Diabetes prevention strategies include eating healthier and adding more physical activity to your lifestyle. Other aspects of diabetes prevention involve nurturing your mind, body, and soul. Although people with diabetes can prevent or delay complications by keeping blood glucose levels close to normal, engaging in diabetes prevention in the first place is even better.

 

• Place less food on your plate.
   
• Keep meat, poultry, and fish servings to about 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards).
   
• Make less food look like more by serving your meal on a salad or breakfast plate.
   
• Try not to snack while cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
   
• Try to eat sensible meals and snacks at regular times throughout the day.
   
• Make sure you eat breakfast every day.

 

• Enjoy a heart-healthy diet. 

 

• Use broth and cured meats (smoked turkey and turkey bacon) in small amounts. They are high in sodium. Low-sodium broths are available in cans and powder.
   
• Share your desserts.
   
• When eating out, have a big vegetable salad, then split an entrée with a friend or have the other half wrapped to go.
   
• Stir fry, broil, or bake with non-stick spray or low-sodium broth, and try to cook with less oil and butter.
   
• Drink a glass of water or other "no-calorie" beverage 10 minutes before your meal to take the edge off your appetite.
   
• Select the healthier choice at fast food restaurants. Try grilled chicken instead of the cheeseburger. Skip the French fries or replace the fries with a salad.
   
• Listen to music while you eat instead of watching TV (people tend to eat more while watching TV).
   
• It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you're full. Eat slowly.
   
• Eat a small meal.
   
• Teaspoons, salad forks, or child-size utensils may help you take smaller bites and eat less.
   
• You don't have to cut out the foods you love to eat. Just cut down on your portion size and eat them less often.