Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by admin
Diabetes is an important global problem, and when the focus is on foods for diabetics, there are guidelines that should be strictly adhered to. The dietary guidelines that people with diabetes must strictly adhere to represent the gold standard of a balanced and healthy diet and can benefit everyone. Dietary guidelines for diabetics represent universal principles of proper nutrition that apply to everyone. However, diabetics must strictly adhere to them, without major deviations from the set number, size and schedule of daily meals that are adjusted to blood glucose values. In patients with type 1 diabetes, meals must be adjusted according to the type and dose of insulin and blood glucose levels. In patients with type 2 diabetes, meals are planned based on current and target body weight, possible intake of hypoglycemics and blood glucose levels.
Diabetics, because of this you will start to worry more about oral health!
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Mediterranean diet
For decades, the traditional Mediterranean diet has been rich in olive oil, cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish, and poor in meat products has been linked to protection against cardiovascular disease. In recent years, there is more and more research that indicates that it is also an excellent model for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and those are one of the best foods to help control diabetes.
It is also recommended as a diet for weight loss and maintaining a desirable body weight. Moreover, due to its encouraging beneficial effects, the Mediterranean diet is today considered the gold standard in both diet therapy for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is believed that the high intake of dietary fiber, numerous biologically active plant compounds and monounsaturated vegetable fats are responsible for the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet.
Of the various types of fats, diabetics are advised to ingest single (extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocado) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 from blue fish, selected vegetable oils, seeds and nuts). The intake of saturated fatty acids from animal sources should be limited to 7% of the total daily intake due to their detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. The intake of trans fatty acids from hydrogenated vegetable oils (and all foods containing them, such as waffles, biscuits, puff pastry and similar products) should be completely limited.
Carbohydrates and proteins
The greatest attention should be paid to the quantity and quality of carbohydrates. As a rule, carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, whole grains and foods with a high fiber content in general should be chosen. There is little room for sweets, table sugar and confectionery in the diabetic diet. It is best to eliminate them completely from the diet and replace them with healthy desserts based on fruit and whole grains.
When it comes to protein foods, they are generally recommended in a diabetic diet. Particularly useful are fish and lean meats, dairy products with a moderate content of fat, legumes and eggs. Since there is often controversy about the harmfulness and benefits of eggs in the diet, it is interesting to see the results of recent research which showed that consumption of up to 12 eggs per week does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. complete elimination of eggs from the diet of persons with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is unnecessary if the overall diet is balanced and varied.
Spice up your food wisely
Foods that can benefit diabetics are spices like cinnamon and turmeric that can help balance blood sugar levels. Other foods such as chia seeds, chicory, legumes, oats and whole grains, as well as the natural sweetener stevia, are also beneficial in the diet of diabetics. An abundance of a variety of fresh vegetables should be included in the diet, but at the same time fried starchy vegetables and breaded and fried foods in general should be limited.
Salt and alcohol should be significantly limited in the diet of diabetics. Increased sodium intake through salt (more than 5 g of salt per day) may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and latent adult autoimmune diabetes (LADA).
The recommendations for alcohol intake in diabetics are the same as the recommendations for the general population. More than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men are not recommended. In diabetics, alcohol leads to an increased risk of hypoglycemia, especially if they are on insulin therapy or insulin secretagogues. Also, alcohol can increase your weight which then affects your insuline intolerance even more.
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