It’s common for families to enjoy a holiday dinner together on Easter. While it’s a chance to reconnect and celebrate, traditional Easter meals don’t always align with health or weight loss goals. If you’re working on improving your eating habits, small changes to your recipes can help you enjoy the holiday without overdoing it. With a few simple swaps, you can enjoy a festive dinner that tastes great and still supports your health goals.
Easter Recipes and Clean Eating
When you imagine typical Easter recipes, you likely think about the rich flavor of glazed ham, paired with a side dish like bread or scalloped potatoes. Your family may serve pork or turkey as main dishes instead of ham, but Easter dinner generally includes a protein source combined with various side dishes, which typically aren’t low carb. In addition, Easter recipes tend to include meats wrapped in bacon, which adds a significant amount of saturated fat to these seasonal favorites.
While delicious, traditional holiday dishes can be high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat. If you’re trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, experts recommend building meals with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. That means going easy on the creamy casseroles, sweetened drinks, and processed breads that usually make their way to the table.
Making Easter Dinner Work for Your Goals
If you want to eat healthier, you can make your Easter dinner fit into your diet. You might consider hosting the Easter meal so that you can ensure that the food served will fit within your eating plan. You can ask guests to bring side dishes that they want to enjoy, but you can make main dishes that fit within your eating plan, and have fruits and vegetables on hand for you to eat with your meal.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to host Easter dinner, or another family member prefers to host, you can offer to bring some dishes that fit within your eating plan, or talk with the host about your dietary needs. Loved ones will often be willing to accommodate your needs so that you can still eat with everyone else.
Regardless of the specific menu for your Easter dinner, it is also helpful to keep portion sizes in mind. Nutrition experts recommend using the plate method when preparing meals. This involves filling half of your plate with a non-starchy vegetable, one-forth of your plate with a lean protein source like grilled chicken, and the remaining one-forth with a starch or grain like corn or a whole grain roll. Using this method assists with portion control and helps you to limit yourself to the appropriate serving size for each item.
5 Easter Recipes to Try
These dishes are light, tasty, and satisfying – and they won’t leave you feeling sluggish or stuffed.
Lemon Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is lean, packed with protein, and fits perfectly into a healthy plate. Use this simple recipe as your main dish and pair it with a salad, topped with a sugar-free dressing. Prepare the chicken by marinating it in a combination of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil, and then throw it on the grill to cook until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. Serve it with a big salad and your favorite veggies.
Low-Carb Cinnamon Bread
Yes, you can enjoy dessert – just choose one that won’t spike your blood sugar or leave you craving more sweets later. This cinnamon bread is warm, satisfying, and sweetened without added sugar.
Follow the recipe below to prepare this dessert:
Gather the following ingredients for the bread: 2 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour, 1 cup of Swerve no-sugar sweetener (confectioner’s style), 1/2 tbsp. of baking powder 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and 4 tbsp. melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix almond flour, confectioners Swerve, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: eggs, melted butter, and almond milk.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix to form a thick batter.
Mix 4 tbsp. granular Swerve and 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon in a small bowl to create the swirl for the bread.
Get a 8.5″ x 4.5″ bread pan, line it with parchment paper, and spray it with non-stick baking spray.
Add 1/3 of the batter to the pan, and then add in 1/3 of the swirl, and use a toothpick to mix it into the batter. This is the first layer of the cinnamon bread. Repeat this process with the remaining batter, until you have added all three layers to the pan.
Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes, adding a tinfoil tent after 45 minutes.
Remove bread from oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then slice and serve!
Lightened-Up Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a traditional Easter dish, and you can make a healthy version that fits within your diet. Your taste buds will love the healthier twist of this side dish, which you can make with the following steps:
Boil 12 eggs, and then allow to sit in cold water for a few minutes to make peeling easier.
Slice eggs in half vertically, remove egg yolks, and then place the yolks into a bowl.
Mash the yolks, and then add 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise, 1/8 tsp. dry mustard, a pinch of salt, and fresh ground black pepper to the bowl.
Mix all ingredients together in the bowl.
Add the yolk mixture to the egg whites.
Cucumber Lime Salmon with Ginger
Another main course idea that fits a healthy diet is this salmon recipe, which includes the rich flavor of lime and ginger. Follow the steps below to complete this recipe:
1) Begin by mixing the following 13 ingredients in a blender to make the cucumber lime sauce:
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
2) Combine 1/3 cup minced gingerroot, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a bowl.
3) Coat ten 6-ounce salmon filets with the above mixture.
4) Lightly coat the grill rack with oil, and then grill salmon, skin side down, for 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat.
5) Remove from grill and serve salmon with the sauce prepared in step one.
Quinoa Salad
Another recipe to consider for your healthy Easter dinner is a quinoa salad, which is high in protein and rich in flavor. Follow the recipe below to make:
1) Make a dressing by combining the following ingredients in a bowl:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
3/4 teaspoon salt
2) Bring two cups of reduced sodium chicken broth to a boil, and then add one cup of quinoa. Reduce the heat and simmer, while covered, for 12-15 minutes.
3) Remove quinoa from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
4) Add the following to the quinoa, and mix:
1 cup chopped tart apple
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup minced fresh parley
1 thinly sliced green onion
5) Add in the dressing prepared in step one, and you’re ready to serve!
Key Takeaways
With each recipe above, you can enjoy low carb, healthy dishes and still celebrate a memorable Easter dinner with family. The good news is that all the recipes discussed here are delicious, and they use simple ingredients. Friends and family alike will enjoy getting together to celebrate, and you won’t have to worry that you’re ruining your progress.
In general, it’s best to stick to a balanced meal that is free from heavily processed foods or refined carbs. Instead of the chicken and salmon recipes discussed here, you might consider a recipe using lean beef, lamb, or pork. If you’re into seafood, you could also consider shrimp. For side dishes, you can pair these protein sources with fresh fruit, broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts, and other healthy options. Finish off with a lower-carb dessert (if you don’t prefer the recipe discussed here, you can try other flavors using a similar recipe, such as lemon bread or strawberry bread) and pair it with coffee enjoyed around the table with family and friends.
You’ve probably heard the widely held belief that you ought to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. There’s a lot of truth to that! Breakfast plays a vital role in providing your body with the energy it needs to kick-start your day. While opinions vary on whether breakfast is essential, research shows that a nutritious breakfast can help you feel satisfied and energized. In contrast, skipping it may lead to low energy, irritability, and overeating later in the day.
Why Is It Important to Eat Breakfast?
Breakfast is often skipped due to busy mornings, lack of appetite, or dieting habits – but skipping it regularly can throw your day off balance. Without breakfast, your blood sugar levels may drop, leading to fatigue and stronger cravings throughout the day. This often results in overeating at lunch or dinner, especially choosing high-calorie, low-nutrient foods that offer quick energy but little long-term value.
Eating a well-rounded breakfast helps maintain energy levels, supports metabolism, and may even improve focus and mood. It’s also a great opportunity to add vital nutrients to your daily intake early on.
What Makes a Healthy Breakfast?
The best breakfast is one that aligns with your personal health goals – whether that’s managing weight, improving heart health, or simply maintaining energy throughout the day. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are a few universally beneficial guidelines:
DASH Diet:
Originally developed to manage high blood pressure, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a balanced, nutritious eating pattern suitable for nearly everyone. It emphasizes whole foods and limits salt and unhealthy fats – making it great for overall wellness.
Key breakfast components in the DASH diet:
Fruits and vegetables: Aim for at least half your plate. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, and potassium, which supports heart health and reduces bloating.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans provide healthy fats that support brain and cardiovascular function. Just remember to enjoy them in moderation due to their calorie density.
Calcium-rich foods: Low-fat yogurt, eggs, tofu, spinach, and dairy alternatives are essential for bone and vascular health.
Low sodium: Try to limit your salt intake by avoiding processed foods and cooking with herbs and spices instead.
Here are a few DASH diet breakfast recipes to help you get started:
Wild mushroom oatmeal with herbs: A savory twist featuring eggs, wild mushrooms, scallions, and rosemary.
Grilled banana split fruit salad: With Greek yogurt, berries, pineapple chunks, almonds, and a drizzle of dark chocolate.
Scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and feta: Add fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, or onions for more flavor and nutrition.
Keto Diet:
The keto diet focuses on minimizing carbohydrate intake and increasing healthy fats, pushing the body into a state of ketosis where fat becomes the primary energy source. While it’s more restrictive than other diets, many people find it effective for weight management and reducing cravings.
Keto-friendly breakfast basics:
Keep carbs low: Ideally under 20g per meal.
Protein-rich foods: Eggs, lean meats, and fish.
Healthy fats: Avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
Sample keto breakfasts:
Egg muffins with turkey bacon: Great for meal prep and packed with protein.
Salmon and cream cheese wraps: Omega-3-rich and satisfying.
Chocolate chia seed pudding with almond milk: Low in carbs, high in fiber, and easy to prepare ahead of time.
Mediterranean Diet
Praised for its heart-friendly benefits, the Mediterranean diet centers around fresh, seasonal produce, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and minimal red meat. It’s less about restriction and more about enjoying a wide variety of flavorful, wholesome ingredients.
Mediterranean breakfast principles:
Cook with olive oil instead of butter or processed fats.
Choose whole grains like barley or oats over refined ones.
Use natural flavor enhancers such as garlic, lemon, and herbs.
Sample Mediterranean breakfasts:
Maple granola with oats and nuts: Serve with yogurt and berries for a satisfying start.
Apple cinnamon chia pudding: Simple, flavorful, and fiber-rich.
Multigrain sandwich with eggs, veggies, and feta: A balanced and filling option perfect for busy mornings.
Breakfast Foods to Limit
While it’s tempting to indulge in sugary cereals, syrup-laden pancakes, and buttery pastries, these options often lead to energy crashes and may contribute to long-term health issues when eaten frequently.
Common less-healthy breakfast choices to reconsider:
Pancakes or waffles made from refined flour and topped with syrup
White toast with butter or sugary spreads
Breakfast meats high in sodium like bacon or sausage
Sugar-heavy coffee drinks and energy bars
Instead, try reimagining your favorites with more nutritious swaps – whole grain flours, natural sweeteners, plant-based spreads, and lower-sodium alternatives.
Good breakfast for healthy living
Whether you’re cooking at home or grabbing something on the go, starting your day with a balanced breakfast is one of the simplest ways to support your overall health. Focus on real, whole foods, listen to your body’s hunger signals, and choose meals that energize and nourish you.
Remember, healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up your favorite meals – it’s about upgrading them to serve your body better.
Diabetes mellitus can affect both men and women. While men are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this condition often causes more serious health problems for women.
Approximately 15 million women in the U.S. have diabetes, which is about 1 in every 9 adult women. Besides the distressing symptoms of diabetes, this disease can put women at a higher risk of multiple complications, such as heart disease, blindness, and depression.
For this reason, spotting the warning signs of diabetes in women is crucial. Although there’s no cure for this condition, women can manage diabetes successfully, provided they catch the early signs before they lead to unwanted complications. This article dives into the diabetes symptoms that women should look for and how they can tackle the associated risk factors.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Women
Men and women with diabetes will likely experience many of the same symptoms. However, several diabetes symptoms are unique to women. Getting familiar with both groups of symptoms can help you identify diabetes early on and avoid potentially life-threatening complications.
Yeast infections
High blood sugar levels create the ideal breeding ground for fungus. The more blood glucose there is, the more yeast can multiply. The overgrowth of the Candida fungus can lead to yeast infections.
The symptoms of vaginal yeast infections include vaginal itching and discharge, soreness, and painful sex. Oral yeast infections are characterized by a white coating inside the mouth or on the tongue. They can cause difficulties in eating and swallowing.
Women who notice frequent oral and vaginal infections should see a doctor for a blood test to check their blood glucose levels immediately. Once they manage their blood sugar, yeast infections should significantly decrease in frequency.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Most women will likely get a UTI in their lifetime. Still, women with diabetes are at an increased risk of this infection. Diabetes is a risk factor for UTIs since it reduces the body’s ability to fight bacterial and fungal infections. Plus, too much sugar in the urine creates ideal conditions for bacterial growth.
A UTI develops when bacteria enter a woman’s urinary tract, resulting in painful urination and cloudy or bloody urine. If women don’t treat these symptoms promptly, they might lead to kidney disease.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Experts are still not 100% sure what causes PCOS. They have determined several risk factors, including a family history of PCOS. This condition is also associated with insulin resistance, which can be a cause or a symptom of PCOS.
Insulin resistance is also a hallmark of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. People with insulin resistance fail to respond correctly to the insulin produced by beta cells, the pancreas’s insulin-producing cells. As a result, these cells will create more insulin to persuade the muscle and fat cells to take up glucose and the liver to keep storing it.
Over time, the body’s cells will wear out and fail to produce enough insulin to overcome the resistance, resulting in higher blood glucose levels.
The most common signs and symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, acne, weight gain, and infertility.
High blood sugar levels cause fatty deposits inside blood vessels, impeding blood flow. When this issue affects the genital area, it decreases women’s sexual responses. In addition, nerve damage caused by diabetes can result in vaginal dryness, making intercourse uncomfortable or even painful.
Diabetic neuropathy may also affect sensation in the vaginal area, leading to symptoms like vaginal dryness.
Frequent urination
Frequent urination is the first among the signs and symptoms both men and women with diabetes share. It occurs when the body instinctively tries to eliminate the excess sugar coursing through the bloodstream. If you start urinating more frequently for no apparent reason, it might be time to talk to your doctor and do a blood test.
Increased thirst
Besides excess sugar, urinating more frequently expels water from the tissues. As a result, women can become dehydrated and constantly feel thirsty. To make matters worse, people often quench their thirst with sugary drinks, thus further adding to their blood sugar levels.
Weight loss
Diabetes is a common reason for unexplained weight loss. Since cells can’t get enough energy from sugar, they resort to burning the body’s fat and muscle for energy, resulting in weight loss. The weight loss can be rather dramatic, with some women losing up to 10% of their body weight in less than six months.
Fatigue
You could feel exhausted for many reasons, from the more obvious ones like lack of sleep to your diet and stress levels. However, if you feel inexplicably exhausted, diabetes might have something to do with it. After all, this condition impedes your body from effectively using its primary source of energy – blood sugar.
Blurred vision
Blurred vision is among the most ignored diabetes symptoms in women. It results from high blood sugar leading to fluid forming in the eye’s lens. This, in turn, can damage the tiny blood vessels in the eyes, which manifests as blurry vision.
Numbness in the extremities
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), more than half of people with type 2 diabetes experience numbness or tingling sensations in their arms, legs, and feet. This numbness results from high blood sugar reducing blood flow to the extremities and gradually damaging the blood vessels and nerves.
Slow-healing wounds
High cholesterol and high blood pressure often accompany diabetes. The plaque buildup from these conditions can narrow blood vessels, which leads to reduced blood flow and slow healing.
Increased blood sugar levels can also weaken the T cells that make up the body’s immune system, thus delaying its response to wounds.
Skin infections
Yeast infections caused by increased blood sugar levels can also occur on the skin. These can, in turn, lead to skin infections that look like itchy rashes of moist areas surrounded by tiny blisters. Itchiness can also come from poor circulation. The legs will typically be the itchiest area if that’s the case.
Dark skin patches
Darkening of the skin under your armpits, around the nape of the neck, and in the groin area can indicate insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Fruity breath
A sweet, fruity odor to your breath can be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is one of the most severe diabetes complications that can be fatal when left untreated. DKA is more common among women with type 1 diabetes. Still, even women with type 2 diabetes diagnosis can develop DKA.
This condition develops when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, so it breaks down fat as fuel, resulting in a buildup of acids in the bloodstream.
Complications of Diabetes in Women
Women who develop diabetes are at a higher risk of serious health problems that can significantly impact their quality of life. The most common diabetes complications in women include:
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs when women have increased blood sugar levels during pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gestational diabetes affects up to 10% of pregnancies yearly.
Most women with gestational diabetes have a normal pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby. However, uncontrolled blood sugar levels can cause several problems for the mother and the baby. For this reason, women often take medicine or insulin shots to keep themselves and their babies healthy.
Complications for the baby
Gestational diabetes increases the risk of several complications for the baby whose mother develops this condition. In the worst-case scenario, this condition can have a fatal outcome for the baby before or shortly after birth.
Excess growth
Extra glucose can trigger the baby’s pancreas to produce additional insulin, causing the baby to grow too large. The baby’s size can lead to a difficult birth and the necessity to perform a C-section.
Low blood sugar
Newborn babies can have low blood sugar levels at birth due to the extra insulin their pancreas creates. This can, in turn, put them at a higher risk for breathing problems.
Type 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes in mothers is one of the significant risk factors for the baby developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The same goes for obesity.
Complications for the mother
Gestational diabetes can also cause a few health complications for the mother. For starters, women who have gestational diabetes in one pregnancy will likely have it again the next time they get pregnant. This condition can lead to preeclampsia, a high-blood pressure disorder with multiple health implications.
How Diabetes Affects Women Differently
Diabetes rates might be slightly higher in men, but this condition affects women differently.
Firstly, women with diabetes more than double their chances of developing heart disease. On top of that, the U.S. healthcare system often provides women with less aggressive treatments for cardiovascular risk factors. As a result, women have significantly worse outcomes after a heart attack.
Also, women’s hormone cycles can change their responses to insulin. So, they might need more careful blood sugar management throughout their lives. This approach is critical during extreme hormonal shifts, such as pregnancy and menopause.
Preventing Diabetes in Women
Unfortunately, as an autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented. But, specific lifestyle changes can prevent type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Since genetics plays a huge role in developing diabetes, it helps to find out about your family history. If you have a family member with diabetes, it would be prudent to monitor your blood glucose even more closely.
Here are some actionable steps to help prevent diabetes or reduce its symptoms.
Try to lose the extra weight
According to a 2021 study, losing as little as 5% of your total body weight can help lower your risk of diabetes if you’re overweight or have prediabetes. Consider consulting with your health provider to determine a healthy weight for your body and strive to reach that goal in the long run.
Remember that you can only accomplish this goal by making healthier lifestyle choices. After all, research is yet to prove the long-term benefits of fad diets, such as paleo or keto.
Adopt a healthier diet
Even if you aren’t overweight, healthy eating can go a long way toward preventing diabetes. When it comes to diabetes prevention, a healthy diet pertains to the following:
However, it’s important to note that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution regarding a healthy diet. Every woman’s body will respond differently to specific foods. Therefore, you should take an individualized approach that includes receiving a personalized meal plan according to your needs.
Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity is crucial to maintaining a moderate weight and keeping diabetes at bay. With that in mind, women should aim to do the following:
Get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days of the week or 150 minutes weekly
Do resistance training at least two times a week to increase their balance, strength, and ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle
Cut back on sedentary behaviors and break up long bouts of inactivity.
Better Choices, Better Life
Diabetes is one of the most serious health conditions as it affects the entire body, and its mismanagement can lead to severe consequences. Although this condition can affect all genders, women can exhibit unique symptoms not seen in other patients. Spotting the signs of diabetes in women early on can help them keep it under control and avoid complications.
Even better, women can take specific steps to prevent the disease from progressing or appearing altogether. One of the essential steps in diabetes prevention is a healthy and balanced diet.Since every woman responds to specific foods differently, you can benefit from a customized meal plan. Our Klinio app provides a personalized diabetes program to help you start managing your condition effectively. This handy app can be your virtual guide and caregiver, helping you make vital lifestyle changes and stick to them long-term.
The traditional Mediterranean diet is regarded by the American Diabetes Association and many other reputable organizations to be one of the best ways for people with diabetes to:
Reduce any risks of potential cardiovascular disease.
As well as helping with diabetes management, the Mediterranean diet is regarded by many experts as an ideal way to lose weight for overweight patients.
What Is The Mediterranean Diet?
First recognized in the 1960s, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by what the people of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea regularly eat. Namely, it’s the cuisines of Italy, Greece, Southern France, and Spain. In recent years, the Mediterranean diet has been extended to include the other countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Cyprus, the Balkan countries, the North African countries (Morocco, Lebanon, etc.), and Portugal (though technically, it is an Atlantic country).
The term was coined to recognize that the Mediterranean diet reduces mortality rates and heart disease risk. It may also help obese people with weight loss.
The Mediterranean diet is recommended as a healthy diet by the American Diabetes Association (and the American Heart Association) and is also one of the three healthy diets along with the DASH and vegetarian diet recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The foods that make up the Mediterranean diet are:
High consumption – olive oil, legumes (lentils and beans), unrefined cereals (whole grains), fruits and vegetables (particularly leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic), nuts and seeds
Moderate to high consumption – fresh fish, seafood, poultry, eggs
Other than the Islamic countries of North Africa, which follow a Mediterranean diet, moderate wine consumption is a feature. Processed foods are minimal.
The health benefits of a diet based on the Mediterranean diet food pyramid are:
low carbohydrate
low fat
lean protein
healthy fats (monounsaturated fat rather than saturated fat)
nutrient-dense foods
low sodium
Where To Start With A Mediterranean Diet?
A Mediterranean-style diet could be perfect if you are interested in a combination of weight loss, blood sugar management, diabetes care, or even early diabetes prevention.
With the expertise of our own Mediterranean diet group, we have put together a meal plan that ranks among one of the best low carbohydrate diets, low glycemic index diets, and nutrition therapy recommendations you will find.
All the meal suggestions listed below have been calorie and carb counted to clarify the health benefits. And even better, each planned day includes at least five portions of your much-needed five fruit and vegetables a day!
Here is one of the best diabetes control meal plans you will find online, focusing on particular issues like high cardiovascular risk, diabetes complications, metabolic syndrome, and overall positive general health outcomes. Enjoy!
Monday
Breakfast – Greek yogurt with oat flakes, banana, and raspberries.
Lunch – Wraps with salmon, sweet peppers, and red onion.
Dinner – Steamed cod with boiled new potatoes and salad.
Snacks – Apple and peanut butter, oatcakes, orange.
Tips:
Choose wraps made from whole grains.
Use fresh salmon and bake or grill rather than fry.
Avoid heavy dressings on your salad. A dressing of olive oil and vinegar has a much better serving of healthy fats.
Tuesday
Breakfast – Muesli.
Lunch – Minestrone soup.
Dinner – Couscous topped with a lemon and chili chicken breast.
Dinner – Greek chicken with tomato, beans, olives, and asparagus.
Snacks – Almonds or pistachios, satsumas, roasted sunflower seeds.
Tips:
Add flavor to the soup with onion or red pepper.
Lentil soup can also be turned into an Indian Dal with the right spices.
A Perfect Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan For People With Diabetes
You can see above a low carbohydrate Mediterranean diet plan that is ideal for anybody with diabetes or at high diabetes risk. The lack of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory markers in the foods and dishes that we have suggested means that your blood glucose will be helped to remain in a very healthy and safe position.
If you have prediabetes at the moment, switching to a diet that directly fights cardiovascular risk factors can help stop or completely reverse your chances of developing diabetes.
A diet like this can help people with diabetes achieve a much greater level of overall health that can help their bodies to better fight against chronic conditions. It goes without saying that the healthier you are in every aspect of your diabetes, the better you will be able to fight the battle and manage your type 2 diabetes.
Fresh Foods And A Lack Of Processed Items
You will notice that the seven-day meal plan we have put together for you doesn’t include many processed foods. Though it can be very easy and tempting to grab some junk food on the way home for dinner, meals like that are the number one contributor to conditions like obesity that almost always lead to type 2 diabetes.
The great thing about our meal plan is that the abundance of fresh produce, fresh fruits, and healthy snacks are balanced and nutritious and will definitely keep you full and satisfied all the way through the week.
You will also notice that many of the ingredients are repeated over the course of the week, and this is down to several key reasons.
Firstly, spreading out the same items in different ways over seven days means you don’t have to spend as much money on a wider list of ingredients when you go do your weekly shop.
Secondly, the variety of ways these repeated ingredients are utilized will open up your mind to a whole new range of cooking possibilities that you may have never thought you were capable of. The more confident you can get with cooking healthy foods, the more natural this ‘diet’ will become. Eventually, it will cease to be seen as a diet and simply be your new way of life instead!
Mediterranean Diet Basic Tips
Advice: As a person with diabetes, it’s important that all your dietary needs are addressed. If you are going to start a new meal plan, whether for weight loss, control of carbohydrate intake, better blood sugar management, or overall better diabetes management, talk to your physician, diabetes care team, or dietician. Mediterranean diets do not suit everyone.
Produce: The general advice is to get at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily. You can easily aim for seven to ten servings on the Mediterranean diet. Snacking is a good area for swapping out less healthy foods with Mediterranean foods and more fruits and vegetables.
Reduce sodium intake: A high salt intake is associated with heart disease. Use herbs and spices instead of salt if you need a flavor enhancer. Great choices include garlic, paprika, ginger, basil, rosemary, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Some of these also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can only be good for people with diabetes.
Butter is not better: Butter is not part of a Mediterranean diet – it is too high in saturated fat to be included in any low-fat diet. Replace butter with olive oil. Canola oil is also a better choice as this, like olive oil, is high in unsaturated fats.
Eat the right meat: Choose poultry and fish over red meats and grill, bake or poach rather than fry.
Low-fat dairy: high-fat dairy items are not missing from the Mediterranean diet, nor are they foods that people with diabetes have to avoid, but low-fat dairy products or dairy alternatives are better choices. Low-fat cheese, fat-free yogurt, and skimmed milk keep your fat intake low and look after your cardiovascular health.
Potential Risks of a Mediterranean-Style Diet to Avoid
Every diet has risks, especially when adopting it as an eating plan. These are the key pitfalls to avoid when you start a Mediterranean diet.
Cold Turkey: Unless advised otherwise by your diabetes care team (because you need to make some immediate changes), ease the dietary changes.
Portion Size: A balanced meal is still important even if you are eating healthy Mediterranean foods. Stick to the recommended portion sizes when building a plate.
Too many legumes: Legumes are plant foods, so you know they are suitable for you, and they are a good swap for potatoes and other starchy foods, but you can eat too many if you are following a low-carbohydrate diet. Watch your portion size to not overload on carbs.
Don’t ‘overcheat’: Everyone needs cheat days, even people with diabetes. Cheat days should be occasional, not a regular occurrence. Even on cheat days, you should choose your treats from Mediterranean foods.
Too much alcohol: Wine is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, but that’s not an excuse to overindulge. Moderation is key, as is making sure alcohol doesn’t interfere with medications.
Final Thoughts
We hope that by reading our day-by-day Mediterranean diet meal plan, we have shown you just how simple it can be to change the way you eat for the better completely. Not to mention just how delicious it can be too!
Swapping your unhealthy meals for healthy ones without sacrificing taste and satisfaction is the key to making any diet stick. We think that with this interesting and mouth-watering array of dishes, you will be well on your way to better diabetes control.
As long as your blood sugar levels are happy, you can be happy, and thanks to this Mediterranean diet, we think you will find yourself much happier than you have been in a long, long time.
Get a personalized Klinio Mediterranean diet tailored to your needs by completing our quiz. Experience the benefits of this sample menu and start your journey toward better health today!
Calories: 323 kcal
Preparation time: 5 min
Serving size: 1
Ingredients:
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 medium eggs
2 slices of whole-grain bread
1 tablespoon of grated fat-free cheddar cheese
2 sprays of olive oil
2 tablespoons of water
For amazing flavor:
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
Pinch of ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of smoked paprika
Instructions:
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, chopped herbs, ground black pepper, salt, and smoked paprika.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir gently with a spatula until the mixture sets on the base of the pan. Stop stirring and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cheese melts.
Toast the bread slices.
Serve the omelet with sliced tomato and toasted bread on the side.
This herbed cheddar omelet is a vegetarian, high-protein, fiber-rich, and low-carb meal that supports balanced nutrition and long-lasting energy. Adjust the seasoning to your taste or use your favorite herbs and spices. Enjoy!
Check out the MyBody App for more easy and nutritious breakfast ideas tailored to your health goals.
The Link Between Diabetes and Blood Sugar
Whenever you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, your body converts those carbohydrates into sugars. It then releases that sugar into your blood, where it travels toward the cells that need it. At the same time, your pancreas releases insulin, which your body uses to process the sugar so your cells can use it.
At least, that’s the process for people without diabetes. Someone with diabetes will experience issues with their blood sugar level because of two possible reasons. Either their pancreases have issues producing the insulin needed to process blood glucose, or their cells develop an insulin resistance that makes the process less efficient. It’s in these situations that blood glucose monitoring becomes important. People with diabetes must practice blood sugar control to ensure they manage blood sugar and avoid diabetes-related complications.
More information can be found by visiting the website of the American Diabetes Association. You’ll see information about test strip reading, blood pressure, blood vessels, glucose tablets, and general diabetes health care. Another resource for learning about the disease is a certified diabetes educator. These specialists can tell you more about how many hours after a meal you need to wait before testing your sugar levels, for example, and much more.
What happens if you have high blood sugar?
High blood sugar can occur for several reasons. Beyond eating too much sugary food, your sugar level could increase if you become less physically active, feel stressed, or miss a dose of your diabetes medicine. It can also occur due to gestational diabetes, which is when your blood glucose levels increase during pregnancy, only to fall again upon giving birth.
High blood glucose levels lead to several common symptoms:
Feelings of fatigue
Blurred vision
Feeling extremely thirsty
Going to the toilet more often
Weight loss
If you experience any of these symptoms, take them as signals that you have high blood glucose and need to improve your blood sugar monitoring.
When your blood sugar rises, leading to consistently elevated levels, you place yourself at risk of developing several dangerous conditions, including:
Diabetic retinopathy, which causes permanent damage to your eyesight
Peripheral neuropathy, which is a form of nerve damage that causes pain primarily in the hands and feet
In short, having too much blood glucose makes it harder for your body to produce enough insulin to process the sugar. The result can be a range of health conditions that impact your quality of life.
What happens if you have low blood sugar?
Low blood glucose levels can be just as dangerous as high ones. Generally speaking, this issue affects people with diabetes who take insulin and is often traceable to dietary issues. The early symptoms of low blood sugar include:
If you don’t do anything about your low blood glucose level, your symptoms may intensify or give way to more damaging issues, such as:
Blurred vision
Physical weakness
Clumsiness and slurred speech
Difficulty concentrating
Exhaustion
Collapsing
Seizures and fits
How Blood Sugar Helps Doctors Determine if You Have Diabetes
With the issues related to varying blood glucose being so severe, it’s easy to see why continuous glucose monitoring is so important. If you suspect that you have diabetes, your healthcare professional may administer several diabetes tests. Each test measures your blood glucose levels and compares them to healthy norms, helping your health care professional diagnose diabetes. You may undergo some or all of the following tests during your doctor’s visit.
Glycated hemoglobin test
Also known as an A1C blood test, this process shows your average blood sugar level for two or three months while you maintain your normal diet. Having an A1C level of 6.5% or higher on two of these tests means you have diabetes. Levels between 5.7% and 6.4% suggest prediabetes, with anything below 5.7% falling into the normal range.
Fasting blood sugar test
You’re asked to fast for the entire night before this blood test, after which your doctor will take a blood sample.
If you have a fasting blood sugar level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or higher on two tests, it indicates diabetes. Fasting blood glucose of 100 mg/dl or lower is normal, with anything between these two glucose values suggesting you have prediabetes.
Random blood sugar test
In this test, your doctor takes a sample of your blood at a random time to ensure accurate test results. A blood glucose result of 200 mg/dl or above suggests that you have diabetes.
Oral glucose tolerance test
This test is another that involves fasting overnight. After you fast, your doctor will take two blood samples to check your blood against normal blood sugar levels.
The first sample is of your fasting blood glucose levels, with the second taken after you consume a sugary drink, such as fruit juice. Your doctor will then test you regularly for two hours.
A blood glucose reading of 140 mg/dl is normal. If you have a reading of 200 mg/dl two hours after drinking a sugary drink, it indicates that you have diabetes.
How to Maintain a Healthy Blood Glucose Level
If your doctor discovers that you have diabetes, they’ll start working with you to create a diabetes treatment plan. This plan is crucial for managing diabetes. Among other things, it will show you what you need to do to check your blood sugar and advises you on what your target range is. A comprehensive plan for managing your diabetes will follow.
In addition to this treatment plan, there are several steps you can take to manage your glucose levels to manage the risk factors that can lead to unhealthy consequences.
Use a continuous glucose monitor
A continuous glucose monitor is a medical device that helps with disease control.
After arriving at the doctor’s office, your healthcare team inserts a small wire underneath your skin. This wire typically goes into the arm or abdomen.
Once inserted, the wire continuously measures your blood glucose, with the results going to an external glucose meter. That monitor helps you to keep track of your levels to ensure they stay within your target range.
Though inconvenient, this technique is more effective than a regular blood glucose monitor because it doesn’t require you to prick your skin or remember to take a test.
Use appropriate diabetes medication
There are many types of diabetes medication your doctor may prescribe as part of your diabetes management plan. For example, those with type 2 diabetes often start with metformin as their first type of medication.
Other types of diabetes may require you to inject insulin into your blood to manage your blood sugars. Your doctor helps you determine your dosage so your insulin injections don’t lead to you having too much insulin in your body.
Create a diabetes meal plan
Regulating what you eat has an enormous impact on your blood glucose. Eating the wrong things, or combining several high-sugar foods at once, can lead to blood sugar spikes that cause dangerous symptoms.
Generally speaking, a good diabetic meal plan contains foods that are rich in protein and fiber. You’ll also eat more fresh foods, including those that are sources of healthy carbohydrates, such as:
Just as important as the foods you should eat are those you need to limit. A diabetic meal plan should avoid foods that lead to high glucose levels, including:
In addition to helping you to manage blood glucose, sticking to a meal plan ensures you maintain a healthy weight and have a strong immune system. As such, there are several side benefits to eating properly beyond diabetes management.
Be more physically active
Your healthcare team may make several suggestions related to how physical activity can help you manage blood sugars.
For example, simple actions like standing while you’re working or taking the stairs instead of an elevator help. So does walking to the store instead of driving or committing to taking a daily walk around the block.
All of these steps help you avoid living a sedentary life, which can elevate your blood glucose and cause the symptoms of high blood sugar.
Klinio Helps You Manage Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels
While your healthcare team will suggest several techniques you can use to monitor your blood sugars, you can also get help from third-party resources.
Klinio helps you create effective meal plans that ensure you avoid the risks associated with fluctuating blood glucose. You don’t have to take complicated blood tests or engage in any blood draw practices with Klinio. Just schedule your meals and track your sugar intake to maintain healthy levels.
Depression is a mood disorder that affects 25% of people with diabetes. Unsurprisingly, those with diabetes are more likely to experience blood sugar fluctuations. As such, it appears there is a definitive link between diabetes and mood swings. The evidence also suggests that blood glucose variations, like blood sugar dips and spikes, affect your mood differently.
Of course, people with diabetes aren’t the only ones suffering from this chronic condition. Comorbid depression goes hand in hand with emotion-based stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, and other health issues that could cause psychological reasons for mood swings apart from blood sugar levels.
In this article, we explore the link between diabetes and mood swings and examine the impact blood glucose levels play. We also offer diabetes management advice to reduce the instances of mood swings.
What the Evidence Tells Us About Diabetes and Mood Swings
Several studies demonstrate a link between diabetes and mood swings. For example, a 2012 study discovered that unstable blood sugar levels are associated with anxiety, anger, and low quality of life in women with diabetes.
This link was established long before 2012. In a 1989 study, researchers examined the effects of glycemic variability. They found that those who experience blood sugar dips are more prone to nervousness. However, a blood sugar spike also led to more sadness and anger.
These effects aren’t limited to those with diabetes. A 2017 prospective study examined the link between increased sugar intake and common mental health conditions like depression. The evidence demonstrates a clear link between diabetes and mental health challenges that could include higher stress levels and even self-harm. Blood sugar fluctuations appear to have different effects on an individual’s quality of life. While mood swings are a challenge regardless of whether you have low or high blood sugar, the nature of those mood swings varies.
The Effects of Diabetes on Mood
To understand the effects of diabetes on mood, we first need to know how the condition affects the body. Diabetes impairs your body’s ability to use blood glucose correctly. As such, those with diabetes must manage the condition to reduce glucose variability. The good news is that diabetes technology has come a long way in the past few decades. Maintaining glycemic control in the body has become easier, and a well-managed program and better knowledge of the insulin-glucose process can reduce stress for people with diabetes and those who care for them.
These are approximate ranges, meaning your ideal range may vary. But if you can stay within these ranges, you have a better chance of avoiding the following mood issues:
Diabetes distress
It’s tough and stressful to manage diabetes. You may have to deal with constantly monitoring your blood sugar levels, educating people, and creating meal plans. It can all start to feel overwhelming, leading to a stress response. This stress response, known as “diabetes distress,” affects 20% of people with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes and about 17% of those with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms include:
Anger, frustration, and stress
Low motivation levels
Consistent worrying about your condition
A tendency to make unhealthy choices
Feelings of isolation
While diabetes distress doesn’t directly relate to your blood sugar, it does have an indirect link. Negative moods occur because of the need to stick to a diabetes management plan, which includes glycemic control. Think of diabetes distress as a sort of diabetes burnout to develop a stronger idea of what the condition entails.
Rapid mood shifts
Evidence suggests that there’s a relationship between blood sugar levels and mood. Losing track when managing your blood sugar levels can lead to various mood-related effects. The specific effects vary depending on what’s happening with your blood sugar. Those with low blood sugar are more likely to experience the following types of mood swings:
Hunger
Aggression
Confusion
Anxiety
Nervousness
Issues with concentration
Behavioral changes
Having high blood sugar appears to have a less direct effect on your mood. However, it causes other issues that can lead to mood swings, such as:
Feeling fatigued
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty seeing
Unwell feelings
Simply put, failing to keep your blood sugar within a healthy range affects your well-being. In some cases, this directly leads to mood swings. In others, it results in symptoms that significantly impact your mental health, leading to more negative moods.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety is a common mood disorder that is particularly prevalent in diabetes patients. According to one study that looked at people with diabetes in 15 countries, 18% of those with type 2 diabetes also have an anxiety disorder.
Symptoms vary depending on the severity of this mental health condition. However, common symptoms include:
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, 25% of people with diabetes experience some form of depression. Often, this depression has a direct link to diabetes distress. The burden of managing the condition feels so overwhelming that some find it emotionally draining to the point where their mood slumps consistently.
There are several challenges associated with detecting depression in people with diabetes. Depression is a variable mental health condition, meaning the symptoms vary from person to person. Furthermore, lifestyle factors influence the condition. Those under chronic stress may develop major depression faster than those with relatively lower stress levels.
It’s crucial that diabetes patients have a healthcare team supporting them in looking for the following symptoms:
Sleep pattern changes
Lack of interest in hobbies and activities
Appetite changes
Low energy
Feelings of guilt or nervousness
Issues with concentrating
Suicidal ideology and self-harm – support should be sought at the very first sign of this symptom
Relationship challenges
The people you live with often feel as responsible for your diabetes care as you do. When glycemic variability impacts mood, you risk placing a strain on a relationship. The challenges you experience in your relationship can damage your support structure, creating more stress.
Spousal influence also plays a role in glycemic variability, as demonstrated by a 2020 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine journal. It found that positive spousal influence was associated with less diabetes distress, making unstable blood sugar levels less likely. However, those experiencing a combination of distress and low-quality relationships were more likely to have mood swings. Simply put, being in a happy relationship improves your mood.
Some evidence suggests that the effects of diabetes on relationships extend beyond mood disorders. Diabetes impacts a person’s sex life, leading to issues including erectile dysfunction, lowered sex drive, and vaginal dryness. While not directly associated with mood, such issues often have psychological causes rather than physical ones.
Advice for Coping With Diabetes and Mood Swings
Self-care often lies at the heart of resolving the issues caused by diabetes and mood swings. With the following strategies, you can improve your overall well-being and make the lifestyle changes needed to reduce mood swings.
Follow your diabetes management plan
Though diabetes care can feel overwhelming, you’ve likely worked with a diabetes educator to create a plan of action.
Following that plan is a crucial strategy for overcoming the mood swings many people with diabetes experience. Your plan may include changes in lifestyle, daily medications, and scheduling for blood glucose screenings. The closer you stick to the plan you develop with your healthcare provider, the less likely you are to experience the glucose fluctuations that often cause diabetes-induced mood swings.
Check your blood sugar consistently
Your treatment plan likely includes recommended blood sugar ranges before and after your meals. Keeping track of those ranges ensures your body experiences fewer glucose-related issues that can lead to mood changes.
Watch for readings that are outside your recommended range. Record any readings that seem strange and discuss them with your doctor. While everybody overindulges or loses track occasionally, allowing either to happen consistently places you at greater risk of mood swings.
As for regulating your blood glucose, try the following to help you keep track of your meals:
Create a meal plan designed to be as diabetes-friendly as possible. This strategy may involve creating specific shopping lists and preparing the food you eat well in advance.
Automate your diabetes plan as much as possible. For example, you may set alerts on your smartphone to remind you of when to eat and when you need to check your blood sugar.
Educate those around you, so they understand why you take your meals so seriously. Through education, your friends and family can become sources of support rather than hindrances.
Increase your intake of protein and fiber. Both have low glycemic indexes, especially when compared to processed foods. Try to eat fresh food as opposed to processed food as often as possible while tracking the sugar and carbohydrate levels in your food. If you can go sugar-free, then even better. For example, try switching out traditional desserts for some tasty sugar-free options.
Speak to others
Seek the help of others whenever you start experiencing anxiety related to your condition. Those who try to go at it alone often experience a lower quality of life because they don’t have the support they need to combat diabetes distress. That lack of support also creates an environment that makes managing diabetes more challenging, increasing the likelihood of mood swings.
Confront the Issue of Diabetes and Mood Swings Directly
The key to overcoming mood swings related to diabetes is to confront the challenges you face at their source. In many cases, mood issues occur due to blood sugar variability. By taking firmer control of your sugar intake, you’re more likely to avoid the mood disorders associated with diabetes.
Having the ability to recognize the signs of mood issues also helps. The more you know about the outward symptoms of mood disorders, the more likely you are to realize the need to focus more on self-care.
Finally, take steps that help you start managing your condition more effectively. Downloading the Klinio app may be one of those steps. Our trustworthy meal app helps those with diabetes track their sugar intake and maintain a plan that ensures they’re less likely to experience mood swings as a result of diabetes.
In the United States alone, 1 out of every 10 people has diabetes. That comes to 37.3 million individuals, with a total population of 422 million estimated globally.
To optimally manage your diabetes, it becomes important to know how to track your blood glucose levels on your own. This is where a blood glucose meter comes in.
However, sometimes it can be hard to know which glucose monitoring device is most suitable for you since there are different types. Your doctor’s recommendation is usually the best, but you can also use other factors to figure it out.
That’s why in this guide, we’ll take a look at the various glucose monitor types to help you find the one you’re looking for.
What Are Glucose Monitoring Devices?
Glucose monitoring devices, also known as glucometers, are small devices that can be used to get blood glucose readings.
There are different types of blood glucose meters, including the standard blood glucose monitor (BGM), the continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and the flash glucose monitor (FGM).
Regardless of the type, a glucose monitoring system is very important in diabetes management. It allows a patient to use their medication as soon as their blood sugar levels measure above normal sugar levels and eat something when they have low blood glucose.
The Difference Between BGM, CGM, and FGM
There are three major types of blood glucose meters, and they all work to provide a patient with glucose readings, but what is the actual difference between them?
Standard blood glucose monitor (BGM)
When most people think of a blood glucose meter, they think of standard glucose monitors.
This tends to be a small machine, small enough to fit in your palm. Paired with special test strips, it can be used to measure your blood sugar level at a given time.
To use a regular glucose meter, you insert a test strip into the machine, prick your finger with a lancing tool, then place a drop of blood on the test strip.
The meter will be able to determine the glucose levels in the sample thanks to chemicals in the strip, and it will display your blood sugar level in a few seconds.
Continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
Continuous glucose monitors can provide information on a person’s glucose levels by checking them every few minutes.
Continuous glucose monitoring works by having a tiny sensor inserted under the skin of the abdomen or the upper arm. From there, the device can monitor a person’s interstitial glucose level, which is the glucose found in the interstitial fluid between the cells in the body. This is great for observing glucose trends throughout the day.
A CGM system comprises the sensor, which measures the glucose levels, and then the monitor, which wirelessly receives the information from the continuous glucose monitoring device. In some cases, the CGM system can send this glucose data directly to your smartphone.
Many CGM systems also have optional alarms that can alert you when the sensor measures your blood sugar to be too high or low. CGM systems can also be paired with an insulin pump to automatically administer insulin when sugar levels go up.
However, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a CGM sensor cannot be used to make treatment decisions. Any changes to medication need to be made after confirming readings with a regular glucose test.
Flash glucose monitor (FGM)
A flash glucose meter is the best of both worlds between a BGM and CGM system. The sensor is attached to the back of the upper arm, where it provides continuous glucose monitoring every minute.
The primary product in this new category is the Abbott FreeStyle Libre 3 system.
What makes it great is that you can get your glucose level at a particular moment, similar to standard blood glucose monitoring. But then, just like a CGM system, FreeStyle Libre allows for continuous glucose monitoring, in this case, as far as the last 8 hours.
However, FreeStyle Libre cannot be used for glucose control as it is yet to be made compatible with any type of insulin pump.
When Do You Use a Blood Glucose Meter?
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is a very good idea to get a glucometer to measure your sugar levels at home.
When it comes to standard glucose monitors, patients with type 2 diabetes should keep an eye on their glucose level, but the exact interval tends to depend on what your doctor recommends.
Patients who take insulin may need to check their glucose level before each meal, though depending on the type of insulin, some may only need to check before breakfast or bed. It all depends on your doctor’s recommendation.
However, those who just use oral hypoglycemic medications or make lifestyle changes may not even need to keep track of their glucose every day. You should make sure to follow whatever your healthcare professionals determine is best for you.
Patients with type 2 diabetes can opt for continuous monitoring, though there isn’t much evidence that a CGM device provides great benefits for patients with this type of diabetes.
How to Choose a Glucometer to Track Your Blood Sugar?
Now, deciding which glucose meter is best for you to check your glucose with can be hard. However, there are a few general guidelines you can follow to make this decision easier for you.
First off, it is recommended that you go with whichever meter your doctor recommends for you. They have prescribed many and will likely be able to let you know the best brand and type for you. They will also let you know whether CGM devices and an insulin pump are appropriate for you.
Check the meters that are a part of your insurance coverage. Some companies have a catalog of devices they cover as part of the insurance plan.
If your insurance coverage doesn’t include a glucometer, you need to take note of the cost and choose one within your budget.
Choose a glucometer that aligns with your needs for tracking your data. Some people are fine with keeping track of glucose level data in a notebook, but others might want a smart device that can store their glucose levels and even allow them to download data to a computer.
It is also a good idea to get a glucometer that you can easily sync with any app you’re using to manage your diabetes, such as Klinio. You can easily connect your glucometer with the Klinio app in a few steps.
You should also look at the special features that these meters can come with, such as a backlit display, one that can read out your results, or the kind that can store the strips in the meter itself.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between the types of glucose monitoring devices makes it easier to choose the right one for yourself. For instance, a continuous glucose monitor has many advantages but is not appropriate for everyone.
If your doctor makes a recommendation, it is always a good idea to go along with their suggestion, as well as how many times to use it each day, according to their treatment plan. However, you may also want to consider insurance coverage, the cost of the meter, and any special features it might have.
It is always great to go with a glucometer that you can link to an app like Klinio. With Klinio, you can track your sugar levels in the app but get a more complete picture of your health by tracking medications, blood pressure, calorie intake, etc. It can also help you develop a personalized grocery list for each week and a meal plan that is made just for you. Along with your diet, exercise can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Klinio helps you exercise using equipment-free workouts you can do right in your living room.
Understandably, getting used to the lifestyle changes you need to control prediabetes can be difficult, but at Klinio, we know that the power of habit can make it easier for you. Let’s talk about how you can control your blood sugar levels and keep prediabetes at bay.
What Is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a medical condition where a person’s blood sugar level is higher than it should usually be but is lower than the blood sugar level needed to diagnose diabetes.
In many cases, prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes. A study found that after one year,nearly 40% of people with prediabetes were found to have blood sugar levels that classified as diabetes.
Blood Sugar Levels for Prediabetes
The blood sugar levels used to tell whether a person has prediabetes depend on the type of blood test they have done.
There are three main tests done to check blood glucose levels. These are:
Fasting blood sugar test
Oral glucose tolerance test
Glycated hemoglobin, also known as HbA1c, test
Fasting Blood Sugar Test
This test checks for a person’s blood sugar after they have not eaten for at least eight hours. This is usually done in the morning, after what is called an overnight fast.
When testing for a person’s fasting blood sugar level, normal blood sugar levels are 99 mg/dL or lower.
However, for someone who has prediabetes, these numbers will be from 100 to 125 mg/dL. Anything higher than that is a sign of diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
The oral glucose tolerance test checks a person’s blood glucose before and after they’ve drunk a liquid containing a known amount of glucose. Similar to a fasting blood sugar test, you’ll have to fast overnight.
After drinking the liquid, your blood glucose will be checked at the one-hour, two-hour, and sometimes three-hour mark.
If your blood sugar is 139 mg/dL or less after two hours, your levels are normal. However, if it is above 140 mg/dL and less than 199 mg/dL, it can be diagnosed as prediabetes.
After two hours, anything higher than 200 mg/dL points to diabetes.
Glycated Hemoglobin Test
The glycated hemoglobin test, sometimes simply called the HbA1c test, provides a way to take a look at someone’s average blood glucose over the last two or three months.
This test is measured in percentages, with less than 5.7% being considered the normal range. You can know if you have prediabetes if the value is between 5.7 and 6.4%. Any number over 6.5% indicates diabetes.
How Can I Prevent Prediabetes?
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with prediabetes, it’s understandable that you might be scared of what lies ahead. A large percentage of people with prediabetes may end up developing type 2 diabetes.
However, if you take the proper steps, you can eliminate some risk factors and reduce the chance that you progress to diabetes.
This section will guide you through the different healthy lifestyle modifications you can make that will help you prevent prediabetes from progressing.
Lose Weight
Increased body weight, especially when classed as obesity, isone of the risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. This is because fat cells release substances that cause insulin resistance.
Losing weight can be tough, truly, but it’s been found that losing even 5 to 10% of excess weight can prevent diabetes from developing.
Klinio has features that can be a helping hand for weight loss, such asmeal plans and straightforward workouts.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Striving to stick to a healthy diet is one of the lifestyle changes that people with diabetes have to adapt to.
However, it can also be helpful for people with prediabetes to prevent it from advancing. One of the risk factors of diabetes isa diet with a lot of processed foods in it.
There are some foods you should try to reduce or remove from your diet. For instance, these include diets with a lot of:
Red meat
Processed meat
Saturated fats
Trans fats
Heavily processed carbs
Sugar-sweetened beverages
You can choose to eat a healthy range of foods, many of which can reduce the risk of prediabetes. Eat healthy foods in larger quantities, such as:
Whole grains
Fruits
Vegetables
Lean protein
Healthy fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil, and those found in fish, nuts, and avocados.
Do More Physical Activity
It’s understandable how sometimes you just don’t want to get up from the cozy spot that you’re nestled in. However, it’s been shown that when you exercise regularly, there’s less of a chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Physical activity helps you lose weight and stay fit, as well as keeps away heart disease, so it has other perks besides reducing the risk of prediabetes.
Having to go to the gym can make it harder to keep up being active. The good thing is that Klinio gives you severalequipment-free workouts that you can do from the comfort of your home.
Reduce and Stop Smoking
When you start smoking, it can be hard to stop. You might have tried before but had little success, despite knowing that smoking is linked to many negative things like heart disease and high blood pressure.
Yet, one thing that few people know about smoking is that it also creates a high risk of insulin resistance developing.
It can be hard to quit smoking right off the bat, so you can get started by trying to cut down on how much you smoke every day. When you feel confident enough, you can switch to helpful products like nicotine gum or patches.
Drink Water Frequently
One of the easiest ways for you to battle prediabetes and stop it from moving to type 2 diabetes is to drink water.
Water helps keep your blood sugar levels well-regulated. It will also quench your thirst better than sugar-sweetened beverages, which can worsen your condition.
Use Medications When Prescribed
In some instances, the changes you make to your lifestyle might not be enough to help your prediabetes. Despite losing weight, eating more food like whole grains and vegetables, and being more active, sometimes your blood sugar level might not improve.
For people like this, your doctor may decide to prescribe prescription medications to help manage your sugar levels. Metformin is the primary choice of most physicians.
What Is the Main Cause of Prediabetes?
While the cause of prediabetes is not known, the mechanism behind it is clear. It is caused by insulin resistance.
The hormone insulin is used by the body to allow your cells to use glucose. Insulin resistance is when the cells no longer respond to insulin the way they are meant to. This makes the glucose levels in your blood increase, and when they get high enough, it is diagnosed as prediabetes.
What Gives Me a Higher Risk of Prediabetes?
Certain traits have been associated with a higher likelihood of getting prediabetes. These traits are known as risk factors.
There are quite a few of these for prediabetes and they include:
A family history of type 2 diabetes, especially having a first-degree relative (i.e., a parent or a sibling) who has diabetes
Being older than 45
Being obese or overweight
High blood pressure
Being a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome
Having developed diabetes while pregnant, a condition known as gestational diabetes
Being sedentary
Smoking tobacco
What Foods Cause Prediabetes?
No food can be said to cause prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. However, certain things in your diet can give you an increased risk of developing these conditions.
Here are some of the foods that you should attempt to avoid to reduce your risk:
Red meat e.g., beef, pork, mutton, veal
Processed meat e.g., sausages, ham, bacon, corned beef
Sugary beverages like fruit juices and soft drinks
Refined grains e.g., white rice, breakfast cereals, white bread, and foods containing white flour
Saturated and trans fat can be found in foods such as butter, baked goods, some vegetable oils, fried fast food, etc.
Conclusion
A prediabetes diagnosis can be scary to face. Yet, with the right changes to your daily life, there’s a good chance you can prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes.
By staying at a healthy weight, improving your exercise habits, eating healthier, and leaving smoking behind, you can delay diabetes and even control prediabetes entirely.
Prediabetes is a stage of abnormal blood rise just before diabetes. This condition is serious because many patients won’t know they’re close to slipping into full-blown diabetes until it’s almost too late. In fact, most people with high blood sugar diagnoses only get one after they’ve already developed diabetes. As has been proven over time, diabetes is difficult to reverse, so experts encourage people to treat prediabetes before it develops into high blood sugar.
There’s been a pressing focus on treating prediabetes since 2017, and the emphasis has become more relevant with lots of sensitization for Americans to create insurance for prediabetes. Since the tenth version of the ICD (International Code of Diagnostics) update, there’s even a specific principal diagnosis code for prediabetes. All of this highlights the importance of treating prediabetes before it worsens.
This guide highlights prediabetes, its code and identification with the World Health Organization (WHO), and the importance of the code to patients, providers, and insurers.
What to Expect
What Is Prediabetes?
The International Code of Diagnostics (ICD) and What It Means for Prediabetes
The Specificity of the ICD-10 Code for Prediabetes?
2021 Prediabetes ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R73.03
The History of the CODE R73.03
Are There ICD-10 Codes Related to Prediabetes Code?
Functions of the ICD-10 Code for Prediabetes in 2022
Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) and Their Role in Prediabetes Management
Other Ways of Preventing Diabetes
What Is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a stage where high blood sugar is higher than normal but not so high that it can be diagnosed as diabetes. People with prediabetes are highly likely to be diagnosed with diabetes because the symptoms of the former aren’t so evident that people will be able to tell they need medical help.
Prediabetes has long been considered a part of the medical diagnostic-related group (DRG). For many experts, the condition is quite serious, meaning that patients will need to take it just as seriously as diabetes.
Recently, there have been many campaigns for patients to take routine blood sugar checks to know if they’re in the safe range. This is aimed to encourage healthy living among American adults. Health institutions believe early prediabetes diagnosis will help patients make much better decisions about their life and health.
Apart from the orientation of treating diabetes, the steady growth of prediabetes and the subsequent influx of diabetes has led to the World Health Organization (WHO) codifying prediabetes. Unlike the last nine versions of the WHO ICD classification, the 10th version has given prediabetes its specific code. The code was built to outline the importance of prediabetes awareness and treatment to improve the average American adult’s health.
The WHO classified prediabetes with its unique code so that patients’ providers and insurers can identify certain risk factors for the ailment and treat them with the same severity as other preventable mortality-threatening conditions. Following the classification, it’s become easier for patients to get insurance reimbursement, further diagnosis of prediabetes, and lasting treatment before they develop a worsened diabetes case.
The subsequent sections discuss prediabetes in terms of its relationship with the WHO ICD.
The International Code of Diagnostics (ICD) and What It Means for Prediabetes
The popular ICD is an abbreviation for the International Code of Diagnostics. It’s the World Health Organization’s international medical streamlining system.
The WHO started publishing diagnostic health issues with the ICD tag in 1948. The ICD version is updated over time; it’s currently in its 10th version, and it’s why all diagnostic conditions in recent times are termed ICD-10.
Virtually every country where WHO exists—over 100 countries—uses the ICD-10. As is well known, the United States is one of these countries and even provides funds to the medical organization.
The ICD-10 Is known to have more codes and specificity than the ICD-9 — its preceding version. While the ICD-9 has about 14,000 codes, the ICD-10 has over 70,000 codes (at least four times the former version).
For the ICD-9, prediabetes is classified as 790.29, representing “other abnormal glucose.” This means that prediabetes doesn’t have its specificity in the ICD-9. Rather, it shares the classification with conditions like steroid-induced hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and other 20 conditions and symptoms.
Currently, the ICD-10-M is the classification for mortality statistics. The ICD-10-CM means clinical modification (CM) for the 10th version of the International Code for Diagnostics (ICD).
The ICD-10-CM is typically used for prediabetes and its symptoms, also known as morbidities. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has published the categorization. For prediabetes specifically, the ICD-10-CM 73.03 is the coding specificity for the condition.
The Specificity of the ICD-10 Code for Prediabetes
The ICD-Code 10 generally deals with issues concerning high blood sugar and diabetes.
Below are some of the complications and their respective codes:
The prediabetes ICD-10 code is R73.03
The “R” in the Code for prediabetes is in line with the WHO Code section XVIII, which states, “Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified”
The “73” means “Elevated blood glucose level”
The “.03” indicates “Prediabetes”
“R70-79” implies “Abnormal findings on examination of blood, without a diagnosis”
2021 Prediabetes ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R73.03
The R73.03 in the ICD-10-CM code identifies prediabetes issues for reimbursement in 2021 concerning HIPAA-covered transactions. This code, however, isn’t to be used for an established diagnosis. This is because ICD-10-CM guards the code for the purposes already stated.
It can’t be used as a primary diagnosis code when there’s a definite diagnosis. “Latent diabetes” is also an inclusion term for this code as it’s considered prediabetes.
Some important facts about the ICD-10-CM R73.03 code are outlined below:
The ICD-10-CM R73.03 2018 edition became effective on the 1st of October, 2017
The ICD-10-CM R73.03 is the American coding identification for prediabetes; that of other countries can differ in terms of numbering
The ICD-10-CM R73.03 covers latent diabetes conditions as well
As stated in this article, the R73.03 code isn’t the only code for diabetes-related conditions. Other codes come before it and are related to it in the listing, as we’ll see below:
The R00-R99: This code highlights the “Symptoms, signs & abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified”
The R70-R79: This code indicates “Abnormal findings during blood examination, without any definite diagnosis”
The R73: This code simply indicates an “Elevated blood glucose level”
The R73.0: This code identifies “Abnormal glucose”
All the above codes are above R73.03 and contribute to its formation. The ICD-10-CM R73.03 falls into the diagnostic-related group (category) (MS-DRG v35.0). Other diagnostic orders in the group include “640: Miscellaneous disorders of nutrition, metabolism, fluids and electrolytes with MCC.”
The History of the CODE R73.03
Claims of reimbursement with a service date on (or after) the 1st of October 2015 were mandated to use the ICD-10-CM codes.
Here’s an outline of how the code meaning has changed over time:
2017 (effective 10/1/2016) : New Code
2018 (effective 10/1/2017): No change
Diagnosis Index entries containing back-references to R73.03
Are There ICD-10 Codes Related to Prediabetes Code?
Certain ICD-10 codes are related to the prediabetes code ICD-10-CM R73.03. For a code related to prediabetes, they have to start with R73. This guide considers at least one of these in the codes that come before R73.03;
The R73, for example, indicates “Elevated blood sugar.” This doesn’t mean prediabetes.
Also, the R73.0, “Abnormal blood sugar,” stands for the consistent rise in body temperature but not prediabetes.
The R73.9 IS one code that’s significantly related to prediabetes. It indicates “Hyperglycemia.”
Some conditions that many people will expect to have related codes with R73.03 but don’t include:
All of these codes are grouped under ICD-10 as they’re considered diagnostic. However, they have different code patterns from prediabetes. Type 2 diabetes specifically is one that’s expected to have a related coding pattern to prediabetes since the latter often preceded the former, but the reverse is the case.
Functions of the ICD-10 Code for Prediabetes in 2022
The role of ICD-10 in prediabetes and other diabetes-related conditions is to create a unified understanding among all relevant stakeholders in the medical field. Classifying prediabetes with its ICD-10-CM R73.03 code allows health providers, insurers, and patients to stay on the same page regarding diagnosis and the relevant treatment and management they need to sort out the problem.
In the United States, any health body or organization that works with a healthy body will be able to understand precisely how the code works and what they can do concerning treatment, especially in the United States, where the code is incredibly relevant for communication.
Once a diagnostic has been classified as ICD-10-CM R73.03, it significantly reduces communication difficulty and payment requirements when an insurance firm is involved in some instances.
The below sections outline how important the code for prediabetes is in the United States for all respective groups of stakeholders:
Patients
The ICD-10-CM R73.03 is made known to patients after a diagnosis, and it’s what they’ll need to point out if they have to show it to a doctor or several doctors that didn’t exactly carry out the diagnosis themselves. Patients will also need the code when relaying their condition to an insurance company.
Providers
Providers use the code to pass information about prediabetes to patients and can use it as justification for more future diagnostic tests to understand its growth, reduction, and possible treatments.
Insurers
Insurers or insurance institutions use the code to implement patients’ financial reimbursements. In fact, one of the major advantages of the code is that it aids reimbursement approval for patients.
Statistical Significance
The ICD-10-CM code is also valuable for statistical purposes. Today, the United States has millions of people with diabetes-related conditions. The only way the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) know these numbers so accurately is via the ICD-10-CM Code.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)—a body of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—uses the ICD-10 data to trace and monitor population health. The institution uses the ICD-10CM R73.03 to know the number of people diagnosed with prediabetes annually. They can practically separate people with prediabetes from those with an abnormal rise in blood sugar or already in the diabetes stage.
The center uses the data revealed to tell if people with prediabetes are growing or if there’s been an impactful reduction following the sensitization and orientation carried out by ADA and other diabetes prevention programs (DPPs) in the country. It’s through the ICD-10-CM that the United States decided to allow reimbursement of DPPs after the steady surge of prediabetes annually for the past few years.
Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) and Their Role in Prediabetes Management
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is one of the most effective campaigns the United States has come up with for people with prediabetes. DPPs are organized by public institutions like the CDC and a few private institutions.
DPPs are set up to help people with prediabetes reverse their blood sugar so they don’t develop diabetes. Several DPPs have succeeded in putting patients on the right track. Their primary approach is to help patients change their diet and live healthy lives.
More importantly, research has shown that patients admitted into DPPs have achieved higher success controlling and reversing their dangerously high blood sugar than those who attempt to do so themselves.
DPPs are incredibly helpful because patients are usually placed in a community of people with the same prediabetes issues. Together, they’re given personal assistants to help them achieve their goals and report their progress. So far, the result has shown that the campaigns have been incredibly effective.
Here are some of the major DPPs currently available:
CDC National Diabetes Prevention Program (CDC DPP)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been at the forefront of handling prediabetes issues with its diabetes prevention program. The program, like others, is dependent on dieting and exercising.
Patients are taught and guided to get the best management treatment to enable them to reverse their condition and live healthier. Remarkably, the CDC DPP has achieved a lot of success in treating and reversing prediabetes.
YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (YMCA DPP)
Although the YMCA isn’t as popular as the CDC, it’s just as effective in helping patients prevent diabetes by nipping prediabetes at the bud. The YMCA has helped men and women with the best management tips and professional health experts to treat their condition and live much healthier.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Diabetes Prevention Program (NIDDK DPP)
The NIDDK is another body committed to helping people with prediabetes treat their condition to live and lead a healthy life. Suffice it to say, the organization has helped people with top relevant treatments to handle their condition and reverse it.
Other Ways of Preventing Diabetes
While DPPs remains one of the most viable options, not every healthy person can afford to get registered. Thankfully, there are other ways that patients can treat and manage the condition.
The good thing is that the management method for prediabetes is similar to that of symptomatic diabetes. Below are some of the ways that people with prediabetes could manage their health:
Diet
DPPs are based on dieting. If people who can’t enlist in the program manager to control how much they eat, they’d have handled up to 50% of their troubles.
Medications aren’t recommended for prediabetes; on the other hand, natural methods like dieting are known to work wonders.
People with prediabetes must avoid foods filled with pure carbs, too much fat, or high sodium. The best foods to eat are those enriched with vitamins and minerals like magnesium and fiber. Several meal choices meet this criterion, and people who eat them can control their blood sugar better.
Exercising
Exercising is just as important as dieting. People with prediabetes can manage their condition better with proper eating and exercise.
Exercising with proper dieting burns off fats and reduces blood sugar drastically. It’s been proven to work many times, and it’s why many health institutions recommend exercising and cardiovascular activities alongside dieting.
Some of the best forms of exercise include running, brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and resistance training. Other more intensive forms include sprinting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is often recommended for people who’re already diagnosed with diabetes or are keen on losing weight. However, prediabetes patients seeking to reduce their blood sugar faster can also opt for this method. The intermittent fasting method is reliable and consistently keeps to it, leading to fast weight reduction and better living.
Intermittent fasting simply means having a restricted time frame for eating. Once a person has an intermittent fast, they’re likely to eat only twice daily.
Some may start to eat for the day by 11 am and eat their last meal by 7 pm. During that time, they may only drink water and very low-carb juice. They may also eat a significantly light lunch.
According to many experts, the best restricted time window is the 16:8 window. This window means patients can only eat twice within 8 hours and not within the remaining 16 hours. People who eat by 11 am will have their last meal at a maximum of 7 pm, giving them enough time to sleep and rest.
Conclusion
Treating prediabetes is the best way to manage diabetes mellitus. Once a person develops prediabetes, they’re at a heightened risk of developing diabetes, a serious condition that can lead to death.
This guide considers prediabetes and the importance that health institutions now accord it such that it has its peculiar classification. As was revealed, the International Code of Diagnostics (ICD) for prediabetes is R73.03. This code is available in the tenth version of the ICD and has found use amongst patients’ health providers and insurers according to their ascribed limits.
The high level of attention towards prediabetes is rooted in how it’s become a serious concern over the years. Patients can now get insured for prediabetes treatment and apply practical management tips to manage the condition.
Dieting is one of the best management tips that people with prediabetes must take seriously. With dieting, people can quickly reverse prediabetes and live healthier lives. One of the best ways they can do so is to adhere to a diabetes-friendly diet through a diabetes management app.
A diabetes management app helps people with diabetes and prediabetes regain blood sugar control. OurKlinio app is one of the trustworthy meal apps that people with prediabetes can trust at any time.
Our app provides prediabetes and diabetes patients with the best food to eat in terms of taste and blood sugar. This virtual caregiver also helps people with these conditions keep a good routine by providing them with a weekly and monthly plan for their meal choice.
