Reversing Your Road to Diabetes: The Pre-diabetic Diet
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes
Do you ever feel so mentally exhausted that even regular daily chores or tasks seem impossible?
Does it seem as though each task you undertake requires every single ounce of energy that you have?
If you’ve suffered a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI), you are likely all too aware of these sensations. In fact, one of the most common and persistent symptoms after a concussion or traumatic brain injury is neurofatigue.
Neurofatigue following a head injury or incident can make it hard, if not impossible, to readjust to your daily life. Neurofatigue goes beyond just being tired after a long day. Neurofatigue is a state of exhaustion that affects every aspect of your life and can greatly diminish your quality of life.
What Is Prediabetes?
Before we dive into the pre-diabetic diet, let's talk a bit more about what exactly pre-diabetes is.
Prediabetes is a condition in which you have higher than normal blood sugar levels. But, your levels are still low enough that you don't yet have Type 2 diabetes. These higher than normal levels of glucose may also be called impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
Type 1 diabetes has a genetic component and is completely different. Learn more about Type 1 diabetes here. (LINK TO OLD BLOG)
Prediabetes results from a disruption in how your body processes and regulates glucose (aka, sugar) in your blood. This glucose can come from the food you eat, and it can come from your liver.
Normal bodies are very good at regulating blood glucose and keeping your levels within a healthy range. Pre-diabetic and diabetic bodies, on the other hand, struggle with this regulation. This is a huge issue because as we mentioned earlier, diabetes can put you at a greater risk for heart disease and stroke.
Causes and risk factors for prediabetes
How does prediabetes develop, you may wonder?
Typically, it develops after years of eating sugary foods or white refined flour products. Each time we indulge in a commercially-prepared donut, muffin, bowl of cereal, or piece of cake, we cause our blood sugar levels to rise. The increase in blood sugar results in a surge of insulin from our pancreas to carry the sugars to our cells. When our cells can’t hold any more, excess sugar is excreted or stored in fat cells for later use. The more fat cells we have, the more sugar they can store - creating an issue of ever-increasing fat-cell size.
Certain factors and behaviours increase our risk of developing prediabetes. Some of them include:
Being over the age of 45
Having a 40” waist or larger if you are a man, or a 35” waist or larger if you are a woman
Being overweight or obese, especially if you have excess belly fat
Eating lots of processed meats and refined flour products
Drinking sugary beverages including soda regularly
Being of African American, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Latino descent
Having higher than normal triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels
Having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Having had gestational diabetes
Having given birth to a baby over 9 pounds in weight
Not exercising
Having sleep problems, sleep apnea, or performing shift work
If several of these risk factors sound like you, it’s time you started paying closer attention to what you ate!
It’s also important to note that most people do not show any signs or have any symptoms that indicate they may have prediabetes. Occasionally, however, some people do show symptoms like being thirstier than usual, increased urination, blurred vision, or increased fatigue.
Additionally, some people may show signs of insulin resistance.
This means their body makes enough insulin, but it doesn’t respond to it the way it should. Insulin resistance is the first step down the road to diabetes. Signs of insulin resistance include:
Having darkened areas of skin
Having trouble concentrating
Being hungrier than usual
Being more tired than usual
If you think you are at a greater risk for developing diabetes or if you are pre-diabetic, the good news is that you are not stuck on this road. You can work at reversing prediabetes or preventing it all together by following a good pre-diabetic diet.
The Pre-Diabetic Diet
So, what does a pre-diabetic diet look like? Here are the top things you should consider doing to reverse your pre-diabetic status:
Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbs
Eating refined carbs and sugary foods can put you on the fast track to developing diabetes.
This is because your body quickly breaks down these foods into tiny sugar molecules that are immediately absorbed into your bloodstream. This rise in blood sugar then causes your pancreas to produce more insulin, which is a hormone that helps sugar get out of the bloodstream and into the cells.
If you have prediabetes, your body's cells are resistant to the efforts of insulin. Therefore, sugar levels remain high in the blood. This then causes your pancreas to produce even more insulin in an attempt to bring blood sugar back down to a healthy level.
Over time, this will lead to higher insulin levels and higher blood sugar levels, until your condition eventually turns into diabetes.
So, cut out sugars and refined carbohydrates as best as you can. Refined carbs include things like pizza, pastries, white bread, pasta, white rice, desserts, and many breakfast cereals.
Watch Your Portion Sizes
Eating too much in one sitting can cause higher insulin and blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes and diabetes. Plus, those who are obese or overweight are at a greater risk of developing diabetes.
For this reason, you should watch your portion sizes at each meal. If you struggle with portioning out your food, we suggest investing in a good set of measuring cups or in portion-controlled plates.
Eat a High Fiber Diet
Eating a high fiber diet is also key to reversing your pre-diabetic status.
A high-fiber diet is beneficial for gut health and weight management. And, plenty of studies show that a high-fiber diet can also help keep insulin and blood sugar levels in check. Here are some high-fiber foods that you should incorporate into your diet:
Pears
Avocados
Apples
Strawberries
Raspberries
Beets
Carrots
Bananas
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Lentils
Kidney beans
Artichoke
Chickpeas
Split peas
Quinoa
Popcorn
Oats
Chia seeds
Almonds
Dark chocolate
Fiber can either be soluble or insoluble, and both types of fiber can help reverse prediabetes.
Up Your Vitamin D Intake
Many of us know that we can get vitamin D from the sun in order to improve our mental health. But, did you know that vitamin D can also help reverse your pre-diabetic status?
Many studies have shown that those who don't get enough vitamin D are at greater risk of developing diabetes. In fact, one study found that people with high levels of vitamin D were 43% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with low vitamin D levels.
Good sources of vitamin D include:
Wild salmon
Egg yolks
Cod liver oil
Sardines
Herring
Mushrooms
Tuna
Additionally, you can add a vitamin D supplement to your daily routine.
Cut out Processed Foods
Most of us know that processed foods are bad for us. However, it's also important to know that cutting out processed foods can reverse your pre-diabetic status.
In addition to diabetes, processed foods are linked to other major health problems such as heart disease and obesity. One study even found that a diet high in processed foods increased your risk for diabetes by 30%.
So, swap out processed foods for whole, nutritious foods instead. If this sounds like a daunting task for you, and believe me, I can understand that, you may want the support of a natural nutritionist. I can help you refine your eating habits and discover healthier alternatives that curb sugar cravings and balance blood sugar levels to get you off the road to diabetes.
Incorporate Natural Herbs and Spices
Certain natural herbs and spices can also be beneficial for those with prediabetes. In particular, curcumin, berberine, and cinnamon can help those with prediabetes.
Curcumin is a component of the popular gold spice turmeric. Turmeric is a main ingredient in many curry dishes. It contains strong anti-inflammatory properties, and it has actually been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine.
Studies show that curcumin can decrease insulin resistance and your risk of developing diabetes.
Berberine is an herb that's been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. It's known for fighting inflammation, lowering cholesterol levels, and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Studies also show that berberine is also effective at lowering blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon is also a great choice to help balance blood usage levels and can be sprinkled on almost any kind of food or taken in supplement form.
Caution: There are two types of cinnamon: cassia and Ceylon. Though both work, when taken in larger amounts, cassia cinnamon may be damaging to the liver, as it contains high concentrations of coumarin, a potentially harmful substance. For this reason, Ceylon cinnamon may be the better choice.
Follow a Low Carb Diet
Lastly, those who are pre-diabetic should follow a low carb diet.
Low carb diets have consistently been shown to reduce insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as increase insulin sensitivity. In fact, one 12-week study followed individuals on a low-carb diet and found that dieters dropped insulin levels by 50% and blood sugar levels by 12%.
Are You Ready to Start Your Pre-Diabetic Diet?
By following this pre-diabetic diet, you'll be well on your way to changing your health for the better.
If you would like some help putting a meal plan together for your pre-diabetic diet, then be sure to check out our services page. We have several different packages you can choose from to help kickstart your pre-diabetic diet! You may also want to check out our blood sugar balancing recipe ebook for meal inspiration. It’s on sale for 50% off until the end of May, so grab yours today!
As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below. Of course, if I can help you or a loved one with your nutritional needs, make an appointment to see me today!