One of the most common effects of obesity is diabetes, which in itself promotes weight gain. In order for the treatment of a diabetic obese patient to be successful, it is necessary to change the lifestyle: apply a low-calorie diet and increase physical activity. What should a diabetic's diet be like?

Diet for a diabeticmust not only reduce body weight, but also keep diabetes in check.Obesitymakes the body become resistant to the insulin that the pancreas produces. Doctors refer to this condition as insulin resistance. In particular, this negative phenomenon affects muscles, subcutaneous adipose tissue and the liver. They burn glucose to the greatest extent, which lowers its level in the blood. In addition, the larger fat cells found in obese people are less sensitive to the effects of insulin, which means that despite the high concentration of insulin in the blood, glucose is not properly absorbed by cells and converted into energy. In this situation, the pancreas produces even more insulin, which leads to weight gain. When the pancreas is no longer able to produce more insulin, diabetes develops and the patient has to supply insulin in the form of preparations. And this is where the steps begin, as some medications used to treat treatment promote weight gain. The exception is one of the long-acting insulin analogues, which has the effect of weight loss supported by research, but it is payable. A diabetic with obesity faces a dilemma: either give up the use of insulin, which may lead to serious he alth complications, or look for other ways. What remains is diet and exercise. But in the case of a diabetic, these activities must be kept under control.

Slimming a diabetic: rules

The general principle of a diabetic diet is as follows: 45-50 percent of the daily menu should be carbohydrates, but in diabetes they play a special role. They are simple or complex sugars. Simple, i.e. sweet in taste (sugar, honey, fruit, fruit juices) or complex, i.e. not sweet in taste (bread, crackers, potatoes, pasta, groats, rice). For the needs of diabetics, specialists have developed the so-called a carbohydrate exchanger, which contains 10 g of carbohydrates and which raises blood sugar by about 40 mg percent. When choosing the right product, you need to know how much is deliveredsugar in your body. Each of us also needs protein, which should constitute 15-20 percent (meat, milk and their products, grain products, seeds). And the last group includes fats, which should be about 30-35 percent in the daily diet, which are also a source of energy. The latter group of products is characterized by high calories, so in the case of overweight and obesity, they should be eliminated or significantly reduced. A plate of a person who is on a reduction diet, i.e. slimming diet, cannot contain bacon, lard, pork loin, knuckle, ham. Lean poultry, fish are advisable. But there are also sweets and sweet fruit on the blacklist. Industrial confectionery bread is particularly tricky, e.g. 10 grams of crispy, seemingly lean biscuits contains 437 kcal, which is the same as 10 grams of skinless turkey breast, and more than 10 grams of honey. - In diabetes, the basis of the diet is regular eating, so if we want to lose weight, it is best to eat 5 small meals. The desired gradual weight loss (about 1 kg / week) will result in a moderate reduction in caloric balance (by 500-1000 kcal / day) - advises diabetologist Dr. Alicja Milczarczyk from the Diabetes Clinic in Warsaw. An individual diet can be developed in consultation with the attending physician or you can obtain caloric tables of dishes, which are available in bookstores. Seemingly difficult at first, counting becomes very easy after a short time.

You must do it

An important role in the prevention of diabetes is played bypreventive examinations . Every three years, all people over 45 should have their sugar level checked. More often, because once a year, it should be done by overweight or obese people whose BMI exceeds 25, suffering from arterial hypertension, lipid disorders and cardiovascular diseases, women with polycystic ovary syndrome and those who gave birth to a child weighing more than 4 kg.

Movement will help diabetics lose weight

Movement is indicated as an important part of obesity treatment. Physical effort not only allows you to lose kilograms, but also lowers blood sugar levels and sensitizes peripheral tissues to insulin, which allows you to reduce the dose of drugs. It also has many other advantages. It lowers blood pressure and blood cholesterol, reduces stress, strengthens muscles and bones, gives energy to life, and improves sleep. But the type of physical effort must be introduced carefully, preferably after consulting a doctor - emphasizes the diabetologist. Why? Since diabetes mellitus, especially in the elderly, is often associated with ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular complications.vascular. Before the doctor decides which type of activity is best for the patient, he must conduct tests, eg ECG, exercise test, which will show whether there are any contraindications to intense physical activity. The second limitation is neuropathy (damage to the peripheral nerves) and the diabetic foot syndrome. Vigorous walks or runs should not be recommended to a patient who has no feeling in the legs or their legs are impaired. If you go for a walk, in addition to uncomfortable shoes, abrasions may form, then ulcers, and as a consequence, a diabetic foot syndrome, which may lead to amputation of the foot. Another contraindication is advanced retinopathy and proliferative changes at the fundus. They consist in the formation of defective blood vessels at the fundus, which tend to burst when exercised. This causes a haemorrhage into the vitreous body of the eye, which may result in blindness. Therefore, an obese person who also has diabetes must talk to a doctor before exercising.

What type of physical activity should a person with diabetes choose

Daily walks or Nordic walking are perfect. We start slowly, e.g. from a few minutes a day, then gradually extend the time. The best results are brought by regular exercise at least 5 times a week for 30 minutes after a meal. Before exercise or a longer walk, measure your blood sugar level with a glucometer. If it is below 100 mg%, it is enough to eat a small snack. Before the walk, it is worth stocking up on something sweet. If the patient experiences symptoms of hypoglycaemia while walking, reach for it or drink something sweet. If the exercise was significant compared to a normal day, it is recommended that you check your sugar level more often on this day, as low blood sugar may occur several hours after exercise.

Important
  • Watch your feet! Always wear comfortable shoes to avoid blisters and chafing. In diabetes, they take a long time to heal and can have serious consequences.
  • Never start exercise if your sugar level is above 250-300mg%, because paradoxically, it will rise even higher.
  • Stop physical exercise, if you feel very tired, pain in your chest or legs, also go to the doctor as soon as possible.
Important

Poradnikzdrowie.pl supports safe treatment and a dignified life of people suffering from obesity. This article does not contain discriminatory and stigmatizing content of people suffering from obesity.

Category:

Obesity