“Diabetes is not a word, it is a way of life,” endocrinologists repeat this sentence endlessly.Adherence to a therapeutic diet is one of the fundamental points of diabetes treatment, allowing patients to live a fulfilling life.
Diabetes diet is a major component of treatment.This disease causes a deficiency of insulin, a specialized pancreatic hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism.The main symptom of diabetes is elevated blood sugar, but the disruption of carbohydrate metabolism is not isolated, but leads to an imbalance of protein and fat metabolism.
A diabetic diet involves more than restricting carbohydrates.The patient's diet also includes foods that help normalize the function of other organs and systems often affected by this endocrine disorder.So, for example, with obesity (which often happens), the menu should include as many vegetables as possible that contain a small amount of calories but give a feeling of satiety: cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, peas, cabbage, lettuce.Taking into account that the liver is also damaged in many diabetics, the diet is limited to extracts (meat and fish broth), but always includes cottage cheese, soybeans and oatmeal, which have a beneficial effect on liver function.Damage to the cardiovascular system requires people with diabetes to limit salt in their diet.
The two existing types of diabetes require different dietary approaches.With type 1 diabetes, diet is not that important - treatment focuses on insulin injections, which allows such patients to have an unrestricted diet.But with type 2 diabetes, diet is crucial - in the initial stages of the disease, in many cases blood sugar levels can be controlled simply by following therapeutic dietary recommendations, without the need to prescribe antidiabetic drugs.
However, there are general principles for any type of diabetic diet, and following these principles can stabilize carbohydrate metabolism to a certain extent.
Diet for people with diabetes: basic principles
- Eat frequent, regular, and simultaneous meals—at least 4 times a day.
- Even distribution of dietary caloric content and nutritional value among main meals.
- The wide range includes many products recommended for diabetics.
- Use xylitol or sorbitol to sweeten foods.
- Use a special form to monitor the caloric content of your daily diet.
- Limit liquids to 1200ml (including first course).
- Add vitamin-rich foods to your diet: rosehip soup, yeast, etc.
- Monitor blood sugar levels regularly and adjust your diet based on the results obtained.
type 2 diabetes diet
All therapeutic diets in modern medicine are usually designated with numbers for ease of use.In terms of diabetes, the classic diet is number 9 - otherwise they would say "table 9".
What is Diabetes Diet No. 9?
Recommended dishes:
- Bread (focus on rye pastry) 200-300 g;
- vegetable soup;
- Boiled or steamed meat and poultry;
- boiled or steamed lean fish;
- Vegetables: cabbage or cauliflower, lettuce, rutabagas, cucumbers, radishes, beets, carrots, potatoes;
- Eggs – 2 per day;
- Unsweetened fruits and berries: Antonov apples, oranges, lemons, lingonberries, cranberries, red currants;
- Kefir or yogurt – 200-400 ml per day;
- Up to 200 mg of cottage cheese per day;
- mild sauces, including dulce de leche;
- Appetizers: vinaigrette, salad, fish jelly;
- Beverages: tomato juice, milk tea, unsweetened juice, sugar-free preserves;
- Butter and vegetable oils – 40 grams per day.
Usage restrictions:
- Limit your intake of grains, legumes and pasta, and reduce your bread consumption;
- Light fish or broth - no more than 2 times a week;
- Sugar and diabetic sweets - as recommended by your doctor;
- Milk – as recommended by your doctor;
- Cheese, cream, sour cream - limited;
- coffee.
prohibit:
- Chocolate, candy, cakes, pastries, honey, jam, etc.;
- pork and lamb fat;
- Spicy, savory and smoked dishes:
- Sweet fruits: bananas, raisins, grapes;
- Alcohol in any form.
Table 9 shows the diet for patients with diabetes during the stable period.If a patient's condition worsens for any reason, the diet is usually more restrictive.Regardless, only a doctor can give final recommendations on diet for type 2 diabetes.
type 1 diabetes diet
With type 1 diabetes, diet depends on the use of insulin, so those with type 2 diabetes who require insulin injections often follow these same recommendations.
The ingredients of this menu are not too different from the type 2 diabetes diet, but sugar is completely excluded.Despite this prohibition, patients receiving insulin are strongly advised to keep a piece of sugar or candy with them at all times in case of the threat of hypoglycemia (a state of low blood sugar), the severity of which can lead to a serious condition - coma.
Modern blood glucose meters and carbohydrate tables enable these patients to live a more nutritious lifestyle.The existing concept - one bread unit (XU), equivalent to 12 grams of carbohydrates - allows diabetics on insulin to regularly eat foods that are not even recommended or to consume more carbohydrates.However, to do this, patients need to measure their blood sugar before each meal and inject themselves with the required amount of short-acting insulin according to the menu that will appear, represented by XE.To calculate grain units, use a special table.
None of the above does mean that people with type 1 diabetes can eat all foods in any amount: no more than 7-8 XEs should be included in a meal.For overweight patients, these restrictions are even more stringent.
A hallmark of a type 1 diabetes diet is its high protein content.This requirement is particularly important in patients with infectious complications and manifestations of dystrophic limbs.
Only the attending physician is involved in formulating the detailed diet, alternating meals, and hourly insulin injections.
Weight loss diet for diabetics
People with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are often overweight.Therefore, the issue of limiting the caloric content of the diet in such patients may be particularly important.However, no "quick" single diet should be used in this case.The explanation for this ban is that if a balanced diet is disturbed, the risk of developing a severe hypoglycemic state (severe low blood sugar) is high and is almost inevitable in people with type 1 and moderate type 2 diabetes.
If you are overweight, a diabetes weight loss diet involves modifying the usual treatment diet 9 by reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates (sugar) and limiting fat.However, such decisions should not be taken without consulting a doctor: only together with a doctor can the patient formulate a safe diet with a lower calorie content.