Diet for “beginner” diabetics: is it possible to do without medications?

Tips for reducing sugar levels

Reducing sugar levels in diabetes mellitus can be achieved through a combination of physical activity, medication and a balanced diet. This balance will help:

• Maintain blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels within target ranges;
• lose weight or stay at a healthy weight;
• prevent the development of complications;
• maintain good health and energy 1.

There are general rules for creating a diet to control sugar content:

• Plate rule. Take a plate with a diameter of 23 cm and mentally divide it into 4 equal parts. Half of it should be vegetables (except potatoes, peas and corn), a quarter should be lean proteins, and a quarter should be grains or other starchy foods1
• Minimizing sweetened products: sugary drinks are especially dangerous - lemonade, tea with sugar, industrial fruit juices2
• It is better to use fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks.
• Steam, stew, bake food in its own juice, without adding oil, as it increases the total calorie content3

Reviews and results

A sugar-lowering diet does not replace a varied diet. It is important to choose foods with a low glycemic index and keep track of what you eat. You should not self-medicate and prescribe medical nutrition yourself. Only regular examination by a doctor and strict adherence to his recommendations will help you effectively maintain your sugar level. Everyone evaluates the effectiveness of this therapeutic nutrition positively.

• “... I have been suffering from diabetes since I was 30 years old, and in my youth I didn’t pay much attention to nutrition - I often broke my diet and there were sugar spikes. I can say that dietary nutrition is simply necessary. It helps a lot not only in terms of health, but also in maintaining normal weight. If I gain weight, the doctor prescribes a more strict diet for several months - the amount of bread and cereals is significantly reduced";
• “... They prescribed this diet for high sugar initially for 3 weeks, and during this time she regularly took tests. Since my sugar is not very high and I strictly monitored my diet, the doctor did not prescribe medications. This is confirmation that nutritional therapy really does help, and I have been controlling my sugar this way for many years. For now this is the case, but as you get older you may have to take pills”;
• “... I’ve been eating this way for a long time because I suffer from diabetes. Since I take pills, the doctor allowed me to expand my diet a little (a little more bread and cereal, more fruits and berries in the summer). In general, I have adapted - I analyze the quantity and quality of food eaten and blood sugar tests and draw conclusions”;
• “... On this diet, sugar is restored in ten days - tested on myself. But if you move away from your diet and allow yourself illicit foods, everything will come to naught. You need to have willpower to keep your blood tests normal without taking pills and just eating. It's difficult, but you have to try. I think pills are for the lazy.”

The difference between diets for type 1 and type 2 diabetes

In type I diabetes, the diet may have the usual calorie content typical for people of similar height and weight. The diet is supportive in nature and is clearly related to how much insulin a person living with diabetes consumes.

Type II diabetes is often accompanied by increased body weight, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the diet is aimed primarily at reducing body weight. This is manifested in reduced caloric content of food, a decrease in the amount of fat and easily digestible carbohydrates in the diet.

But there are also common points: both groups of people require a complete, balanced diet of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, liquids and minerals 2.3.

Active lifestyle at home

It is useful to vacuum the house and wash the floors, and clean more often. If you need to start at an easier pace, you can try standing during TV commercials. If you can handle it, try standing for the entire commercial break and then walking in place during the commercial. You can gradually add one type of exercise at a time.

Even a small change in your daily routine (like going for a walk) will increase your activity and help you feel better about living with diabetes. Can:

• get off the bus one stop earlier;
• ride a bike;
• walk.

If you have diabetes, it is very important to stay active at work, especially if you have to sit in front of a computer for long periods of time. Useful:

• climbing stairs;
• walking meetings;
• standing while a person is talking on the phone;
• Chair exercises such as bending and raising your arms.

How to reduce the risk of complications with type 1 diabetes

Rules to follow when creating menus 2.3:

• People can consume proteins and fats without restrictions (provided they have normal body weight and take into account calorie content). If you are overweight, it is recommended to limit the fat content in your diet.
• Most vegetables can be eaten with virtually no restrictions. Without counting your sugar levels, you can eat green leafy vegetables, zucchini, peppers, cabbage, and legumes, provided they are consumed in moderation (about 200 g per meal).
• Carbohydrates, which are found in grains (bread), fruits, some vegetables (potatoes, corn), milk and dairy products, and sugar, need to be taken into account. The system of bread units helps you count carbohydrates.

What you need to give up

The development of a dietary diet is based on medical diet No. 9. According to Pevzner's classification, the ninth table is recommended for patients with diabetes. There are a number of foods and dishes that increase blood sugar.

To bring the glucose level to normal levels, the following are eliminated from the menu:

• Soups made with broth from pork, chicken with skin, and duck. Milk soups based on fat milk.
• Pork meat dishes, stews, as well as sausages and pates.
• Fish prepared by smoking, salting, and preservation.
• Dairy products with a high percentage of fat (sour cream more than 10%, cheese more than 45%, homemade cottage cheese, curd mass and glazed cheese curds).
• Ready-made packaged juices, sweet cocktails (regardless of the base), bottled tea.
• Baking and confectionery (cakes, ice cream, pastries and other desserts).
• Dishes classified as fast food and fatty sauces based on mayonnaise.

Prohibited foods, according to their high glycemic index, are presented in the table.

In order not to provoke “jumps” in sugar, you should not eat dishes and foods with a GI of more than 70 units

Bread unit system

One bread unit is the amount of any product that contains from 10 to 12 grams of carbohydrates. This is exactly how much is contained in one piece of bread, which is why the units are called bread units (XE). You can find out their content in a particular product from special tables 2.

The bread unit system helps determine the dose of short-acting insulin, which is administered before meals. To do this, you need to measure your glucose level and count how many units the portion you plan to eat contains. According to recommendations, one serving should contain no more than 8 XE. Based on these data, the required dose of insulin 2.4 is calculated.

Limited products

Excluding high GI foods from the menu does not mean that you can eat everything else without restrictions. A special feature of the diet is the limited consumption of foods with an average glycemic index. It is not recommended to exclude them completely, but they must be strictly controlled. This applies to both a single meal and the total amount of products of this category entering the body during the day (week).

Popular foods with an average GI:

• lavash, pita, other unleavened flatbreads – 69;
• muesli, unsweetened pastries without filling, pineapples – 67;
• boiled potatoes (“in their jackets”), bananas, melons, raisins – 64–66;
• pizza or pita without meat component – ​​60;
• persimmon, mango – 55;
• tomatoes, yoghurts – 52;
• buckwheat porridge (without sugar) – 50;
• kiwi, blueberry – 40–43;
• canned beans, corn, peas – 48–42.

Dosed consumption of the listed products will not cause harm to the body and will not increase glucose levels in the analysis.

Diabetes mellitus type 2: nutrition principles

The diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus depends on body weight: with normal weight, the number of calories should correspond to expenses, with increased weight, it should be lower than them (low-calorie diet, hypocalorie diet).

Basic principles of nutrition for type 2 diabetes 3-6:

• Food should be rich in fiber, which inhibits the absorption of sugar, preventing a sharp increase in blood glucose levels. This is achieved due to the high content of vegetables in the diet. On average, the level of fiber in the daily menu should be from 20 to 40 grams.
• When preparing food, it is better to keep cooking to a minimum. It is important to remember that when grinding or heat processing carbohydrate-containing products, glucose is absorbed much faster.
• Sugar and products containing it, including tea and coffee with sugar, should be limited as much as possible.
• Sweeteners can be eaten in moderation, taking into account calorie content. Non-caloric sweeteners saccharin and aspartame can be consumed as needed. The so-called sugar analogues xylitol, sorbitol, and fructose are rich in calories, so they are not recommended for overweight.
• Alcohol is harmful to health, including diabetes. It is high in calories—1 gram of pure alcohol contains 7 kcal—and may contribute to weight gain and poor diabetes control.

7-day menu with reduced fat and fast carbohydrates (table No. 9)*

7-day menu with reduced fat and fast carbohydrates for people with diabetes (table No. 9).

Video about nutrition for type 2 diabetes.

Variants of salads used in the menu

(More
salad recipes in the article on friendly eating).
*Squid salad with egg

Immerse the squid in boiling water and cook for three minutes. If the squids are not peeled, then first scald them with boiling water, rinse and peel them, and then immerse them in boiling water and cook for three minutes.

Boil the eggs, peel and remove the yolk; only the white is needed for the salad.

Squid, egg white, cucumbers, onions and greens - cut everything and combine in a bowl, season with yogurt, salt, and add mustard if desired. Ready! A delicious protein salad is ready. (Ideal as an independent dish in a healthy nutrition system)

**Sparagus bean salad

Cook in boiling water for seven minutes until the beans turn bright green but remain firm.

Drain and place the beans in a bowl of ice water to prevent them from losing their color. Peel the onion and cut into thin half rings. Finely chop the greens. Place the beans in a colander and let the water drain. Transfer to a salad bowl, add onions and herbs, salt, pepper and cumin. Mix honey, vinegar and olive oil separately. Dress the salad. Cover the salad bowl with film and refrigerate for half an hour.

***Green vegetable salad

Wash the vegetables and apple. Scald the zucchini, peas and beans in pods with boiling water.

Cut the zucchini into thin slices (do not peel young zucchini). Mix with peas and beans in pods.

Cut the cucumber into slices, the celery stalk into strips. Add to the rest of the vegetables.

Mix onion with soy sauce, oil, lime juice, honey, pepper and salt.

Tear iceberg, lettuce and basil (1-2 small sprigs) with your hands.

Cut the apple and avocado into cubes and sprinkle with lime juice. Mix with vegetables and a mixture of lettuce and basil. You can use arugula instead of basil. Add sauce, stir.

This range of dishes is suitable not only for people with type 2 diabetes, but also for those who are watching their weight.

Nutritional Guidelines to Reduce the Risk of Complications in Type 2 Diabetes

To reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular complications, as well as normalize lipid metabolism, it is important to follow several more principles of a healthy diet 2-6:

• Reduce saturated fat: it should not account for more than 10% of your total daily calories. Red meat, dairy products, baked goods, fast food, egg yolks, and sausages are rich in saturated fats.
• Unsaturated fats should be consumed in required quantities. They are found in vegetable oils, fish, nuts, and seeds. About 2/3 of the total amount of fat should be of vegetable origin - olive and other vegetable oil.
• The salt content must be reduced to 5 grams per day, and in the presence of edema - to 3 grams.

Nutrition rules for every day

• Eat more dietary fiber. There is evidence of a reduction in mortality in people with diabetes when fiber is added to their diet (at least 14 g per 1000 g of food eaten).
• Limit the content of trans fats as much as possible: on product labels they are designated as “hydrogenated vegetable fats”, “margarine”, “milk fat substitute”, etc. 8
• Reduce the amount of sugars, refined grains and high-starchy foods.
• Replace sugar with sweeteners.
• Give preference to whole foods. 9