Diabetes is one of the few diseases that you really can control and even prevent. If you already know you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you can focus on prevention right now by paying close attention to the foods you eat.
We spend lots of time mulling over big decisions like what car to purchase, how to decorate a room, or what job to have. Ultimately, though, they aren't as important as the decisions we make several times a day about what foods we're going to put into our mouths.
Research shows that a diet low in fat and calories and high in fiber, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables can help to prevent type 2 diabetes. Let's break down such a diet into its components:
- Calories. A reduction in calories leads to weight loss, which helps to prevent diabetes. If you need to lose weight, don't get hung up on what your specific calorie goal should be; just think about reducing your calorie intake.
- Fats. To prevent diabetes, your diet should contain less than 30 percent of total calories from fat and less than 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this means less than 65 grams of fat per day and no more than 20 grams of that fat should be saturated. Research shows that people whose diets contain the lowest percentage of calories from fat reduce their risk of developing diabetes the most. (Persons who actually have diabetes must limit saturated fat consumption to 7 percent of total calories.)
- Fiber and whole grains. Aim for 25 grams or more of fiber each day. Fiber is listed on every food label. To help you reach your daily fiber goal, look for foods with more than 5 grams of daily fiber per serving. Choose foods whose list of ingredients contains the words "whole grain" or "whole wheat" as the first ingredient.
- Fruits and vegetables. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that our bodies need. Fruits and vegetables are also fat-free foods, so they're generally lower in calories than other food choices.
You have control over what you eat each day. Decide to eat healthy and work toward preventing diabetes.