Diabetic meal plan: Benefits and disadvantages, A menu for a week
A diabetic meal plan is a diet that helps you manage the food intake you need to lower your blood sugar levels. In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a diabetic meal plan and what you need to know about a diabetic meal plan.
The benefit of a diabetic meal plan
diabetes Mellitus is an endocrine disease in which carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels. Insulin deficiency causes a state of hyperglycemia - an increased concentration of glucose in the blood.
The most common form of the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus,
most often occurring in people over the age of forty, more often in women. The development of the disease contributes to a decrease in physical activity, obesity, genetic predisposition, menopause, and subsequent hormonal disorders.
The cells do not respond to insulin and do not absorb glucose from the blood, although the amount of the hormone remains normal. The concentration of sugar rises, and in response to insulin, more is produced.
Cells react more weakly to an increase in the dose of the hormone, and insulin resistance occurs.
Since the cells do not receive enough glucose
despite its presence in large quantities in the blood, patients often experience hunger and weakness and eat more carbohydrates, which aggravates the condition and leads to obesity.
These conditions are well corrected by proper nutrition, that is, a decrease in the number of carbohydrates consumed to reduce the load on the pancreas and not cause a rise in blood sugar.
Type I diabetes mellitus
affects children and young people and is caused by a pathological condition of the pancreas that produces little or no insulin. Such patients must continuously administer this hormone artificially.
Additionally, pregnant women might develop gestational diabetes.
Hormones released during childbearing block insulin, as a result of which sugar rises. Usually, after giving birth, the condition normalizes on its own.
The main problem with any type of diabetes is a pathologically high blood glucose level and a lack of carbohydrates in cells that receive less sugar. To reduce spikes in sugar and insulin. and reduce the load on the pancreas reduce the number of carbohydrates consumed focusing. on slow carbohydrates that give a feeling of satiety. Additionally prohibited are fatty meals. since they stimulate pancreatic enzyme output. and cause the organ to be under the same increased strain.
Diabetes meal plans' drawbacks
Dietary limitations are the biggest drawback. A large number of products are excluded, and the method of their preparation becomes as simple and dietary as possible, which may seem tasteless to those. who are accustomed otherwise? Fractional frequent meals for a regular intake of carbohydrates also cause certain difficulties during the day. since it is difficult to find the right snack that would not contain sugars.
At the serious stage of diabetes,
you need to monitor the glycemic index of each food, excluding everything in. which the concentration of sugar is too high.
Many artificial sweeteners to create a sweet taste without raising blood sugar levels are harmful to the body. The use of natural alternatives is advised. for example, stevia extract and erythritol.
However, natural preparations can also cause sugar spikes. Numerous studies indicate that fructose, albeit to a lower extent than sucrose, also plays a role in the development of obesity.
A dining table for the diabetic meal plan
Modern methods of treatment provide for reducing the carbohydrate load in the diet to 5-7% and increasing the consumption of vegetable fats. As a result of this correction. A wide variety of beneficial micro- and macroelements are delivered to the body. without a significant amount of carbs. which reduces the carbohydrate load. and the need for insulin preparations.
Of course, in Type 1 diabetes, it is impossible to completely abandon insulin, but the development of Type 2 diabetes can be stopped and even reversed.
Previously,
diabetics were advised to completely eliminate fast, easily digestible carbohydrates. But today, the World Health Organization prioritizes such a concept as the quality of human life, so doctors are gradually abandoning extreme formulations such as this is strictly forbidden to you, forget about sweets, etc.
Studies have shown that such restrictions are stressful for a person, stress can lead to breakdowns and depression, so life with a constant no will not be fun. In addition, we still need sugar, because carbohydrates are the energy of life. Proteins and fats cannot be used as a substitute for them.
Therefore,
the diet of diabetics is based on the glycemic index of all foods. In fact, this indicator reflects the rate of blood absorption of sugar from them. In foods with a high indicator - jam, biscuits, cakes - the absorption rate is high. Products with a low indicator - cereals, fruits - less.
The pancreas can handle the load more easily at a slower rate of absorption. Therefore, meals with a GI of up to 55 are digested gradually and nearly never raise blood sugar levels.
Both white bread and black bread are considered carbohydrates. The use of both increases blood sugar levels, the difference is only in speed. The first contains a slightly larger amount, the second a little less, so we say that black bread is a favorite of diabetics, endocrinologists explain.
What can you eat for a diabetic meal plan?
Heat treatment increases the glycemic index of foods, so it is desirable to eat foods raw or not boiled.
- Fruit:Limited: apricots, cherry plums, grapefruit, oranges, Cranberries, Cranberries, peaches, apples, plums, sea buckthorn, red currants, cherries, gooseberries
- Vegetables: Cucumbers, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, lettuce, herbs, zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms
- Low-fat dairy milk ،Cottage cheese, dairy products, and some low-fat cottage cheese
- Cereals: Soybeans, beans, peas, lentils, buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley, and sometimes pasta
- Meat and fish light beef, turkey, chicken, rabbit, white fish
- Sweet-only special and very limited diabetes products
- Drink: Unsweetened tea, coffee, compotes, decoctions with herbs
- Bakery products: Whole grain wholemeal bread
- Miscellaneous: eggs and vegetable oils
What not to eat for a diabetic meal plan
Now doctors are trying not to make such installations. Firstly, with Type 1 diabetes, you can eat almost everything, but you have to count bread units and inject insulin. Secondly, even with Type 2 diabetes. where diet plays a role, you can eat varied, but you should try to limit fast carbohydrates, fatty foods, and other foods from the table below.
However, there are nuances here too. Take at least the same fatty foods. It is very high in calories, and obesity is often associated with Type 2 diabetes. so the number of calories for such people should be reduced.
But at the same time, according to doctors. fats limit the absorption of sugar, so mashed potatoes in water will raise sugar levels faster than fried potatoes in oil.
Of course, the degree of restriction of certain products depends on human activity.
If you exercise, then you need more carbohydrates than knowledge workers.
- Sweet sugar, honey, jam, sweets, ice cream, syrup
- Vegetables: Severely limit potatoes, carrots, and beets
- Cereals: rice, cornmeal, and oats
- Bakery products: Fresh baked goods made from fine flour
- Meat and fish: Lamb, creamy roast meat, fatty redfish
- Drink: Juices, sodas, and alcoholic beverages
- Fast food and unfinished goods
- Canned food, ready meals, sausages, dumplings, French fries, etc.
- Fruit: Grapes, watermelons, melons, sweet and canned fruits
- Miscellaneous: Pickles, pickles, spices
A menu for a week for a diabetic meal plan
The main goal is to prevent a significant decrease in blood glucose. For this, all food is supposed to be divided into small portions that are consumed throughout the day. For at least 5 meals as snacks, you can use cottage cheese, kefir, low-fat cottage cheese, and nuts.
In the nutrition menu for diabetics, the number of carbohydrates should be evenly distributed and determined by the doctor for each patient individually. In Type 1 diabetes, when the patient is dependent on the administration of artificial insulin, a low-carb diet may reduce the dose of the required drug, since blood sugar will be lower.
lowering the consumption of carbs
which increases blood sugar, and reduces the need for medications. The use of the same doses that existed before the transition to a low-carb diet can provoke hypoglycemia. It is necessary to regularly measure blood sugar during the start of this diet and adjust the dosage of drugs accordingly.
This should be done under medical supervision! The specific products, their quantity, and their dependence on the intake of medicines are selected only by the doctor for each patient individually. This menu for a week with diabetes can be considered a guide and an example of a patient's diet.
Advice
By deliberately reducing sugar and starch in the diet, blood glucose stabilizes, and the level of insulin, the hormone that controls the deposition of fat in the body, decreases. This accelerates fat burning and increases the feeling of satiety after eating.
Day 1
- Breakfast: omelet with vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs)
- Lunch: vegetable salad with vegetable oil, boiled chicken breast, avocado
- Dinner: chicken and broccoli casserole.
The second day
- Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, boiled asparagus ،
- Lunch: grilled or grilled fish with vegetables, lettuce ،
- Dinner: beef steak with grilled mushrooms
Day 3
- Breakfast: whole wheat pasta with pumpkin zucchini
- Lunch: Turkey in a creamy sauce with vegetables, and lettuce leaves.
Fourth day
- Breakfast: bulgur porridge with blueberries and lemon peel
- Lunch: cod with vegetables and stewed lentils
- Dinner: chicken in garlic sauce and crumbled buckwheat
Day 5
- Breakfast: boiled eggs, whole grain toast ،
- Lunch: stewed beans, diet beef
- Dinner: vegetable salad with vegetables, a piece of cheese
The sixth day
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with less fat
- Lunch: salad with vegetables, eggs, tuna
- Dinner: stewed rabbit or white fish, boiled cauliflower
The seventh day
- Breakfast: barley porridge with diluted milk
- Lunch: steamed beef cutlets, dietary mushroom soup ،
- Dinner: grilled fish with pesto sauce and vegetables
Results
With the control of the amount of incoming sugar, insulin resistance decreases. Fractional nutrition allows you to avoid sharp jumps in sugar: both low and excessive, harmful to the pancreas and the body as a whole.
In insulin-dependent diabetes, the diet is necessary to match the dosage of the drug and approximately the same amount of carbohydrates. If she is deficient, the insulin dose may be too high and hypoglycemia occurs, and vice versa.
Reviews of nutritionists
Proper and balanced nutrition is of paramount importance in diabetes mellitus of the first and second types, but calling it a diet, in the narrow sense of the word, would not be correct.
Although reducing carbohydrates and fats in the diet contributes to weight loss, their excessive intake often affects patients with Type II diabetes. It is important to change the lifestyle itself, and dietary habits.
Since the main problem with both types 1 and 2 diabetes is that the body does not use the glucose that comes with food correctly, the main focus of a properly designed nutrition plan should be on foods containing starch and simple sugars - they should be avoided.
And if type 2 diabetes has a good effect in lowering blood sugar levels is achieved not only through properly selected foods, but also through a set of physical exercises.
a summary
The essence of the diet is to consume more foods with a low glycemic index throughout the day and dose your meals.