Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? Denise Coventry, a registered dietitian at HonorHealth Integrative Medicine, shares expert insights on how to turn things around through diet and lifestyle changes.
“Pre-diabetes is typically diagnosed by your provider after you've been assessed and had blood work done. This is the time to take swift action and adjust what you are eating and drinking, and start incorporating exercise into your routine,” explains Denise.
Here are five expert tips to get you started on your journey to better health:
1. Avoid sugary drinks
Replace your high-sugar beverages with ones that are low in added sugar. Instead of sodas and soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, pre-sweetened teas and fruit juice, try adding sliced fruit to infuse in your water, Matcha green tea, an herbal unsweetened tea or sparkling water.
2. Eat whole grains
Replace refined (processed) grains like white pasta, bread, flour and rice with whole grain options, such as amaranth, barley, brown or wild rice, buckwheat, bulgur, maize, millet, oats, quinoa, rye and whole wheat.
3. Choose lean sources of protein
In place of red meat, try adding fish, skinless chicken or turkey to your diet. You’ll also find vegetarian options like beans, peas, legumes and soy have considerable amounts of protein.
4. Ingest plenty of healthy fats
Healthy fats are beneficial for your health. Try adding nuts and seeds (like almonds, walnuts, chia and flaxseeds), olives, olive oil, and avocados which provide healthy fats, fiber and essential nutrients.
5. Incorporate exercise
The American Heart Association recommends getting 150 minutes of exercise per week. If you’re a beginner or don’t have time, try to aim for 10 minutes of exercise twice per day, then increase the amount slowly.
At HonorHealth Integrative Medicine, we utilize an integrated approach to improving your well-being, focusing on the power of food as medicine. Our registered dietitians are uniquely trained in food and nutrition, and how they impact your health. They will partner with you to help you navigate the complexities of pre-diabetes management by creating personalized care plans to control your blood sugar levels, optimize nutrition and improve your overall health.