Take steps to prevent diabetes at Vivacity Care Center

Some diabetes risk factors are in your control like activity level and diet. Some are out of your control, like age, family history, and race.

The good news is that you can prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes with a healthy lifestyle. How? Quit smoking, lose weight if needed, get about 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, and eat healthy foods.

Prevention Diet

The first step is consuming the right number of calories for your size, weight goals, and activity level. An online calorie calculator can give you a rough estimate or ask your healthcare provider.

You’ll then want to limit the amount of processed foods, red and processed meat (like bacon and sausage), white breads, and sugar. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat an unsatisfying, bland diet!

You can still have plenty of whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, seafood, fruits, and vegetables.

Vegetables

You don’t have to change your diet all in one day, but small steps toward a healthier diet add up.

One way to think of it is to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables. Those include leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, celery, carrots, green beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, and asparagus. Check out some satisfying dinner ideas that start with a healthy portion of vegetables.

Carbohydrates

A quarter of your plate can be filled with carbohydrate foods. Carbohydrates are not unhealthy as they contain filling nutrients. These are the foods that have the greatest impact on blood sugar though, so we need to choose carefully.

Carbohydrate foods include beans, fruit, dairy, and grains. You’ll want to fill your plate with whole grains. Choose brown versions over refined or white. Look for brown rice, oats, quinoa, and whole grain bread, pasta, and tortillas. These unrefined carbohydrates are good sources of fiber. Fiber can help with weight loss because it makes you feel full for a longer period of time.

You might be surprised to learn that some vegetables are also in this category. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, carrots, corn, peas, and beets. You can still eat these, but they should be in the carbohydrate quarter of the plate rather than the veggie half.

Protein

Finally, fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods. These include meat, seafood, beans, eggs, cheese, soy, and meatless alternatives.

Choose lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy. Limit red meat (beef, lamb, and pork) and processed meats like hot dogs and sausage are high in saturated fat.

Getting Care

Your healthcare team at Vivacity Care Center can help with screenings and prevention. Our team of health coaches can help you set goals for lifestyle changes.

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