Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than what is considered normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you have what is called insulin resistance and are on a fast track to being diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, unless you make some changes now.
Lifestyle plays a major role in prediabetes, your dietary intake, your stress levels, and your activity levels all contribute to this diagnosis, or the reversal of this diagnosis. This is both the bad news and the good news!
Previous habits have likely contributed to the diagnosis, but with some motivation and lifestyle changes, the good news is, it can be reversed!
Read on to learn about actionable tips, food lists, and sample meal ideas to help you start making small changes now to prevent being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Understanding Prediabetes and Why Diet Matters
What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is usually diagnosed when you go to your primary care doctor and have routine labs done. Often, they will do a fasting blood sugar in combination with an A1C when sent for these routine labs.
If your fasting blood sugar is 100 - 125 mg/dL or your A1C is 5.7% - 6.4%, your doctor will give you a diagnosis of prediabetes. If they are higher than the ranges listed, you would be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance is where the cells of your body don’t respond properly to the insulin, which makes it harder for the insulin to move the glucose from the bloodstream and into the cells to be used for energy.
In turn, this causes the pancreas to try to compensate and produce more insulin leading to higher levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia). With the pancreas being overworked, it eventually leads to a glucose build up in the bloodstream and a diagnosis of prediabetes or type 2.
Incorporating a healthy diet can help improve insulin sensitivity, control blood sugar more efficiently, and reverse the trajectory or help maintain.
Key Components of a Pre Diabetic Diet
I have been teaching for several years the same dietary principles when it comes to managing blood sugar levels. Balance. Balance. Balance!
It is not sustainable for most people to cut out a bunch of foods they love and incorporate a bunch of foods they have never tried before. Instead, it is far more manageable and sustainable to incorporate balance.
Here is a list of the best dietary elements for prediabetes:
Low Glycemic Index (GI) Foods: these foods are things like whole grains, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables. Here, I have listed the top 10 best low GI fruits.
High-Fiber Foods: Foods that are high in fiber help to slow down the absorption of glucose, which in turn helps keep glucose levels more even, and also work to improve gut health.
Healthy Fats: these are often forgotten, but have great benefits of also slowing down the absorption of glucose, providing heart health, and are known to help insulin sensitivity. Some examples of sources of healthy fats include avocado, olive oil, nuts, and fish.
Lean Proteins: These are great for maintaining or building muscle mass, they do not spike your glucose levels, and they provide sustained satiety, which is giving you the feeling of fullness for a longer amount of time.
Portion Control/Timing: portion control is definitely something many people struggle with and often has to do with some habits many have assumed. For example, as children we may have been told to eat everything on our plates leading to the habit of ignoring hunger cues, which is eating when we feel hungry and stopping when we feel full.
Also, portion sizes in restaurants for example, have drastically increased. So being aware of actual portion size (most also don’t check the nutrition label for portion size) and only consuming 1 serving will help a lot. Also, having consistent meal times helps you not go into meals feeling ravished, resulting in less control over how much and how fast you consume things.
Pro Tips: Consume 16 ounces of water prior to the meal, then eat one portion size. After consuming one portion size, wait 15 minutes before deciding if you want to have more or not.
Foods to Eat and Avoid
Best Foods for Prediabetes:
Non-Starchy Vegetables: think green! Spinach, kale, broccoli, peppers.
Fruits (in moderation and best if balanced with a protein and or healthy fat): low glycemic fruits include cherries, grapefruit, apples, pears, and oranges. Pair one of these with a small handful of almonds!
Whole grains: quinoa is one of my favorites and you can throw it into so many delicious dishes! Also brown rice and oatmeal.
Healthy fats: nuts, seeds, fish, avocado, and olive oil. My kids love avocado with strawberries!
Proteins: turkey, legumes are a great source of protein that are also packed with fiber, and chicken.
Foods to Avoid or Limit for Managing Prediabetes
Refined Carbs: white bread (super high on the glycemic index), pastries, pastas and sugary cereals.
Sugary Drinks & Processed Sugars: soda, fruit juices (yes, those of you who drink orange juice daily and don’t realize the glucose spike it is likely causing), and sugary coffee beverages.
Unhealthy Fats: hydrogenated oils (swap out that vegetable oil for a nice smooth olive oil!), trans fats, and deep-fried foods.
Highly Processed Foods: chips, packaged snacks, and frozen meals that are usually very high in sodium and have hidden sugars in the ingredients. This is a difficult one for most, as these things have become such staples in most pantries. One small change at a time; it's all about progress, not perfection.
Sample Meal Plan for Prediabetes
With the principles above in mind, here is a sample 1 - day meal plan to try!
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese paired with a nice whole grain slice of toast with avocado. Tip: If you haven’t tried Ezekial bread, this is a great option for healthy bread. Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with as many lovely vegetables as you like, ensuring plenty of greens, quinoa, and topped with a delicious homemade olive oil dressing (can be as simple as olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, and some fresh herbs). Dinner: Air fried salmon, my personal favorite way to prepare salmon, with roasted asparagus, and a side of whole grain couscous. Snacks: Nuts with a handful of berries, plain greek yogurt with veggies, or homemade hummus (my recipe) with some fresh vegetables. If you want a more comprehensive list diabetic friendly snacks, you can check out the list I have made of 25 low carb, diabetic friendly snacks. |
The meals and snacks listed are great examples of balanced meals, including fiber, protein, and healthy fat to prevent the blood sugar from spiking.
Lifestyle Tips to Complement a Prediabetic Diet
In addition to ensuring your meals and snacks are well balanced, there are a few other lifestyle adjustments that can definitely complement the implementation of a prediabetic diet.
It is important to exercise regularly. The American Diabetes Association recommends 30 min at least 5 days of the week to help with blood sugar.
Things such as brisk walking, cycling, and strength training all help by improving insulin sensitivity.
Reducing stress is also another essential aspect of maintaining blood sugar balance. When hormones like cortisol are released, it elevates your glucose level and can be a vicious cycle if not addressed.
Ways to reduce stress are medication, journaling, and deep breathing when you start to feel your body feeling the onset of stress.
Sleep quality is also extremely important in managing blood sugar. This is because when you do not get good quality sleep, it can cause an increase in your insulin resistance, leading to unstable blood sugar and a higher chance of becoming type 2 diabetic.
Lastly, water is essential in cell functioning and helps eliminate glucose through the urine.
Many people do not realize how much sugar is in beverages like regular sodas and juices or know the impact it has on their blood sugar levels.
It is very important to remember how essential dietary intake is in preventing prediabetes becoming type 2 diabetes.
I encourage small, sustainable changes to be made rather than jumping to an extreme diet that will likely not be sustainable and often more frustrating in the end.
If you would like to work 1:1 with me to create a manageable and sustainable plan to manage your glucose and prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes, book your free call with me today.
About the Author
 Hi! I’m Beth, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator. I provide diabetes coaching for newly diagnosed people with diabetes and also work with people who have been living with diabetes for some time. With 1:1 coaching, you will feel empowered and supported to confidently manage your diabetes effectively - without it controlling your life! I can help you make sure that you feel good, stay in optimal health and take care of your well-being at all times. First call is on me! Let’s talk. |
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