Pre Diabetes Diet

For a medical condition to be diagnosed as diabetes, the blood sugar (glucose) levels in the body must be higher than normal. The reason pre diabetes is not considered as pure diabetes, is due the fact that in this condition, the blood sugar levels are higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not sufficient enough to be considered as diabetes. So, when a person is diagnosed with pre diabetes, there is sufficient grace period to prevent the type 2 diabetes. A research in the United States has shown a result of a massive 57 million people suffering from this medical condition. As mentioned, pre diabetes diet combined with regular workouts is an effective means for pre diabetes treatment. Before we come to the pre diabetes diet, here is an overview of some of the pre diabetes symptoms.

Symptoms of Pre Diabetes
Pre diabetes is usually asymptomatic, meaning it has no specific signs or symptoms of its own. The symptoms which come up, are the ones that are prominent in case of type 2 diabetes. Frequent urination and excessive thirst are the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes. There are other type 2 diabetes symptoms which may show up during pre diabetes, like feeling hungry at all times and unexplained weight loss or weight gain. The person may show symptoms of weakness and fatigue; similar to having influenza. The person's visual perception may also be affected, making the vision blurred. Cuts or bruises take a longer time to heal and there is low sensitivity in the limbs. Infections of gum and skin infections are also common and these may keep on recurring. Apart from these infections, vaginal or bladder infections may also be noticed in pre diabetes.

Diet for Pre Diabetes
Reduced amount of carbohydrates, sugar, fat and calories greatly help in reducing the chances of pre diabetes, to progress to type 2 diabetes. Include as much as vegetables and fruits in your meals. Have high fiber and non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans or cauliflower. Green leafy vegetables are ideal food items for pre diabetes diet. However, to have a variation in your diet, go for other vegetables also.

Simple carbohydrates must be avoided in the pre diabetic diet, as they lead to food cravings and weight gain in most people. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are high fiber foods. They improve digestion and also maintain the blood glucose level at a stabilized status. These carbohydrates provide an even energy level to the body and help feel being full, long after meals.

Some common examples of complex carbohydrates include :

• Spinach
• Turnip
• Greens
• Lettuce
• Water cress
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Dill pickles
• Radish
• Brussels
• Broccoli
• Sprouts
• Eggplant
• Onion
• Tomato

Other sources of complex carbohydrates are :

• Whole barley
• Buckwheat
• Buckwheat bread
• Oat bran bread
• Oat bran cereal
• Oatmeal
• Muesli
• Wild rice
• Brown rice
• Multi-grain bread
• Pinto beans
• Low fat yogurt
• Skim milk
• Soy milk
• Navy beans

You can also include beans like soybeans, garbanzo beans, kidney or pinto beans, split peas, etc. in your pre diabetes diet. Similar to diabetic diet, some fruits can also be included in a pre diabetes diet, as they are also high in complex carbohydrates. These are grapefruits, dried apricots, oranges, prunes, pears, strawberries, plums, apples, etc.

Not only vegetables, your pre diabetes diet should also have sufficient proportions of non-veg foods. Fish, lean cuts of beef and pork (pork loin and sirloin), chicken and turkey can also be included in the diet. Remember to cook chicken and turkey without their skins. For cooking, use liquid oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and avoid any kind of solid fats. These fats are high in saturated and trans fat and hence promote weight gain.

Most importantly, refrain from 'junk foods' and high calorie snack foods and desserts. Try having boiled foods as far as possible and reduce the amount of fried foods. Boiled foods reduce levels of cholesterol and accumulation of fat in the body. It has been known that, chances of diabetes and other heart-related problems are low in people who restrict their diet mostly to boiled foods. These kinds of foods maintain their nutrition unlike foods that are fried. However, it becomes difficult to get used to such foods, as they are less tastier than fried foods.

The type of food items mentioned above for pre diabetes diet, not only reduces the risks of developing diabetes, but they are equally essential for good health. Healthy eating and healthy living are the two important factors, when it comes to the prevention of different types of medical conditions. Resisting cravings for unhealthy, fatty and high calorie foods, is what is required for an effective diabetes treatment. A bit of compromise with such kinds of unhealthy foods, becomes void when it comes to having a healthy body and a sound mind!