Reviewed by dietitian Kelly Plowe, MS, RD
Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Key Points
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Prediabetes affects approximately 96 million Americans, but only 20% know they have the condition.
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A Redditor shared how they reversed prediabetes, including eating more vegetables and fruits.
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Getting enough sleep and losing weight can also help reverse a diagnosis of prediabetes.
Prediabetes is a common condition where your blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What’s more, only 20% of the nearly 96 million American adults who have prediabetes actually know they have it. This is because prediabetes is “silent” as there are no signs or symptoms. Despite those shocking statistics, there is a silver lining. Taking action steps to healthy diet and lifestyle changes can reverse prediabetes — cutting your diabetes risk in half.
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In fact, that was the experience for one Reddit user named Taylor. He shared on Reddit that seeing his blood sugar in the prediabetes range gave him energy to make some healthy changes. In his Reddit post, he shared the five steps he took to successfully lower his A1c. Read on to find out what steps Taylor took and what dietitians have to say about his approach.
How Taylor Lowered Their HgbA1c
Diabetes can run in families, so it was already on Taylor’s radar. So when he saw his own blood sugar in the prediabetes range, he knew it was time to make some changes. “I also started taking my fitness and nutrition more seriously,” he says. Deciding where to start, he turned to the internet (like the rest of us!) to find answers to what he should be eating to reverse his prediabetes. After some experimentation, these were the five habits that brought down Taylor’s blood sugar:
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A mixture of brown rice with white rice
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Eat more vegetables at dinner
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Eating fruit as snacks (but I still have the occasional brownie or bag of chips).
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After a regular weight lifting program
Part of the reason these action steps were so effective is that they were habits that Taylor found easy to incorporate into his daily life. Fun was also a key piece of the puzzle to make the movement more enjoyable (and sustainable). “Using Apple Watch and playing games like Pokemon Go or Pikmin Bloom motivated me to get my steps in,” says Taylor. You also don’t need to be in the gym every day to see results. Taylor has found a workout routine that fits his schedule, fitting in two to three full-body gym sessions a week.
Dietitians Weigh In On This Approach
They are Realistic and Sustainable Habits
Sustainability is the name of the game when trying to stop prediabetes in its tracks. That’s one of the reasons why dietitians liked Taylor’s approach. “I really like that these tips focus on realistic and sustainable changes, which is exactly what helps reverse prediabetes,” says Kathryn Durston, RDN. However, like any good advice you can find on the internet, you may have to leave some advice that is not right for you. “It’s important to remember that everyone is on their own health journey, and while some changes may work efficiently for certain individuals, others may need additional guidance or support to reach their goals,” says Kaitlin Hippley, M.Ed., RDN, LD, CDCES.
Create a More Balanced Snack with Protein
Taylor’s tip to snack on fruit can be a smart way to make sure you get enough servings each day. Most of us fall short—only about 12% of US adults eat the recommended 1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit per day. Even better, research suggests that eating more fruit actually lowers your likelihood of developing diabetes.
Our experts shared one way to elevate your fruit meal: Make it more blood sugar-friendly by pairing it with some protein. “While fruit as a snack is great for fiber and micronutrients, it can still raise blood sugar alone because it is mostly carbohydrates. Instead, I recommend that you combine fruit with a protein source for a more blood sugar-friendly snack. Add cheese or meat stick, a cup of strained Greek-style yogurt, or a bag of roasted fruit,” says Durston your chickpeas.
Walking After Dinner is Spot On
Pairing healthy dietary changes with physical activity doubles down on reducing your risk of prediabetes. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of American adults meet the recommended levels of physical activity. But the good news is that high-intensity workouts aren’t the only effective way to lower blood sugar, either—tying up your shoes for an after-dinner walk like Taylor can be just as beneficial.
Start where you can, even if it’s for two minutes, and build from there. Increasing your walking time to 10-15 minutes can have an even greater impact on blood sugar.
Vegetables for Victory
Dietitians heartily agreed with Taylor’s tip to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. “Non-starchy vegetables are high in fiber and nutrients while low in calories, which supports better blood sugar control. Eating more of these vegetables can increase satiety and naturally encourage smaller portions of carbohydrates in food,” says Hippley. While Taylor talks about adding more veggies to dinner, there’s no reason to stop there. “In addition to more vegetables at dinner, I recommend incorporating vegetables with lunch, breakfast and snacks whenever possible,” says Sheri Gaw RDN, CDCES. “Aim for at least 2-3 cups of vegetables a day to boost fiber, fullness and blood sugar balance,” she adds.
Additional Lifestyle Changes to Lower HgbA1c
Beyond Taylor’s advice, here are some additional lifestyle changes that can help you manage prediabetes.
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Don’t skimp on sleep: Sleep probably isn’t the most important thing when you’re trying to work on reversing prediabetes, but it’s more important than you might think. “Getting consistent, quality sleep helps regulate hormones, while chronic stress and poor sleep can raise insulin resistance and make blood sugar harder to control,” says Hippley.
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Portion Control: In addition to choosing what to eat after a prediabetes diagnosis, consider how much you’re eating. “Focusing on portion control is often one of the first changes I recommend to patients because it allows them to continue to enjoy their usual foods, but in a more balanced way,” explains Hippley. “Paying attention to smaller portions of high-carb foods while adding non-starchy vegetables can help manage blood sugar without feeling deprived,” she says.
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Aim for a Healthy Weight: Losing weight is not always the answer when dealing with prediabetes. However, studies show that it may be one tool that can help. “Just a small amount of weight loss, 5-7% of the starting weight, can promote low blood sugar and often reversal of prediabetes,” says Gaw.
Take our Expert
No matter the question, the internet has answers (for better or for worse). However, when it comes to your health, it’s always worth checking with an expert before implementing changes. In this case, dietitians had a lot of positive things to say about one Redditor’s experience in reversing their prediabetes. Research supports the significant impact that lifestyle changes can have on diabetes risk and dietitians appreciated that Taylor’s advice was realistic and sustainable. It’s worth trying some for yourself!
Read the original article on EatingWell