Nutrition For Type 1 Diabetes

With type 1 diabetes, there are no strict food restrictions. Here, the main thing is to correctly calculate the eaten carbohydrates and carry out competent insulin therapy.

With type 1 diabetes, there are no strict food restrictions. Here, the main thing is to correctly calculate the carbohydrates eaten and carry out competent insulin therapy.

About the problem

As recently as 20 years ago, the nutrition system for type 1 diabetes was practically no different from that for type 2 diabetes. Patients were forbidden to eat sweets, fatty, smoked, white bread, bananas, grapes and other foods that sharply increase blood sugar levels. However, such a strategy of strict dietary restriction in patients with type 1 diabetes proved to be ineffective. The reason for this is the different mechanism of development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

With diabetes of the second type, the patient's pancreas secretes a sufficient (and in some cases even an increased amount) amount of insulin, but the process of interaction of insulin with cells is disturbed. For this reason, glucose accumulates in the blood, as it cannot sufficiently penetrate the cells. The main therapeutic measure for type 2 diabetes is a diet with limited calorie intake, as well as a ban on simple sugar. If all recommendations are followed, the disease recedes, and the patient is able to live a full life until old age.

What happens with type 1 diabetes? In this case, the increased level of sugar in the blood is directly related to the insufficient level of insulin production, which develops against the background of damage to the cells of the pancreas. With the introduction of an adequate amount of insulin into the body with diabetes of the first type, the need for strict restrictions disappears. The main thing is to correctly calculate the amount of carbohydrates eaten and, depending on the level of sugar consumed, to inject the required amount of fast-acting insulin.

There are no strict restrictions

Patients with type 1 diabetes need to follow the principles of rational nutrition, just like healthy people. The only difference is that diabetics need to monitor the amount of carbohydrates in order to inject an adequate amount of short-acting insulin.

Approximately 50-60% of the daily diet should consist of carbohydrates and 20-25% should be allocated to proteins and fats. Many doctors believe that fat restriction has a positive effect on the stabilization of blood glucose levels, but according to some studies, these restrictions do not have any therapeutic effect. Regarding the recommendations to exclude fried and spicy foods, they apply only to those patients who, in addition to diabetes, also have gastrointestinal diseases.

Apparently, the only prohibition for diabetics is sweets (sugar, buttery pastries, sweet drinks), as these products sharply increase the level of sugar in the blood. Acceptance of sugar and sweets is allowed only in the case of hypoklimekic states.

How to correctly count carbohydrates?

So, how to correctly calculate the amount of carbohydrates eaten in a portion? For convenience in calculations, doctors introduced a universal parameter - a bread unit (BTU), which is equal to 10-12 grams of pure carbohydrates. One bread unit is approximately 25 grams of bread (white, rye, black), i.e. 1 piece approximately 1 centimeter thick.

For each meal, it is recommended to consume no more than 7-8 bread units of carbohydrates. Be sure to plan the amount of food you eat, as insulin must be administered before meals. It is best to discuss the time and frequency of meals with your attending physician, as this will directly depend on the type of insulin prescribed.

Five groups of products

All foods that contain carbohydrates can be divided into 5 categories:

• products with starch content . This includes baked goods, beans, pasta, potatoes, as well as cereals. Prefer grain bread with bran, as it has a lower glycemic index. For example, if for white bread 1 bread unit is 25 grams, then for bread with bran it is already 30 grams;
• dairy products . If we are talking about the consequences of liquid dairy products (for example, kefir), then 1 bread unit consists of 200-250 ml of the product. As for cheese, you can use this product without fear for your health, since 1 bread unit consists of as many as 700 grams of this product;
• fruits and juices . Remember that all fruits contain sugar, so their excessive use is undesirable. Unsweetened apples (for example, the Semerenko variety), feijoa, unsweetened plums, pomegranates and pears are considered less harmful for diabetes. These fruits contain a lot of fiber - a complex carbohydrate, most of which is not absorbed in the intestines. And the use of such fruits as grapes, melon, pineapple, peach and apricot causes a sharp increase in the level of glucose in the blood. Also, all fruit juices, except tomato, have a high glycemic index;
• sweets and sugar . These products for diabetes can be used only in the event of a sharp drop in the level of glucose in the blood (hypoglycemia);
• vegetables that do not contain starch . These vegetables include cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, radishes, eggplants, zucchini, onions, greens, and tomatoes. These products can be consumed in unlimited quantities, and there is no need to count bread units.

Remember that the basic rule for type 1 diabetes is competent insulin therapy and the correct calculation of bread units. Today, there are special "diabetic schools" where doctors teach patients all the subtleties.