Real food is whole, single ingredient food.

It is mostly unprocessed, free of chemical additives and rich in nutrients.

In essence, it’s the type of food human beings ate exclusively for thousands of years.

However, ever since ready-to-eat foods became popular in the 20th century, many people have been eating them as a dominant part of their diet.

While processed foods may be more convenient in some ways, it’s hard to argue that they have made us healthier or happier.

In fact, following a diet based on real food may be one of the most important things you can do to maintain good health and high quality of life.

Here some good reasons to eat real food.

Real Food Is Loaded With Important Nutrients

Unprocessed animal and plant foods contain the vitamins and minerals you need for optimal health.

For instance, one cup (220 grams) of red bell peppers, broccoli or orange slices contains more than 100% of the RDI for vitamin C.

Eggs and liver are especially high in choline, a nutrient that’s essential for proper brain function .

And just a single Brazil nut provides all the selenium you need for an entire day.

There are many other examples of this. In fact, most real foods are good sources of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients.

Unlike supplements, it’s nearly impossible to overdose on nutrients from unprocessed food.

Points to Remember

• Insulin is a hormone that helps cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively.
• Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

• The major contributors to insulin resistance are excess weight, especially around the waist, and physical inactivity.
• Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose or A1C levels—which reflect average blood glucose levels—are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

• The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study and its follow-up study, the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), confirmed that people with prediabetes can often prevent or delay diabetes if they lose a modest amount of weight by cutting fat and calorie intake and increasing physical activity.

• By losing weight and being more physically active, people can reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes, thus preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.

• People with insulin resistance and prediabetes can decrease their risk for diabetes by eating a healthy diet and reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, not smoking, and taking medication.

• The DPP showed the diabetes medication metformin to be most effective in preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in younger and heavier people with prediabetes and women who have had gestational diabetes.

Excerpts from:  NIDDK

Points to Remember

• Insulin is a hormone that helps cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively.
• Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

• The major contributors to insulin resistance are excess weight, especially around the waist, and physical inactivity.
• Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose or A1C levels—which reflect average blood glucose levels—are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

• The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study and its follow-up study, the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), confirmed that people with prediabetes can often prevent or delay diabetes if they lose a modest amount of weight by cutting fat and calorie intake and increasing physical activity.

• By losing weight and being more physically active, people can reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes, thus preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.

• People with insulin resistance and prediabetes can decrease their risk for diabetes by eating a healthy diet and reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, not smoking, and taking medication.

• The DPP showed the diabetes medication metformin to be most effective in preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in younger and heavier people with prediabetes and women who have had gestational diabetes.

Excerpts from:  NIDDK

Ingredients:

350gms rump steak

2 tablespoons light (low sodium) soy sauce

1 pc fresh ginger, peeled & grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 pinches of five-spice powder

1 teaspoon chili sauce

1 tablespoon coconut oil

6 green onions, sliced diagonally

1 small red pepper, seeded & diced

8 crisp lettuce cups, to serve

Sprigs of parsley, to garnish

Cut steak into thin slivers and put in a bowl. Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, five-spice powder and chili sauce. Mix well, then cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Heat coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add onion and red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add beef mixture to pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time. Turn mixture into a warm serving dish. Serve at once with chilled lettuce cups, garnished with sprig of parsley.

To serve, simply spoon beef mixture into lettuce cups and eat with the fingers. Serve with plenty of napkins or finger bowls — it can be a little messy.

Note: If your stage of diet can handle an extra 2-3 carbs per serving, take the following extra step to make mixture richer and thicker: Blend 1 tsp. cornstarch smoothly with 1 teaspoon water and add to pan, alternatively you can also use arrowroot which will not add to your carbs. Cook an extra minute stirring constantly to thicken.

Ingredients: 

1 cup Lime Juice

1 teaspoon Stevia granules

2/3 cup Water

2 teaspoons Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped

1.3 kg skinned Chicken pieces

Cooking Method:

In a bowl or blender mix all ingredients (except chicken) until well blended. This will create a marinade.

Pour marinade over chicken pieces. Allow to stand in marinade in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven at  180°C. Drain and reserve marinade. Place chicken in baking dish. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes, basting with marinade every 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. 5 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Ingredients: 

1 cup Lime Juice

1 teaspoon Stevia granules

2/3 cup Water

2 teaspoons Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped

1.3 kg skinned Chicken pieces

Cooking Method:

In a bowl or blender mix all ingredients (except chicken) until well blended. This will create a marinade.

Pour marinade over chicken pieces. Allow to stand in marinade in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven at  180°C. Drain and reserve marinade. Place chicken in baking dish. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes, basting with marinade every 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. 5 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Dietary Supplements

Vitamin D studies show a link between people’s ability to maintain healthy blood glucose levels and having enough vitamin D in their blood. However, studies to determine the proper vitamin D levels for preventing diabetes are ongoing; no special recommendations have been made about vitamin D levels or supplements for people with prediabetes.

Currently, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the agency that recommends supplementation levels based on current science, provides the following guidelines for daily vitamin D intake:

• People ages 1 to 70 years may require 600 International Units (IUs).
• People ages 71 and older may require as much as 800 IUs.

The IOM also recommended that no more than 4,000 IUs of vitamin D be taken per day.

To help ensure coordinated and safe care, people should discuss use of complementary and alternative medicine practices, including the use of dietary supplements, with their health care provider.

More information about using dietary supplements to help with diabetes is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Diabetes.

Dietary Supplements

Vitamin D studies show a link between people’s ability to maintain healthy blood glucose levels and having enough vitamin D in their blood. However, studies to determine the proper vitamin D levels for preventing diabetes are ongoing; no special recommendations have been made about vitamin D levels or supplements for people with prediabetes.

Currently, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the agency that recommends supplementation levels based on current science, provides the following guidelines for daily vitamin D intake:

• People ages 1 to 70 years may require 600 International Units (IUs).
• People ages 71 and older may require as much as 800 IUs.

The IOM also recommended that no more than 4,000 IUs of vitamin D be taken per day.

To help ensure coordinated and safe care, people should discuss use of complementary and alternative medicine practices, including the use of dietary supplements, with their health care provider.

More information about using dietary supplements to help with diabetes is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Diabetes.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

4 Green bell peppers

650 gms ground sirloin

1 small white onion, diced fine

Oregano, Seasoned Pepper and Fennel Seed [optional] to taste

6 Roma tomatoes

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Spray casserole dish with Low fat spray and cook. Cook ground sirloin and sausage at low to medium heat, stirring often. Once meat is cooked through, drain thoroughly. Add all coconut oil, onions, garlic, oregano, seasoned pepper, fennel seed and 3/4 of tomatoes. Simmer over low heat approximately 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Cut off tops of all peppers, remove inner seeds and membranes and wash thoroughly. Fill all peppers with meat mixture, alternating with a layer of parmesan cheeses. Place peppers into a casserole dish, side by side, adding the remaining tomatoes to the dish (around and under the peppers so they cook up and into the peppers.) [Alternatively, you can cut peppers in half vertically and stuff each half, making serving easier and speeding bake-time.]

Add any remaining mixture around the peppers and sprinkle all remaining parmesan cheeses on top. Add shredded mozzarella cheese if desired for a hint of extra flavor.