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Millions all throughout the world have diabetes. If that number doesn't give you pause, consider this one: An additional 16 million have pre-diabetes and will probably develop type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years. Pre-diabetes (when blood sugar levels are sometimes higher than normal, but not yet consistently high enough to diagnose diabetes) also increases the risk for heart disease. Add in the fact that our population is steadily gaining weight — a major risk factor for developing diabetes — and we've got an epidemic on our hands.

The exciting news is that recent research from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) — a major clinical study from 1998 to 2001 that looked at diet and exercise versus medication for diabetes prevention — clearly showed that by making a few lifestyle changes you can decrease your risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent! Increasing exercise (150 minutes per week, or 20 to 25 minutes of moderate activity every day), changing eating habits and losing five to seven percent of your body weight are more effective than taking medication to reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

The DPP lasted six months, with follow-up for an additional six months. This means there is no quick fix, and that the changes you make need to be lifelong. Here's how following the Diabetes Diet can help get you started:

This meal plan will help you set goals for fat and calorie consumption — and help you stick to them. The DPP used these goals:

• If you weigh between 120 and 170 pounds: 33 grams fat and 1,200 calories per day
• If you weigh between 175 and 215 pounds: 42 grams of fat and 1,500 calories per day
• If you weigh between 220 and 245 pounds: 50 grams of fat and 1,800 calories per day
• If you weigh 250 pounds or more: 55 grams fat and 2,000 calories per day.

Diabetes plan provides approximately 1,300 calories a day (45 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 31 percent from protein and 23 percent from fat). You can modify as you wish to reach the goal that's right for you.

• Legumes are a good source of protein and are very high in fiber, plus they help lower cholesterol levels and keep hunger at bay. This diet will encourage you to enjoy legumes more often by adding black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas and other tasty choices to your meals.
• Because portion control really does make a difference, this diet will help you pay more attention to the amount you consume. Measure out the foods you eat every day at the beginning, and then once each week to keep in practice.

This meal plan will teach you that it's okay to snack! In fact, choosing snacks wisely and bringing them with you instead of relying on vending machines can help you lose weight. Why?

Eating every three to five hours helps stave off hunger, which can cause you to overeat.

Start eating the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that will help you beat diabetes!

BREAKFAST

Option 1 :

1 toasted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 1 ounce lean meat and 1 slice low-fat cheese

1/2 grapefruit

1/2 cup All-Bran cereal with 3/4 cup berries

1 cup skim milk

1 hard-boiled egg

2 slices whole-wheat toast topped with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 cup yogurt

1 fresh pear

LUNCH

Option 1 :

Open-face sandwich: 1 slice whole-grain bread topped with 2 ounces turkey breast, 1 ounce low-fat Swiss cheese, spicy mustard and 1/2 cup sliced cucumber and tomato

1 cup baby spinach tossed with 1/2 cup garbanzo beans and lower-fat salad dressing

Seafood pasta salad: Mix 1/2 cup whole-grain pasta with 2 ounces seafood (use tuna canned in water, shrimp, scallops — your choice!), 1/2 cup kidney beans, 1 cup chopped vegetables (try to use at least three different colors: red peppers, white jicama and green broccoli; or orange carrots, white radishes and red tomatoes, etc.) and 1 cup yogurt

Chicken Caesar salad (3 ounces skinless chicken breast with 2 cups mixed salad greens, 1 ounce shredded Parmesan cheese and fat-free Caesar salad dressing)

1 cup croutons

DINNER

Option 1 :

Chicken stir-fry (include 3 ounces skinless chicken breast, 1 cup mixed oriental vegetables and 1/3 cup brown rice with your favorite oriental seasonings)

Green tea

Meat and vegetable kabobs (use 3 ounces of various meats/fish, including skinless chicken, shrimp, scallops or lean sirloin with 1/2 cup chunks of celery, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes or summer squash)

1/2 cup coleslaw made with lower-fat dressing

1/2 cup black bean salad (drain and rinse canned black beans under running water to remove some of the sodium, then combine with lower-fat Italian dressing and diced onions, green or red peppers and celery)

3 ounces grilled skinless chicken breast (marinate in your favorite herbs or a lower-fat salad dressing)

1/2 cup green beans (add fresh or dried dill, cider vinegar and black pepper instead of salt)

1/2 cup baby carrots

1/2 cup baked potato topped with 1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream

(These meal plans provide approximately 1,300 calories — 45 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 31 percent from protein and 23 percent from fat. If you like to use an exchange-type method, each breakfast contains two servings of starch, one serving of protein, one serving of fruit and one milk serving; lunch contains one starch serving, three protein servings, two vegetable servings and one milk serving; dinner contains one serving of starch, three servings of protein and two vegetable servings; snacks include one serving each of milk, protein and fruit. Use one fat serving per day, choosing healthier fats such as olive or canola oil, nuts and seeds, or avocado.)

Healthy snacks boost your nutrient intake and keep your energy levels high. Choose one milk, protein and fruit serving per day from our list below. If you find snacking just doesn't work for you, add these foods to your meals:

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 cup yogurt

• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 reduced-fat string cheese
• 1/4 cup nuts

• 1 medium-size piece fresh fruit
• 1/2 cup canned or cut-up fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruit

• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup pineapple (protein and fruit)
• 1 cup yogurt with 1/2 cup chopped pear (milk and fruit)
• 1 sliced apple with 2 tablespoons peanut butter (fruit and protein)
• 1/2 cup soy nuts with 1/4 cup dried cherries (protein and fruit)

• Consume monounsaturated fats in moderation. Substitute olive or canola oil for butter; use avocados in salads instead of mayonnaise; and include nuts as a snack (though be sure to consume nuts in moderation, as many varieties are high in fat).
• Eat high-fiber foods such as vegetables, whole-grain bread, brown rice and fruit. These provide lots of nutrients in a healthy package that won't raise your blood-sugar levels.
• Eat fish at least twice each week. The omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, sardines, rainbow trout and herring help reduce risk of heart disease.
• Look for lower-sugar yogurt and canned fruit whenever possible. Check two areas on the food labels. First, compare the total grams of carbohydrate and choose the food with the lower amount; then, read the list of ingredients, and look for foods where sugar (or honey, high-fructose corn syrup, syrup or other sugar-containing ingredients) are lower on the list.
• Choose your breakfast cereal wisely. Use these tips: 

1.  
   1. One serving of cereal should contain 15 grams carbohydrate. If the cereal you prefer has 30 grams carbohydrate, that's two servings. Our breakfast meals are planned for two starch servings to account for the higher carbohydrate content of many cereals.
   2. Look at the list of ingredients, and make sure sugar is not in the top two.
   3. Check the fiber content, and look for cereals with at least 3 grams fiber — more is even better!

• Choose fruit that's fresh, canned in its own juice or dried (without added sugar) instead of fruit juice. You'll get more fiber and fewer calories. 
• Keep a daily food record. Record the amount of everything you eat and drink. A simple online program is helpful for many people, but plain old paper and pencil works just fine as well. Studies show that keeping a food record is often the single most important behavior change you can make to lose weight and keep it off.

• Consume too much saturated fat, the type of fat found in animal products (cheese, whole milk, sour cream, ice cream, red meat, poultry with skin), fried foods and crispy snack foods (chips and crackers).
• Rely on foods that are made of sugar. The biggest culprit? Soda and sweetened beverages. Also avoid cookies, cakes, pastries and candy on a regular basis. That doesn't mean you can't have a slice of cake on your birthday — but cake every day is going too far.
• Eat highly processed, low-fiber foods. We're talking white bread, white rice and snack crackers. These foods tend to raise blood-sugar levels, plus they contain fewer nutrients and fiber.
• Drink coffee — try green tea instead. Green tea has been shown to help promote weight loss when used with a lower-calorie diet and exercise. Plus it tastes great!
• Skimp on your water intake. Make water your beverage of choice. Tap water is fine, but if you prefer, use plain seltzer water or add a twist of lemon or lime. If you choose flavored waters, make sure they are calorie-free to avoid excessive amounts of sugar (and calories). 

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