Diabetes mellitus does not have clearly defined degrees that can be expressed by numerical indices. Usually, mild, moderate and severe degrees of the course of the disease are distinguished. But there are two varieties 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 it is the correction of the diet that is the main method of treatment.
Why diet?
In type 2 diabetes, tissue sensitivity to insulin is impaired and insulin resistance occurs. Despite sufficient production of this hormone, glucose cannot be absorbed and enter the cells in the right amount, which leads 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, the retina of the eye, etc.
Most patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or even obese. Due to a slow metabolism, the process of losing weight is not as fast for them as for healthy people, but it is extremely necessary for them to reduce weight. Normalization of body weight is one of the conditions for good health and maintaining blood sugar at the target level.
What to eat with diabetes to normalize tissue sensitivity to insulin and lower blood sugar? The daily menu of the patient should be reduced in calories, and contain mostly slow, not fast carbohydrates. Usually, doctors recommend sticking to diet number 9. At the stage of losing weight, the amount of fat in 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 material and contributes to the gradual replacement of adipose tissue with muscle fibers.
Rational nutrition improves the sensitivity of tissues to insulin and normalizes the regulation of blood sugar levels.
The main goals of the diet for type 2 diabetes:
- weight loss and reduction in body fat;
- normalization of blood glucose levels;
- maintaining blood pressure within acceptable limits;
- lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- prevention of severe complications of the disease.
A 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 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 that the patient take hypoglycemic pills, this by no means cancels the diet. Without nutrition control, no medical methods will bring a 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 desirable for patients to prepare food in gentle ways. 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 preferable to cook them in a small amount of vegetable oil, or even better, on a grill pan with a non-stick coating. With these cooking methods, the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients is preserved. In finished form, such dishes do not burden the pancreas and other organs of the digestive tract.
You can also stew dishes in your own juice, while choosing only low-calorie and low-fat foods. It is undesirable to add store-bought sauces, marinades and a large amount of salt to food. To improve the taste, it is better to use permitted seasonings: greens, 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 cannot be produced by the human body. But choosing it, you need to know certain rules so as not to accidentally harm your health. First, the meat must be dietary. For sick people, chicken, turkey, rabbit, and lean veal are best. Secondly, it must be perfectly fresh, it must not 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 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 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 ratio of calories and nutrients ensures the normal supply of the body with energy, vitamins and minerals.
Prohibited types of meat for diabetes:
- goose;
- duck;
- pork;
- mutton;
- fatty beef.
Patients should not eat bacon, smoked meats, sausages and rich meat broths. It is allowed to cook soups with poultry meat, but the water must be changed after the first boil. You can not cook soup with bone broth, because it is hard to digest and creates an extra load on the pancreas and liver. The skin should always be removed from poultry during the cooking process so that excess fat does not get into the dish. It is always better to give preference to fillet and white meat, in which there is a minimum amount 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 the most beneficial for diabetic patients.
A fish
Fish must be present in the diet of a diabetic patient 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, and also contributes to the prevention of 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, pollock, tuna, cod. It is also advisable to periodically include red fish (trout, salmon, salmon) in your diet, as it is rich in omega acids. These biologically active substances protect the body from the development of cardiovascular diseases and help reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol.
Patients should not eat smoked and salted fish, because it can cause problems with the pancreas, as well as provoke the appearance of edema and the development of hypertension. Since type 2 diabetes usually develops in middle-aged and elderly people, the problems of high blood pressure are relevant for many of them. The use of very salty foods (including red fish) can provoke pressure surges and worsen the condition of the heart and blood vessels.
When cooking fish, it is better to add a minimum amount of salt to it, replacing it with other spices and seasonings. It is desirable to bake it without adding oil, since this 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 in a special plastic sleeve. Fish cooked in this way contains more moisture and has a melting texture.
Diabetics are prohibited from eating white fish of fatty varieties (for example, pangasius, notothenia, herring, catfish and mackerel). Despite the pleasant taste, these products, unfortunately, can provoke the appearance of extra pounds and cause problems with the pancreas. Low-fat fish and seafood is a healthy natural source of vitamins and minerals that are perfectly absorbed by the body.
It is useful for diabetics to eat boiled seafood. Shrimp, squid and octopus contain large amounts of 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 food that sufferers eat. They contain very little sugar, and at the same time they 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 a large amount of antioxidants that prevent the formation of harmful free radicals. Eating tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and green onions can increase human immunity and improve digestion.
The following vegetables are also useful for patients:
- cauliflower;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- pumpkin;
- onions and blue onions;
- broccoli;
- radish;
- zucchini and eggplant.
Beets are also very useful for diabetics, as they contain amino acids, enzymes and slow carbohydrates. There is no fat in this vegetable 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 property of beets 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 allows even potatoes to be included in the diet, but this vegetable should not be fundamental when choosing and preparing meals. It contains a lot of starch and has a relatively high calorie content (compared to other vegetables), so its amount should be strictly limited.
In order for vegetables to bring only benefits to the body, they must be properly prepared. If vegetables can be eaten raw, and the diabetic has no problems with digestion, it is better to use them in this form, since 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 preliminary heat treatment.
It is highly undesirable to fry vegetables or stew them 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 also often cause a set of extra pounds.
Vegetables cooked with excess oil 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 in it. But this is not necessary, since most fruits have a low glycemic index and contain a small amount of carbohydrates and calories. For diabetics, all fruits and berries with a low and medium glycemic index are useful, because they contain a lot of vitamin, 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 fruits, as this can lead to irritation of the gastric mucosa and a set of extra pounds.
Forbidden fruits for type 2 diabetes are melon, watermelon and figs because they have a high glycemic index and are high in sugar. For the same reason, it is undesirable for patients to consume such dried fruits as dates and dried figs.
Peaches and bananas can be present in the diet of a diabetic, but it is advisable to eat them no more than once or twice a week. For 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 a lot of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the well-coordinated, full-fledged work of the whole organism.
Fruit is a healthy and tasty treat that can help you overcome cravings for forbidden sweet foods. Patients who regularly eat fruits find it easier to follow a diet and daily routine.
Cereals and pasta
What can patients eat from cereals and pasta? There are a lot of allowed products on this list, from which you can cook delicious and healthy dishes. It is cereals and pasta that should be the source of slow carbohydrates that the patient needs for brain function and energy. Doctor-recommended products include:
- buckwheat;
- oats that require cooking (not instant cereal);
- bulgur;
- peas;
- durum wheat pasta;
- Wheat groats;
- unpolished rice;
- millet.
It is highly undesirable for diabetics to eat white rice, semolina and instant oatmeal. These products are high in carbohydrates, calories and few biologically valuable substances. By and large, these cereals simply 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 allowed cereals need to be properly cooked and eaten. It is best to cook porridge in water without adding oils and fats. It is preferable to eat them for breakfast, as carbohydrates should provide the patient with energy for the whole day. These simple recommendations should always be remembered, 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;
- fatty dishes prepared using a large amount of vegetable or butter;
- smoked meats;
- semi-finished products and fast food;
- marinades;
- salty and spicy hard cheeses;
- bakery products from premium flour.
You can not make exceptions to the rules and occasionally use something from the prohibited list. With type 2 diabetes, the patient does not receive insulin injections, and the only chance to keep 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 better 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 that are allowed with diet No. 9. Guided by these data, the recommendations of the attending physician and the composition, which is always indicated on the packaging of products, you can easily create a diet with optimal energy value.
A sample menu for the day might look like this:
- breakfast - oatmeal, a slice of low-fat cheese, whole grain bread without yeast;
- snack - nuts or an apple;
- lunch - vegetable broth, boiled chicken breast or turkey, buckwheat porridge, berry juice;
- afternoon snack - allowed fruit and a glass of rosehip broth;
- dinner - steamed fish with vegetables or low-fat cottage cheese, a glass of compote without sugar;
- a snack before bedtime - 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
The diet of a type 2 diabetic can be truly varied and delicious. The lack of sweet foods in it is compensated by healthy fruits and nuts, and fatty meat is replaced by dietary options. A big plus of this menu is that it can be cooked for the whole family. Restriction in animal fats and sugar is useful even for healthy people, and in diabetes it is a prerequisite for maintaining normal health for many years.