Borderline Diabetes---Diet?

Question

My doctor told me that I had borderline diabetes which can be managed by my diet. I know to stay away from candy, cakes, cookies etc. But, can I have fruit? Someone told me to avoid.
cereals? Carbs? I really need a good guide to what foods I can eat. A one day meal plan would be really helpful.

Answer 1

Ask your doctor for a diet guideline. You can eat just about anything but have to remember that a good share of what you eat that is not "good" for you is empty nutrition. Follow the Diabetic Pyramid which you can get on line. Cut down on portions and you will be surprised at how much you really do NOT need to eat. Good luck. If you can control it by diet alone you will be way ahead of the game! It is your life and your health and it is up to you!

Here is the "pyramid" in case you can't find it. The bottom is breads, grains and other starches. This includes beans, peas, and corn which are really veggies but are too starchy to eat as veggies. You get to have 6-11 servings a day. The servings are small. That is a 1/2 c potatoes, yams, peas, corn, beans (not french fries!), 1/3 c of rice or pasta (if you smash it gently down into the cup it is way more than you think it will be), one slice of bread. I/4 of a large bagel. So, if you want a sandwich for lunch that is 2 servings.

The next step up is half veggies and half fruits. For the veggies you get 3-5 servings a day. That is 1 c raw and 1/2 c cooked. Just about any veggie not listed with the starches is okay but dark leafy green veggies are really good for you. And so are carrots.

Fruits you get 2-4 servings a day. That is 1/2 canned fruit (in it's own juice, NOT heavy syrup. "Lite" fruit is okay. One small fresh fruit is a serving. If you get bananas get the smallest regular ones you can. If you get huge ones it is 2 servings. Good fruits are melons cuz you can have 1 cut cut up, raspberries you can have 1c and strawberries whole (w/o sugar or add some Equal) you can have 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups! I measure them, cut them up and sprinkle a packet of Equal on if they are not in season.

The next level up is about 1/4-1/3 milk and the rest meat. Milk means milk not all dairy. You get 2-3 servings a day. Use low fat or fat free. Start with the low fat if you hate Skim MIlk and you will get used to the watered down taste. Also you can have 1 c of yogurt but get fat free. You can get flavors but watch the sugar content. 15 grams or under should be okay and don't get the fruit on the bottom stuff. If you don't really like yogurt (I don't) try getting a plain flavor like lemon or peach in the fat free and freeze it and eat it like a frozen treat. it is yummy.

Meats you get 4-6 small servings a day. You can have any kind of meat as long as you blot fat , don't eat the fat that is attached and the serving is the size of a deck of cards. Obviously meat like skinless chicken breast and unbreaded fish will have less fat. I rely on spices to make it taste better. 1/4 c of cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or 1/2 cup of tofu (yuck) is also considered meat. As well as a small handful of unsalted nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds.

The top of the pyramid is the tiny point of it and that is fats. oils, and sweets. You can have a small portion of cake or pie every once in awhile. Try to stay away from oils (olove oil is the best or corn oil) and fats but it is inevitable you will have some. Don't add a lot of butter to your food and try to use reduced fat margarine (I Can't Beleive It's Not Butter is good). Cook with Pam cooking spray (I acutally get the Meijer store brand which works the same but it way cheaper.)

Once you get used to THINKING about what you are eating it gets easier. Make a game out of it. You won't really feel hungry with all that food you can use but you may feel deprived from what you used to eat. You will get over that eventually and once in awhile you can have the sweets or fries. Just remember that if you "cheat" you are only cheating yourself.

If you are married your family will benefit, too, and you will more than likely lose weight and that can't be a bad thing, right?

Good luck and good health!!

PS While some doctors still do call it borderline Diabetic usually now they say "pre-Diabetic".

Answer 2

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Answer 5

If you want to eat truly healthy, lose body fat consistently, normalize your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, prevent cancer, and even boost your brain health and energy levels, you may have heard all over the news that the Paleo Diet has been found to be one of the best methods of achieving all of these benefits compared to any other popular "fad" diets out there. Go here https://tinyurl.im/aHLyQ

The truth is that the Paleo Diet will never be considered a fad because it's just simply the way that humans evolved to eat over approximately 2 million years. And eating in a similar fashion to our ancestors has been proven time and time again to offer amazing health benefits, including prevention of most diseases of civilization such as cancer, heart disease, alzheimers, and other chronic conditions that are mostly caused by poor diet and lifestyle. One of the biggest misunderstandings about the Paleo Diet is that it's a meat-eating diet, or a super low-carb diet. This is not true

Answer 6

Things for you to learn about will be how to count your carbs and knowing the glycemic index of the carbs you eat. Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic on diet for diabetics.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027

It has been a long time since I knew of anyone calling it "borderline diabetes." That term has been obsolete for years. It suggests to me that you might benefit from seeing a doctor who had more recent education. Here is a link on that term.

http://www.diabeteshome.ca/borderline.php

What are the numbers from your bloodwork from the doctor? Was a glucose tolerance test done?

How are you charting the results of your daily finger sticks? Remember to list the foods and amounts you ate along with the blood sugar test results.

Answer 7

With the newer types of insulin these days, diabetic diets aren't necessarily as restrictive as they used to be. Read here https://tr.im/bAhoA
As with any medicine or diet change, you should discuss it with your doctor. Fruits, both fresh and dried, have a natural sugar in them that will raise blood sugar levels, so be careful about eating too much. Not sure about the nuts. Moderation is always the key. I've been diabetic for 18 years and just recently changed insulin types. I love it because it gives me more freedom in when and what I eat.

Answer 8

The American Diabetes Association has endorsed the diabetic diet, which is what nutritionists recommend, as well. It is basically the food pyramid spread out over the course of the day. According to my nutritionist, I am allowed:

3 servings of milk or yogurt (8 oz.)
3 servings of fruit (1-2 pieces, depending on the size)
7 oz. of meat (3 oz. is about the size of a deck of cards, and 4 oz. is about the size of the palm of your hand)
7 servings of carbohydrates (1 serving = 15 carbohydrates--1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cereal, etc.--check food labels)
3 servings of fats (6 grams each--about a pat of butter, or a tablespoon of salad dressing)
4 servings of vegetables (1 serving = 1/2 cooked or 1 cup fresh)

I'm supposed to eat them over the course of the day like this, on a regular day (you can save them up, or "borrow" them, if you're going to have a larger meal sometime that day):

Breakfast:

2 carbohydrates, 1 milk, 1 fruit (cereal and an apple or banana would be good)

Mid-Morning Snack:

1 piece of fruit

Lunch:

3 oz. of meat (the leaner the better)
2 carbohydrates
2 vegetables
1 fat

A deli sandwich and salad with dressing is good for this.

Mid-Afternoon snack:

1 fruit, 1 milk

Supper:

4 oz. meat, 2 vegetables, 2 carbohydrates, and 2 fats

A baked potato with butter would be good for the carbohydrates and the fats, or you could split the fats between 1 pat of butter and 1 tablespoon of salad dressing

Evening snack:

1 milk, 1 carbohydrate--milk and a small cookie is good for a little "cheat", or Weight Watchers makes great snack bars that are 15 carbohydrates or less.

The secret about carbohydrates (sugars and starches) is to eat those that are the least processed. So doughnuts are pretty much out, but raw fruit is good, because you do need fruit for the nutritional value. And whole grain bread is better than white. Deli meats, lean poultry (without skin) and seafoods are the best meats, then lean cuts of pork and beef, poultry with skin, then fried meats, then sausages, hot dogs, etc. (add a fat for those).

There are several kinds of "free" foods that you can munch on when you're tempted to cheat, though--I can have an extra fat if it's 17 peanuts, a few walnuts, or 3-4 pecans, since there so good for you. Sugar Free Jello is great--no limit. You can also have as much boullion, spices, herbs, and diet drinks as you want. You should also be sure to drink plenty of water, just like normal.

Answer 9

I recommend a couple of books: Diabetes: The First Year; Atkins Diabetes Revolution; and South Beach Diet book.

I follow South Beach phase 2 food plan.

If you will test your glucose level, eat a serving of that cereal with milk, and check your glucose level 2 hours after the first test, you will get a h*** of a surprise!!!

Do this with all foods and you can work out your own food plan with out having to go to the dieticians and CDEs who follow the Am. Diabetes Assn guidelines.

If you lop off the bottom layer of the food pyramid and eat small servings from the other food groups, you will get sufficient of the nutrients found in the bottom layer and fiber.

Good luck keeping it borderline or prediabetes!!!

Answer 10

All foods are converted into glucose by the body.
Fats in 6-8 hours or more, Proteins (meat,eggs,beans) in 3-4 hours, and Carbohydrates in 30 minutes. Carbohydrates include starches such as rice, pasta, breads and cereals.
A proper diet will combine fats, carbohydrates, and proteins at each meal, to provide nutrients and create an even release of glucose into the blood. Whole Grain carbohydrates turn into sugar slowly and help keep the blood sugar stable.
Avoid sugar and high amounts of carbohydrates. Eat moderate, balanced meals at regular times.