As a type 2 diabetic, I’m always paying attention to diet plans that claim to help control blood glucose levels, which is the same as diets that help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. About fifteen years ago, I was directed to the Zone Perfect diet plan by a physician friend of mine.

Developed Dr. Barry Seals over 30-years ago, the Zone Perfect diet was simple. At the time, the plan recommended a balanced diet consisting of 30% protein, 60% good carbs and 10% fats. The proteins were mostly fish, poultry and even a few eggs each week. Good carbs, as opposed to bad carbs, consisted of veggies and fruit, but not starchy veggies or fruit that cause spikes in blood glucose levels, which after a bit, result in an energy crash. Fats consisted of monounsaturated fats such as nuts, avocados, peanut butter and olive oil.

Today, the Zone Perfect diet plan has been revised to one-third protein, two-thirds good carbs and just a dash of good fats.

Then and now, the Zone Perfect diet plan excludes sugars, potatoes, processed foods and meats and fatty meats. As for portions, it was recommended only about 3-4 ounce portions of meat or what could fit in the palm of the hand. As for the nuts being a good fat, a portion consisted of 6 raw almonds.

I went on the Zone Perfect diet plan and my blood sugar level came down and I lost weight, but like so many others, after nearly a year, the little ‘bad’ things began to creep back into my diet until what I ate no longer resembled anything like the Zone Perfect diet.

I know there are other diabetic friendly diets out there and for the most part, they are generally similar with minor differences, except that some drastically restricts the amount of protein and try to stick more to veggies, fruit and good carbs.

A recent study conducted by a team led by Dr. Qi Sun, an associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, seems to support the veggie based diet plan for diabetics:

Turns out that the old adage — an apple a day keeps the doctor away — may actually be true. New research suggests that the more plant foods you eat, the lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.

People who ate a mostly plant-based diet reduced their risk of diabetes by 23%, the study found.

The association was even stronger — a 30% drop in risk of type 2 diabetes — for people who ate healthy plant-based foods, including veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. These foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial ingredients.

So, what isn’t an especially healthy plant food? Processed foods and foods with added sugar. Think foods like white bread, white pasta, breakfast cereal, chips, or cookies. The researchers also didn’t include starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, in their healthy-choices list.

However, don’t think that this plant-based diet plan turns one into a vegan or vegetarian as Dr. Sun admitted that it is okay to eat a minimal amount of animal protein but to limit it to fish, poultry and yogurt.

Dr. Sun believes that eating a plant-based diet also helps to maintain a healthy weight which in turn is what helps prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. If you already have type 2 diabetes, it’s not too late, as many studies have shown that in many cases, losing excess weight and eating healthy can actually result in no more type 2 diabetes.