Insumed Official site
Share this
Hungary (en)
Flag (Hungary)

Diabetes diet

Diet foods that normalize blood sugar in diabetes mellitus

A diabetes diet is not just a recommendation to improve quality of life, but a necessity. Every patient must follow nutritional advice. This is necessary to minimize the risk of acute complications, as well as deterioration of the general condition.

A balanced diet allows you to establish metabolic processes in the body, which is extremely important when diagnosed with diabetes. The disease poses a potential threat to life, as it can be accompanied by critical conditions: ketoacidosis, failure of internal organs, hypoglycemia and others. For the sake of his own health, the patient must understand not only the essence of the disease itself, but also its effects on the body. This will help you organize a rational menu, develop healthy habits and learn to take your doctor's prescriptions seriously.

Etiology and pathogenesis

The first known scientific information about diabetes dates back to the Hellenic period. Of course, the ancient Greeks had no diagnostic skills and did not know the nature of the disease. But already at that time (IV-I centuries BC), doctors were trying to systematize information about symptoms and treatment.

According to the WHO, the disease today affects around 4% of the population and causes 3 million deaths per year, which exceeds the figures for AIDS.

The disease has multiple etiologies and is accompanied by a wide range of symptoms. It is based on an insulin deficiency, which can be absolute or relative.

Etiology of diabetes:

  • Overweight;
  • injuries – physical and mental;
  • viral diseases leading to complications;
  • aggravated heredity;
  • autoimmune diseases.

Provoking factors include frequent and prolonged stress and poor eating habits. People who overeat are at risk by including excessive amounts of carbohydrates and sugar in their menu.

In the pathogenesis, the main role is played by disruption of the pancreatic islet apparatus, as a result of which insulin is produced in abnormally small quantities or not at all.

Diabetes Symptoms:

  • general weakness;
  • weightloss;
  • increased urine production, frequent urination;
  • slow wound healing;
  • decreased libido;
  • itching of the mucous membranes;
  • deterioration of hair and nails;
  • increased appetite, constant thirst.

The disease is one of those that requires compulsory treatment. It is impossible to combat the symptoms of diabetes with folk remedies. Consulting a doctor is necessary, and the earlier the diagnosis is made, the more favorable the prognosis. In addition to drug treatment, a rational nutritional system is necessary.

Disease classification and role of nutrition

The diet is determined by the degree of inhibition of the pancreas itself.

The disease is classified as follows:

  1. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease and a relatively rare form. It is characterized by an extremely low level of insulin production; in some cases, the patient's body does not produce this hormone at all. Patients are forced to receive injections on a regular basis, which is why the term "insulin dependence" is also used. A diet aimed at lowering glucose levels improves well-being and avoids the risk of hypoglycemia.
  2. Diabetes II occurs in 90% of cases. It often develops in people who are overweight and have a sedentary lifestyle, who do not monitor their diet and consume a lot of foods that increase glucose levels (flour, potatoes, sweets). The diet should be structured so that the weight gradually returns to normal. Moderate physical activity is recommended for these patients.
  3. Gestational diabetes is a disease that can develop in pregnant women, especially in cases of severe toxicosis in the second trimester. The diet for gestational diabetes should contain a sufficient amount of dietary supplements and careful control of body weight. In most cases, once the pregnancy is over, health returns to normal, but there is a risk of developing type II diabetes. To avoid this, you should follow the recommended diet after childbirth.

In 1% of cases, other types of diseases develop: latent, steroidal, neurogenic, renal, MODY, bronze and prediabetes. The diet for a type of diabetes falling into one of these categories is determined by the attending physician taking into account many factors.

Types of diets for diabetes

The basis of treatment for diabetes mellitus is drug therapy aimed at reducing glucose levels and restoring normal insulin levels. At the same time, doctors emphasize the importance of moderate physical activity and a good diet.

About 80% of patients are overweight. Often, excess weight exceeds normal levels by 15 percent or more. When the weight is normalized, the general condition of patients improves noticeably: blood pressure stabilizes, the functioning of the nervous system improves, the level of chronic fatigue decreases and well-being improves. But with such a diagnosis, extreme methods to quickly get rid of extra pounds are strictly contraindicated, and many diets, even the most popular ones, are not suitable for diabetic patients. You can't choose an electrical system based on friends' reviews or even expert recommendations on the Internet. Experimenting with "proven" diets, such as the Kremlin or Dukan diets, can lead to the fact that the metabolism deteriorates even more. Namely, efforts should be directed towards restoring the normalization of metabolic processes.

Types of nutritional programs

  1. A protein diet aims to suppress appetite by providing the body with a large amount of protein, which stimulates the production of biologically active substances. Proteins of plant and animal origin are introduced into the diet in equal proportions. Red meat is prohibited, it is replaced by fish, lean poultry, dairy products and beans and cereals rich in protein.
  2. A low-carb diet for diabetes, based on vegetables and fruits containing complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are prohibited, and proteins are introduced in limited quantities. This nutritional system is considered strict and it is used when blood sugar levels increase significantly - 3 times or more.
  3. A low-carb diet is gentler and suitable for people with type I and type II diabetes.
  4. The buckwheat diet is indicated to normalize metabolic processes and saturate the body with vitamins, macro- and microelements.
  5. A preventative diet involves replacing red meat with lean, protein-rich foods, using proper cooking methods, and consuming fiber.
  6. The Bernstein diet is indicated for type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as for prevention. This is not just a menu, but an integrated approach to organizing a balanced diet, which can be taught even to small children.

Carbohydrate counting

The bread unit is a concept familiar to any diabetic patient. This is a conventional unit of measurement (XU), which corresponds to 10-13 g of carbohydrates and is used to calculate the calorie content of foods. The patient can take 4 to 6 XE per meal.

1XE corresponds to:

  • 1 tbsp. L. sugar or honey;
  • 150 ml of juice;
  • 130 g of oranges;
  • 60 g of banana;
  • 100 g of melons;
  • porridge – 2. 5 tbsp. L. raw cereals;
  • milk and fermented milk drinks – 250 ml;
  • 20 g of dried fruit.

It is also important to consider the type of food and how it is prepared. For example, low-fat fish fillets are allowed in limited quantities in some diets, but canned fatty fish are prohibited for all patients.

Diet for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes requires a diet that will keep blood sugar levels between 3. 5 and 5. 5 mmol/liter.

Diet principles:

  1. Fractional nutrition of the patient: 5-6 meals per day.
  2. The maximum daily calorie intake is 2000 kcal.
  3. Carbohydrates for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  4. Minimum snack in the evening.
  5. Fast carbohydrates are prohibited.
  6. Refusal of sugar, replacement with safe analogues (stevia, synthetic sweetener).
  7. Long-acting insulin preparations are administered before meals, short-acting insulin preparations are administered after meals.
  8. The maximum amount of XE per meal is 8.
  9. Natural products are a priority.

Baked goods without yeast, cheese and soy milk, unsweetened green tea, dried fruit compote, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and cereals are allowed. Many vegetarian dishes are suitable for the diet.

Rich starters and roasts, fatty meats and fish, smoked meats, pasta and fast food are prohibited. Alcohol, particularly red wine, is strictly prohibited.

Diet for a week for overweight insulin-dependent people

Day #1

  1. A slice of bread, porridge, soft cheese, tea.
  2. Orange, pistachio.
  3. Borscht, salad, stewed cabbage, schnitzel, lavash.
  4. Rosehip, cottage cheese, fruit jelly.
  5. Steamed cauliflower, salad.
  6. A glass of milk.

Day #2

  1. Steamed veal, tomato, cereal bread, tea.
  2. Cheese, half a ripe pear.
  3. Chicken breast, pumpkin puree, salad.
  4. Grapefruit, kefir.
  5. Boiled fish, stewed cabbage.
  6. Cracker.

Day #3

  1. Lavash, coffee, cabbage rolls.
  2. Strawberries, yogurt.
  3. Solid pasta, salad, steamed fish.
  4. Orange, compote.
  5. Cottage cheese casserole.
  6. Kefir.

Day #4

  1. Porridge, cheese, hard-boiled egg, tea.
  2. Soft cheese toast, boiled turkey.
  3. Vegetable puree soup, meat stew with vegetables, bread.
  4. Tea with biscuits.
  5. Green beans with chicken breast, rose hips.
  6. Bread.

Day #5

  1. Cottage cheese with kefir.
  2. Pumpkin seeds, raisins.
  3. Potatoes, salad, compote.
  4. Baked pumpkin, rose hips.
  5. Salad, rye flour pancakes.
  6. Kefir.

Day #6

  1. Egg, lightly salted salmon, tea.
  2. Cottage cheese, carrots.
  3. Borscht with sorrel, vegetarian cabbage rolls, lavash.
  4. Kefir, bread.
  5. Eggplant compote with chicken fillet, fresh peas.
  6. Crackers.

Day #7

  1. Ham porridge, tea.
  2. Tuna and vegetable salad, wholemeal bread.
  3. Cabbage soup, stewed vegetables with meat, bread.
  4. Cottage cheese, plums.
  5. Squid escalope, compote.
  6. Milk.

Diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus

The goal is to reduce animal fats and simple carbohydrates. It is recommended to take a break of no more than 4 hours between meals. This nutritional program is called "Diet No. 9" or "Table No. 9" and is suitable not only for patients, but also for everyone who seeks to normalize their diet.

Daily diet for type 2 diabetes

Day #1

  1. Asparagus, quail egg omelette.
  2. Salad with nuts, apples and boiled squid.
  3. Beetroot soup, baked eggplant.
  4. Avocado, cocoa.
  5. Salmon steak in sauce.

Day #2

  1. Oatmeal, yogurt, apple.
  2. Smoothies.
  3. Baked meat (veal) with vegetables.
  4. Cottage cheese casserole.
  5. Vegetable salad with avocado.

Day #3

  1. Fried egg with cheese, tomatoes and herbs.
  2. Steamed vegetables with hummus.
  3. Pureed vegetable soup, chicken cutlets, fresh peas.
  4. Pear and almond.
  5. Salmon with spinach, yogurt.

Day #4

  1. Cooked apples.
  2. Leafy greens and tuna toast.
  3. Beef steak, vegetable salad, parmesan.
  4. Fruit sorbet.
  5. Broccoli casserole.

Day #5

  1. Orange, soft cheese, cereal bread, fruit tea.
  2. Beetroot salad with walnuts and butter.
  3. Steamed fish, rice, grapefruit.
  4. Berries with cream.
  5. Squid escalope, rose hips.

Day #6

  1. Carrot soufflé.
  2. Baked broccoli.
  3. Lenten borscht, baked chicken fillet, leafy vegetables, tangerine.
  4. Berry mousse.
  5. Fish accompanied by steamed vegetables.

Day #7

  1. Baked apple with raisins, oatmeal and nuts.
  2. Vegetable and shrimp salad.
  3. Polenta, boiled fish, green vegetables, kiwi.
  4. Strawberries with cream cheese.
  5. Cucumber and herb salad, tea.

Diet for gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs due to disruption of the pancreas during pregnancy. The future mother must respect the following nutritional principles:

  • Exclude flour, baked goods, store-bought sweets, semolina porridge and any products containing sugar.
  • BJU standard: 20 |30 |50%. You need to balance your diet based on these indicators.
  • Include fruits, dairy products and starchy foods in your diet.
  • Strictly observe the drinking regime. It is necessary to consume 1. 8 to 2 liters of drinking water per day.
  • Have 3 main meals and 2 snacks per day.
  • Minimize coffee and tea consumption (no more than 2 cups per day).
  • Take special vitamin complexes as recommended by your doctor.
  • Introduce medicinal plants into your diet to reduce sugar: decoctions of linden flowers, cornflower leaves, lilac buds, celery root.

Low-carb diets are not suitable for pregnant women. The norm of calorie consumption per day is 2000-2500 kcal.

Recommended menu for pregnant women suffering from hyperglycemia

To control glucose levels, it is recommended to create a menu based on the following scheme.

  • Breakfast: porridge (oatmeal, millet, buckwheat), cereal bread, tea or dried fruit compote.
  • Second breakfast: toast with unsalted cheese, apple.
  • Lunch: porridge, vegetable salad, stew (beef or chicken).
  • Afternoon snack: cottage cheese, cracker, orange.
  • Dinner: side dish of vegetables, boiled meat, juice, crackers or pita bread.

3 hours before bedtime you can drink a glass of yogurt or kefir. In addition to the diet, it is important to take walks, warm up if possible and do simple exercises at home or with a trainer.

Diet for insulin-dependent diabetes in children

Children suffer more severely from the disease than adults and the incidence of type 1 diabetes in this age group is higher, up to 80%. Children at risk (whose family members are diabetic) require careful monitoring of their health from birth.

Diet for diabetes in children

The rules for organizing the diet of insulin-dependent children are even stricter than those of adults. Approximate diet for a child:

  • Confectionery, sweets, pastries and sugary sodas are prohibited. Sugar should be completely eliminated from the diet.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables are allowed, but you should know the exceptions. A diabetic child should not be given bananas, dates, persimmons, raisins or figs.
  • You need to arrange 6 meals and feed the child strictly according to time. The gap should not exceed 20 minutes. If it is impossible to eat a full meal, you should give your baby a snack of fruit, bread or toast. Insulin-dependent children should absolutely not starve.
  • Monitor your fructose intake and use this indicator as a basis for calculating the allowable amount of sweetener.
  • A hypoglycemic attack can be stopped with a piece of dark chocolate. An accompanying adult is advised to have this product with them at all times.
  • Diet is important. The daily rate is calculated based on the age and height of the child by the attending endocrinologist.

It is necessary to organize a correct lifestyle in general. The child must be able to move and be physically active. Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels and regular consultation with a doctor are also necessary.

Healthy Recipes for Diabetes

Diet recipes are suitable not only for the diet of a diabetic patient, but also for anyone who wants to balance the menu, including healthy foods. The recommended dishes are prepared from simple ingredients, but look presentable and have a rich taste.

Vegetarian cream soup

Prepare and chop an onion, 100g spinach, 300g broccoli and 200g each celery and zucchini. Blanch for 15 minutes in 500 ml of water, puree using a blender. Add 200 ml of milk and 100 ml of cream to the vegetable mass, bring to the boil, adjust the salt.

Vegetable salad

Chop 200 g of cabbage. Cut 2 cucumbers into half rings, 2 tomatoes into slices. Mix the vegetables, salt, season with olive oil.

Squid escalope with onions

Pass the squid fillet (400 g) through a meat grinder, add 25 g of breadcrumbs to the minced meat. Chop the leeks (50 g) and one onion, fry in a pan until half cooked. Finely chop the greens - spinach, dill, parsley. Mix the ingredients, knead the minced meat, form cutlets. Brush each with egg, roll in breadcrumbs and fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Blueberry pancakes on rye flour

Pour 2 g of stevia into a glass of boiling water and let it infuse. Mix 200 g of cottage cheese, stevia tincture, 1 egg, 150 g of blueberries. Carefully add 200 g of rye flour, 0. 5 tbsp. soda and 2 tbsp. L. Sesame oil. Fry the pancakes in a non-stick pan on both sides.

Cauliflower zrazy

Boil 500 g of cauliflower inflorescences for 10 minutes, cool and chop in a blender. Add 4 tbsp. L. rice flour, salt, leave to infuse for 30 minutes so that the fibers dissolve. Boil and finely chop 2 eggs, add chopped green onions. Form flat patties from the vegetable mass, place the egg and onion filling inside and decorate with zrazy. Roll in rice flour and brown in a pan.

Cottage cheese and pear casserole

Mix 600 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 2 eggs and 2 tbsp. L. rice flour, knead well. Peel and chop 600 g of pears: finely cut half into cubes, grate the other half. Mix the pears with the curd mass, leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Place in a silicone mold, grease with sour cream, bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

Cottage cheese and carrot soufflé

Grind 200 g of cottage cheese, add 300 g of grated carrots. Grind 50 g of walnut kernels, 3-4 sprigs of parsley, add to the mixture. Add 2 yolks, then 2 beaten whites. Pour the batter into silicone muffin molds, filling them 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes.

Preparing a patient’s menu should be taken responsibly. It must not only be balanced, but also varied in order to avoid breakdowns related to unhealthy foods or refusal to eat. A systematic approach will help maintain health, prevent deterioration and significantly improve the quality of life.