12 Simple Ways to Fight Prediabetes

Sheryl Lozicki, RD, MBA, a nutritionist in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, suggests setting three main goals if you're at risk of prediabetes or have been diagnosed with it: eat regularly (no skipping or delaying meals); exercise for a total of 30 minutes daily; and get an average of eight hours of sleep each night. "When you short yourself on sleep, it leads to mindless eating or eating out of fatigue to perk yourself up," says Lozicki.

Choose three behaviors and commit to doing them for at least four weeks. Try these specific ideas from Lozicki, or find others elsewhere in this article:

• Drink a cup of water with meals and a cup between meals. This fills you up and helps you feel fuller faster.
• Limit 100 percent real fruit juice to a half-cup, or four ounces. Switch to whole fruit for more fiber and better nutrition.
• Forget about regular soda, imitation juice drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks.
• Switch from full-fat to low-fat or nonfat dairy.
• Increase whole grains in all foods. Switch from regular pasta to whole-grain. Have oatmeal for breakfast. Choose brown rice. All of these have complex carbohydrates, which cause a slower rise in blood sugar as well as other health benefits.
• No foods other than fresh fruit should be on your kitchen counter or in view at all.
• Keep cut-up fruits and vegetables up-front and available on the main shelf of your refrigerator.
• Write down what you eat and why. Were you hungry, angry, lonely, etc.? Know which triggers cause you to eat or overeat.

Increasing fiber in your diet helps lower blood sugar. For some great ways to add fiber, please click here.