If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, consider it a wake-up call. Without changing what and how you eat, serious health complications may occur.
Your doctor may have mentioned diet, exercise, and the use of insulin or medication to help you keep your condition under control. And, if you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, you’re in luck. You may be on the path toward diabetes right now – but there’s still time for you to reverse course. However, it will likely require lifestyle changes. Two of the best things you can do for yourself in these situations is to eat healthy and to move your body!
A dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who can create a plan to make it easy for you to eat healthy – especially if you have a chronic disease like diabetes. By consulting a dietitian, you’ll get a customized meal plan, based on your age, weight, activity level, overall health, appetite, and personal preferences. Your dietitian can also provide the information, motivation, and support you’ll need to make the right food choices going forward.
A Note About Counting Carbs
You’re probably already used to consuming more than 250 grams of carbs a day. To better manage your blood sugar levels, you’ll need to cut this in half, at least (the exact amount will vary from person to person). So, you’ll want to make the carbs you eat count by choosing healthy and tasty options. A dietitian can design a meal plan for you that includes foods you enjoy at times and in portions that are satisfying to you – because coming up with a diet you can live with in the long term is about more than just counting carbs.
5 Healthy Eating Tips if You Have Diabetes / Prediabetes
Here are just a few suggested dietary changes for the newly diagnosed:
1. Avoid Sugary Drinks
This can be difficult – and not just because these drinks are yummy. Excess sugar is often hidden in unlikely places, including protein shakes, milk products, flavored coffees, and alcohol. Avoid these if you can, make a healthy swap when possible, or limit them if you must.
2. Choose Whole Grain Options
Whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta has much more fiber than processed (white) options. This means it’ll travel through your digestive tract more slowly, and any resulting blood sugar rise should be gradual: less of a spike and more like a low hill.
3. Healthy Fats are Great, in Moderation
These include nuts, avocado, oily fish (herring, salmon), olive oil, chia seeds, and flaxseed.
4. Lean Meats are OK
Your protein choices should include healthy portions of lean meat, such as trimmed, boneless, and skinless chicken or turkey. Shellfish and fish (cod, trout, tuna, lox) are also good protein choices.
5. Find Alternatives to Fried Foods
French fries, chicken nuggets, fish and chips, and other popular fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats – and, thus, are not recommended for anyone with high blood sugar. Baking or roasting is a great alternative to frying. You could use whole grain breadcrumbs, nuts, and your favorite seasonings for chicken tenders or fish, then bake instead of fry. Eat with a dip made of nonsweetened yogurt or other low-carb dressing.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you don’t have to go it alone. Consult with registered dietitian Jamie Schlifstein in Boca Raton, Florida, at (561) 558-7786. She has a ton of tips and recommendations that can help you enjoy your life, even as you manage a chronic disease like diabetes. You’ll be surprised what a difference having someone on your side can make.