Diabetes Diet - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. MF.

Diabetes is the most common pathology of the endocrine system. This is an exchange disease characterized by an increase in the level of glucose( sugar) of the blood. In high concentrations, sugar becomes a toxic substance for almost all tissues and organs. Gradually, vision deteriorates, kidneys, liver, heart, nervous system suffer. At extremely high blood glucose values, a coma may occur-a life-threatening serious condition.

Treatment of diabetes depends on the type of disease. So, for autoimmune diabetes( type 1), insulin is mandatory, with insulin resistance( type 2), treatment with insulin and tablets is possible. But any type of diabetes requires the patient to follow a diet. It is with food that nutrients enter the body, which then turn into glucose. The composition and amount of food strongly affect the rate of increase in blood sugar. Even using the most modern drugs, but not following a diet, the patient will never achieve satisfactory control of the disease. Diet for any type of diabetes has common features.

Total caloric intake of food for diabetes mellitus

The energy value of foods is measured in calories. The more calories, the more energy for different activities is this food in the body. The caloric content of the products is indicated by the manufacturer on the packages. In addition, there are special tables of caloric content of the product per 100 g. The most caloric foods are fats, confectionery and flour products. The need for calories is individual and depends on physical activity, weight, age and sex. To find out your need for calories per day, you need to contact a specialist( endocrinologist, nutritionist, therapist) or use special formulas. On average, a modern woman needs 1500-2,500 calories a day, a man is slightly more. It is important for diabetics to monitor the total caloric intake of the diet. If you are overweight, then calories should be limited. That is, with food should come less energy than it will be spent. This will reduce body weight. Hunger is harmful and unacceptable for diabetics , so you can not reduce the calorie content of food below 1200 kcal per day for women and 1600 kcal for men.

Carbohydrate in diabetic patients with diabetes

The cornerstone of a diabetic diet is the elimination of simple carbohydrates. These are monosaccharides, characterized by a high glycemic index. Products containing such substances increase blood sugar almost immediately after ingestion. Monosugars include glucose, fructose, sucrose. Let's look at products with a high content of such substances. So, the usual sugar, fructose, all confectionery made with their use should be excluded from the diet. The patient can not sweets, cookies, jam, jam, chocolate. In the pharmacy or special department stores you can buy confectionery products on sugar substitutes and the sugar substitutes themselves. Fructose is also often sold as a sweetener, and confectionery products on fructose can be called diabetic, dietary. According to modern ideas, fructose is not an acceptable product for a patient with diabetes and should be completely excluded from the menu. Therefore, pay attention to the composition of "diabetic" sweets. Sorbitol, xylitol and non-caloric sugar substitutes in the form of tablets( aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin) are allowed to use. Products on sugar substitutes can be used only in small quantities. Honey contains fructose and sucrose. It is a useful product, but only for those who do not have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Honey should be completely removed from diabetic patients.

In addition, from the menu of the patient with diabetes completely eliminates any fruit juice. You can not drink shop juice, juice from a pharmacy with the inscription "without sugar" and home-made juice, prepared without the addition of sugar. In any fruit from nature already contains a lot of simple carbohydrates. The technology of making juice makes these sugars easily accessible to our body. Juice does not contain fiber, so monosugars quickly enter the bloodstream and blood glucose increases dramatically. The taste of fruit does not indicate the content of sugar in it. The most acidic fruits have more fruit acids in the composition, but almost as much glucose as the sweetest ones. Patients with diabetes should limit the intake of any fruit and berries. In a day you can eat a maximum of 200-300g. To completely refuse it is necessary from the use of bananas, grapes, dried fruits. Compote and kissel are also not very useful. If the drink is made with sugar, it is completely excluded, if sugar is not added, then you can drink one glass of compote or jelly per day. The color of the fruit does not affect the carbohydrate content. You can eat red apples, and green, and yellow. Berries are useful only in small quantities. Blueberries are no exception. All berries and fruits should be consumed separately from basic meals( breakfast, lunch, dinner) as snacks.

In addition to monosaccharides, there are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are digested slowly, maintain a normal blood glucose level. In diabetes, complex carbohydrates should be the basis of nutrition. About half of all calories( energy derived from food) should enter the body with them. Complex carbohydrates are found in vegetables, flour and grain products. Complex carbohydrates in these products can be converted into so-called bread units according to a special system. One grain unit contains 10-12 g of carbohydrates. According to existing tables, patients should learn the contents of such units in each meal. At one time you can eat from 2 to 7 bread units. Each meal should contain about the same amount of carbohydrates in units.

Macaroni, porridge, rice can be used by all patients. Kasha can eat any, although semolina porridge and not very useful. Pasta can be from different varieties of wheat, not necessarily only from hard varieties.

Bread can be white, black, and bran. If there is excess weight, then it is better to limit two pieces of bread( 50 grams) per day.

Vegetables are very useful, including in diabetes mellitus. It is advisable to use a small amount of vegetables in each meal. Vegetable juices without sugar can be on the menu, but their number should not exceed 250-500 ml.

Fats in diabetic patients

In diabetes mellitus, not only carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed, but also the metabolism of fats in the body. This disorder leads to an increase in total cholesterol, its harmful fractions and triglycerides in the blood. These substances contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, and hence lead to heart attacks and strokes. Proper nutrition helps diabetics to avoid such complications.

Harmful cholesterol is found in animal products. It is their number should be sharply limited. It is necessary to choose low-fat varieties of meat, fish. All visible fat( fat) when cooking should be cleaned. Also remove and discard the skin of the bird. Fat broth is not recommended. Eggs are limited to two pieces per week. Preserved meat products( stew) can only be eaten occasionally. Sausage products should almost never be on the table. Any variety of sausages, sausages, sausages has a lot of animal fat. Even if this variety is called "Doctoral" or "Dietetic".Dairy products preferably buy the lowest fat content( milk 1.5%, cottage cheese 0-5%, kefir 0-1%).Sour cream is completely excluded. Mayonnaise, butter, margarine are almost completely removed from food. Semi-finished products( cutlets, dumplings) should be avoided. Vegetable oil does not contain cholesterol, but its amount should still not exceed several spoons per day, since oil is a very high-calorie product. Olive, sunflower, corn oil are equally rich in vitamins and calories. To reduce fat intake, the patient is advised not to fry food, but eat cooked, steamed, steamed foods.

Protein food for diabetes

Proteins are an important element of nutrition. Protein food brings amino acids - a building material for our cells. If the protein is not enough, immunity decreases, tissues grow old, internal organs suffer. It is important for a diabetic patient to get enough protein from food. Vegetable proteins are found in cereals, nuts, legumes. But only plant amino acids are not enough. Therefore, power must NOT be a vegetarian .In the menu it is desirable to add dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, lean meat. Only in the case of severe complications from the kidneys, diabetics have to limit the proteins in the diet. However, adherence to "protein" diets( for example, the Kremlin diet), where carbohydrates are limited, and proteins constitute the basis of nutrition, for a patient with diabetes of any type and stage is dangerous.

Features of the diet, depending on the type of diabetes

With type 1 diabetes diet is a forced measure. Unfortunately, insulin when administered subcutaneously does not act the way it does under physiological conditions, and the patient has to adapt to these features of the action.

As for type 2 diabetes, the diet can be called a full-fledged treatment. One diet is rarely used, as it is usually not enough for a manifested disease. But proper nutrition helps to improve the sensitivity of tissues to insulin, that is, to remove the very cause of the disease - insulin resistance.

At 1 type of diabetes, the main thing is to count carbohydrates according to the system of grain units and, accordingly, with the results, adjust the dose of insulin before eating. It is important to give up simple carbohydrates, especially if genetically engineered insulin preparations are used.

With the 2 types of disease, the most important thing is to limit the total calorie content of food, do not overeat. If the patient can manage to lose weight with such diet therapy, then one can expect a significant improvement in the course of the disease. It is important to limit monosugars, but the counting of grain units, although recommended, but often not too necessary.

Diet is a daily necessity for diabetics. The success of the treatment of the disease largely depends on the exact adherence to dietary advice. With different types of diabetes diet is similar, although there are some differences. It is important to try to make your menu diverse and enjoy the dietary dishes, improving their taste with seasonings, sauces, sweeteners.

Doctor of the endocrinologist Tsvetkova IG