Excess weight, too little exercise, a poor diet, smoking, and too much alcohol increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. With healthy lifestyle changes, many cases of diabetes are preventable. One of the most important things you can do to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes is to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.
Here are some suggestions to help you regulate your blood sugar levels and weight:
| Choose | Instead Of |
| High fiber whole grains and whole grain products (brown rice, whole wheat bread, rolled oats, instant oatmeal, whole wheat pasta) | Highly processed, refined carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, white pasta) | Water, plain tea, plain coffee | High calorie-sugar drinks (bubble tea, juice drinks, soda) |
| Healthy fats (avocado, fish, liquid plant oils, nuts, seeds) | Unhealthy fats (animal fats, saturated fat, trans fat) | Beans/legumes/lentils, fish, skinless poultry, tofu, plant-based proteins | Red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed meat (bacon, ham, hot dog, sausage) |
| Whole fresh fruits and vegetables, Canned/dried/frozen fruits and vegetables without added salt or sugar | Fruit juice, vegetable juice |
Additional Tips
- Eat meals at scheduled times
- Control portions
- Have desserts only once in a while
- Reduce added salt and sugar in your food and drinks
- Limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men
1 drink = 12 oz beer or 5 oz wine or 1.5 oz liquor - Stop smoking
- Get moving
Copyright © 2016-2022 Chinese Community Health Resource Center
If you would like a copy of this health article, please click on the PDF button in the language you prefer. To view the PDF document, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat, which you can download here.
Bilingual:
