Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal or relative insulin deficiency. The pancreas is the only organ weighing 70 to 100 grams in the abdominal cavity of the duodenal arch. It plays an important role in digesting proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also produces insulin, which regulates carbohydrate metabolism in the body. In the article, we will talk about what kind of diet should be diabetic.
Types of Diabetes
Depending on the cause and course of the disease, doctors distinguish several types of diabetes:
- Type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus;
- Type II diabetes, which most commonly occurs later in life, especially in obese patients.
Type I diabetes is usually the result of pancreatic damage. These are primary damage to beta cells (those that produce insulin in the pancreas) and an absolute lack of insulin secretion.
The initial signs of type I diabetes are severe thirst and hunger, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination with excessive urine output, blurred vision, fatigue, and chronic infections. In some cases, the onset is accompanied by convulsions, confusion, slurred speech, loss of consciousness. Type I diabetes is considered an immunological disease.
Type 2 diabetes is more common in obese people. The disease can be congenital or acquired, characterized by a decrease in pancreatic insulin secretion as well as insulin resistance. This means that even the right amount of insulin in the body cannot perform the task.
The disease is accompanied by excessive thirst and copious urination, slowly raising blood sugar. The patient feels weak and sleepy. The disease often begins in middle-aged and elderly people. However, the number of young patients with type II diabetes has increased dramatically in recent years. An alarming number of children and adolescents with the disease are overweight and obese.
Hyperglycemia, what is it
Hyperglycaemia - Blood glucose is above normal. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include excessive thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, weight loss, excessive daytime sleepiness.
The most common cause of hyperglycemia is undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes. In people with diabetes, this situation can be caused by insufficient insulin.
Less commonly, hyperglycaemia is a consequence of infectious and endocrine diseases (acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome). There is a high risk of late complications, especially in the cardiovascular system.
Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with dysfunction and dysfunction of various organs - eyes, kidneys, nerves, cardiovascular.
Proper diabetes nutrition
Diet is a very important part of therapy in the treatment of diabetes. Proper blood glucose and lipid levels and optimal blood pressure must be maintained. Properly chosen diet reduces the risk of complications from diabetes and reduces the risk of developing vascular disease. Proper dietary management of diabetes plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic complications of diabetes. Including microvascular complications, retinopathy, nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and others.
Eating diabetes is one of the main factors influencing the outcome of diabetes treatment.
Sugar is essential for life, but in this case it is better to remove the sugar bowl! Diabetes mellitus is a major disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. People diagnosed with diabetes should limit their sugar or carbohydrate intake.
Sugar:
- monosaccharides - glucose and fructose are found in fruits and honey;
- sucrose disaccharide is sugar from a sugar bowl;
- Polysaccharides - Flour products, cakes, cookies and bread, potatoes, bananas, pasta, dumplings, pasta, pancakes and more.
Carbohydrates for Diabetes
Carbohydrates are part of our diet. Their consumption should cover 55-60% of total demand. Much depends on the form and structure of the origin of the carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in the digestive tract are digested and broken down into simple sugars - mainly glucose.
Note that excess carbohydrates stimulate pancreatic beta cells to continuously produce and secrete insulin.
As the sugar level rises, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter cells. Ordinary sugar, like glucose, enters cells quickly in about an hour.
Unfortunately, insulin is a hormone that lasts for hours and does not like to be "out of work". Thus, increased insulin levels cause fluctuations in blood glucose and carbohydrate hunger.
A hungry person opens the fridge and starts eating to satisfy that feeling of hunger. The adrenal glands receive information: fluctuations in blood glucose. All of these reactions are signals that the adrenal glands release adrenaline. This creates a vicious circle that causes stress, depression, and autonomic neurosis (neurasthenia).
It is therefore advisable to keep your carbohydrate intake to a minimum. In this situation, fluctuations in blood glucose levels and excessive production of the hormones insulin and adrenaline do not occur.
Glucose passes through the walls of the digestive tract and enters various organs with the blood, where it is converted and becomes a source of energy. If there is not enough exercise, the need for energy decreases and glucose accumulates in the muscles and liver as glycogen.
When glycogen is too much, it is converted into fat, so the fatty liver continues to accumulate excess body fat. The metabolic process of glucose is controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Carbohydrates, as the main energy substance, can only enter the cell with the help of insulin, which distributes simple sugars in the body. However, insulin deficiency, for example, leads to an increase in blood sugar, followed by severe metabolism in the cells. General insulin deficiency results in type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and young people.
Protein in Diabetes
Protein should cover 10-15% of energy needs. Higher amounts are needed for children during the growth period, for pregnant women. The most valuable - animal protein is in lean meat, curd, eggs and sour milk.
Since our body can produce 56 g of sugar per 100 g of protein, it is also important to limit protein intake. To avoid harm to the body, you must eat high-quality protein (yolks, meat offal). Sources of vegetable protein are soy, legumes, dark bread made from wholemeal flour.
Diabetes diet to do and things not to do
Diabetes diet should include foods such as egg yolk, butter, sour cream, milk and unsweetened vegetables in the first phase of treatment.
Significantly reduce or eliminate from your diet at this time: egg whites, lean meats, fish, poultry, and nuts.
People with diabetes should not eat high-protein meals or foods in the evening. At night, the body cannot use it. Because the pancreas does not release enough insulin, blood glucose levels rise in the morning. In this case, a dinner that is mostly made up of carbs and fats is recommended.
Fat has the most energy. They can only cover 30% of daily energy consumption. Too much of them contribute to the development of obesity.
Spices such as cinnamon, garlic, cloves, turmeric and bay leaves lower blood cholesterol and glucose.
Can diabetics eat fruits and vegetables? Yes, because they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Fresh vegetables, including broccoli, are ideal for diabetics as a great source of chromium. Onion capable of releasing insulin. Potatoes on the skin (boiled potatoes raise blood sugar too quickly), asparagus, green carrots, fresh cucumbers, sauerkraut, elderberry and stem tea and garlic.
Vegetables you can eat without major restrictions:
- tomatoes;
- fresh and pickled cucumbers;
- raw and sauerkraut;
- chicory;
- turkey; radish;
- paprika;
- salad
- mushrooms;
- zucchini.
A great remedy for diabetes is fresh blueberry leaves, which are picked before the fruit is ripe. Bruising can prevent diabetic retinopathy. Studies have shown that people with eye diseases have significantly improved vision during diabetes. This disease causes changes in the bottom that significantly impair blood flow to the eye.
Diabetics who are overweight (BMI above 25) are advised to limit their calorie intake to lose weight.
Food Glycemic Index
Blood glucose is affected not only by the amount of carbohydrates, but also by their type. It is therefore necessary to control the amount and quality of carbohydrates in the diet, but it is also desirable to calculate the glycemic index of the product.
Foods with a low GI are slowly digested and absorbed, do not raise blood glucose quickly, and do not stimulate insulin secretion. A low GI diet reduces the risk of developing insulin-dependent diabetes.
The higher the GI value of a food, the higher the blood glucose level after consuming that food. Foods with a high GI increase blood glucose. Slow absorption and a gradual increase and decrease in blood sugar when eating low-GI foods help control diabetes. It is best to eat foods with a GI of less than 60.
The GI of foods is significantly lower when consumed in their natural form, ie raw and unprocessed.
Diabetics are also advised to give up alcohol.