When women start learning about blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and how to reverse prediabetes, many feel discouraged before they even begin. The message they often hear is that the outcome is fixed or that the only path forward is restriction. But what if the missing piece is guidance that works with their real lives instead of shrinking them?
Jessica Jones, MS, RDN, CDCES (Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist) and Co-Founder of Diabetes Digital, brings a perspective grounded in possibility. We spoke with her about how prediabetes reversal becomes more achievable when the journey starts with something universal: nourishment.
Insulin Sensitivity and Prediabetes
Jessica wants readers to understand that insulin sensitivity and prediabetes are not the same thing.
Insulin sensitivity is about how well your cells respond to insulin, and it is something everyone can support every day through movement, balanced meals, sleep, and stress care, regardless of their labs. Prediabetes is a specific diagnostic range, an A1c of 5.7 to 6.4 or fasting glucose of 100 to 125, that tells you insulin resistance has progressed enough to show up in bloodwork.
The daily habits that support insulin sensitivity also support prediabetes. You do not need a different diet for each goal. A prediabetes diagnosis adds the need for medical follow-up, repeat labs every three to six months, and ideally a referral to a registered dietitian.
Jessica also wants women to know that support is available. “Most people do not realize nutrition counseling for prediabetes is often covered by insurance, so ask your doctor about it.”
Cravings Tell a Story
Jessica begins by reframing cravings in a way that immediately softens the pressure many women feel. “Cravings are usually information, not a character flaw. The most common culprit I see is undereating earlier in the day. When you skip breakfast or have a light lunch, blood sugar dips by mid-afternoon, and your brain sends an urgent signal for quick energy, which almost always means something sweet or starchy. Restriction also plays a role. The more off-limits a food feels, the louder the craving gets.”
Instead of fighting cravings, she encourages women to look beneath them. “Are you eating enough at meals? Are you pairing carbs with protein and fat so your blood sugar stays steadier?” And when a sweet craving does show up, she suggests a small change instead. “Have it with or right after a balanced meal rather than on an empty stomach.”
Cravings become less of a battle and more of a message.
Nourished by Culture
Jessica is clear that Black women should not be told to abandon the dishes they grew up with.
You do not have to give up your culture to take care of your blood sugar, and I want to be really clear about that because so many women are told otherwise. The foods are not the problem. The goal is to build the plate around them.
She describes a familiar Sunday plate with rice, baked chicken, smothered cabbage, and black-eyed peas. The key is balance, not restriction. “Greens, okra, beans, sweet potatoes, and fish are already deeply rooted in our food traditions, and they are some of the most blood sugar-friendly foods on the planet.”
Little Choices with Big Impact
Jessica focuses on changes that fit into real life. “When you can, include some protein at breakfast. That could be grits with eggs and turkey sausage, salmon croquettes with a side of grits, Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, or a smoothie with protein powder.” She also encourages pairing carbs with protein or fat throughout the day.
Movement is another tool she emphasizes because it works quickly and reliably. “If it is accessible to you, a 10-minute walk after your largest meal helps your muscles pull glucose right out of the bloodstream. Research shows even short post-meal walks meaningfully blunt spikes.”
Decoding Your Hunger
Many women feel disconnected from their hunger patterns, especially when blood sugar has been unstable for a long time. Jessica says steadiness is the foundation. “The fastest way to rebuild trust with your body is consistency. Eating every 3 to 5 hours, with meals that include protein, fiber, and fat, keeps blood sugar steady enough that your hunger cues become reliable again.”
She teaches a simple hunger-and-fullness scale that helps women tune in without judgment. “I also teach patients to check in before and after meals on a simple 1 to 10 hunger and fullness scale, where 1 is ravenous, and 10 is uncomfortably stuffed. The suggestion is to start eating around 3 or 4 instead of waiting until you hit a 1. On the other end, try pausing around a 7 or 8, comfortably satisfied, rather than pushing to a 9 or 10.”
Habits and Patterns to Watch
Even when women feel like they’re doing everything right, certain habits can still get in the way. Jessica sees the same ones often. “The biggest is backloading. Second is liquid sugar hiding in plain sight. Third is the ‘healthy’ breakfast that is actually all carbs.”
She also reminds women that food is not the only factor. “Poor sleep and chronic stress both raise blood sugar through cortisol, so someone can be eating beautifully and still see stubborn numbers. That is also a sign it is time to work with a professional who can look at the whole picture, including whether medication or further testing makes sense.”
This is where her approach widens beyond the plate. Blood sugar is a whole-life conversation.
Including Carbs Without Fear
Jessica encourages women to keep rice, pasta, bread, fruit, and starchy vegetables in their lives.
Cutting carbs entirely usually backfires. It is not sustainable, it disconnects people from their cultural foods, and it often leads to a restrict-binge cycle that is worse for blood sugar than the carbs ever were.
She suggests letting carbs take up about a quarter of the plate and pairing them with protein and fat. She also shares a tip many people have never heard. “Rice, pasta, and potatoes that are cooked, cooled in the fridge, and reheated develop resistant starch, which produces a gentler blood sugar response.”
One of her favorite strategies requires no food changes at all. “Research shows that eating vegetables and protein first, then carbs last, can significantly lower the post-meal blood sugar spike from the same exact meal.”
Balanced Meals on a Budget
Jessica keeps snacks satisfying and balanced. “The snack formula is simple. Carb plus protein or fat.” Cheese and crackers, yogurt with berries, nuts with fruit. Nothing too complicated.
She brings the same practicality to meals, especially for women feeding families on a budget. “Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and often cheaper. Canned beans, eggs, canned salmon, chicken thighs, and frozen fruit are some of the most budget-friendly blood sugar tools there are.”
She offers examples that feel realistic for busy households, including a simple salmon salad with crackers. “Done beats perfect.”
How Emotions Shape Eating
Jessica approaches emotional eating with compassion.
First, I want to take the shame out of this. Emotional eating is not a failure. Food genuinely soothes, and for many Black women carrying stress, grief, caregiving, and being the strong one for everybody else, food may be the most accessible comfort available.
Her focus is on expanding coping tools, not removing food. “The problem is when it is the only tool in there.”
She also reminds women that emotional health is metabolic health. “Chronic stress raises blood sugar all by itself through cortisol.”
Reversing Prediabetes Is Possible
Jessica has seen thousands of women reverse prediabetes. “The women who get there share a few patterns. They eat consistently instead of restricting and rebounding. They find movement they like, usually walking and strength training rather than punishing cardio. They prioritize sleep. And almost universally, they stopped trying to do it alone and got real support, whether that was a dietitian, a doctor they trust, or a community.”
With solid information and the right support, women navigating blood sugar challenges often find they’re capable of more than they imagined.
Resources:
Virtual Nutrition Counseling by Diabetes Digital Dietitians
