Prediabetes

Superfoods to Reverse Prediabetes

Pre-diabetes is a medical condition where the blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered as Type 2 diabetes. In other words, it is the precursor to Type 2 diabetes. Although there are no clear symptoms experienced by individuals with prediabetes, there are several risk factors that increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Some of these include having high blood pressure and having an abnormal blood cholesterol level. And the only reliable method to diagnose this condition is through blood tests such as HbA1c, Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) and Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).

	Normal	Prediabetes	Diabetes
Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG)	< 6.1 mmol/L	6.1 – 6.9 mmol/L	> 7.0 mmol/L

What should you do if you have Pre-diabetes?

1. Weight management

Being overweight increases the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by seven times, while being obese makes you 20 to 40 times at a higher risk to develop diabetes than an individual with a healthy weight (i.e. BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2). Losing weight is never easy. Instead of starting on unsustainable weight loss diets with big lifestyle changes that affects your mood, focus instead on cultivating small healthy habits such as learning to eat till you’re 80% (instead of 100%) full, drinking water or matcha tea instead of sugary beverages, and saving some extra cash by not snacking between meals. When you avoid snacking between meals, you give your body time for the blood sugar level to drop to baseline state and your body has the chance to switch to burning fat for energy.

2. Stay Active

A sedentary lifestyle, especially one that is spent watching television or sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time, is the most detrimental form of inactivity. For instance, every two hours spent watching TV rather than performing any physical activity increases the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes by 20%, cardiovascular disease by 15%, and premature death by 13%.

Inactivity promotes Type 2 diabetes. Hence, start working your muscles more often to promote their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose efficiently. The good news is that you do not need to do long bouts of hot and sweaty exercise to reap this benefit. Various research studies have suggested that daily walking sessions can reduce the risks of developing Type 2 diabetes significantly. If, for some reason, you are not able to walk after a meal, get moving in some form of physical activity like household chores, simple stretching movements, instead of sitting in front of the television.

Healthier Eating Habits

1. Choose wholegrains instead of white rice/bread

Evidence has indicated that a diet rich in wholegrains like organic quinoa seeds, brown rice, wild rice, oats, millet, etc. reduces one’s risk of developing diabetes. For instance, a 2020 study published in The BMJ observed that individuals who consume 2 to 3 servings of wholegrains a day were almost 30% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who rarely consume wholegrains. Many other studies also support whole grains as a foundational dietary strategy for both preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. Hence, it is wise to up your daily whole grains intake by adopting quick effective steps like eating oats , quinoa muesli porridge or instant overnight oats for breakfast, or cooking whole grains in advance for the week. Cooked grains like Quinoa or brown rice can be kept in the fridge for a number of days without any issue. Eating more whole grains also helps increase your fiber intake which is important for good digestion and bowel movement.

2. Skip the sugary drinks

Based on research, every additional can of sugary beverage that people drink each day increases their risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25%. This is attributable to weight gain from the consumption of sugary beverage.

Plain water is a great choice to drink in place of sugary beverages. Alternatively, you can also consider coffee, tea or matcha tea as long as you do not add excessive amounts of sugar and creamer. If some sweetness is preferred, you can consider adding moderate amounts of monk fruit-erythritol or allulose, which are zero-calorie sweeteners that do not spike blood sugar levels.

3. Choose good fats, skip trans fats

Good fats such as monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats that are found in whole foods like avocado, fatty fish (like sardines & salmon), oils like olive oil, sacha inchi oil, and nuts/seeds like walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds, sacha inchi seeds and black chia seeds can help in Type 2 diabetes management. Healthy fats improve blood sugar control by slowing digestion and reducing post-meal blood sugar spikes by moderating carbohydrate absorption. In contrast, trans fats, which are often found in highly processed foods with partially hydrogenated oils, are the worst kind of fats for blood sugar control. Trans fats induce insulin resistance, disrupts blood sugar control, promotes inflammation and are commonly found in snack foods like potato chips, shelf-stable cakes, pastries, frozen pizzas/ pies, margarine, deep-fried foods, shelf-stable creamers. Hence, it is not enough just to reduce added sugars or simple carbs from your daily diet. Being mindful of the kinds of fats in the food is equally important for blood sugar control.

Taking Steps Towards Reversing Prediabetes

It is never too late to take steps and measures for prediabetes reversal. By making some small changes to your lifestyle and eating habits, your risk towards Type 2 diabetes can be reduced significantly even though you may already be pre-diabetic.

References

Ministry of Health Singapore. 2019. Understanding Prediabetes: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment. Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/730/Understanding-Prediabetes-Signs-Symptoms-and-Treatment. [Accessed 21 April 2021]
Hu FB, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Colditz G, Liu S, Solomon CG, Willett WC. 2001. Diet, lifestyle, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. New England journal of medicine. 345(11), 790-797.
Grøntved A, Hu FB. 2011. Television viewing and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 305(23), 2448-2455.
Rana JS, Li TY, Manson JE, Hu FB. 2007. Adiposity compared with physical inactivity and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes care. 30(1), 53-58.
Tanasescu M, Leitzmann MF, Rimm EB, Hu FB. 2003. Physical activity in relation to cardiovascular disease and total mortality among men with type 2 diabetes. Circulation. 2003. 107(19), 2435-2439.
de Munter JS, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. 2007. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study and systematic review. PLoS medicine. 4(8), e261.
Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, Després JP, Willett WC, Hu FB. 2010. Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis. Diabetes care. 33(11), 2477-2483.
Havard T.H. Chan. 2021. Simple Steps to Preventing Diabetes [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/disease-prevention/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/.. [Accessed 22 April 2021].