If you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, or are struggling to manage your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, we’ve got good news for you. Although the CDC reports that 1 in 3 American adults has pre-diabetes, studies also show that optimizing your nutrition to prioritize certain healthier foods can make a significant difference in improving glycemic control and metabolic health while reducing the risk of diabetes-related complications down the line.

Pre-diabetes is a metabolic condition that results when blood sugar levels (HbA1C) are elevated within a range of 5.7 and 6.4. While not yet high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, these levels are still cause for concern and focused action, because they mean your body is struggling to manage its blood sugar.

If left unchecked, approximately 25% of pre-diabetics will become diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in just 3-5 years. However, nearly 81% of people with pre-diabetes are not even aware they have metabolic dysfunction, and may go years before realizing they could have taken steps to reverse it. Since a type 2 diabetes diagnosis also increases your risk for other serious conditions like heart attack and stroke, it’s important to slow the progression as quickly as possible. Luckily, there are some key foods you can incorporate into your diet to help manage your blood glucose levels:

1. Leafy Green Vegetables -

With their low-glycemic load and high amounts of magnesium and fiber, leafy greens are key nutrients for glucose regulation.

• Examples: spinach, kale, swiss chard
• Suggested Serving Size: 1–2 cups (raw) or 1/2–1 cup (cooked) per meal 

Pro Tip: In addition to adding them to salads, or as a side dish for meals, these greens are great to sneak into smoothies. 

2. Polyunsaturated Fats

A diet that’s high in polyunsaturated fats are protective, more filling, and help reduce blood sugar spikes by influencing insulin signaling pathways.

• Examples: almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, avocados. Suggested
• Serving Size: 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup or a small handful) of nuts and seeds a day, or about 1/4–1/2 of a medium avocado.

Pro Tip: Nuts make easy grab-and-go snacks between meals. Seeds are also great toppers for a bowl of oatmeal, and avocado is a hearty addition to most salads.

3. Legumes

Like leafy greens, legumes are high in fiber, as well as protein, which can help slow digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels.

• Examples: beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Suggested Serving Size: 1/2–1 cup (cooked) per meal. 

Pro Tip: Soups, lentil stews, and bean chilis are delicious ways to incorporate legumes. They can serve as a replacement for meat in meals too, and chickpeas work well in dips like hummus.

The Importance Of Practicing Healthy Portion Control

While incorporating more of the foods above into your daily diet can help lower and maintain optimal blood glucose levels, it’s also important to remember that serving size matters too. Too much of any one food (even the healthy ones), or eating larger portions than your body actually needs, can still overtax your metabolic processes. Here are a few helpful tips to ensure you eat enough to feel full, while still maintaining a healthy portion size:

• Stay hydrated. When you’re dehydrated, it can feel very similar to your body’s hunger cues. Keeping well-hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, therefore, can prevent you from eating extra food when your body actually needs hydration. 
  
  
• Get enough fiber and veggies. Meals that are higher in fiber and vegetables tend to make us feel fuller for longer. Ensuring you have enough of these things at every meal can help reduce the tendency to over-snack between meals. 
  
  
• Eat more slowly. Taking your time to enjoy every meal not only makes the experience of nourishing your body last longer, but it can also help you appreciate the healthier ingredients you’ve selected to enhance your own metabolic health journey.

Following Longevity Diet Principles May Help Slow Prediabetes And Diabetes Progression

Based on the diet and lifestyle habits of people living in the world’s longevity sites (places with high populations of centenarians), The Longevity Diet’s key principles include:

• Consuming a mostly vegan diet (fish can be included up to 2-3 times a week), especially if you are between the ages of 18 and 65.
  Note: It is suggested to increase protein consumption from foods like fish, eggs, cheese, and sheep’s or goat’s yogurt if you are over 65, and need to build muscle mass, increase strength, or add weight.
  
  
• Following macronutrient recommendations based on The Longevity Diet research:
  
  
  • Carbohydrates: Approximately 50-60% of total daily calories, primarily from plant-based sources like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. The focus is on low-glycemic, high-fiber carbohydrates to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
    
  • Fats: Around 30-40% of total daily calories, with an emphasis on healthy fats such as those found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. The emphasis is on polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3 fatty acids) and monounsaturated fats, with a moderate intake of saturated fats.
    
  • Proteins: Typically 10-20% of total daily calories, derived mainly from plant-based sources like legumes, nuts, and seeds. Dr. Longo recommends limiting animal protein, particularly red meat, to a minimal amount. The focus is on maintaining a moderate protein intake to avoid overstimulation of growth factors like IGF-1, which are linked to aging and age-related diseases. 
    
    
• Eating all meals within a 12 hour “feeding” window, with your smallest meal in the evening at least three to four hours before bedtime. This follows the body’s natural Circadian rhythm to support better digestion, energy production, blood sugar management, and overall heart health.
  
  
• Limiting alcohol, processed foods, added sugar, and saturated, hydrogenated, or trans fats. 

Those living in longevity sites also often incorporate prolonged fasting (over 72 hours) into their lifestyle, which has been shown to have many healthy aging benefits. In fact, studies have shown that periodic cycles of the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), which mimics the effects of prolonged fasting while still allowing the body some nutrient intake, can support healthy metabolic markers and fat-focused weight loss.

How The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) and L-Nutra Health Can Help Reverse Pre-Diabetes

L-Nutra Health's lifestyle medicine programs, which include physician and Registered Dietitian oversight, stress management, exercise, and cycles of a specially formulated, low-glycemic Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), have demonstrated significant health benefits. When utilized as part of a comprehensive, dietitian-led program over several months, these plans have been shown to reduce medication usage, reduce insulin resistance, decrease A1c levels, and even lead to reversal of metabolic conditions. 

To find out more about how L-Nutra Health can support your metabolic health journey, book your complimentary call today.