Pre-diabetes & Nutrition and Prevention

What to eat?

1.    Reduce your kilojoule intake

If you are overweight, aim to decrease the kilojoules (energy) you consume each day.  This will help you to lose weight.  Dietary surveys have shown that Australians eat too many discretionary (junk) foods which are very high in energy and provide very few nutrients such as biscuits, cakes, chocolate, pastries, soft drink and most take away foods.  Other people might have a healthy diet but eat too much.  Eating large portions of food, even if it is healthy will still increase your weight if your body doesn’t need this extra food.   

Read more about the importance of weight loss in the section below.  
 

2.    Choose low glycaemic index carbohydrate foods   

The glycaemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly carbohydrate foods are digested and released into the bloodstream.  Low GI carbohydrate foods enter the bloodstream more slowly and result in a lower rise in blood glucose and also insulin.  Diets that contain low GI carbohydrate foods have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes.

For more information, read the NDSS glycaemic index factsheet.
 

3.    Choose high fibre foods

Studies have shown that a diet that is high in fibre can help to reduce the risk of diabetes.  To increase the fibre in your diet, choose wholegrain breads and cereals such as heavy seed breads, oats and brown rice instead of white bread, refined cereals or sweet biscuits.  Fruits and vegetables are also a good source of fibre, aim for 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables each day.
 

4.    Drink water 

Sugary drinks have been associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Try swapping soft drink, iced tea drinks, flavoured waters and fruit juice with water, tea, coffee or plain mineral or soda water.  In moderation, diet beverages may be a good alternative also.
 

5.    Increase your good fats    

You can reduce your risk of diabetes by replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in many animal products such as fatty meats, full fat dairy foods, butter, deep fried take away foods and also bakery items.  Unsaturated fats are found in sunflower, soybean, olive, canola and sesame oils, avocado, seeds, nuts and oily fish. 
 

6.    Limit your intake of red meat and processed meats

Frequent intake of red meat, particularly processed meat (such as bacon, sausages and fatty deli meats) has been shown to be associated with diabetes risk.  Choose lean cuts of red meat and include other sources of protein in your diet such as seafood, nuts, tofu and legumes.

Why is body weight important?

Carrying excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes.  The good news is that you don’t need to lose a lot of weight to make a big difference – losing just 7-10% of your current weight can reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by half.

Read more about managing your weight here.

What about exercise?

There are many, many benefits of exercise – it not only helps you to lose weight but it also makes your muscles better at processing glucose (sugar).  A brisk walk for 30 minutes each day can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%.  

You should aim to do 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking, swimming or bike riding.  Strength training (also called resistance training) makes your body more sensitive to insulin and helps to build strong muscles which are important for long term weight loss.

Examples of strength training exercises are: lifting weights, using a resistance band, squats, lunges and plank holds.

Aim to do some strength exercises two times per week.  Inactivity promotes diabetes so on the days that you can’t find time to exercise just try to be more active in your daily tasks and avoid long periods of sitting.

Read the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines brochure for more information and lots of physical activity ideas for you and your family.

The Life program helps people with pre-diabetes to delay or reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes. Find out more about their group and telephone health coaching courses.