Are you dreaming off what should a pre-diabetic do to avoid diabetes, You should improve your body’s resistance to insulin by adopting a insulin resistance diet, Most of us do not know diabetes is not a disease – it is a metabolic disorder, you can keep your body’s metabolism in order by doing few things like loosing excess body weight & fat, keeping stress away and Eat healthy. I know What are you thinking now !!
Every one say life style changes and diet are very important in managing or preventing diabetes,,, but no one says how to do it in simple steps
Dont get upset in this article I will brief you what should a pre-diabetic do to avoid diabetes in 10 simple steps.
If you are determined to keep diabetes far away from your life – Follow these steps, And if you are not motivated enough you should read this article
I think you are motivated enough now So let us See the – 22 things Every prediabetic should do Daily
What should a prediabetic do to avoid Diabetes
1. Start your day with psyllium husk : This Word [easyazon_link identifier=”B00JI4WCGO” locale=”IN” tag=”readitt-21″]Psyllium Husk[/easyazon_link] may sound new to you, But it is proven to fight constipation very well and also has blood sugar regulating properties and works well in lowering cholesterol levels. This psyllium husk is available in medical stores and also online. In India it is mostly available in the name of Isabgol . You can soak 4-5 grams of psyllium husk in 300 ml of water overnight and drink it in the morning. You can also take it with water. You need to understand one thing while you drink it in the morning it is in semi solid state so be careful it does not choke you. To avoid choking you should ensure water and psyllium husk ratio is appropriate as recommended. psyllium husk contains dietary fibre which regulates absorption of glucose into cells there by preventing spikes in blood sugar levels
2. Drink a Cup of Green Tea : I can guess your reaction !! Its so easy to say drink green tea, But very much difficult to do it. if your question is what makes green tea so healthy ? (read here) and yo will agree with me that drinking green tea is a priority, now you are convinced ! Let me tell you the secret how i could slowly make it a habit to drink green tea. Initially I started taking green tea with sugar it tasted very bad…. I tried it with honey it was ok,, But did not drink it for more than 3 days,,… But after reading so much about proven benefits of drinking green tea, I again started to drink green tea — This time I am just drinking Green Tea with few drops of lemon added and nothing else,, I enjoy it a lot- While I take it in the morning – It feels refreshing and lively. i don’t use tea bag, Because Taking Green tea by brewing green tea leaves has more medicinal benefits and also releases more anti oxidants. see below what I do.
- Take Green tea powder in a glass – 1 tsp
- Boil 150ml hot water in a kettle
- Pour hot water into the glass
- Add few drops of lemon
- Let the water absorb all Medicinal properties of Green Tea.
- Drink it.
Out of the 22 things listed in this article Drinking Green tea should be in the list of top 5 things to do for every prediabetic to avoid diabetes,
I am planning to buy a Green Tea Maker to use it at Office, So that I can say goodbye to Tea bags which are costly and less effective . This one habit can help pre-diabetics avoid getting diabetes.
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3.Add Turmeric to your recipes
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent which was used extensively in all our dishes in our grandma’s time. In few clinical trials it has been found that Turmeric is good in reversing pancreatic damage in type -1 diabetes and One more important thing is that Turmeric is good at improvising the health of liver. So add a pinch of turmeric to your dishes to avoid diabetes. Not only Turmeric , Most of the Spices in Indian Kitchen are good at fighting diabetes
You can read our article for Spices in India Kitchen which can fight Diabetes
4.Have a Breakfast filled with more fiber and less carbohydrates:
After being identified as a pre-diabetic, I have understood how important is breakfast for diabetics, because the breakfast a diabetic chooses to take has a major role in controlling diabetes. It is important to start your day with low sugar high fibre diet which can keep you full for longer time without consuming more carbohydrates. Being a South Indian I am a fan of Dosa and idli. But these foods consist of 60-70% carbohydrates which do not make them the best breakfast for diabetics.
So after a brief research and after talking to my Friend Manipal (Doctor) I have narrowed my breakfast menu to effectively manage my blood sugar levels. One thing I understood was to avoid Sugar, Salt and Oily Breakfasts.Most important thing is don’t start your day with a coffee or tea with sugar, that will start your day with high blood sugar levels, In fact leaving tea and coffee made of milk is recommended for diabetics.
Read our article Best Breakfast ideas for Diabetics to discover more
5.Choose Nutritious Snacks
After Breakfast and before Lunch you will have a gap of minimum 4 hours , So if you don’t eat in between, you will end up eating more at lunch which leads to more blood sugar levels, So make it a habit to have snacks in between 10.30 – 11.30hrs and 16:30 – 17:30 hrs . Dont eat Haldirams Mixture, Moongdal, Samosa etc choose healthier snacks like Split peas chana, Diabetic friendly Biscuits – Raagi / Oats made by Brittania are also good, and of course the best snacks you can have are fruits — Eat a Fruit – Apple , Orange & Guava are good. Occasionally I choose to take Moong sprouts.
Don’t be too rigid , Some times have Samosa also, because we are human beings we have emotions we cannot behave like machines. Psychological satisfaction is also Important. Leaving snacks filled with lot of fat and unhealthy oils should also be in the list of top 5 things a prediabetic should do to avoid diabetes
6. Drink Milk Tea / Coffee you enjoy :
You are not diabetic so you don’t need to sacrifice sugar totally, you may add little sugar or a natural sugar-free sweetener like stevia and take coffee / tea as you like. because having things you like makes you feel stress free and energetic, But ensure to make drinking green tea a habit as explained above.
7. Don’t sit for hours together at office, get up and stretch yourself
You should avoid sitting for long hours , Mostly people who work in Office atmosphere tend to sit for hours staring at the computer screen to prepare an excel sheet or a presentation, But you must understand sitting for long hours induces both mental and physical stress. Take breaks– get up from your chair and meet people and have conversations , Having conversations with people can help you achieve more at work. Go out for Tea in the tea break instead of having tea/coffee at your coffee vending machine. Try to have a walk after lunch in the lunch break. To know how dangerous is sitting you should know about a book written by Dr. James A. levine [easyazon_link identifier=”1137278994″ locale=”IN” tag=”readitt-21″]Get Up!: Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It[/easyazon_link]
8. Walk for 3o minutes or do yogasanas: Most of us ignore health benefits walking can offer, we are too much addicted to our cars, We are very good at sitting for prolonged hours before the computer screen or television sets. It is the time to make exercise a part of our life. Just do brisk walk 3 minutes everyday and after 7 th day you will admit that with exercise I can eat more yet do not feel any blood sugar hikes. Thats the power of exercise. Many people who are diagnosed with type-2 diabetes are managing their blood sugar levels by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly. 2 yogasanas are very good for diabetics and prediabetics as proposed by Ram Dev Baba – Yog Guru of India. One is Kapal Bhati and the other one is Anulom Vilom.
9.Take fenugreek soaked in hot water occasionally
I was told by many of my friends that consuming fenugreek seeds will control blood sugar levels, But there are no specific research available to support this statement, However a publication on National centre for Biotechnology information – USA mentions consuming fenugreek seeds soaked in hot water is very effective in managing blood sugar levels.
Trial was conducted on 11 participants, All the 11 type 2 diabetic participants were given fenugreek seeds soaked in hot water for 8 weeks and the results are very impressive as mentioned below.
- 25 % reduce in Fasting Blood Sugar Levels
- 30 % reduction in Triglycerides
- 30.6% reduction in VLDL-Cholestrol
10. Eat Lunch – Half your stomach.
We Indians have a bad habit of eating a heavy lunch if we are at home and eating unhealthy food if we are out. Ensure to take your lunch box from home. keep your lunch Simple – 2 roti, small amount of rice, more of curry- try to take more green leafy vegetables. Ensure you have salad made of cucumber, carrot, onion and tomato before lunch because few hormones in cucumber help pancreas in insulin production as mentioned by Organic facts.net
You can try having long wheat porridge, This is called Gothumai Ulundu Kanji in Kerala- you can check out the recipe this is a very healthy choice for lunch as well as Dinner – unbroken long wheat porridge recipe to improve diabetes
Do not over eat, Eat as much as half your stomach can afford and try to avoid eating at Restaurants everyday.
11. Drink Butter milk :
It will keep you full so you eat less and also the bacteria in buttermilk will help clean up your intestinal track and improve digestion and reduces inflammation which is very much required for diabetics. Buttermilk will also help to keep your body cool in summer. Butter milk is a probiotic food , Probiotic foods maintain a low pH level thereby reducing the risk of harmful bacteria invading the body. Pre-diabetics should drink at least a glass of butter milk everyday
12. Come back home on time:
Cultivate a habit of coming to home early. So you will have enough time to take care of your family’s needs and to enjoy a refreshing time with your kids or else to focus on how to plan your first kid. when you play with kids you stretch yourself and the stress is relieved from your body. If you come early you can take your dinner on time.
13. Don’t purchase evening snacks filled with loads of unhealthy oil:
Dont pick up Samosa, jalebi , noodles or pani puri while you return home in the evening every day because your kids will eat . If you bring for your family you will also end up eating some of them. All these are unhealthy snacks , better way to avoid is just fix one day for this type of stuff. may be sunday , may be saturday etc.. So that daily you will not ponder over those road side shops. Instead try making these snacks at home so your kids also develop healthy eating habits. Making items like pani puri, noodles, hot chat or even pizza is very easy now a days due to may recipe websites and blogs on the internet.
14. diabetics should Choose Oils which are high in mono unsaturated fat:
There are many oils which are rich in monounsaturated fat, Olive oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, sesame oil etc are all considered good because they do not increase LDL cholesterol in our body. Olive oil is considered to be the best choice of all. See how good are oils rich in mono unsaturated fats for Diabetics
15. Eat by Eight : Does that sound crazy !! Might be, but this will work – and also choose very light food which is free from fat for dinner, add salads ,, take soups and prefer Wheat over rice. Eating early means the energy can be consumed before you sleep which leads to less fat accumulation in the body and also you will have sound sleep because your body is not busy digesting the food.
You can read our article – What to eat for Dinner to keep My Morning Blood Sugar Levels Low
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16. Go for a walk after Dinner
Going for a walk after Dinner is not only good for your stomach !! It is also good for your mind, It gives you peace and also makes you feel good, if you walk alone – you will get time to spend with yourself and if you walk with your wife your bonding becomes better and you enjoy a better family life. You can make it a pleasant walk.
17. Drink Water at regular intervals
A very simple health secret we do not follow is to drink water — hot or normal — Drinking water has lots of benefits , Drinking water can reduce your stress levels, Drinking water also is believed to lower the risk of developing diabetes , when the body is dehydrated, vasopressin levels rise, prompting the kidneys to hold onto water. At the same time the harmone pushes the liver to produce blood sugar, which over time may strain the ability to produce or respond to insulin
You can also see positive effects of consuming enough water experienced by type -1 diabetics at the following page
Drinking water helps regulate blood sugar levels
18. Use Cinnamon in your diet: because Cinnamon has insulin like action.
Loaded with phytonutrients, Cinnamon has the ability to reduce the inflammation and even lower the cholesterol. This results in the maintained sugar glucose level, which mandates it to be consumed efficiently from one-fourth to half teaspoon on daily basis. With excellent healing qualities, the intake of Cinnamon should be restricted to twice daily and not more than that. It is because of such qualitative use that Cinnamon is meant to stop the increase in sugar level and keeps the patient safe from having bad effects of increased sugar level.
19. Reduce your waist to 30″ or 32″
Reducing your waist size to 30 inches sounds so good, It makes you look good and it also makes you feel good. You can wear fashionable dresses. One very amazing benefit you get out of burning belly fat is reversing your prediabetes as published by prevention.com . So take an oath today you will start burning your belly fat by doing aerobic exercises, yoga and consuming Apple cider vinegar is known to burn the rigid belly fat
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20. Get A1C and GTT tested every 3 months
Prediabetics do not need to test their blood sugar levels too often, I will recommend you to go for two tests One is HBA1c and Glucose Tolerance Test, HBA1c is your average blood sugar reading of 3 months which is a very good indicator , if your reading is anywhere between 5.7 and 6.4 means you are prediabetic, So you should target for less than 5.7 .
Coming to Glucose Tolerance test values should be as follows
- Fasting: 60 to 100 mg/dL
- 1 hour: less than 200 mg/dL
- 2 hours: less than 140 mg/dL
21. Sleep for 8 hours
I think I don’t need to convince you more that sleeping is good for you,,, You already know it but due to some distractions you may not be able to have a sound sleep for 8 hours or more. If you have enough sleep you will regain your metabolism – Improved metabolism means — going away from diabetes. Some make sleeping for 8 hrs a priority. Sleeping well also can control your body mass index.
22. Eat Saunf after meals
The Fennel seeds are also called as ” saunf” in the indian context they are consumed after meal, laced with anethol as well as phytoestrogens, and a variety of phytochemicals, which is mandatory for fighting the problem of increased blood sugar level. Considered efficient in treating heart related diseases to cancer, it has the ability to lessen the level of increased blood sugar. Well, the fennel seeds can be toasted to enjoy the taste and get the healthy life back.
bonus tip : You can drink water stored overnight in vijaysar tumbler early in the morning, medicinal properties of vijaysar will control blood sugar-levels, rejunuvate beta cells of pancreas and also aids in weight loss. it is difficult to get his tumblers offline, you can get it online from several online websites, It is available at a price of INR 350 which can be used for 4 months.
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