Diabetes can be a scary condition. You may have heard that reversing diabetes is impossible, but this is simply not true. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), it is possible to reverse diabetes if you’re willing to make lifestyle changes—especially dietary and lifestyle ones.
The phrase “diabetes remission” and “diabetes reversal” have both appeared in scientific publications and the general press. A haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) below the diabetes threshold of 6.5% over a sustained period without the use of glycaemic control drugs would qualify, however, the precise requirements are still up for discussion.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ways to reverse pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes by changing your diet and exercise routine.
1.) Don’t Eat Processed Foods.
To reverse pre-diabetes, you need to start by quitting processed foods. Processed foods are high in sugar, salt and fat but low in nutrients. They are often high in calories as well. Processed foods can also have trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes; sodium (table salt), which raises blood pressure; and refined carbohydrates like white flour and white rice, which raise blood sugar levels quickly and cause insulin resistance over time.
2.) Eat Plenty of Nutrient-Dense Foods.
The first step to reversing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes is eating more nutrient-dense foods, which are foods with a high concentration of nutrients. This means they’re low in sugar and fat and low on the glycaemic index (GI).
For example:
- Broccoli has more antioxidants than blueberries
- Spinach has more magnesium than bananas
3.) Drink Water as Your Main Beverage.
Water is essential for life. It helps your body stay hydrated, which in turn helps you feel energized and alert. Water also suppresses your appetite, which makes it easier to eat less food without feeling hungry. Drinking water before each meal can help control how much food you eat at that meal.
Water is good for the digestive system because it keeps everything moving along smoothly by softening stools and helping you go to the bathroom regularly. If you don’t drink enough water or if your body isn’t properly hydrated, digestion can become sluggish or even stop working altogether—both of these things cause uncomfortable bloating and gas pains because food isn’t moving through your system as quickly as it should be!
Water has many other benefits besides keeping our bowels moving smoothly; drinking plenty every day will keep skin clear from acne breakouts by keeping oil production under control (oil blocks pores from shedding dead skin cells), help improve bone density by providing minerals like calcium that are essential for strong bones (bone loss happens when there’s not enough minerals available in the body), keep our brains healthy by reducing oxidative stress caused by free radicals produced during respiration processes within cells that damage brain tissue over time (this type of damage leads directly towards diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease).
Blood sugar levels will also typically be elevated if you are dehydrated as water will help clear excess sugar from the bloodstream.
4.) Eat Whole-Foods and Don’t Be Afraid of Fat!
You’ve probably heard that fat is bad for you, but this is a myth. Fat is a macronutrient, meaning it’s an essential part of your diet. Eating healthy fats can help you feel full and satisfied, which will help prevent overeating. Eating adequate healthy fats also regulate proper hormone production within your body which is vital to metabolic health.
There are many kinds of healthy fats: monounsaturated (found in avocados, nuts and seeds), polyunsaturated (canola oil) and omega-3 fatty acids (cold water fish). Healthy plant oils include pure olive oil, macadamia nut oil and avocado oil. Try to avoid refined seed oils as they often wreak havoc on your metabolic functions.
Lastly, don’t be afraid of whole food, protein rich meats such as beef, chicken, whole eggs, and fatty fish such as salmon. These foods are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. They will also keep your more satiated and have a lower impact on blood sugar levels that things diabetics are often told to consume such as whole grains, oats, and cereals. In fact, test it out for yourself! Test your blood sugar before and after eating a meal of steak and eggs and after a meal of oatmeal, fruit, and toast (something you would see on the food pyramid) and see which meal is better for blood sugar control.
A diet high in protein and whole foods will also inevitably lead to better body composition (more muscle and less body fat) and who doesn’t want that?!
5.) Eat More Fiber.
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, as it helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. It also helps prevent constipation, which can be caused by eating too few carbs or not eating enough fiber. Increasing your intake of fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, eating more protein at meals instead of refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta that have little nutritional value but many calories (and also lack fiber) will do a world of good. You will feel fuller faster than with simple carbs because protein slows down digestion so that you don’t get hungry as quickly after a meal.
6.) Exercise Regularly.
The American Diabetes Association recommends a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous activity or up to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week to help reduce the risk of developing diabetes. To prevent pre-diabetes from progressing into full-blown type 2 diabetes, you should aim for 150 minutes of exercise each week. This can be broken down into three 50-minute or five 30-minute sessions spread throughout your day. An emphasis should certainly be placed on resistance training or weight training. No, you aren’t going to “bulk up,” that is not at all how that works. Just aim to do full body training 3 to 5 times per week. However, if you have certain limitations or simply just need the motivation to start working out or even just moving more, here are some different types of exercise that may appeal to you:
- Start by just getting some steps in! Move throughout the day! Get yourself a simple step tracker and aim for 8,000 steps per day, then 10,000 and so on. Just walking for ten minutes after a meal will burn calories, help control blood sugar spikes, and improve your overall quality of life, health, and decrease risk of all cause mortality. That’s right, just walking can mean a world of difference when it comes to your health and longevity.
- Dance classes are a great way to burn calories and have fun simultaneously! If you like being active with others, this is a great choice for getting fit while socializing and having fun! You can join an adult class at your local gym or look online for dance studios that offer beginner lessons during off hours (like an early evening on weekdays).
- Cycling outdoors is another fun way to enjoy nature while burning calories! You can ride through parks or along bicycle paths without having any extra gear other than a helmet—and it doesn’t have as much impact on joints if done regularly over long periods compared with running distances over larger periods instead (which could cause injury). Cycling will also leave less room for error than jogging outdoors due to how much easier it is to control speed while riding rather than walking around obstacles like potholes where they might trip someone up who isn’t paying attention while trying running but trying to avoid hitting something.
7.) Maintain A Healthy Weight.
For many people with pre-diabetes, losing just 10% of their body weight can reduce insulin resistance and improve blood sugar control enough to reverse the condition.
It’s important that you do this gradually—lose no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week—so that you don’t put your body under too much stress or start losing muscle which is very metabolically active tissue that you want to keep!
A healthy diet is a key to maintaining a healthy weight and preventing type 2 diabetes (although it’s not always enough). By eating lots of whole, protein rich foods; limiting sugary drinks; avoiding processed foods; including lean proteins and healthy fats at each meal, and getting regular physical activity, you can keep your weight, body mass index, and body composition all in a good range.
8.) Treat Sleep Apnea.
Sleep apnea is a common cause of type 2 diabetes. It’s when you stop breathing for short periods during sleep, which disrupts your natural circadian rhythms and can increase inflammation in your body. Sleep apnea symptoms include snoring, pauses in breathing or gasping for air, waking up often at night to go to the bathroom, morning headaches and fatigue. There are many ways to treat this condition, including weight loss and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Still, some people succeed with oral appliances that gently hold your jaw open while you sleep, so you don’t breathe through your mouth. Not getting adequate or quality sleep will most certainly have a negative impact on blood sugar levels.
9.) Work with a Dietitian, Nutritionist, or Fitness Coach.
Working with some sort of coach or mentor is one of the best ways to reverse pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Another party can help you by providing the knowledge to make healthy choices, plan meals and snacks that fit your lifestyle, change your diet if needed, and help with weight loss. They are also trained in managing diabetes and having someone in your corner can help with accountability!
10.) Keep Healthy Company.
The company you keep is an important factor in your health. If you surround yourself with other people who are unhealthy, you are more likely to become unhealthy yourself. For example, if your spouse is a couch potato and doesn’t exercise, it’s likely that he or she will encourage you to do the same thing. If your friends are all heavy drinkers and smokers, this might influence you to start drinking too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes.
There’s no need to cut off contact with these individuals completely—they’re still family members or friends but try not to spend too much time around them or let their bad habits rub off on you! Be confident that you are doing what is best for you and don’t let other people’s opinions impact your choices. Often, they are projecting their insecurity, jealousy, or lack of discipline onto you…so don’t fall for it. Instead, seek new friends who have healthy habits and lead active lifestyles; they’ll be great role models for helping reverse pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes!
Conclusion
Even if you think it’s too late to reverse your diabetes, there are many things you can do to manage it. The key is ensuring that your diet is rich in whole foods and that you exercise regularly. You should also limit the number of processed foods and sugary drinks to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. If you want help following this plan or getting started on an exercise routine, talk with your doctor or a fitness coach–they may prescribe lifestyle changes that work best for you!
References
- Ramos-Levi, A. M., Cabrerizo, L., Matía, P., Sánchez-Pernaute, A., Torres, A. J., & Rubio, M. A. (2013). Which criteria should be used to define type 2 diabetes remission after bariatric surgery?. BMC surgery, 13, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2482-13-8