Dessert is no longer allowed. Absolutely. But wait, why?
If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, it does not mean that he will have to follow a strict and bland diet for the rest of his life. In addition, the quality of life with such a diagnosis may even increase - there will be motivation to eat well and play sports. And you will also need to learn to count well to get insulin properly if needed. What else to expect from a diabetic diet and why it's not that scary, read our material.
General Information
Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases for which a persistent rise in blood sugar is characteristic. These diseases lead to the development of serious complications, mainly vascular: coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, as well as renal failure and even gangrene. Diabetes is common in pregnant women and is referred to as gestational diabetes. But a diet is not prescribed, as it usually disappears after childbirth.
People who eat a lot of sugar are more likely to gain weight. This is facilitated by the modern rhythm of life and the peculiarities of work: the way of working while sitting in the car and the work itself is sedentary, office work. Lack of physical activity contributes to the development of physical inactivity. Naturally, the body weight begins to increase. Metabolic disorders develop.
Why you need a diabetes diet
A person with diabetes is prescribed a specific diet. Many people mistakenly believe that they have to give up sweets. In fact, in the diet of a person with diabetes mellitus, half of the diet should be carbohydrates, but carbohydrates are "harmless". It should be remembered - the so-called "fast" carbohydrates - sugar, donuts, buns, bagels, white bread cause a spike in human blood sugar and therefore are not recommended for patients with diabetes.
Most people with diabetes will find it easier to control their blood glucose levels if they manage to lose weight. The diet should serve two purposes: normalize blood sugar levels and reduce calorie intake. There are no universal recommendations for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as there is a risk that a person will go from a state of hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia (a blood glucose level that is too low), and this is fraught with serious complications up to the development of coma.
Features of the diabetic diet
If we talk about the nutrition of a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is interesting to start with a story about vodka. Vodka is a high-calorie product. One gram contains about 7 kilocalories, one gram of fat contains 9 kilocalories. If we compare with proteins and carbohydrates, there are about two to three times less kilocalories.
Many people believe that vodka lowers blood sugar levels. So it really is, but in a pathological, abnormal, harmful way. Blood sugar levels drop, but appetite immediately increases. A person wants to have a bite of this vodka, and once he has eaten a bite, he has added more calories to himself.
Calories: The stronger the drink, the more caloric it is. A bottle of wine has about three times fewer calories than vodka, beer - even less.
Strictly speaking, a patient with diabetes should first of all minimize alcohol consumption.
Carbohydrates are of two types: easily digestible (fast) and the so-called slow. Slowly digestible includes cereals, pasta, potatoes. The diet of diabetics must contain carbohydrates. If you take a dish and divide it into four parts, about half should be carbohydrates, a quarter of fat and a quarter of protein.
Animal fats are extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is more useful to give preference to fish over meat. If you eat chicken, of course, skin it and remove the fat. If we talk about beef, pork, then it is necessary to reduce the calorie intake and the volume of consumption of these fats themselves. Fish and meat are also excellent sources of protein. However, you shouldn't just focus on them - plant foods like soy and wheat also contain a lot of protein, sometimes even more than animal sources.
Important! Food should be measured, moderate, five to six times a day, a little, once every three hours, full, but in no case three times a day.
It is also advisable to set aside time for the main meals - breakfast and lunch for at least 30 minutes. If he eats too fast, too much insulin enters the bloodstream, and because there's a lot of it, he needs more food. And, without realizing it, the person eats more. Therefore, it is important to eat without distractions, not to rush.
You may have heard something about numbered diets for people with diabetes. We also heard, and decided to invite an expert, professor, head of the endocrinology department.
"Diabetic tables were once actively used, the so-called numbered diets. Since then, dietetics and all science in general have made great strides. Therefore, diabetic table number 9 is an obsolete concept, it is no longer used. " .
Differences in nutrition for type 1 and type 2 diabetes
It is important that all people with diabetes, regardless of age, eat healthy foods, just like people without diabetes. The diet must include foods rich in fiber: fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
A person with diabetes does not need to take insulin as often as they eat. For example, a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus on pill therapy does not need insulin - even if necessary, eat six times a day, in small portions.
But if a person receives insulin, then it should only be done before the main meals. There is no need for three small snacks.
What is the glycemic index?
Calories are energy that can be obtained from food. In the store, on the packaging of any food product, the number of kilocalories in one hundred grams of product, the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is indicated.
But the products are different, they have a different glycemic index - the rate of absorption of carbohydrates in the body. The index is ranked on a scale of zero to one hundred. There are foods that slowly raise sugar levels, and there are foods that do it quickly, and that doesn't depend on calorie content. The higher the index, the more the sugar level rises after consuming the product.
What is a unit of bread?
Bread units are a parameter developed by German endocrinologists for patients with type 1 diabetes. We are talking about the amount of carbohydrates, which roughly corresponds to 12. 5 grams of bread. Each patient calculates for himself the approximate number of units of grain, which he needs. If one person weighs 100 kilograms and the other 60, then they need a different number of units of bread. But in this case we are talking about carbohydrates, how many carbohydrates to eat.
The approximate number of grain units required is individual. It depends on how much a person weighs, plays sports, or maybe plans a long trip or a trip to the club. In this case, a simple calculation of XE will not help. It is necessary to understand both the size of the portions and the composition of the products: for this there is a school for patients with diabetes.
According to the data provided by our expert: "Bread units are a rough concept. We understand that the amount of carbohydrates for patients with diabetes mellitus should be about 50-55% of the amount of food. Therefore, the calculation is one thing. quite simple, but it still requires some kind of training. "
Product tables
Permitted products
With diabetes mellitus, sweets can only be replaced with sweets - sweeteners, fruits. You can, for example, eat two or three peaches, two oranges or three apples. Or you can eat something made with sweeteners. The fact is that foods for people with diabetes, including sweet foods, differ, in fact, only in one thing - they are more expensive.
The menu should contain healthy carbohydrates, high-fiber foods, fish and "good" fats. During digestion, complex carbohydrates and disaccharides in the intestine are broken down into simpler ones. In particular, sugar breaks down into glucose and fructose, after which the glucose is absorbed from the intestine into the blood. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt.
Foods high in healthy fats can help lower cholesterol levels. These include: avocados, nuts, olive and peanut oils. Remember that, like all fats, they are high in calories. It is important that a diabetic's diet is high in fiber. Fiber slows the body's digestion, release, and absorption of glucose. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, mushrooms and whole grains are high in fiber.
Prefer fish to meat. Eat it at least twice a week.
Forbidden foods
If possible, cut out easily digestible carbohydrates and alcohol. Such carbohydrates mean a rapid rise in blood sugar and if a person is on insulin and quickly tries to reduce this jump, sudden changes in sugar levels are dangerous for the body due to the risk of developing acute cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, accelerating the development of atherosclerosis.
With diabetes, it is necessary to limit:
- Saturated fat (NSF). Eat less animal fat and avoid fatty dairy products. Most NF is found in butter, fatty meats, sausages, sausages and some types of oil - coconut and palm;
- Trans fats. They are formed when the food industry transforms liquid oils into solid fats, such as margarine. Most of these can be found in fast food, pastries, cakes, pastries. It is best not to consume trans fats at all, regardless of whether you have diabetes or not;
- Cholesterol. Best of all: no more than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. About that much is contained in a chicken egg;
- Salt. Optimally, it won't be more than 2, 300 mg of sodium per day. This is about a teaspoon of salt, 6 grams;
- Otherwise, there are no special restrictions on taking products. You can also cook yourself more often. So you will know exactly what calorie content the dish has, how many proteins, fats, carbohydrates it contains.
Sugar substitutes
They are different, synthetic and natural. These substances contain practically no calories, but are sometimes hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. There have been many studies that have not proven their harm.
Therefore, sweeteners can be used in moderation. The list of FDA approved sweeteners includes saccharin, neotame, acesulfame, aspartame, sucralose, advantam, stevia, and lo-han-go.
It is not worth using them to excess. Four to five tablets per day.
Important! Many people mistakenly think that honey can be replaced by sugar. Honey contains a huge amount of calories and is an easily digestible carbohydrate. It must be limited as much as possible. It is, of course, very helpful, but people with diabetes should avoid it.
Rules for filling out the menu Menu
With 1 type
The most important thing for people with type 1 diabetes is to get all essential nutrients in the same amount as healthy people. If there is no tendency to overweight, in terms of calorie content, the diet should not differ from the norm. It is vital for people with CD-1 to know exactly how many carbohydrates they eat.
On average, one unit of insulin helps absorb 15 grams of carbohydrates. This is a commonality and it is important for every person with type 1 diabetes to know their individual insulin / carbohydrate ratio. The ratio can vary depending on how long the person has diabetes, weight, and level of physical activity.
Insulin dosage is adjusted for blood glucose levels before meals. If the blood sugar level is above the target level, additional units of insulin are added to lower it.
Your meal plan should include healthy proteins, fats, and small amounts of complex, low-GI carbohydrates. It is best if the proteins and fats come from plant sources. According to most of the foreign recommendations for diabetes, the diet is represented more accurately and comprehensively in the Mediterranean nutrition plan.
With type 2
At present, there is no definitive evidence of the benefits of a specific meal plan for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Regardless of whether you have diabetes, your diet should always be rich in non-starchy vegetables, grains. wholemeal and minimally processed foods. But that doesn't mean you have to eat everything raw. You should limit foods with sugar free, processed grains, and processed meats. Sometimes a doctor may recommend a low-carb diet for people with type 2 diabetes - it is best not to switch to it yourself, but to consult a dietician.
The diet in each case is selected individually and implies taking into account the general state of health, food preferences and individual characteristics of a person.
Important! If people with type 2 diabetes have been on a diet for a long time, they may need to see a dietician from time to time to keep their eating schedule up to date.
Unlike a style, a meal plan is a specific guideline that helps people plan when, what and how much to eat each day based on the recommendations of the chosen style.
The diabetic dish method is widely used as a basic nutritional guide and provides a visual approach to calorie management.
Knowing how many carbs you ate will make it much easier to calculate the correct insulin dose. How and what to count correctly according to the diet, you will always be taught in a diabetic school.
Sample menus for the week
There is a trick when preparing a menu and serving a portion of food. You can put the same amount of food on a large plate and on a small one. On a small one it seems like there is a lot of it, but on a large one it is not enough, but the number will be the same. You just need to eat from small plates.
Here is the menu, it is designed for around 2000-2500 calories. Depending on your weight and other individual characteristics, you may need a different number of calories.
Day 1
- Breakfast: poached egg, half an avocado, a slice of bread, an orange.
- Lunch: beans with spinach and tomatoes, cheese.
- Dinner: wholemeal pasta with tomato and turkey sauce.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries and nuts.
- Lunch: spinach, chicken breast, carrot and avocado salad; Strawberry.
- Dinner: boiled wholemeal couscous, fried zucchini, cucumber and tomato salad with fresh basil.
Day 3
- Breakfast: vegetable omelette with herbs, mushrooms, pepper and avocado; beans, blueberries.
- Lunch: wholemeal bread sandwich with unflavored Greek yogurt, mustard and tuna; grated carrot, cucumber, apple.
- Dinner: a mixture of beans and corn, chicken breast, asparagus, a quarter of pineapple.
Day 4
- Breakfast: wholemeal toast with cheese and spinach.
- Lunch: stewed cabbage with chicken, strawberries, banana.
- Dinner: tomato, cucumber, herb and cheese salad.
Day 5
- Breakfast: breakfast cereals, blueberries, a glass of almond milk.
- Lunch: salad of spinach, tomatoes, hard cheese, eggs, with yogurt sauce; grapes, pumpkin seeds.
- Dinner: Baked salmon with potatoes and asparagus.
Day 6
- Breakfast: A glass of low-fat Greek yogurt, strawberry puree and banana.
- Lunch: Brown rice with beans, low-fat cheese, avocado, coleslaw and cucumber.
- Dinner: lean beef with potatoes and broccoli, strawberries.
Day 7
- Breakfast: pearl barley porridge in low-fat milk.
- Lunch: wholemeal bread, cucumber, tomato, herbs and cheese salad.
- Dinner: shrimp, peas, boiled beets with olive oil, grapefruit.
This is a rough meal plan, but it gives a general idea of the composition of a diabetic diet and can provide guidance in finding recipes.
Myths About Diabetes Nutrition
The biggest myth is that diabetes is caused by people eating sugar. It is called sugar not because people eat sugar, but because diabetes increases sugar. And sugar levels rise for a variety of reasons. Apples and bread can also raise blood sugar levels, although they seem harmless. There are a lot of carbohydrates and they are not only found in sugar.
There is a theory about the viral origin of type 1 diabetes: it is possible that the Coxsackie virus, the influenza virus, the rubella virus and some other viruses cause type 1 diabetes mellitus. That is, after the disease, they are formed antibodies that mistakenly start attacking the beta cells of the pancreas. Whether this is so or not, it must be proved, but, unfortunately, the disease appears and develops.
Another myth is that you can get type 1 diabetes and it turns into type 2 diabetes. This will never happen, these are completely different diseases that have the same onset as the disease called "diabetes mellitus".
There is no cure for diabetes. Among the ineffective and useless treatments for diabetes, there are: ice diving, discontinuation of insulin therapy, endless exercise and dietary supplements. All this worsens the prognosis of the disease and increases the risk of complications. Get treated by real doctors. The second type can be prevented, but there is no cure.
Ready meals for diabetics (home service) If you have diabetes, carefully read the labels of all products and compare them with other similar products, look for the best balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fibers, as well as the optimal amount of calories.
Fructose is often found in "diabetic" products. Drinking it won't raise your blood glucose levels, because you won't get it at all.
Conclusion
All people diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes mellitus should follow the dietary advice of a health care practitioner. Nutrition for diabetes mellitus should be developed individually, it can be adjusted by a nutritionist, based on changes in the course of the disease or when concomitant diseases appear. It is important that the diet is consistent with the overall treatment plan and that the history and medications the person is taking should be taken into consideration. Not all obese people have diabetes. However, they have a higher risk of developing diabetes in the future. It is best not only to follow a diabetes diet, but also to start exercising, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol.