A nutritious, balanced diet is important for people with prediabetes and high cholesterol. Although individual recommendations vary, dietitians frequently recommend the Mediterranean and DASH diets.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can improve insulin resistance and may help with weight management. It focuses on a varied diet including whole grains, low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats and fish. The Mediterranean diet focuses on similar foods.
People with prediabetes have an increased risk of high cholesterol, which means they may develop cardiovascular disease, so diet is very important. Additional lifestyle strategies, such as exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, can minimize the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Read on to learn more about what foods to eat and avoid when living with prediabetes and high cholesterol.
People with prediabetes have high blood sugar levels when fasting. However, their blood sugar is not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes.
To prevent the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, doctors suggest following a nutritious, balanced diet. However, because everyone has different health requirements, individual meal plans and advice can vary.
Many experts suggest that people with prediabetes and high cholesterol would likely benefit from following a combination of the DASH and Mediterranean diets. Both these approaches focus on a whole foods diet that is low in highly processed foods and saturated fat.
To reduce high blood sugar and cholesterol levels, a person can incorporate more healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
However, it is important to note that these are general guidelines. They are not a replacement for individualized advice. Each person’s nutritional needs vary. When possible, speaking with a registered dietitian is recommended.
Healthy fats
Suggesting a person with prediabetes eats some foods that are high in fat may seem counterintuitive if they have high cholesterol.
However, unsaturated fats can reduce the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, and increase the amount of high-density…