Diet for Borderline Diabetic

As a borderline diabetic you have already had your postprandial blood levels checked by a doctor to warn of your risk for impending diabetes. Without immediate action through diet and exercise, you are almost certain to develop full-blown diabetes. Seize the advantage of knowing of your pre-diabetic condition ahead of time by formulating a preventive diet to stunt and regress your borderline diabetes.

Must-Have Foods

The importance of high dietary fiber foods in your pre-diabetes diet can't be stressed enough. Foods like bran, whole wheat, rolled oats and whole grains help to reduce cholesterol. Not only can these foods reduce your cholesterol count, but they are also metabolism boosters that can aid in your weight loss attempts.

Some double-duty pulling foods like lentils, peas and other legumes help to give you good sources of protein and have adequate amounts of dietary fiber. Legumes also include beans like soy beans, black beans and pinto beans.

The American Heart Association also recommends that you get between two or three servings of protein a week from fish. Cold water fish like trout, salmon, herring, tuna and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for cellular function inside your body. Other good sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids include almonds, peanuts and other nuts.

Healthy Foods for Pre-Diabetes

Even though you haven't been diagnosed with diabetes yet, it is still a good idea for you to follow some practices in your diet that a diabetic should. Make good use of the glycemic index to find foods that are both healthy and low ranging on the scale. Foods you see that are low on the glycemic index are not always the best choices as they can be high in fat. Choose low-fat foods that are low on the index and less calorie dense. Four to five servings of fruit and vegetables should be incorporated into your daily diet.

Try to get 80 percent of your produce intake from vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, spinach, yellow squash and carrots. This will help you avoid high levels of fructose found in some fruits. Eat fruits and vegetables on the widest color spectrum scale in a day that you can. For instance, have a red grapefruit, green celery, yellow squash, blueberries and orange bell pepper to round out a colorful day of produce choices.

As a pre-diabetic, you will have to avoid sources of water retaining sodium and bad sources of fat. Replace fat sources with healthier monounsaturated or low fat options. You can obtain these through vegetable-based oils (olive, canola, corn, sunflower and peanut) or by eating low-fat yogurt, milk and cheese.

Combined with exercise and weight control, you should be able to effectively control your borderline diabetic status.