Diabetic Handbook - Proper Diet, But What?

The treatment of diabetes has always been based on three important elements: proper diet, optimal physical activity and taking antidiabetic drugs.

Often a diet is incorrectly understood as a restrictive diet and in the specific case of diabetics - deprivation of carbohydrates . If we have extra and elevated cholesterol - deprivation of fat intake. I was once asked the following question: If we should not eat carbohydrates and fats, then what is left to eat? Does a diabetic really need to stop eating carbs ... And fat?

Of course not! Following a diet requires first gaining sufficient knowledge about the nutrients, the amount and type of them in different foods and how they affect our blood sugar. 

Diabetes mellitus, as a chronic metabolic disease, requires a complete change in eating habits, and if they are just a diet that includes a number of allowed foods and excludes forbidden ones, this would have no effect in the long run. The rule is: the right diet should become a way of eating, a way of life!

What is the composition of our food?

The substances we get by eating are necessary for the growth of our body, the functioning of our organs and the maintenance of life. They are divided into sources of energy - carbohydrates, fats and proteins and those that do not provide energy - water, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, but also enough for our body.

In both healthy people and diabetics, carbohydrates are a major source of energy. They should make up 50-60% of our food. Fat should provide about 25-30% of the energy we need, and protein - only 15%. 

Carbohydrates

Simply put, this is another name for the sugars we eat. They are a major source of energy for the body and especially for our brain. Therefore, in cases of hypoglycemia, we feel confused and have a blurred consciousness. Burning 1 gram of carbohydrates produces 4 kilocalories (kcal).

Different types of carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels in different ways. Based on this, they are divided into fast carbohydrates, slow or moderate, and third, practically not causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Which foods belong to which group?

1. Fast carbohydrates - household sugar, drinks containing sugar (Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, etc.), candies, honey. They contain a large amount of simple sugars, the main representative of which is glucose. It is absorbed very quickly from the intestines and almost immediately enters the bloodstream, causing a rapid and significant rise in blood sugar levels. Therefore, these products usually stand at the top of the food pyramid, as foods that should be avoided, except in cases of hypoglycemia!

2. Slow carbohydrates - the first four are composed of complex sugars, for the absorption of which it is necessary to first break down into simple sugars, ie. to glucose and so to enter the bloodstream. This process takes time and therefore blood sugar rises more slowly and moderately.

• Cereals - bread and pasta, cereals (rice, corn, wheat, oats, barley, millet) and related flours and starches;
• Potatoes;
• Legumes (beans, peas, lentils);
• Nuts, seeds;
• All types of fruits and 100% natural juices - they contain glucose and fructose. Glucose passes into the blood immediately, but fructose is first metabolized to glucose in the liver, so the rise in blood sugar is slower and more moderate.
• Fresh and yogurt - contain additional fats and proteins that slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and thus increase blood sugar

 3. Vegetables - carbohydrates that practically do not raise blood sugar levels. The carbohydrates contained in them are in the form of cellulose and indigestible plant fibers. They significantly slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, so they do not affect blood sugar levels. Therefore, they can be consumed in unlimited quantities, while for the amount of slow carbohydrates it is recommended to calculate the so-called. bread units.