Diabetes mellitus does not have clearly defined stages that can be expressed by numerical indices. Mild, moderate and severe stages of the course of the disease are usually distinguished. But there are two types of this disease - the first type (insulin-dependent) and the second type (insulin-independent).
It is especially important for such patients to adhere to the rules of rational nutrition, since in this case dietary correction is the main method of treatment.
Why diet?
In type 2 diabetes, tissue insulin sensitivity is impaired and insulin resistance occurs. Despite the adequate production of this hormone, glucose cannot be absorbed and enter the cells in the right amount, leading to an increase in its level in the blood. As a result, the patient develops complications of the disease that affect the nerve fibers, blood vessels, tissues of the lower extremities, retina of the eyes, etc.
The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Due to slow metabolism, the process of losing weight is not as fast for them as healthy people, but it is extremely necessary for them to lose weight. Normalizing body weight is one of the conditions for maintaining good health and blood sugar at the target level.
What to eat with diabetes to normalize tissue insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar? The patient's daily menu should be reduced in calories, and carbohydrates are slow, mostly not fast. Doctors usually recommend adhering to diet number 9. At the stage of losing weight, the amount of fat in dishes should be reduced (it is best to prioritize fats of vegetable origin). Getting enough protein is important for a diabetic, as it is a building material and contributes to the gradual replacement of adipose tissue with muscle fibers.
Rational nutrition improves tissue sensitivity to insulin and normalizes the regulation of blood sugar levels.
The main goals of the diet for type 2 diabetes:
- weight loss and body fat reduction;
- normalize blood glucose levels;
- keep blood pressure within acceptable limits;
- reduction in the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- prevent serious complications of the disease.
Diet for type 2 diabetes is not a temporary measure, but a system that must be followed at all times. This is the only way to keep blood sugar at a normal level and maintain good health for a long time. In most cases, just switching to proper nutrition is enough to keep diabetes under control. But even if the doctor recommends the patient to take hypoglycemic pills, this does not cancel the diet. Without nutritional control, no medications will give a lasting effect (even insulin injections).
Healthy natural foods help maintain normal blood sugar levels and control blood pressure.
Methods of food preparation
In type 2 diabetes, it is desirable for patients to prepare food in sweet ways. The best types of cooking are cooking processes like steaming, boiling and baking. Diabetics can only eat fried foods from time to time, and it is best to cook them in a small amount of vegetable oil, or better yet, on a grill pan with a non-stick coating. With these cooking methods, the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients are preserved. In finished form, such dishes do not place a burden on the pancreas and other organs of the digestive tract.
You can also stew dishes into your own juice, and choose only low-calorie and low-fat foods. It is not desirable to add store-bought sauces, marinades and large amounts of salt to food. To enhance the taste, it is best to use approved seasonings: greens, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and dried aromatic herbs.
Meat
Meat is a very important source of protein for diabetics as it contains essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce. In choosing it, you need to know certain rules so that you do not accidentally harm your health. First, the meat must be diet. For sick people, chicken, turkey, rabbit and lean veal are best. Secondly, it must be perfectly fresh, it must contain a large number of veins and muscle films, since they are digested for a long time and can create a feeling of heaviness, slowing down the n-intestí.
The amount of meat in the diet should be limited, but at the same time, the daily dose should provide a person with enough protein. The attending physician selects the distribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for each patient individually. It depends on many factors - weight, body mass index, age, anatomical features and the presence of concomitant diseases. Properly selected ratio of calories and nutrients ensures the body's normal supply of energy, vitamins and minerals.
Prohibited meat types for diabetes:
- go;
- duck ;
- pork;
- mutton ;
- fatty beef.
Patients should not eat bacon, smoked meats, sausages and rich meat broth. Cooking soups with poultry is allowed, but the water must be changed after the first boiling. You can not cook soup with bone broth, because it is difficult to digest and creates an additional burden on the pancreas and liver. Poultry should always be skinned during the cooking process so that too much fat does not enter the dish. It is always better to give preference to fillet and white meat, which contain a minimum of connective tissue and fatty streaks.
It is desirable to replace animal fats with vegetable fats to the maximum. Olive, corn and flaxseed oils are considered to be the most beneficial for diabetic patients.
Fish
Fish must be on the diet of diabetic patients at least once a week. It is a source of healthy proteins, fats and amino acids. Eating fish products helps improve the condition of bones and muscles, and also helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. The most useful fish allowed, according to the rules of the diet, for diabetics is lean fish, which is cooked in the oven or steamed.
Diabetics can eat tilapia, hake, pollack, tuna, cod. It is also advisable to include red fish (trout, salmon, salmon) periodically in your diet, as it is rich in omega acids. These biologically active substances protect the body from developing cardiovascular diseases and help reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol.
Patients should not eat smoked and salted fish, as it may cause problems with the pancreas, as well as stimulate the appearance of edema and the development of hypertension. Because type 2 diabetes usually develops in middle-aged and elderly people, high blood pressure problems are relevant for many of them. The use of highly salty foods (including red fish) can trigger pressure and worsen the condition of the heart and blood vessels.
When cooking fish, it is best to add a minimum of salt, and replace it with spices and other seasonings. It is desirable to bake it without adding oil, since this product already contains a certain amount of healthy fats. To keep the fillet dry, it can be cooked in the oven in a special plastic sleeve. Fish cooked this way has more moisture and has a melting texture.
Diabetics are forbidden to eat white fish of fatty types (for example, pangasius, notothenia, herring, catfish and mackerel). Despite the pleasant taste, these products can, unfortunately, stimulate the appearance of extra pounds and cause problems with the pancreas. Low fat fish and seafood are a healthy natural source of vitamins and minerals that are absorbed by the body perfectly.
It is useful for diabetics to eat cooked seafood. Shrimp, squid and octopus are high in protein, vitamins and phosphorus.
Vegetables
The diet for type 2 diabetes is based on the majority of plant foods in the diet, so vegetables in any form should be an important part of the diet that sufferers eat. They are low in sugar, and at the same time rich in fiber, vitamins and other valuable chemical elements. The most useful vegetables for diabetes are green and red. This is due to the fact that they contain a large number of antioxidants that prevent the formation of harmful free radicals. Eating tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and green onions may increase human immunity and improve digestion.
The following vegetables are also useful for patients:
- cauliflower;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- pumpkin;
- onions and blue onions;
- broccoli;
- raidis;
- zucchini and eggplant.
Beets are also very useful for diabetics, because they contain amino acids, enzymes and slow carbohydrates. This vegetable contains no fat at all, so its calorie content is low. Beetroot dishes have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, increase immunity and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Another important aspect of bheets for diabetics is the smooth regulation of intestinal motility, which helps to avoid constipation and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
A balanced diet for type 2 diabetes even allows the inclusion of potatoes in the diet, but this vegetable should not be a staple when choosing and preparing meals. It is high in starch and has a relatively high calorie content (compared to other vegetables), so its amount should be strictly limited.
In order for vegetables alone to bring benefits to the body, they must be properly prepared. If vegetables can be eaten raw, and diabetics have no problems with digestion, it is best to use them in this form, as this preserves the maximum amount of useful elements, vitamins and minerals. But if the patient has concomitant problems with the gastrointestinal tract (for example, inflammatory diseases), then all vegetables must be subjected to pre-heat treatment.
It is highly undesirable to fry vegetables or stew them with lots of butter and vegetable oil, because they absorb fat, and the benefits of such a dish will far outweigh the harm. Not only do fatty and fried foods interfere with the functional activity of the pancreas, but they often also result in a series of extra pounds.
Vegetables cooked with excess oil are high in calories and can raise blood cholesterol levels.
Results
Some patients, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, try to eliminate all fruits from the diet, leaving only sour, green apples and sometimes pears. But this is not necessary, since most fruits have a low glycemic index and a small amount of carbohydrates and calories. For diabetics, all fruits and berries with low and medium glycemic index are useful, because they contain many vitamins, organic acids, pigments and mineral compounds.
- apples;
- pears;
- tangerines;
- oranges;
- grapefruits;
- apricots;
- plums;
- currant;
- cherry;
- cranberries;
- raspberries.
Fruits contain carbohydrates, so their amount in the diet should be limited. It is advisable to eat them in the morning (maximum until 16: 00) so that sugar does not turn into body fat. Before going to bed and on an empty stomach in the morning, it is also better not to eat fruit, as this can lead to irritation of the gastric mucosa and a set of extra pounds.
Prohibited fruits for type 2 diabetes are melon, watermelon and figs because they have a high glycemic index and high sugar content. For the same reason, it is not desirable for patients to eat dried fruits such as dates and dried figs.
Peaches and bananas may be present in a diabetic diet, but it is recommended to eat them at least once or twice a week. With daily use, it is better to give preference to plums, apples and citrus fruits, because they help improve digestion and contain a lot of coarse fiber. They contain many vitamins and minerals that are essential for the well-coordinated work of the whole organism.
Fruit is a healthy and tasty food that will help you overcome your cravings for forbidden sweet foods. Patients who eat fruit regularly find it easier to follow a daily diet and routine.
Cereals and pasta
What can patients eat from cereals and pasta? There are many approved products on this list, from which you can cook tasty and healthy dishes. Cereals and pasta should be the slow source of carbohydrates the patient needs for brain function and energy. The doctor's recommended products include:
- ruán;
- oats that require cooking (not instant cereal);
- bulgaria;
- peas;
- durum wheat pasta;
- Wheat groats;
- unpolished rice;
- millet.
It is highly undesirable for diabetics to consume white rice, semolina and instant oatmeal. These products are high in carbohydrates, calories and some biologically valuable substances. In general, these cereals only saturate the body and satisfy the feeling of hunger. Excessive consumption of such cereals can lead to weight gain and problems with the digestive system.
But even permitted cereals must be properly cooked and eaten. It is best to cook porridge in water without adding oils and fats. They are best eaten for breakfast, as carbohydrates should energize the patient throughout the day. These simple tips should always be kept in mind, since properly selected and cooked cereals will only bring benefits and will not harm human health.
With type 2 diabetes, you need to eat fractionally. It is advisable to break the daily diet into 5-6 meals.
What should be given up?
Patients with type 2 diabetes should completely exclude such dishes and foods from the diet:
- sugar and products containing it;
- prepared fatty dishes using a large amount of vegetables or butter;
- smoked meats;
- semi-finished products and fast food;
- marinades;
- salted and spicy hard cheeses;
- bakery products from premium flour.
You may not make exceptions to the rules and occasionally use something from the banned list. With type 2 diabetes, the patient does not receive insulin injections, and the only chance of keeping blood sugar at a normal level is to eat right, while observing other recommendations of the attending physician.
Sample menu for the day
It is best to make a menu for the day in advance, calculating its calorie content and the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in dishes. Table 1 shows the calorie content and chemical composition of some foods allowed by diet No. 9. Guided by these data, the recommendations of the attending physician and the composition, which is always specified on product packaging, you can easily create a diet with the best energy value.
A sample menu for the day may look like this:
- breakfast - oatmeal, a slice of low-fat cheese, whole grain bread without yeast;
- snack - nuts or apples;
- lunch - vegetable broth, boiled chicken or turkey breast, buckwheat porridge, berry juice;
- afternoon snack - approved fruit and a glass of rosehip broth;
- dinner - steamed fish with vegetables or low-fat cottage cheese, a glass of sugar-free compote;
- snack before bedtime - 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
A type 2 diabetic diet can be truly varied and delicious. The lack of sweet foods is compensated for by healthy fruits and nuts, and fatty meats are replaced by dietary options. A big advantage of this menu is that it can be cooked for the whole family. Restricting animal fats and sugar is useful even for healthy people, and in diabetes it has been a prerequisite for maintaining normal health for many years.