Sugar-sweetened drinks (juices, soft drinks, sweet tea, sports drinks), sweeteners (table sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses), processed foods (chips, microwave popcorn, processed meat, ready meals) and trans fats (vegetable butter, fried foods, dairy-free coffee creamers, partially hydrogenated oil) can all increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. If you have prediabetes, you can reduce your chances of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends screening for type 2 diabetes in adults aged 40 to 70 who are overweight or obese as part of a cardiac risk assessment.
If your blood glucose levels are abnormal, your doctor may refer you to a behavioral counselor to help you make healthier dietary and physical activity choices. In addition to lifestyle changes, elevated HbA1c levels have been linked to an increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes. You don't have to give up your favorite foods or family meals if you have type 2 diabetes. Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent type 2 diabetes even if you have family members with the condition.
A vegan or vegetarian diet may be more challenging when it comes to getting enough protein, but beans (dried or canned beans and bean products such as hummus and falafel), nuts and nut spreads, tempeh and tofu can all provide the necessary protein. A meta-analysis conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that consuming red meat on a daily basis was associated with a 19% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, limit or avoid popular grain-based foods such as white bread as well as sugary and processed grains. Nutritionists emphasize the importance of nutrition in controlling diabetes.
When following a diabetes diet, portion control is key for foods that are high in carbohydrates. To better understand how different types of carbohydrate-rich foods affect blood sugar levels, the glycemic index was developed. Fried foods have been linked to the production of toxic compounds such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and aldehydes. A meta-analysis of 24 prospective cohort studies found that people who ate low-glycemic load diets had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate high-glycemic load foods.
For people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, weight management is an important goal when it comes to their diet. To reach your blood sugar goals, eat a variety of foods but pay attention to portion sizes for carbohydrate-rich foods. There was no change in the mortality rate from diabetes in countries without food shortages during the same period such as Japan and North American countries.
