My General Practitioner's prediabetes education was as follows - don't eat white bread, rice, or any foods with added sugar. That's great advice, but it's much more complicated than eliminating these 3 foods. I was left with a lot of questions as I drove home after this doctor's appointment.
There Are No Accidents
When I got home from this appointment, I got online. I checked my email first. Once a week I get BookBub bargains on kindle. This gem popped up:
This book is written by a diabetic who knows how to manage her diet. It provides valuable background information about the condition. It tells you how to customize a diet plan to keep blood glucose in check. Bottom line - it's an excellent resource.
More Research
You can spend days researching prediabetes online OR you can take advantage of a few good books like the one above. Unfortunately, you won't have direct medical advice. This becomes an issue if you have to take meds to manage glucose (and some people with prediabetes have to).
And you will have lots of questions:
For example,
Should you include whole grains in your diet? It's a little difficult to completely eliminate whole grains (unless you have to) and to minimize sugar. It's better to take one step at a time.
What are whole grains?
What if you don't like the suggested foods? I hate oatmeal and you'd have to bribe me to try a green smoothie.
What percentage of carbs, protein, and fat should I eat?
The American Diabetes Association is a wealth of information. I found a section called Create Your Plate that does just that - you make your own meal based on a database of "good" choices.
Another Suggestion
If you are truly committed to getting your good health back, the Center for Disease Control has an extensive education program called the National Diabetes Prevention Program. This "CDC-recognized lifestyle change program is a proven way to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes."
Better still, Medicare pays for the entire program.
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