Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by metabolic disorders due to absolute or relative insulin deficiency. The pancreas is the only organ, weighing 70-100 grams, located in the abdominal cavity in the arch of the duodenum. It plays an important role in the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also produces insulin, which regulates carbohydrate metabolism in the body. In this article we will talk about what foods should be included in diabetes.
Types of diabetes
Doctors distinguish between several types of diabetes, the cause and course of the disease:
- Type I diabetes, insulin dependent;
- Type II diabetes usually occurs at the end of life, especially in overweight patients.
Type I diabetes is usually the result of damage to the pancreas. This is the primary damage to beta cells (producing insulin in the pancreas) and an absolute deficiency of insulin secretion.
The initial signs of type 1 diabetes are severe thirst and hunger, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination with large amounts of urine, blurred vision, fatigue, chronic infections. In some cases, the onset is accompanied by seizures, confusion, speech delay, loss of consciousness. Type I diabetes is considered an immunological disease.
Type II diabetes is more common in overweight people. The disease can be congenital or acquired and is characterized by decreased insulin secretion by the pancreas as well as insulin resistance. This means that even the right amount of insulin can not do the job.
The disease is accompanied by excessive thirst and profuse urination, blood sugar levels rise slowly. The patient feels weakness and drowsiness. The disease often begins in middle-aged people and the elderly. However, in recent years there has been a sharp increase in young patients with type II diabetes. Extremely large and overweight children and adults with this condition.
Hyperglycemia What is it
Hyperglycemia - high blood glucose levels. 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, hyperglycemia is the result of infectious and endocrine diseases (acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome). There is a high risk of developing late complications, especially in the cardiovascular system.
Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with dysfunction of various organs - eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.
Proper nutrition during diabetes
Diet is a very important part of diabetes therapy. It is essential to maintain proper blood glucose and lipid levels and maintain optimal blood pressure. A well-chosen diet reduces the risk of developing complications of diabetes and reduces the risk of developing vascular diseases. Diabetes-appropriate diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic complications of diabetes. Including microvascular complications, retinopathy, nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and others.
Getting diabetes is one of the main factors influencing the outcome of diabetes.
Sugar is essential for life, but in this case it is better to remove the sugar bowl! In diabetes, mainly carbohydrate metabolism is impaired. People diagnosed with diabetes should limit their intake of sugar or carbohydrates.
Sugar:
- Monosaccharides - Glucose and fructose are found in fruits and honey;
- Sucrose disaccharide is a sugar from a sugar bowl; Polysaccharides - Flour products, cakes, cookies and breads, potatoes, bananas, noodles, dumplings, pasta, pancakes and more.
Carbohydrates in diabetes
Carbohydrates are part of our diet. Their consumption should cover 55-60% of the total demand. Much depends on the shape and structure of the carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are digested in the gastrointestinal tract and broken down into simple sugars - mainly glucose.
Please note that excessive amounts of carbohydrates cause continuous stimulation of pancreatic beta cells to produce and secrete insulin.
As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter cells. Simple sugars, like glucose, move rapidly into the cells in about an hour.
Unfortunately, insulin is a hormone that lasts for several hours and does not like "without work". Thus, elevated insulin levels cause variability in blood glucose levels and carbohydrate starvation.
A hungry person opens the fridge and starts eating to satisfy this hunger. The adrenal glands receive information: fluctuations in blood glucose. All of these reactions are signals of adrenaline release by the adrenal glands. This creates a vicious cycle that leads to stress, depression, and autonomic neurosis (neurasthenia).
It is therefore advisable to reduce your carbohydrate intake to a minimum. In such a situation there is no variability in blood glucose levels and excessive production of insulin and adrenaline hormones.
Glucose passes through the walls of the digestive tract and enters the bloodstream through various organs, where it is transformed and becomes a source of energy. In the absence of sufficient exercise the need for energy is reduced, glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles and liver.
Excess amounts of glycogen are converted to fat, causing the fatty liver to accumulate and the body to accumulate excess fat. The metabolic process of glucose is controlled by the hormone insulin produced in the pancreas.
Carbohydrates, as the main energy material, enter the cell only with the help of insulin, which distributes simple sugars in the body. However, insulin deficiency, for example, causes an increase in blood sugar levels, followed by cellular metabolism. General Insulin Deficiency Causes Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents - Type I Diabetes.
Protein in diabetes
Protein should cover 10-15% of energy needs. More money is needed for children during the growing period, for pregnant women. The most valuable - animal protein is found in lean meats, cottage cheese, eggs and sour milk.
Since our body can produce 56 grams of sugar per 100 grams of protein, it is also important to limit protein intake. In order not to harm the body, you should eat high quality protein (heart, meat by-products). The source of vegetable protein is soy, legumes, dark bread made from whole flour.
Diet for Diabetes, What You Should and Should Not Do
In diabetes, during the diet, in the first stage of treatment, there should be foods such as egg yolks, butter, sour cream, milk and not sweet vegetables.
At this time, significantly reduce or eliminate from the diet: egg whites, lean meats, fish, poultry and nuts.
People with diabetes should not eat foods or foods that are high in protein. At night, the body cannot use it. Since the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin, blood glucose levels rise in the morning. In this case, a dinner consisting mainly of carbohydrates and fats is recommended.
Fats contain the most energy. They can only cover 30% of their daily energy consumption. In excess, they contribute to the development of obesity.
Spices such as cinnamon, garlic, cloves, turmeric and bay leaf lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
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. Onions that can work on insulin secretion. Leather potatoes (boiled potatoes raise blood sugar very quickly), ascites, raw carrots, fresh cucumbers, sauerkraut, onion leaf and stem tea and garlic.
You can eat vegetables without significant restrictions:
- Tomatoes;
- Fresh and pickled cucumbers;
- raw and sour cabbage;
- chicory;
- Kolbrabi;
- Bolok;
- pepper;
- Lettuce
- mushrooms;
- zucchini.
Excellent antidiabetic remedy - fresh bilberry leaves taken before fruit ripening. Cranberries may prevent diabetic retinopathy - Studies have shown a significant improvement in vision in people with eye diseases during diabetes. This disease causes changes in the base, which significantly impedes blood circulation in the eyes.
People with diabetes who are overweight (BMI over 25) are advised to reduce 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. Therefore, it is necessary to control the amount and quality of carbohydrates in the diet, but it is desirable to calculate the glycemic index of the product.
Low GI foods are slowly digested and absorbed, do not raise blood glucose rapidly, and do not stimulate insulin secretion. A low GI diet reduces the risk of developing insulin-dependent diabetes.
The higher the GI value of the food, the higher the blood glucose level after taking this food. Foods with high GI rise like blood glucose. Slow absorption and gradual increase and decrease in blood sugar after eating low GI helps control blood sugar in diabetics. It is best to eat foods that have a GI of less than 60 years.
The GI of food products is significantly lower when consumed in their natural form, ie raw and unprocessed.
Diabetics are also advised to abstain from alcohol.