A diabetic diet, in addition to drugs that lower blood sugar, is the basis of diabetes treatment. Cukrzyk does not have to give up good cooking. A diabetic diet can also be tasty and varied, you just need to follow a few rules. Check what is a diabetic diet, what you can eat and which products are contraindicated.

Diabetic dietis not complicated at all and it is worth using it, especially sincediabetestakes a bigger toll. It is estimated that over 2 million people suffer from it in Poland. people. In approx. 1 million. the disease is asymptomatic. Type 2 diabetes is the most common, affecting 90 percent of the time. Most often it is people struggling with obesity, over 40 years old.

Diabetic diet and different types of diabetes

A diabetic diet is an essential part of the treatment of all types of diabetes. Among the disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, several types of the disease are distinguished:

  • type 1 diabetes, in which the beta cells of the pancreas stop producing insulin; appears in children;
  • type 2 diabetes, in which tissues become insensitive to insulin, and the pancreas at some point "burns out" as a result of more and more intense insulin production; is mainly the result of a poor diet;
  • LADA diabetes - autoimmune diabetes mellitus in adults, usually appearing after the age of 30; is a milder type 1 type of diabetes;
  • MODY diabetes - diabetes in young adults, usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 30, with a course similar to type 2 diabetes, but without insulin resistance;
  • gestational diabetes - hyperglycemic states appearing in pregnant and he althy women before pregnancy.

Regardless of the type of diabetes, the main goals of the diet and nutritional recommendations remain the same. Dietary management focuses primarily on glycemic control.

People who are overweight and obese require the use of menus that enable the loss of excess body weight. In the early stages of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes, a well-balanced diet is sufficient to maintain glycaemia atan even level without the need to take medication.

The most demanding diet is type 1 diabetes, where you need to balance your insulin intake with the amount of carbohydrates and proteins consumed. A diabetic diet in pregnancy is also important - in gestational diabetes there is an emphasis on strict control of carbohydrate intake at each meal. Type 2 diabetes diets require the least amount of calculations.

Diabetic diet, which is what?

The official recommendations of the diabetic diet were based on guidelines limiting fat in the diet and recommending carbohydrates with a glycemic index below 55 as the main source of energy in the diet. The Polish Diabetes Society in the guidelines for 2022 still recommends that 45 percent of energy in the diet came from carbohydrates (and even 60% if they are high-fiber products), which with a standard 2000 kcal diet is as much as 250 g and is associated with eating carbohydrates in practically every meal.

This type of diet recommended for many years did not bring the expected results. It was not able to satisfactorily control glycaemia and lower parameters related to diabetes, such as fasting glucose or glycated hemoglobin HbA1c.

Currently, the best diet in diabetes is a low-carbohydrate diet with increased fat content. Its effectiveness is confirmed by large, reliable scientific studies as well as practice in a dietary office. It is true that we do not find such recommendations in official Polish recommendations, but you should pay attention to the 2015 publication of 25 respected doctors and scientists who in the journal "Nutrition" proved the effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet in diabetes, analyzing nearly 100 studies.

In their publication, they refer to the lack of effects of treatment with a low-fat diet with a low glycemic index and the side effects of drugs used in type 2 diabetes. low carbohydrate. However, there is no one good low-carb diet recommended for everyone.

Remember that carbohydrates should not provide more than 30 percent. energy in the diet. Good-quality fat, which does not contribute to weight gain and is not a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is not to be feared, which is also confirmed by new scientific research. When planning meals, you can follow the paleo diet that has been fashionable in recent years, but also introduce grain products in appropriate amounts. This nutritional approach allows people with type 2 diabetes to evencompletely give up pharmacological treatment, and people with type 1 diabetes - reduce the dose of insulin.

Diabetic diet - rules

The basic principle of a diabetic diet is to limit carbohydrates in meals. This applies to both simple carbohydrates (all sweets, fruit, juices, drinks) and complex carbohydrates (groats, rice, pasta, bread, potatoes). The daily menu should contain no more than 100 - 150 g. Supporters of very low-carbohydrate diets recommend an intake of less than 50 g per day.

The choice of carbohydrate amounts is very individual and should be adjusted in such a way that the patient could easily control glycaemia. Carbohydrates should come from good sources: sourdough rye bread, coarse groats, quinoa. Fruit is best limited to 1 portion a day, as they are the source of simple sugars. Store sweets, sweetened jams, juices and drinks, as well as sweeteners are inadvisable. Even though they do not contain sugar, various sweeteners affect glycaemia. Meals should be eaten 4-5 times a day at approximately the same times. If there is an overnight low blood sugar, introduce your 6th meal at bedtime.

A protein-fat breakfast is very important in the treatment of diabetes. Shortly after waking up, the response to the sugar consumed is greatest, the easiest to hyperglycemia, and breakfast without carbohydrates allows for good glycemic control in the morning throughout the day. Research shows that people who eat protein and fat breakfasts make better food choices and feel less hungry during the day. Practice in a dietary clinic shows that the use of BT breakfasts helps to lower the level of fasting glucose. The next important meal is dinner, which in turn should include some carbohydrate in order to keep blood sugar levels stable at night.

Fiber is very important in a diabetic's diet. It slows down the absorption of sugar from food and has a beneficial effect on the intestinal function. Ideally, the fiber should come from vegetables.

Fat in reduced carbohydrate diets accounts for 30-50 percent. It should come from natural sources, e.g. butter, olive oil. Foods rich in fat include avocados, nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, fatty sea fish, coconut milk. In particular, the very unhe althy trans fats present in hard margarines and deep fries should be avoided.

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Diabetic diet - what is allowed and what is not?

Products indicated and contraindicated in a diabetic diet

Recommended productsProductscontraindicated
Grain products (only in small amounts)
  • sourdough rye bread
  • wholemeal bread
  • thick groats
  • quinoa
  • thick cereal
  • wholemeal and buckwheat pasta
  • wheat bread
  • small groats, especially overcooked
  • fine cereal
  • ready muesli
  • white pasta
Vegetables
  • all low starch
  • in limited dry legume seeds
  • potatoes
  • sweet potatoes

in justified cases

  • pumpkin
  • beetroot
  • parsley
Fruits
  • raspberries
  • currants
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • cherries
  • sour apples
  • citrus
  • kiwi
  • bananas
  • grapes
  • dried fruit
  • fruit in syrup
  • tinned fruit
Dairy
  • semi-fat curd
  • cottage cheese
  • small amounts of cheese
very limited
  • natural yogurt
  • kefir
  • buttermilk
  • milk
  • (reduced fat)
all dairy products
  • fruity
  • sweetened
  • processed cheese
Meat, fish, eggs
  • all fish
  • chicken
  • turkey
  • lean cuts of beef
  • lean pork cuts
  • veal
  • game
  • rabbit
Very high-quality meat products with over 90% meat content, without phosphates, nitrites and thickeners, eggs.
  • fat pieces of beef and pork
  • mutton
  • low-quality cold cuts and sausages
  • pie
  • canned food
  • any meat preparations containing MOM
Fat
  • olive oil
  • butter
  • coconut oil
  • linseed oil
  • cold pressed
  • rapeseed oil
  • hard margarines
Sweets, desserts

Self-made protein-fat sweets, e.g.

  • coconut cookies
  • peanut butter truffles

Store bought

  • cookies
  • candy
  • wafers
  • chocolate
  • confectionery
Important

Diabetic diet - menu. The most important rules for composing meals

Arranging the menu in a diabetic diet is not complicated. However, for the diet to be effective, certain rules must be followed.

  • Meals in the diet should be as natural as possible, prepared from fresh products. They should have a low glycemic load, which is due to the presence of protein and fat.
  • Cereal additives should not be overcooked.
  • Deep-frying is not recommended. Avoid highly processed foods, sweets, sweetened beverages, ready meals and fast food.
  • Alcohol should be present in moderate amounts.
  • The basis of the diet should be vegetables.
  • Don't overeat.
  • It is worth controlling the size of consumed portions and body weight.
  • Physical activity is always recommended.

Diabetic diet - scientifically proven effectiveness

  • Reducing carbohydrate intake has the greatest effect on lowering blood glucose levels

Glycemic control is the primary goal of treating both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is well known that among the macronutrients of food, carbohydrates contribute most to the increase in blood glucose levels. It should therefore be obvious that restricting your carbohydrate intake will help you reduce blood glucose effectively. Hussain and colleagues studied 102 diabetics and 261 he althy people for 24 weeks. All study participants were divided into 2 groups, one of which followed a typical low calorie diet and the other a very low carbohydrate diet (VLCKD). After 24 weeks, the group of diabetics on the VLCKD diet had a fasting glucose level lower by 18 mg / dL compared to the group on the low-calorie diet. On average, in the VLCKD group, glycated hemoglobin was 1.5 mg / dL lower than in the group on a low-calorie diet. In the group of he althy people, glucose was normal at the beginning and did not change significantly, regardless of the type of diet.

  • A low-carbohydrate diet is very effective for weight loss

The authors of the publication "Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management: Critical review and evidence base" even use the statement that there is no more effective slimming diet than a very low carbohydrate diet. This is confirmed by one study in which 52 people took part. 26 were on a very low-carbohydrate diet (40 g of carbohydrate daily) for 3 months, and another 26 were on a low-fat diet. Ineach group consisted of 13 people with diabetes and 13 he althy people. After 3 months, there was an average weight loss of 6.9 kg in the low-carbohydrate group and by 2.1 kg in the low-fat group. Many long-term studies show that low-fat diets with a low glycemic index are not a tool for long-term weight loss. Low-carbohydrate diets seem much better because they do not impose caloric restrictions and provide a much greater feeling of fullness, which is very important for people on a slimming diet.

  • Following a carbohydrate-restricted diet allows for better glycemic control even without losing weight

Recommendations for diabetics often emphasize weight loss in favor of glycemic control. It turns out that low-carbohydrate diets lower blood glucose levels even when body weight remains the same. In the case when carbohydrates provide 20-30% of energy during the day for 10 weeks, a decrease in fasting glucose even above 50 mg / dL can be observed, as well as a reduction in fluctuations in blood glucose levels during the day.

  • Total fat and saturated fat in food have no relation to the risk of cardiovascular disease

The diet - heart hypothesis that eating fat in food promotes atherosclerosis, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases was established in the mid-twentieth century. Since then, many reliable large studies have been published that clearly show that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated or carbohydrates has no effect on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. So don't be concerned about the higher fat content of low-carbohydrate diets.

  • Reducing carbohydrates in your diet is the best way to lower TG levels and increase blood HDL cholesterol levels

This is not a cereal-based diet rich in low GI foods, but a low-carbohydrate diet that is most effective at reducing parameters that indicate metabolic syndrome. One study involved 84 obese people with type 2 diabetes. They compared the effects of the VLCKD (20 g of carbohydrate daily) and low GI diets on body weight, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Slightly better results on the VLCKD diet were achieved for weight loss and fasting glucose, but the level of glycosylated hemoglobin was 10% lower compared to the group on the low GI diet, and the level of TG - by nearly 50%. Carbohydrate restriction also contributed to a 6% increase in HDLwhile on a low GI diet no changes were observed.

  • People with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet limit, and in some cases completely give up, medications. People with type 1 diabetes take lower doses of insulin.

Reducing carbohydrates makes it much easier to control glycaemia, therefore it is possible to reduce the doses of drugs and insulin. For example, in a study of 11 people on a low-carbohydrate diet without caloric restriction, 5 reduced or completely discontinued one of their diabetes medications, and 2 were able to forgo all medications. In a group of 13 people on a low GI diet, only 1 person reduced the dose of the drug. In another study, 17 out of 21 people with type 2 diabetes reduced or stopped taking medications.

Category:

Diets