Diabetes mellitus does not have a clearly defined degree that can be expressed in numerical indices. Usually, there are mild, moderate and severe degrees of disease course. 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 follow the rules of rational nutrition, since in this case the main method of treatment is to adjust the diet.
Why diet?
In type 2 diabetes, tissue sensitivity to insulin is impaired and insulin resistance develops. Despite sufficient production of this hormone, glucose is not absorbed and enters the cells in adequate amounts, causing its level in the blood to rise. As a result, the patient develops complications of the disease, which damage the nerve fibers, blood vessels, tissues of the lower extremities, retina, etc. Sh.
Most patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or even obese. Due to their slow metabolism, the process of losing weight is not as fast as it is for 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 target levels.
What should you eat with diabetes to normalize tissue sensitivity to insulin and lower blood sugar? The patient's daily menu should be reduced in calories and contain mostly slow, not fast carbohydrates. Usually, doctors advise to follow diet number 9. At the stage of weight loss, the amount of fat in the dishes should be reduced (it is better to give preference to fats of vegetable origin). It is important for a diabetic to get enough protein as it is a building block and promotes the gradual replacement of adipose tissue with muscle fibers.
Rational nutrition improves tissue sensitivity to insulin and normalizes blood sugar levels.
The main goals of the diet for type 2 diabetes:
- Weight loss and reduction of body fat;
- Normalize blood glucose levels;
- Maintain blood pressure within acceptable limits;
- Lowering blood cholesterol levels;
- Prevention of severe complications of the disease.
Type 2 diabetes diet is not a temporary measure but a system that must be constantly adhered to. This is the only way to maintain normal blood sugar levels and maintain good health for a long time. In most cases, just switching to the right diet is enough to control diabetes. But even if the doctor advises the patient to take hypoglycemic pills, it will by no means cancel the diet. Without medical control no medical method will bring long lasting effect (even insulin injections).
Healthy natural foods help maintain normal blood sugar levels and control blood pressure.
Food preparation methods
In type 2 diabetes, it is advisable for patients to prepare food gently. The best types of cooking are culinary processes such as steaming, boiling and baking. Fried foods can only be eaten occasionally by diabetics and it is advisable to cook them in a small amount of vegetable oil, or even better, on a cool pan with a non-stick coating. With these methods of preparation the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients is maintained. In finished form, such dishes do not aggravate the pancreas and other organs of the digestive tract.
You can also stew dishes in your own juice, at the same time choose only low-calorie and low-fat foods. It is not advisable to add store-bought sauces, marinades and large amounts of salt to the food. To improve the taste it is better to use the allowed spices: herbs, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and dried aromatic herbs.
Meat
Meat is a very important source of protein for diabetics because it contains essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce. But when choosing it, you need to know certain rules so as not to accidentally damage your health. First of all, meat should be dietary. Chicken, turkey, rabbit and lean veal are best for the sick. Secondly, it should be perfectly clean, should not contain a large number of veins and muscle layers, as they stretch for a long time and can create a feeling of heaviness, slow down the intestines.
The amount of meat in the diet should be limited, but at the same time, the daily dose should provide a person with a sufficient amount of protein. The distribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for each patient will be individually selected by the attending physician. 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 a normal supply of energy, vitamins and minerals to the body.
Meats prohibited for diabetes:
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- Duck;
- Pork;
- Lamb meat;
- Fatty beef.
Patients should not eat bacon, smoked meats, sausages and meat-rich broth. It is allowed to prepare soups with poultry, but the water must be changed after the first boiling. Soup can not be boiled with bone broth, as it is difficult to swallow and puts extra strain on the pancreas and liver. During the preparation, the skin of the bird should always be removed so that excess fat does not get into the dish. It is always best to give preference to fillets and white meats with a minimal amount of connective tissue and fatty strips.
It is advisable to replace animal fats with vegetable fats as much as possible. Olive, corn and flaxseed oils are considered to be the most beneficial for diabetics.
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Fish should be included in the diet of a diabetic patient at least once a week. It is a source of healthy proteins, fats and amino acids. Consumption of fish products helps to improve the condition of bones and muscles, as well as helps prevent cardiovascular disease. The most useful fish, according to the rules of the diet, for diabetics are allowed low-fat fish, which is cooked in the oven or steamed.
Diabetics can eat tilapia, hack, pollack, tuna, cod. It is also advisable to periodically include red fish (trout, salmon, salmon) in the diet 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 pancreatic problems as well as lead to swelling and hypertension. Since type 2 diabetes usually develops in the middle and elderly, high blood pressure problems are topical for many. Consumption of very salty foods (including red fish) can cause an increase in blood pressure and worsen the condition of the heart and blood vessels.
When cooking fish it is best to add a minimal amount of salt to it, replace it with other spices and seasonings. It is advisable to bake it without adding oil, as the product itself already contains a certain amount of healthy fats. In order for the fillet not to be dry, it can be cooked in the oven with a special plastic sleeve. Fish cooked in this way contains more moisture and has a melting texture.
Diabetics are prohibited from eating fatty white fish (e. g. , pangasius, notothenia, herring, catfish, and mackerel). Despite the pleasant taste, these products, unfortunately, can provoke the emergence of extra pounds and cause problems with the pancreas. Lean fish and seafood are a healthy natural source of vitamins and minerals that are perfectly absorbed by the body.
It is useful for diabetics to eat cooked seafood. Shrimp, squid and octopus contain large amounts of protein, vitamins and phosphorus.
Vegetables
The type 2 diabetes diet is based on the preference for plant-based foods in the diet, so vegetables in any form should be an important part of the diet that sufferers eat. They contain very little sugar and at the same time are 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;
- Onion and blue onion;
- Broccoli;
- Bolok;
- Zucchini and eggplant.
Beets are also very beneficial for diabetics as they contain amino acids, enzymes and slow carbohydrates. This vegetable has no fat at all, so its caloric content is low. Beetroot dishes have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, boost immunity and strengthen blood vessel walls. Another important feature of beetroot for diabetics is the smooth regulation of bowel movements, which helps prevent constipation and the feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
A balanced diet for type 2 diabetes allows even potatoes to be included in the ration, but these vegetables should not be a fundamental choice when choosing and preparing meals. It contains a lot of starch and has a relatively high caloric content (compared to other vegetables), so its amount should be strictly limited.
In order for vegetables to bring only benefits to the body, it must be properly prepared. If vegetables can be eaten raw, and the diabetic does not have a problem with digestion, it is better to use them in this form, as this stores the maximum amount of useful elements, vitamins and minerals. But if the patient has problems with the gastrointestinal tract (for example, inflammatory diseases), then all vegetables should be subjected to pre-heat treatment.
It is highly undesirable to burn or cook vegetables with a lot of butter and vegetable oil as they absorb fat and the benefits of such a dish will be much less than the harm. Fatty and fried foods not only disrupt the functional activity of the pancreas, but often lead to a set of extra pounds.
Vegetables cooked in excess oil are high in calories and can raise blood cholesterol levels.
Fruits
Some patients, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, try to remove all fruits from their diet, leaving only sour, green apples and sometimes pears in it. But this is not necessary because most fruits have a low glycemic index and contain small amounts of carbohydrates and calories. All fruits and berries with low and medium glycemic index are useful for diabetics because they contain a lot of vitamins, organic acids, pigments and mineral compounds.
- Apple;
- Pears;
- Mandarin;
- Orange;
- Grapefruit;
- Apricot;
- Plum;
- Currant;
- Cherries;
- Blueberries;
- Raspberry.
Fruits contain carbohydrates, so their number in the diet should be limited. It is advisable to eat them in the morning (maximum until 16: 00) so that the sugar does not turn into body fat. Before going to bed and in the morning on an empty stomach, it is also better not to eat fruit, as this can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa and a set of extra pounds.
Melons, watermelons and figs are forbidden fruits for type 2 diabetes because they have a high glycemic index and contain sugar. For the same reason, it is undesirable for patients to take dried fruits such as dates and dried figs.
Peaches and bananas can be included in the diet of diabetics, but it is advisable to eat them no more than once or twice a week. For daily use it is best to give preference to plums, apples and citrus fruits as they help improve digestion and contain lots of coarse fiber. They contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the well-coordinated, full-fledged work of the whole organism.
Fruit is a healthy and tasty dish that will help you to quench your cravings for forbidden sweet foods. Patients who eat fruit regularly find it easier to follow a diet and daily routine.
Cereals and pasta
What can patients eat from cereals and pasta? This list includes lots of allowed products from which you can prepare delicious and healthy dishes. It is grains and pasta that should be the source of the slow carbohydrates that the patient needs for brain function and energy. Products recommended by your doctor include:
- Buckwheat;
- Oats that require cooking (not instant grains);
- Bulgarian;
- Peas;
- Solid wheat pasta;
- Wheat groats;
- Unpolished rice;
- Millet.
It is highly undesirable for diabetics to eat white rice, semolina and instant oatmeal. These products are rich in carbohydrates, calories and a bit of biologically valuable substances. In general, these grains simply saturate the body and satisfy the feeling of hunger. Excessive consumption of such grains can lead to weight gain and digestive system problems.
But even the permitted grains must be properly cooked and eaten. It is better to boil porridge in water without adding oils and fats. It is advisable to eat it at breakfast as carbohydrates should provide energy to the patient throughout the day. These simple recommendations should always be remembered, because 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 divide the daily diet into 5-6 meals.
What to give up?
Patients with type 2 diabetes should completely exclude such dishes and foods from their diet:
- Sugar and products containing it;
- Fatty dishes prepared using large amounts of vegetables or butter;
- Smoked meat;
- Semi-finished products and fast food products;
- Marinades;
- Salty and spicy hard cheese;
- Baking products from premium flour.
You can not make an exception to the rules and from time to time use any prohibited list. In type 2 diabetes, the patient does not receive insulin injections and the only chance to maintain normal blood sugar levels is through proper nutrition, following other recommendations of the attending physician.
Sample menu for the day
It is better to prepare the daily menu in advance, calculate its caloric content and the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in the dishes. Table 1 shows the caloric content and chemical composition of some foods that are allowed in the 9th diet. With this data, with the recommendations of the attending physician and the composition that is always indicated on the packaging of the products, you can easily create a diet with optimal energy value.
The sample menu of the day might 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 breast or turkey, buckwheat porridge, berry juice;
- Afternoon snack - allowed fruit and a glass of rose broth;
- Dinner - steamed fish with vegetables or low-fat cottage cheese, a glass of compote without sugar;
- Breakfast before bed - 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
The diet of people with type 2 diabetes can be really varied and delicious. The lack of sweet food in it is compensated by healthy fruits and nuts, while fatty meat is replaced by dietary options. The big plus of this menu is that it can be prepared for the whole family. Limiting animal fats and sugars is beneficial even for healthy people, and diabetes is a prerequisite for maintaining normal health for many years.