Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the endocrine system in which insulin synthesis is disrupted (or its production stops altogether). Treatment for diabetes includes medications and nutritional therapy to help control blood glucose levels and prevent sugar spikes. You cannot ignore your doctor’s nutritional recommendations, as even a minimal amount of prohibited foods can lead to hyperglycemia or a hypoglycemic crisis.
To avoid such complications, which belong to the group of pathologies with increased risk mortality, and to correctly plan your diet, you need to know what foods you can eat with diabetes.
Nutrition for diabetes should comply with the principles of restoring carbohydrate metabolism. Products included in the patient’s diet should not place increased stress on the pancreas, the organ responsible for the synthesis of insulin. Patients with this diagnosis should avoid large meals. A single serving should not exceed 200-250 g (plus 100 ml of drink).
Note! It is important to control not only the amount of food you eat, but also the volume of liquid you drink. A standard cup holds about 200-230 ml of tea. People with diabetes are allowed to drink half this amount at a time. If the meal consists only of drinking tea, you can leave the usual amount of drink.
It is best to eat at the same time every day. This will improve metabolic processes and digestion, since gastric juice, containing digestive enzymes for the breakdown and absorption of food, will be produced at certain hours.
When creating a menu, you should adhere to other recommendations of experts, namely:
People with diabetes need to carefully monitor not only the carbohydrate content, but also the amount of fat in the foods they consume. Lipid metabolism in diabetes mellitus is impaired in almost 70% of patients, so you should choose foods with minimal fat content for the menu. All fat and films must be cut off from meat; the fat content of dairy products should be in the range of 1.5-5.2%. The exception is sour cream, but even here it is better to choose a product with a fat percentage of no more than 10-15%.
People suffering from diabetes need to increase the amount of protein foods in their diet, while it is important to monitor their fat content and the content of essential vitamins and other useful elements. To products with increased content Proteins approved for consumption by diabetics include:
Important! Nutrition for diabetes should be aimed not only at correcting carbohydrate metabolism, but also at preventing possible complications from the musculoskeletal system, heart and blood vessels.
Apples are good for diabetics (excluding sweet varieties) yellow color), blueberries in limited quantities, carrots and bell pepper. These products contain a lot of lutein and vitamin A, which prevent pathologies of the visual system. About 30% of people diagnosed with diabetes have an increased risk of developing glaucoma, cataracts and retinal atrophy, so including these foods in the diet is necessary for any form of diabetes.
It is equally important to ensure a sufficient supply of potassium, magnesium and other elements to maintain the functioning of the heart muscle. Nuts and dried fruits are traditionally considered the healthiest foods for the heart, but they are high in calories, and nuts also contain a large amount of fat, so they are not recommended for diabetes. The opinion of doctors on this matter is ambiguous, but most experts believe that sometimes dried fruits can be included in the menu, but this must be done according to certain rules:
Important! Despite the high calorie content of dried fruits, compotes made from dried apricots, prunes, figs (rarely raisins) are not contraindicated for diabetics. When cooking, it is better not to add sugar to them. If desired, you can use stevia or another natural sweetener recommended by your doctor.
Some patients believe that diet for diabetes is poor and monotonous. This is an erroneous opinion, since the only restrictions for this disease concern fast carbohydrates and fatty foods, which are not recommended for consumption even by healthy people. All foods that patients with diabetes can eat are listed in the table.
| Product type | What can you eat if you have diabetes? | What can't you eat? |
|---|---|---|
| Canned food | Some canned fish from pink salmon, tuna or trout in tomato sauce. Canned vegetables without adding vinegar and ready-made seasonings for pickling | Fruits in syrup, industrial compotes, pickled vegetables with added acids (for example, acetic), beef stew and pork |
| Meat | Rabbit, turkey, veal (calves no more than 5-7 months), chicken and skinless chickens | Pork, duck, goose, fatty beef |
| Fish | All varieties (no more than 200 g per day) | Fish in oil, fatty canned fish, dried fish |
| Eggs | Quail eggs, chicken egg white | Chicken yolk |
| Milk | Pasteurized milk with a fat content of no more than 2.5% | Sterilized milk, powdered and condensed milk |
| Dairy products | Natural yogurt without added flavorings, sugar and dyes, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream, bifidok, kefir | Sweet yoghurts, “Snowball”, curd masses, full-fat sour cream |
| Pastries and bread | Yeast-free bread, pood bread, whole grain buns, bread with added bran | White bread, bakery products made from premium bread flour |
| Confectionery | Snacks made from natural fruits, natural applesauce pastilles, marshmallows (based on seaweed), marmalade with added natural juice | Any confectionery with added sugar and confectionery fat |
| Fats | Natural vegetable oils"premium" class (cold pressed) | Salo, butter(allowed to use 5-10 g of oil 2-3 times a week), confectionery fat |
| Fruits | Apples, pears, oranges, peaches | Bananas, grapes (all varieties), apricots, melon |
| Berries | White currant, cherry, gooseberry, plum, sweet cherry | Watermelon |
| Greenery | Any types of greens (dill, fennel, parsley) and lettuce | Limit your consumption of cilantro |
| Vegetables | All types of cabbage, spinach, eggplant, zucchini, radishes, boiled or baked potatoes (no more than 100 g per day), boiled beets) | Fried potatoes, raw carrots |
Occasionally, you can include sunflower or pumpkin seeds in your diet. They contain a lot of potassium and magnesium, which are necessary for normal heart function and nervous system. Drinks for diabetic patients can include compotes and fruit drinks, jelly, green and black tea. It is better to avoid coffee, carbonated drinks and packaged juices if you have this disease.
Drinking alcoholic beverages in diabetes mellitus is contraindicated. In rare cases, it is possible to consume a small amount of dry wine, the sugar content of which does not exceed 5 g per 100 ml. In this case, the following recommendations should be observed:
Important! Many alcoholic drinks have a sugar-lowering effect. If a person with diabetes plans to drink some alcohol, it is important to have a glucometer and necessary medications, as well as a reminder about providing emergency assistance in case of a sharp drop in sugar. It is necessary to measure glucose at the first signs of deterioration in health.
There are certain groups of foods with a low glycemic index, the consumption of which helps lower blood sugar. They are recommended to be included in the diet daily - this will help control glucose levels and avoid negative consequences in the form of hyperglycemia.
Most of these products are vegetables and herbs. They should make up a third of the total daily diet. Particularly useful the following types vegetables:
Parsley is considered especially useful among greens. Its glycemic index is only 5 units. The same indicators apply to all types of seafood. The following types of seafood are recommended for diabetic patients:
Some types of spices also have sugar-lowering properties, so they can be added when cooking, but in strictly defined quantities. It is recommended to add a little cinnamon to tea and casseroles, and turmeric, ginger and ground pepper to vegetable and meat dishes.
Important! Almost all spices have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, so they are contraindicated for gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcers and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Berries have a good sugar-lowering effect. Cherries are especially useful for diabetics. By consuming 100 g of cherries 2-3 times a week, you can improve your well-being, lower blood glucose levels, and enrich the body with vitamins and mineral salts. IN winter period You can use frozen berries; in summer it is better to buy a fresh product. Cherries can be replaced with gooseberries, currants or plums - they have a similar chemical composition and the same glycemic index (22 units).
| Eating | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Steamed quail egg omelette, diced vegetables (tomatoes and bell peppers), unsweetened green tea | Cottage cheese and peaches casserole, whole grain bun with a thin layer of butter, tea | Oatmeal in water with fruit, tea, 2 slices of marmalade |
| Lunch | Pear juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3, 2 cookies (biscuits) | Orange and dried fruit compote | Natural juice from fruits or vegetables |
| Dinner | Vegetable soup with veal meatballs, potato and cabbage casserole, berry jelly | Rassolnik, buckwheat with vegetables and turkey cutlet, compote | cod fish soup, pasta and lean beef goulash, compote |
| Afternoon snack | Milk, baked apple | Ryazhenka, pear | Natural yogurt, a handful of berries |
| Dinner | Boiled fish with a side dish of vegetables, rosehip infusion | Baked salmon steak with vegetables and tomato sauce | Rabbit meat in sour cream sauce with a side dish of vegetables and herbs, fruit drink |
| Before bedtime | Kefir | Kefir | Kefir |
cardiovascular system, eyes and nervous tissue and increases the risk of cancer.
Serious complications and premature death associated with the disease are preventable. The primary reason for the co-occurrence of obesity and diabetes is a diet with insufficient nutrients. The worst foods for diabetes are those that raise blood sugar, reduce insulin sensitivity, and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Foods high in sugar
Diabetes is characterized by abnormally elevated blood glucose levels, so you should avoid foods that cause your blood glucose levels to spike. First of all, these are refined foods, such as sugary carbonated drinks, which lack fiber to slow the absorption of glucose into the blood. Fruit juices and sweet processed foods and desserts have similar effects. These foods contribute to the development of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance, and cause the formation of advanced glycation end products in the body. They change the function of cellular protein, constrict blood vessels, accelerate the aging process and contribute to the development of complications of the disease.
Refined grain products
Refined carbohydrates, such as white rice and white bread, contain less fiber than unrefined grains, so they raise blood glucose levels. A six-year study of 65,000 women who ate large amounts of refined carbohydrates found that they were 2.5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who ate small amounts of these carbohydrates. carbohydrates. An analysis of four prospective studies of white rice consumption for the disease found that a daily serving of white rice increased the risk of developing diabetes by 11%. In addition to the effect of increasing glucose levels, processed starchy foods also contain advanced glycation end products, which contribute to rapid aging and complications.
fried food
Potato chips, French fries, donuts and other fried starchy foods are not only high-glycemic foods, but also contain large amounts of empty calories in the form of oil. In addition, like other processed starchy foods, fried foods contain advanced glycation end products.
Trans fats
Diabetes accelerates the development of cardiovascular diseases. Most patients, more than 80%, die from cardiovascular disease, so any food that increases the risk of such diseases will be especially harmful for people suffering from this disease. Consumption of trans fat is a strong dietary risk factor for heart disease, and even small amounts of trans fat can increase the risk.
In addition to the effect of accelerating the development of cardiovascular disease, saturated and trans fats reduce insulin sensitivity, which leads to elevated glucose and insulin levels, and an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Red and processed meat
Many diabetics have come to the conclusion that if sugar and refined grains raise blood glucose and triglyceride levels, they should avoid them and consume more animal proteins to maintain normal glucose levels. However, several studies have confirmed that consuming large amounts of meat increases the risk of diabetes. A meta-analysis of 12 studies concluded that overall high meat consumption increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 17%, high red meat consumption increased the risk by 21%, and processed meat increased the risk by 41%.
Eggs
Consuming 5 or more eggs per week is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When it comes to heart disease, eggs are a controversial topic. However, for people with diabetes, the evidence is clear – the evidence supports an increased risk. Large prospective studies have shown that diabetics who eat more than one egg per day double their risk of cardiovascular disease or death, compared with patients who eat less than one egg per week. Another study found that consuming one or more eggs per day increased the risk of death from cardiovascular disease severalfold.
If you want to avoid diabetes and prolong your life, eliminate these foods from your diet and replace them with highly nutritious foods.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by impaired glucose metabolism. All treatment is aimed precisely at ensuring that its level remains normal. Therefore, in addition to using medical supplies, the patient must adhere to proper nutrition. Sometimes only this measure can improve the patient’s condition and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
There are certain rules that a patient with diabetes must follow. For example:
What can you eat if you have diabetes? This question arises for many people who are faced with this terrible disease. And if people with type 1 disease (insulin is taken all their lives) can eat many foods from the diet of a healthy person, excluding fried and fatty foods, then with type 2 it is more difficult. Since insulin therapy is indicated for diabetics with type 2 disease, the doctor must calculate everything correctly. This is done so that the glucose level, if it deviates from the norm, then only by minimal values.
Each product has its own glycemic index. It is also called a “bread unit”. This is an indicator of how the blood sugar level rises after consumption. On the Internet you can find a table that shows the glycemic index of the most common foods, as well as their the nutritional value per 100g. Thanks to this list, a person with type 2 diabetes can choose a diet that will not greatly affect their blood glucose levels. GI products are divided into three types:
What is included in the list of foods that patients are allowed to eat? The easiest way to figure this out is with a table:
| What is possible | Name | GI |
| Bakery products and bread. It is advisable that it be black bread or intended specifically for diabetics. You can consume no more than 300g of this product per day. This amount will help maintain normal blood glucose levels. | Grain bread | 40 |
| Whole wheat bread | 45 | |
| "Borodinsky" bread | 45 | |
| Soups. | Greater preference is given, of course, to vegetables, because... they are lower in calories and contain a small number of bread units. In addition, type 2 diabetics are allowed soups that are cooked with lean meat or fish. | — |
| Meat broth | — | |
| Fish broth | — | |
| Poultry broth | Meat. Patients with this form of the disease can eat lean meat. | — |
| Veal | — | |
| Beef | — | |
| Rabbit meat | — | |
| Bird | Fish. It can be boiled, stewed, steamed, baked in the oven. In general, just don't fry. In this case, you can only eat lean fish. | — |
| Cod | — | |
| Carp | — | |
| Zander | Eggs. This product should not be overused, because... it increases cholesterol. However, 1 boiled egg per day or an omelet is allowed. In addition, they can be added when preparing other foods. | 48 |
| Egg | 49 | |
| Omelette Dairy products. | Type 2 diabetics can eat foods with minimal fat content. | 27 |
| Skim milk | 30 | |
| Low-fat kefir | 25 | |
| Soy milk | 30 | |
| Natural yogurt 1.5% | 35 | |
| Fruits and berries. Moreover, some of them not only do not increase sugar levels, but also reduce cholesterol levels. | Grapefruit | 22 |
| Kiwi | 50 | |
| Apples | 30 | |
| Raspberries | 30 | |
| Vegetables. Some of them can be consumed without special restrictions | Cabbage | 10 |
| Tomatoes | 10 | |
| cucumbers | 20 | |
| Radish | 15 | |
| Parsley | 5 | |
| Butter and vegetable oil. It can be eaten no more than 2 spoons per day. This is normal for diabetics. | Butter | 51 |
| Vegetable oil | — | |
| Honey. It can be eaten, but also in very small quantities, because its GI is quite high. | Honey | 90 |
| Beverages. Fresh juices and tea are allowed | Green tea | — |
| Citrus juice | 40 | |
| Tomato juice | 15 | |
| Apple juice | 40 | |
| Carrot juice | 40 | |
| Water | — |
As a rule, people with type 2 disease have a natural question: “What can’t you eat if you have diabetes?” What foods should be excluded from the diet? The list is also quite long.
| What not to do | Name | GI |
| Sugar. Banned in pure form. Instead, you need to use sweeteners. Nowadays you can find a wide variety of such products in pharmacies. | Sugar | 70 |
| This food is strictly prohibited. Firstly, it contains a lot of sugar, and secondly, it is very high in calories. And this is very harmful for such a disease. | Buns | 88 |
| Cakes | 100 | |
| Cake | 100 | |
| Fried pie | 88 | |
| Fatty meats and fish. In general, any fatty foods should be excluded from the diet. In addition, the skin must be removed from the bird, as it is usually too oily. | Pork | 58 |
| Fish cutlets | 50 | |
| Smoked meats and canned goods. It is worth giving up fried and smoked foods, as well as canned fish containing oil and salted fish. They have a minimal GI, but they contain a large amount of fat and calories, which is also harmful for this disease. | — | |
| Sauces. | If you have this disease, you should not eat mayonnaise or fatty sauces. | 60 |
| Mayonnaise | 50 | |
| Omelette Margarine | Whole milk, full-fat cottage cheese, full-fat sour cream and kefir are also on the list of prohibited foods. | 55 |
| Fat cottage cheese | 56 | |
| Fat sour cream | 70 | |
| Curd masses | ||
| Glazed cheese curds It is worth completely eliminating semolina and food prepared from it, as well as limiting consumption. | pasta | 65 |
| Semolina | 50 | |
| Durum wheat pasta | ||
| Premium pasta | Vegetables. Some vegetables can be consumed in minimal quantities. | 65 |
| Boiled potatoes | 95 | |
| Fried potato | 64 | |
| Boiled beets | 75 | |
| Fried zucchini Fruits. IN some fruits | contains a large amount of sugar, which affects the body. | 60 |
| Watermelon | 72 | |
| Bananas | 65 | |
| Raisin Beverages. Carbonated drinks, sweet compotes | are also not allowed. | 60 |
| Fruit compote | 74 | |
| Carbonated drinks | 70 | |
| Snacks. | Chips are high in calories, so they should also be excluded from your diet. | 95 |
| Chips | Sweets. No sweets, candies, jam, or ice cream are allowed. Ice cream |
70 |
| Caramel | 70 | |
| Halva | 70 | |
| Milk chocolate | 70 | |
| Chocolate bars | 70 | |
| Jam | Alcohol. You shouldn't abuse this. A complete refusal, as a rule, is also not required. However, alcohol can be consumed only in strictly limited doses. | 46 |
| Champagne | 44 |
Wine
The right diet Nutrition for such a disease should be fractional. It is best to eat 6 times a day, but not in large portions.
In this case, food will be absorbed gradually, and glucose will also gradually enter the blood.
People with type 2 diabetes need to control the calorie content of the foods they eat. After all, one of the symptoms in patients with this form of the disease is a tendency to be overweight, which negatively affects the entire body. To do this, you can compile your diet according to the calorie content table and stick to it constantly. The doctor should help the patient choose proper diet taking into account the medications he is taking. After all, everything together should provide positive effect and give results. Some people can independently control their condition and diet. For this you need to create a special table in which you need to record the calorie content of the foods you eat and your indicators obtained by measuring your sugar yourself
. And then find out what is still preferable to eat. Currently, there are many recipes for low-calorie, but tasty food. Therefore, if a specialist prescribes a diet, then you should not be upset. You can maintain normal blood sugar levels throughout your life by eating healthy image
life and maintaining proper nutrition.
Diabetes mellitus type 1
With the help of proper nutrition, you can achieve a uniform intake of carbohydrates in the body, which is necessary for type 1 diabetes. Dietary disorders can cause serious complications in diabetics.
To carefully monitor indicators, you need to keep a diary where you record all the dishes and products that the patient ate. Based on the records, you can calculate the calorie content and the total amount eaten per day.
In general, a therapeutic low-carbohydrate diet for diabetics is individual for each person and is usually prepared with the help of the attending physician. It is important to take into account the patient’s age, gender, weight, and physical activity. Based on the data obtained, a diet is drawn up, which takes into account energy value all products.
For adequate nutrition per day, a diabetic should eat 20-25 percent protein, the same amount of fat and 50 percent carbohydrates. If we translate into weight parameters, the daily diet should include 400 grams of carbohydrate-rich foods, 110 grams meat dishes and 80 grams of fat.
The main feature of a therapeutic diet for type 1 diabetes mellitus is limited use fast carbohydrates. The patient is prohibited from eating sweets, chocolate, confectionery, ice cream, and jam.
The diet must include dairy products and dishes made from low-fat milk. It is also important that you get the required amount of vitamins and minerals with your food.
At the same time, a diabetic with type 1 diabetes must follow certain rules that will help get rid of complications.
For type 1 diabetes, the doctor may prescribe contraindications for fatty, smoked, spicy and salty foods. Diabetics should not drink alcoholic beverages of any strength. It is recommended to steam the dishes in the oven. Meat and fish dishes should be stewed, not fried.
If you are overweight, you should be careful when consuming foods that contain sweeteners. The fact is that some substitutes can have a much higher calorie content than regular refined sugar.
The therapeutic diet for type 2 diabetes is aimed at reducing excess load on the pancreas and reducing weight in the diabetic.
For type 2 diabetes, it is necessary to completely exclude dishes that contain an increased amount of fast carbohydrates. These dishes include:
There are also contraindications for eating fried, smoked, salty, hot and spicy foods. These include:
Also, porridges made from semolina and rice are contraindicated for diabetics; pasta and alcohol are also completely excluded for diabetes.
It is necessary for diabetics to include foods containing fiber in their diet. This substance lowers blood sugar and lipids and helps reduce weight.
It inhibits the absorption of glucose and fats in the intestines, reduces patients' need for insulin, and creates a feeling of satiety.
As for carbohydrates, you do not need to reduce the quantity of their consumption, but replace their quality. The fact is that a sharp decline carbohydrates can lead to loss of performance and fatigue. For this reason, it is important to swap carbohydrates with a high glycemic index for carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index.
To obtain full information For foods with a high and low glycemic index, it is worth using a special table that every diabetic should have. It is advisable to find it on the Internet, print it out and hang it on the refrigerator to control your diet.
At first, you will have to strictly monitor each dish introduced into the diet, counting carbohydrates. However, when the blood glucose level returns to normal, the patient can expand the therapeutic diet and introduce previously unused foods.
In this case, it is important to introduce only one dish at a time, after which it is necessary to conduct a blood sugar test. It is best to conduct the study two hours after the product has been absorbed.
If blood sugar remains normal, the experiment must be repeated several times to ensure the safety of the administered product.
You can do the same with other dishes. Meanwhile, you cannot introduce new dishes into large quantities and often. If blood glucose levels begin to increase, you need to return to your previous diet. Meals can be supplemented physical activity to pick up best option daily diet.
The main thing is to change your diet consistently and slowly, following a clear plan.
