Prediabetes: Choosing Healthy FoodsWhen your goal is to manage prediabetes, choosing healthy foods every day is a step in the right direction.Making healthy food choices can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, which is key when trying toreduce insulin resistance and manage prediabetes.Together with your healthcare provider, take a look at what you eat each day and learn how to choose foodsthat are healthier for you. Most foods contain one or more of these three nutrients: carbohydrates, protein andfat. Your body needs a healthy balance of each.Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods such as: breads, cereals, pastas and whole grains; fruits,vegetables and beans; dairy products; candy and desserts. Carbohydrates are not off limits in prediabetes. Infact, they are your number one source for energy. If you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, your body will burnprotein instead, taking away valuable muscle building blocks.But choose wisely because not all carbs are the same. Some carbohydrate foods are processed with whiteflour or are high in refined sugar and should only be enjoyed in small amounts because they offer little or nonutritional value and can raise your blood glucose. Instead, try high fiber carbohydrates like whole-wheat pastaor brown rice. Look for cereals made from whole grains. These fiber-rich foods tend to fill you up quicker andmake you feel full longer, helping you to eat less. Beans are a great example of a slow-burning carbohydrate,plus they have protein as well.Fruits and vegetables are also healthy carbohydrate choices. In fact, it’s recommended that you get at leastfive servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables give your body the fresh, whole nutrientsyour body needs for energy and overall health.Protein is another healthy way your body can get energy and protein helps your body heal and repair itself.Healthy choices for protein include: lean meats, fish, nuts, eggs and soy. When it comes to including fats inyour choices, remember, all fats are high in calories which, when using too much, can cause you to gainweight. And remember, extra weight can increase insulin resistance. But not all fats are the same.Some fats, called monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better for you and can actually help loweryour risk of heart disease. These fats are liquid at room temperature. Add a few nuts or seeds to the foods youchoose to get the benefit of good fat. Use olive oil or canola oil to prepare your foods. Talk with your healthcareprovider or a dietitian to find out which fats are best for you.At the same time, reduce the amount of bad fats you eat. They’re called saturated fats and trans fats. One wayto do this is to choose lean meats like chicken breast and seafood; and bake, broil or grill what you usually fry.When choosing healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat, there are a wide variety of foods to pick from. Don’tlimit yourself. Try new, healthy foods to get the variety of nutrients your body and your taste buds crave. Yourhealthcare provider or dietitian may have tasty suggestions and recipes you can try to help you get variety.Making healthy food choices each day can help you lose weight, reduce insulin resistance and manageprediabetes. Start today. Make your next food choice a healthy one!
Watch this clip to learn how to recognize the common situations or events that might prevent you from achieving your healthy lifestyle goals, and how your diabetes care team can help.
Keeping Motivated and Rewarding Your Diabetes Self-Care Progress
Find out how getting feedback on your progress and treating yourself to occasional rewards can motivate you to continue working toward your healthy lifestyle goals.
