Try out this daily Diabetes prevention diet!
It is well-documented that diet plays a key role in diabetes prevention and management. Staying on a diabetes prevention diet is also one of the biggest hurdles many people diagnosed with this disease say they find to be the most daunting. However, consciously choosing foods to fight diabetes on a daily basis will inevitably translate into a diabetes prevention diet. According to Holly Wyatt, MD, Colorado University’s program director for obesity research and education; if a diet is too restrictive or difficult, sustaining it on a long-term basis will be almost impossible. Experts suggest that a key to staying on a diet to prevent diabetes naturally, is to identify the variety of foods that fight diabetes, select those you enjoy that are easily accessible to you and gradually incorporate them into your daily diet.
Foods that fight diabetes are nutritionally dense and fiber rich. They include a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean protein. Creating balanced meals from these quality foods that fight diabetes is considered to be essential to health maintenance for people who are diabetic or prediabetic. Nevertheless, creating a diet to prevent diabetes naturally demands some initial forethought and menu planning before eating this way becomes effortless or habitual.
The good news is that there is no one-size fit all diabetes prevention diet. You get to choose from the variety of foods that fight diabetes and can create a diet that fit your taste and lifestyle. Research also shows that it is possible to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by following a low-fat, reduced-calorie eating plan and by being more active. The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggest that the four most important steps to designing an effective eating plan includes:
- Cutting back on the amount of food consumed at each meal by reducing portion sizes.
- Consistently and consciously substituting healthy foods for less-healthy choices.
- Avoiding foods high in sugar, trans and saturated fats.
- Replacing high calorie beverages such as soda, sports drinks and sugary fruit juices with water.
A daily diabetes prevention diet, according to staff at the Mayo Clinic is in essence, an eating plan that help you to balance or control blood glucose levels. It simple means consistently eating the healthiest foods that fight diabetes in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes. To help you create a daily diabetes prevention diet they offer the following menu planning tips.
- Meet with a registered dietitian who can help you to personalize a diabetes prevention diet based on your health goals, tastes and lifestyle. The nutritionist can also identify ways to change or improve eating habits and choose portion sizes for your size and level of activity.
- Create a sample menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as in-between snacks that can be amended to expand food choices and alleviate dining boredom. Having a sample menu will also provide a guide for shopping and eating out that can make the transition to a diabetic prevention diet smoother and easier. Being consistent with your diabetes prevention diet will also help to stabilize your blood sugar and prevent or lower your risk for the innumerable complications associated with diabetes.
- The diabetes prevention diet should include generous amounts of fruits, vegetables, fiber, healthy protein and low-fat dairy products. Whole grains in particular have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes as well as help to maintain blood sugar levels. As a result, it is important to increase consumption of whole grains.
- The diabetes Association of America also suggest setting aside some time to plan meals, create a grocery list and stock your pantry with healthy basics. This, they suggest will not only save you time and reduce food choice anxiety but may also avoid impulse buying of foods that could derail your diabetes prevention diet.
Studies show that in addition to managing diabetes, there are innumerable benefits of embracing and maintaining a daily diabetes prevention diet. Some of the most significant benefits include preventing life-threatening and potentially debilitating complications such as cardiovascular diseases, amputations, vision loss and certain types of cancer.
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