Diabetes Dos and Donts

According to the Mayo Clinic, foods that are high in fiber not only ease bowel movements, they can also help lower bad cholesterol levels and lessen your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Foods like whole grain bread, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables are all high in fiber.

Fresh fruit is a great option to add fiber to your diet.

Many cereals are also a great source of fiber. When looking for a good cereal, Lynn Grieger of iVillage.com recommends that you check to make sure that the cereal contains at least 3 grams of fiber. But dont limit yourself to 3 grams.

Sugary drinks like sodas and juices dont have the same beneficial effects on the body that water does, and, according to Grieger, favoring water over these drinks often helps overall body function.

There is no right way to consume water. You can do it the old fashioned way with tap and bottled water, or you can get creative. Flavored water is great if you don't like the taste of plain water, but make sure that the flavored water you buy is calorie free and light on sugar.

Saturated fats are known to increase blood cholesterol levels significantly. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to less that 7 percent of your total daily calories.

Saturated fats can be found in fried foods, animal products, and crispy snacks. When in doubt, limit your intake of red meat, poultry with skin, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, potato chips and fast food.

Monounsaturated fats have been shown to decrease bad cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

There are various foods that contain high amounts of monounsaturated fats, including nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocados, and peanut butter. These foods are most useful in moderation.

Grieger says(link to ivillage article) that keeping a daily journal of everything you eat and drink can be a huge step toward losing weight and preventing diabetes. Making a detailed study of your diet can expose some poor eating habits that you may not have noticed.

There are various websites that offer free electronic food journals, including fitday.com and my-calorie-counter.com.