnosed with three types of tests: fasting plasma glucose test (FPG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the A1C test. These are usually administered to adults over 45, but younger people who are overweight should also get tested if they also have another risk factor, like a family history of diabetes or high blood pressure.
If you’re at risk, you should start the pre-diabetes diet as soon as possible to prevent developing type 2 diabetes which has a much stricter diet.
Pre-diabetics can reduce their risk of developing the disease by losing 7% of their body weight and exercising moderately for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The pre-diabetes diet also plays a very important role in aiding with weight loss.
Pre-Diabetic Diet Basics
Eating the right carbohydrates is the most important element of the pre-diabetes diet, that can help you avoid the much more restrictive diabetic diet plan.
Refined and processed carbs lead to spikes in blood sugar levels. That’s why whole grains are a great choice for the pre-diabetic diet, helping replace white bread, rice, pasta and sugary foods.
Full of fiber, whole grain helps you feel fuller for longer and also help with weight loss, while having a natural regulating effect on blood sugar. Eat more oatmeal, whole grain cereals, whole grain pasta, whole grain rice and baking goods made from whole-grain wheat flour.
Fruits and vegetables are the other important part of the pre-diabetic diet. The best ones for you include dark green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and kale, along with orange vegetables like carrots, pumpkins and winter squash. Lentils, peas are important legumes, along with kidney, black, pinto and garbanzo beans.
Portion Control for the Pre-Diabetic Diet
Losing up to 7% of your body weight can be faster when you’re using the right portion control. Overweight people who practice portion control are much more likely to lose at least 5% of their body weight in two years, while almost the third of people who do not, can actually gain more weight.
In a pre-diabetes diet, it’s also important to space your meals throughout the day and avoid very heavy meals, especially in the evenings.
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