There are no well-defined degrees of diabetes mellitus that can be quantified. The course of the disease is usually mild, moderate and severe. However, 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 follow the rules of rational nutrition, because the main method of treatment in this case is to adjust the diet.
Why diet?
In type 2 diabetes, the tissues' sensitivity to insulin is impaired and insulin resistance develops. Despite the sufficient production of this hormone, glucose cannot be absorbed and enters the cells in the required amount, which leads to an increase in its level in the blood. As a result, the patient has nerve fibers, blood vessels, tissues of the lower extremities, retina, etc.
Most patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or even obese. The process of losing weight due to a slow metabolism is not as fast for them as in healthy people, but it is extremely necessary to lose weight. Normalizing body weight is one of the conditions for maintaining good health and blood sugar levels.
What to eat with diabetes to normalize the sensitivity of tissues to insulin and lower blood sugar? The patient's daily menu should be reduced in calories and consist mainly of slow, fast carbohydrates. Usually, doctors recommend sticking to diet number 9. During the weight loss phase, the amount of fat in the dishes should be reduced (it is better to prefer vegetable oils). It is important for a diabetic to get enough protein because it is a building material and helps to gradually replace adipose tissue with muscle fibers.
Rational nutrition improves the sensitivity of tissues to insulin and normalizes the regulation of blood sugar levels.
The main objectives of the diet for type 2 diabetes:
- weight loss and reduction of body fat;
- normalization of blood glucose levels;
- maintain blood pressure at an acceptable level;
- lowering blood cholesterol levels;
- prevention of severe complications of the disease.
Diet for type 2 diabetes is not a temporary measure, but a system that must be followed constantly. This is the only way to keep your blood sugar at a normal level and maintain your health for a long time. In most cases, simply switching to a healthy diet is enough to keep diabetes under control. However, even if the doctor advises the patient to take hypoglycemic pills, this does not in any way cancel the diet. Without nutritional control, no medical method will have a lasting effect (even insulin injections).
Healthy natural foods help maintain normal blood sugar levels and manage blood pressure.
Methods of cooking
In patients with type 2 diabetes, it is desirable to prepare meals in a gentle way. The best types of food are culinary processes such as steaming, boiling and baking. Fried foods can only be eaten by diabetics from time to time, and it is better to cook them with a small amount of vegetable oil, even better on a non-stick coated grill. These cooking methods preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients. In its finished form, such foods do not burden the pancreas and other organs of the digestive system.
When choosing only low-calorie and low-fat foods, you can cook the dishes in your own juice. It is undesirable to add store-bought sauces, marinades and large amounts of salt to food. It is better to use spices that are allowed to improve the taste: herbs, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and dried herbs.
Meat
Meat is a very important source of protein for diabetics, because it contains essential amino acids that can not be produced by the human body. But when choosing it, you need to know certain rules so as not to accidentally harm your health. First, meat should be in the diet. Chicken, turkey, rabbit and lean veal are best for sick people. Second, it must be perfectly fresh, free of large numbers of blood vessels and muscle films, because they are digested for a long time and can create a feeling of heaviness that slows down the bowels.
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 distribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is selected individually for each patient by the attending physician. It depends on many factors - weight, body mass index, age, anatomical features and the presence of concomitant diseases. Properly selected proportions of calories and nutrients ensure a normal supply of energy, vitamins and minerals to the body.
Prohibited types of meat for diabetes:
- gas;
- duck;
- pork;
- mutton;
- fatty beef.
Patients should not eat pork, smoked meat, sausages and rich meat broths. Soups with poultry are allowed, but the water must be changed after the first boil. Soup with bone broth should not be cooked, because it is difficult to digest and creates an additional burden on the pancreas and liver. During the cooking process, the skin should always be removed from the poultry so that no excess fat gets into the pan. It is always better to prefer fillets and white meat with a minimal amount of connective tissue and fatty streaks.
It is advisable to replace animal fats with vegetable oils as much as possible. Olive, corn and flaxseed oils are considered the most beneficial for diabetics.
Fish
Fish should be in the diet of diabetics at least once a week. It is a source of healthy proteins, fats and amino acids. Eating fish products helps to improve the condition of bones and muscles, as well as helps prevent cardiovascular disease. According to the rules of the diet, the most useful fish allowed for diabetics is lean fish cooked in the oven or steamed.
Diabetics can eat tilapia, hake, pollock, tuna, cod. It is also recommended to include red fish (trout, salmon, trout) in your diet from time to time, as it is rich in omega acids. These biologically active substances protect the body from the development of cardiovascular disease and help reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol.
Patients should not eat smoked and salted fish, as this can cause problems with the pancreas, as well as the appearance of edema and the development of hypertension. Because type 2 diabetes usually develops in middle-aged and older people, high blood pressure problems are relevant to many of them. Consumption of too many salty foods (including red fish) can cause high blood pressure and worsen the condition of the heart and blood vessels.
When cooking fish, it is better to add a minimum amount of salt, replacing it with other spices and seasonings. It is desirable to cook without adding fat, because this product already contains a certain amount of healthy fats. The fillet can be cooked in the oven on a special plastic handle to keep it dry. Fish cooked in this way contains more moisture and has a melting structure.
Diabetics are not allowed to eat oily white fish (eg, pangasius, nototenia, herring, catfish and mackerel). Despite their pleasant taste, these products, unfortunately, can provoke 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 perfectly absorbed by the body.
Eating boiled seafood is good for diabetics. Shrimp, squid and octopus are rich in protein, vitamins and phosphorus.
Vegetables
The diet for type 2 diabetes is based on the predominance of plant foods in the diet, so vegetables in any form should be an important part of the diet of patients. They contain very little sugar and are also 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 large amounts of antioxidants that prevent the formation of harmful free radicals. Eating tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and green onions can boost a person's immunity and improve digestion.
The following vegetables are also useful for patients:
- cauliflower;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- pumpkin;
- onions and blue onions;
- broccoli;
- radish;
- pumpkin and eggplant.
Beets are also very useful for diabetics, because they contain amino acids, enzymes and slow carbohydrates. This vegetable has no fat at all, so it is low in calories. Beetroot has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, increases immunity and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Another important feature of beets for diabetics is the smooth regulation of intestinal motility, which helps to avoid constipation and heaviness in the stomach.
A balanced diet for type 2 diabetes allows even potatoes to be included in the diet, but this should not be the main thing when choosing and preparing a vegetable meal. It contains a lot of starch and has a relatively high caloric content (compared to other vegetables), so its amount should be strictly limited.
Vegetables need to be prepared properly so that they only benefit the body. If the vegetables are eaten raw and the diabetic has no digestive problems, it is better to use them in this form, as it preserves the maximum amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. However, if the patient has problems with the gastrointestinal tract (eg, inflammatory diseases), all vegetables should be subjected to initial heat treatment.
It is very undesirable to fry vegetables or cook them with a lot of butter and vegetable oil, because they absorb fat, and the benefits of such a dish will be much less than the harm. Fatty and fried foods not only impair the function of the pancreas, but often lead to extra pounds.
Overcooked vegetables are high in calories and can raise blood cholesterol levels.
Fruit
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. However, this is not necessary, because most fruits have a low glycemic index and are low in carbohydrates and calories. All fruits and berries with low and medium glycemic index are useful for diabetics, because they contain many vitamins, organic acids, pigments and mineral compounds.
- alma;
- pear;
- tangerine;
- Orange;
- grapefruit;
- apricot;
- plum;
- currant;
- cherries;
- cornel;
- raspberry.
Fruits contain carbohydrates, so their amount in the diet should be limited. It is recommended to eat in the morning (maximum until 16: 00) to prevent sugar from turning into body fat. It is also good not to eat fruit before going to bed in the morning and on an empty stomach, as it can irritate the gastric mucosa and cause some extra pounds.
Prohibited fruits for type 2 diabetes are melons, watermelons and figs because they have a high glycemic index and are high in sugar. For the same reason, it is undesirable for patients to use dried fruits such as dates and dried figs.
Peaches and bananas can be in the diet of diabetics, but it is recommended not to eat more than once or twice a week. It is better to prefer plums, apples and citrus fruits for daily use, as they help improve digestion and contain a lot of coarse fiber. They contain many vitamins and minerals necessary for the well-coordinated, full-fledged work of the whole organism.
Fruit is a healthy and tasty food that helps to eliminate the craving for forbidden sweet foods. For patients who eat fruit regularly, it is easier to follow a diet and daily routine.
Cereals and pasta
What can patients eat from grains and pasta? There are many permitted products on this list, from which you can prepare delicious and healthy meals. Cereals and pasta should be the source of slow carbohydrates needed for the patient's brain function and energy. The products recommended by your doctor include:
- buckwheat;
- oats that require eating (not instant grains);
- bulqur;
- pea;
- durum wheat pasta;
- wheat groats;
- unpolished rice;
- millet
For diabetics, eating white rice, semolina and instant oatmeal is highly undesirable. These products are high in carbohydrates, calories and low in biologically valuable substances. In general, these cereals simply saturate the body and satisfy the feeling of hunger. Excessive consumption of such cereals can lead to weight gain and digestive problems.
But even the allowed grains need to be cooked and eaten properly. It is better to cook the porridge in water without adding fat and oil. It is preferable to eat them for breakfast, because carbohydrates should provide the patient with energy throughout the day. These simple tips should always be kept in mind, because properly selected and cooked cereals will only benefit and not harm human health.
With type 2 diabetes, you need to eat fractions. It is recommended to divide the daily diet into 5-6 meals.
What to give up?
Patients with type 2 diabetes should completely eliminate such foods and foods from the diet:
- sugar and products containing it;
- fatty foods prepared using large amounts of vegetables or butter;
- smoked meat;
- semi-finished products and fast food;
- marinades;
- salty and spicy hard cheeses;
- bakery products made of premium flour.
You can't make exceptions to the rules, and sometimes you can use something from the banned list. Patients with type 2 diabetes do not receive insulin injections, and the only chance to maintain normal blood sugar levels is to eat properly, following the other recommendations of the attending physician.
Sample menu for the day
It is best to plan the menu for the day in advance, calculating its caloric content and the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in food. Table 1 shows the caloric content and chemical composition of some foods allowed by diet number 9. Based on this information, the recommendations of the attending physician, and always the ingredients indicated on the packaging of the products, you can easily create a diet with optimal energy value.
The sample menu for the day may look like this:
- breakfast - oatmeal, a slice of low-fat cheese, unleavened whole grain bread;
- snack - nuts or apples;
- dinner - vegetable juice, boiled chicken breast or turkey, buckwheat porridge, berry juice;
- afternoon snack - allowed fruit and a glass of hip juice;
- dinner - steamed fish with vegetables or low-fat cottage cheese, a glass of compote without sugar;
- Snack before bedtime - 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
The diet of patients with type 2 diabetes can be really varied and delicious. Lack of sweet foods is compensated by healthy fruits and nuts, and fatty meat is replaced by dietary options. The great advantage of this menu is that it can be cooked for the whole family. Limiting animal fats and sugars is beneficial even for healthy people and is a prerequisite for maintaining normal health for many years in diabetes.