Foods to Eat to Prevent Diabetes

A healthy diet may prevent you from getting diabetes

If you have prediabetes or you just want to prevent yourself from getting this disease, you can choose to eat healthy foods. Diabetes research shows that this will lower your chance of developing diabetes by keeping your glucose levels low. Here are some tips that will help you do this.

Eat as few processed foods as possible

Processed foods are those that have many different ingredients. They have been changed from their natural state into a food that may barely resemble its original state. Examples are fruit snacks that are mostly sugar and very little fruit or corn flakes and other cereals that are not whole grain. Frozen meals are also processed foods and should be avoided as much as possible. Instead, eat natural foods that have only one ingredient such as apples, pears, carrots, potatoes, chicken, salmon, peas, corn, beans, and others.

Avoid a high fat diet

If you're a fast food junkie, you'll need to abandon the drive thru for healthier foods to try to avoid getting diabetes. If you eat a meal of fries and a burger, you are getting more fat than you need in the entire day. Add a large, sugary drink and you may be on the road to getting this dreaded disease. If you must eat fast food, switch to a small order of fries and a small burger. You can order unsweetened tea to drink instead of sugary soda. There are many other high fat foods, especially processed cookies and baked goods. They are loaded with both fat and sugar and should only be eaten on rare occasions.

Cut out most of the sugar from your diet

Sugar is added to almost every processed food, including spaghetti sauce, ketchup, salad dressing, and frozen meals. The food industry is very clever in hiding the sugar by giving it many different names, but it is still sugar. When you eat snacks, reach for peanuts or other nuts or fruits and vegetables. With so many to choose from, you'll never get bored.

Don't completely deny yourself of treats

If you are not diabetic, you can include an occasional ice cream cone, birthday cake, or piece of pie in your diet and not risk getting diabetes. It is the continual eating of sweets and fats every day that makes you more likely to get diabetes.

Begin an exercise routine and stay active

Exercise and diabetes are related. Those who live a sedentary lifestyle and get little to no exercise are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Stay active by playing sports that you love or by walking, hiking, or biking. This is another important way to stay healthy and you will probably never develop diabetes.