Three Diabetes Diet Strategies: Basic Guidelines For People With Diabetes
Finding your way to a healthy diet can reduce the risks associated with diabetes. There are three main goals, according to the American Diabetes Association ,;so following these proven strategies will help you to:
;1. Achieve a healthy body weight.;Body mass index uses your height and weight to determine how much body fat you carry. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is considered to be a healthy weight range with a healthy amount of body fat.Another measure: waist circumference is considered by many to be a better measure of excess abdominal body fat. A;waist circumferencegreater than 40 inches for men, and above 35 inches in womenhas been shown to increase the risk of developing health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The closer you are to a healthy body weight or at least an acceptable waist circumference, the more likely you will be able to control and, possibly reverse your risks of diabetes.
Dont get overwhelmed by thinking about how much total weight you have to lose, Ms. Arevalo advises. Studies have shown that losing just 5-10% of your body weight will significantly improve your blood sugar levels as well as your cardiovascular health so set short-term goals of losing just 5-10 pounds to start.
Keeping Your Portion Sizes Small
A simple way to prevent diabetes without aggressively limiting what you eat is by limitingor at least paying attention tohow much you eat. One two-year study of pre-diabetic subjects published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice in 2014 found that those who reduced their portion sizes in addition to limiting their carb and oil intake had a 46 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who made no lifestyle changes whatsoever.
How Exercise Helps Prevent And Manage Type 2 Diabetes
If youre working to manage type 2 diabetes or trying to prevent the condition altogether exercise is a crucial step in making your goal a reality.
The long-term benefits of;exercise;on blood sugar and insulin health are unquestionable, says;Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, associate professor of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
For example, a;review published in March 2020 in;Mayo Clinic Proceedings;found that in people with type 2 diabetes, regular exercise can reduce dependence on glucose-lowering oral medications and insulin. And according to a;study published in November 2015 in;The;Lancet, increased physical activity can help;reverse prediabetes, which the;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;notes affects more than 1 in 3 adults in the United States.
Fortunately, exercising for insulin health doesnt have to be complicated. The guidelines for exercising with diabetes are pretty much a mirror image of the federal ones for all adults, regardless of blood sugar status.;According to the American Diabetes Association, adults with type 2 diabetes should perform at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. Ideally, weekly exercise would be spread over at least three days, with no more than two days passing without some form of activity. For those engaging in high-intensity exercise, shorter durations of 75 minutes per week may be sufficient.
Don’t Miss: How Much Sugar Is Too Much For A Diabetic
The Best Way To Prevent Diabetes And Enhance Life Expectancy
Learning how to eat to prevent diabetes and how to eat if you have diabetes or prediabetes can help you take control of your health.
A diet of vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and fresh fruit can prevent and even reverse diabetes while promoting long-term health.
This approach works. In a recent study on type 2 diabetics following this diet, we found that 90% of participants were able to come off all diabetic medications, and the mean HbA1c after one year was 5.8, which is in the non-diabetic range.
Learn more about using these foods to fight diabetes in my book The End of Diabetes. In this book, I outline my plan for preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes using superior nutrition, not drugs.
No one has to have type 2 diabetes, and those with type 1 diabetes can improve their life expectancy, health and quality of life with this plan.
If you know of anyone with diabetes type 1, type 2 or prediabetes it is absolutely essential they read this book; it could save their life.
Tell us in the comments:
- What do you think?
- Does this information help you understand the best diet for diabetics?
- What steps have you taken to prevent diabetes?
and receive the Top 10 Foods To Eat And Avoid For Longevity infographic poster!
Dining Out When Managing Type 2 Diabetes
It can seem tough to navigate a menu when youre eating out, but its not impossible. Enjoy your time with friends and eat delicious food with these guidelines from Palinski-Wade.
Have an appetizer before you leave.;Its tempting to save up calories throughout the day to help plan for a night out, but that approach can backfire. Youll be famished by the time you get there and less likely to make a healthy choice when you order. Eat a small, healthy snack before you go, like some nuts or a low-fat plain yogurt. This can help decrease hunger and prevent overeating, she says.
Visualize your plate.;Ideally, your plate should look very similar to the way it does at home with a couple of small tweaks: ½ nonstarchy vegetables , ¼ lean protein, and ¼ whole grains. You want to be careful not to eat too many carbs at one sitting, and avoid meals packed with saturated fat, says Palinski-Wade.
Sip smart.;Alcohol stokes your appetite, so if you do have alcohol , do so near the end of the meal. Limit it to one glass.
Don’t Miss: Can Type 2 Diabetics Eat Bananas
Hanging Out With Friends
Looking for an excuse to spend more time with your friends and loved ones? That’s great news for your health, too. Research published in BMC Public Health in 2017 found that for men, living alone was associated with 84 percent increased odds of diabetes. For women, meanwhile, not being an active member of groups and clubs was associated with 60 percent increased odds of pre-diabetes and 112 percent increased odds of type 2 diabetes.
Diagnosing The Benefits Of Your Diet Using A Ketone Breathalyser
The latest figures from Diabetes UK show that over 4.9 million people are currently living with diabetes in the UK, with over 90% of those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
According to NHS England, the problem is only likely to get worse. Around 2 million more people have pre-diabetes and are currently at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with growing rates of obesity pinpointed as a contributing factor.
So how does type 2 diabetes differ to type 1, and how can low-carb diets such as the keto diet help to control, and even reverse, type 2 diabetes?
Recommended Reading: What Happens If A Diabetic Eats Too Much Sugar
Is There A Cure For Diabetes
There is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. But it can be controlled. And in some cases, it goes into remission.
Keys to control
For some people, a diabetes-healthy lifestyle is enough to control their blood sugar levels. That means losing weight if you are overweight, eating healthy foods, and being more active. But most people with type 2 diabetes also need to take one or more medicines or insulin.
What Is The Main Cause Of Diabetes
What causes type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the bodys system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease.
Also Check: Is Instant Oatmeal Good For Diabetics
What Causes Prediabetes
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have prediabetes, the cells in your body dont respond normally to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually your pancreas cant keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetesand type 2 diabetes down the road.
Rethink Your Drink Linc
33. Find a water bottle you really like and drink water from itevery day.
34. Peel and eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice.
35. If you drink whole milk, try changing to 2% milk. It has less fat than whole milk. Once you get used to 2% milk, try1% or fat-free milk. This will help you reduce the amount of fat and calories you take in each day.
36. Drink water instead of juice and regular soda.
Recommended Reading: What Is A High Blood Sugar Reading
Ways To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Uncontrolled cases can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and other serious conditions.
Before diabetes is diagnosed, there is a period where blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This is known as prediabetes.
Its estimated that up to 70% of people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, progressing from prediabetes to diabetes isnt inevitable .
Although there are certain factors you cant change such as your genes, age or past behaviors there are many actions you can take to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Here are 13 ways to avoid getting diabetes.
Eating sugary foods and refined carbs can put at-risk individuals on the fast track to developing diabetes.
Your body rapidly breaks these foods down into small sugar molecules, which are absorbed into your bloodstream.
The resulting rise in blood sugar stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that helps sugar get out of the bloodstream and into your bodys cells.
In people with prediabetes, the bodys cells are resistant to insulins action, so sugar remains high in the blood. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin, attempting to bring blood sugar down to a healthy level.
What Are The Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop over several years. Many people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms for a long time without noticing them. Some people may never notice any symptoms.
Symptoms of diabetes include:
- Being very thirsty or hungry
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Urinating more than usual
- Losing weight for no reason
- Having cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
- Having blurry vision
- Feeling numb or tingly in your hands or feet
Because symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be hard to spot, its important to talk with your doctor about your risk for type 2 diabetes. If you have risk factors or notice any symptoms, ask your doctor about getting tested.
Don’t Miss: Can A Diabetic Eat Cheese
Do I Need To Count Calories When Managing Type 2 Diabetes
While it can be helpful, its not absolutely necessary to track how many calories youre taking in daily. Although tracking calories can be beneficial when it comes to weight reduction, you can lose weight and still have a poor nutritional quality to your diet, Palinski-Wade points out.
Therefore, if you do count calories, make sure youre also focused on healthy food choices. You can track your food intake, she says, which will let you monitor portions as well as how certain foods and mealtimes impact blood glucose levels, she says.
- About 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day for small women who are physically active, small or medium-size women interested in weight loss, or medium-size women who are not physically active
- About 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day for large women interested in weight loss, small men at a healthy weight, medium-size men who aren’t physically active, or medium-size or large men interested in weight loss
- About 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day for medium-size or large men who are physically active, large men at a healthy weight, or medium-size or large women who are very physically active
Question : How Should Diabetes Prevention Be Performed
The strategies shown to be effective in preventing diabetes relied on lifestyle modification or glucose-lowering drugs that have been approved for treating diabetes. The DPP is the only study in which a comparison of the two was made, and lifestyle modification was nearly twice as effective in preventing diabetes . However, the greater efficacy of metformin in younger, very obese individuals compared with older, less overweight subjects suggests that this pharmaceutical intervention may be effective only in particular subsets of patients.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Diabetes If You Re Skinny
What Is Type 2 Diabetes And How Can Weight Loss Help
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes occur when the body is unable to properly store and use glucose, a simple sugar which gives us vital energy. In diabetes patients, high levels of glucose collect in the blood, causing complications such as heart and kidney disease, loss of eyesight, neurological conditions, and damage to other organs.
The Cause Of Diabetes
Diabetes is an illness related to elevated blood sugar levels. When you stop releasing and responding to normal amounts of insulin after eating foods with carbohydrates, sugar and fats, you have diabetes. Insulin, a hormone thats broken down and transported to cells to be used as energy, is released by the pancreas to help with the storage of sugar and fats. But people with diabetes dont respond to insulin properly, which causes high blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms.
Its important to note that theres a difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Heres an explanation of the two types of diabetes and what causes these conditions:
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is commonly called juvenile diabetes because it tends to develop at a younger age, typically before a person turns 20 years old. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
The damage to the pancreatic cells leads to a reduced ability or complete inability to create insulin. Some of the common causes that trigger this autoimmune response may include a virus, genetically modified organisms, heavy metals, or foods like wheat, cows milk and soy.
The reason foods like wheat and cows milk have been linked to diabetes is because they contain the proteins gluten and A1 casein. These proteins can cause leaky gut, which in turn causes systemic inflammation throughout the body and over time can lead to autoimmune disease.
Don’t Miss: A1c Cutoff For Diabetes
Choose The Right Fats
The type of dietary fat can also exert a huge influence on the development of Type-2 diabetes. Certain saturated fats, for example, promote inflammation, indirectly causing insulin resistance. Conversely, oleic acid, the main fat in olive oil, has an anti-inflammatory action, thereby reducing the risk of insulin resistance. It is noteworthy that omega-3 fats can improve the insulin response of our organs. As for heart disease prevention, using olive oil as the main fat combined with sustained omega-3 intake is a key element in diabetes prevention.
Risks Factors For Type 2 Diabetes
The first step toward reversing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes is understanding the risks factors, then taking steps to address controllable issues. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has identified these key factors that can increase a persons risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes:
- Being 45 or older
- Having a history of heart disease or stroke
- Having a family history of diabetes
According to a 2018 review, the authors state that for people with prediabetes, the combination of diet and exercise is arguably the single most important factor that could halt the progression toward type 2 diabetes.
Don’t Miss: How To Mix Nph And Regular Insulin
Lose Weight If Youre Overweight Or Obese
Although not everyone who develops type 2 diabetes is overweight or obese, the majority are.
Whats more, those with prediabetes tend to carry excess weight in their midsection and around abdominal organs like the liver. This is known as visceral fat.
Excess visceral fat promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, which significantly increase the risk of diabetes (
25 ).
One study of more than 1,000 people with prediabetes found that for every kilogram of weight participants lost, their risk of diabetes reduced by 16%, up to a maximum reduction of 96% .
There are many healthy options for losing weight, including low-carb, Mediterranean, paleo and vegetarian diets. However, choosing a way of eating you can stick with long-term is key to helping you maintain the weight loss.
One study found that obese people whose blood sugar and insulin levels decreased after losing weight experienced elevations in these values after gaining back all or a portion of the weight they lost .
SUMMARY:
Carrying excess weight, particularly in the abdominal area, increases the likelihood of developing diabetes. Losing weight may significantly reduce the risk of diabetes.
31 ).
In an analysis of several studies totaling over one million people, smoking was found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers and 61% in people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily .
What Is The Best Treatment For Diabetes
Metformin is generally the preferred initial medication for treating type 2 diabetes, unless theres a specific reason not to use it. Metformin is effective, safe, and inexpensive. It may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Metformin also has beneficial effects when it comes to reducing A1C results.
Read Also: Side Effects If You Stop Taking Metformin
How Can You Prevent Type 2 Diabetes In Youth
How can you prevent Type 2 diabetes in youth?
How can teens prevent diabetes?;Getting to a healthy weight is one way to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Making healthy food choices and getting enough exercise are other good steps to take. If a person makes better food choices and becomes more physically active, it can help prevent diabetes from becoming a problem.
What causes type 2 diabetes in a child?;The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is unknown. But family history and genetics appear to play an important role. Inactivity and excess fat especially fat around the belly also seem to be important factors.
Can type 2 diabetes go away?;There is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. But it can be controlled. And in some cases, it goes into remission. For some people, a diabetes-healthy lifestyle is enough to control their blood sugar levels.