Food for people with diabetes

In this article, we will examine the foods to be favored for diabetics, with many useful tips for the diabetic to adopt a healthy and tasty diet.

You have diabetes and your doctor has given you a diet to be followed scrupulously. He gave you a sheet in which the food to be taken with the relative quantities is written for each meal. The prospect of following these directions to the letter depresses you, because it seems to you that the recommended dishes are not very tasty and repetitive. You must understand that for a diabetic, nutrition is of fundamental importance: that is why the doctor has given you specific instructions on this subject, which you must absolutely respect. However, there is the possibility of varying the foods in your daily menu. In this article, I will explain what are the foods for diabetics so that you can organize to make your meals more appetizing, consulting, in case of doubt, a diabetologist or a good nutritionist. 19659003] Why You Have Diabetes: The Functioning of Insulin

To Knowingly Choosing the Foods Preferable for Diabetics It's good to know the causes of this disease and the functioning of a vital hormone for our body: insulin. The latter is secreted by the pancreas and has the function of metabolizing glucose which, through food, is badimilated and enters the blood. Insulin causes the use of glucose as fuel for cells.

If the pancreas does not secrete more insulin, or if the patient fails to perform well, diabetes occurs. This can be of two types:

• type 1, if insulae – that is the scientific name of the pancreatic cells that produce insulin – they stop working. In this case, this precious hormone is missing, and the diabetic has to put it in the body from the outside, with appropriate injections, when insulin fails to metabolize the glucose present in the blood, and So in both cases, if you do not intervene with the appropriate treatments, the blood glucose level increases dangerously and, if it is excessive, can also lead to undesirable effects. To death

  For the diabetic, it will therefore be important not only to take the medications prescribed by the doctor, depending on the type of his pathology; but also avoid increasing glucose levels too much by using a proper diet. Indeed, when eating foods containing too much sugar, it happens:

  • in the type 1 diabetic, it will administer a greater amount of insulin. However, this hormone, if present in large quantities, leads to weight gain, with all the negative consequences which derive from it, from the point of view of aesthetics and health, in type 2 diabetics, in the presence of a patient. a large amount of sugars, the pancreas will emit more insulin. It will be necessary to increase the dose of drugs prescribed by the doctor, and in this case also insulin will result in weight gain.

  But where does glucose come from? Food containing carbohydrates. These are sugars that, depending on the speed of digestion and badimilation, are distinguished in simple and complex. Sucrose (the sugar we use in cooking), fructose, and of course glucose in the form of powder or syrup are simple carbohydrates. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are contained in pasta, bread, cereals or cereal flakes and in other foods, and before they are turned into glucose, they must to be digested.

  who has diabetes ?

  Foods to avoid for diabetics

  Who has diabetes, being at risk for particularly cardiovascular complications, should monitor not only the value of blood sugar, taking foods containing low sugar, but also the pressure arterial cholesterol and triglycerides. There is therefore food that the diabetic must absolutely avoid . After all, these are foods that are not good for anyone. Here they are:

  • brioches and cornetti. It's a greedy way to have breakfast. Who does not like, in the morning or during a break, enjoy a cappuccino accompanied by a brioche or a croissant? Too bad that these pastry products, in addition to being very sweet (especially if jam), contain a good percentage of saturated fats (butter at best, but often the least expensive bacon, or palm oil), real enemies of arteries. The ideal breakfast consists of a cup of partially skimmed milk with oatmeal, flavored perhaps with coffee or a splash of cocoa. In addition to having a low glycemic index, oats will allow us to see what it is – helps to maintain cholesterol levels in the blood
  • fries, fish, fried chicken. They contain fats, are excessively caloric and salty, which helps to raise blood pressure;
  • Oriental cuisine. This is not totally forbidden, but one must carefully choose the dishes, limiting the rice, which could bring too much sugar, and the sweet and sour sauce,
  • pastry cakes. You can not control the amount of sugars they contain, often unpredictable, and they are very fat
  • . Often, they contain a low percentage of fruit, and are, for the rest, sweet water, which inevitably leads to an increase in blood sugar
  • . They are not completely banned, but should not be consumed lightly. They can be consumed in place of one of the main meals, but you must be careful that the amount of bread is the one allowed by your diet.

  Checking Food Carbohydrates

  It is therefore of fundamental importance, in diets of the diabetic person to take foods containing a moderate amount of carbohydrate. How to choose them? Just check the nutrition labels on the packages. Excellent products that do not contain more than 30, maximum 40 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Of course, you must also control other ingredients: avoid large amounts of salt, palm oil, butter, lard: all enemies of the cardiovascular system

  Regarding unpacked foods, it is easy to find tables , even on the Internet. which indicate, for 100 grams of each food, the amount of carbohydrates present. The tables also distinguish according to whether the food is raw, cooked in different ways possible.

  The glycemic index in the diet of diabetics

  The glycemic index of foods is a fact to be taken in account. & # 39; diet of people with diabetes . This expression indicates the rate at which carbohydrates in a food are badimilated and reach the blood. A high glycemic index food causes a rapid increase in blood sugar, with the unfortunate consequence that often insulin, or hypoglycemic, that the patient has already taken up has no time to Explain its effects. On the contrary, a low glycemic index food has the advantage of causing a gradual increase in blood sugar, which goes hand in hand with the effects of drugs. Thus, the value of sugar in the blood remains stable.

  So you will have guessed that in diabetic food foods with a low glycemic index should be preferred. What are they? Here is a list:

  • between vegetables and vegetables, aubergine-free way, all kinds of cabbage and broccoli, celery, onions, leeks, spinach, fennel, asparagus, cucumber, peppers, zucchini, radish, artichokes, beets, tomatoes; on the other hand, the potatoes have a high glycemic index,
  • as far as fruits are concerned, better to choose apples (to be preferred in absolute terms), pears, peaches, currants, blueberries, raspberries, plums, pomegranate, apricots
  • ; legumes are always recommended: red beans, cannellini beans, azuki, lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans, soy
  • milk does not contribute significantly to the increase in blood sugar, as does ricotta and yogurt
  • it is better to avoid rice, which has a high glycemic index, except that the basmati variety; quinoa, rye, oats, barley are good. All, however, should be consumed in moderate amounts

  There are tables for the glycemic index, which you can easily find on the net. Always choose foods that have this value below 50.

  Diabetic Nutrition: Other Advice

  Here is a horizon tour that can be very helpful in choosing the food and in the composition of your meal:

  • consume preferably pasta and whole wheat bread. These have a lower glycemic index,
  • combines bread and pasta with some of the protein (meat or fish), or legumes, which slow down the absorption of carbohydrates;
  • uses oil as a condiment. the olive, which is useful in the prevention of cholesterol and triglycerides, and more, like all fats, makes digestion and therefore the absorption of carbohydrates slower. Also good corn oil;
  • insert 3 portions of fish per week in the menu; blue fish such as mackerel, sardines, anchovies, garfish, flagfish, lizards, which contain the valuable omega 3 fatty acids, allies of the cardiovascular system,
  • consumes twice a week even white meats (chicken and turkey);
  • eats fruits and vegetables 5 times a day,
  • consumes fruit as a snack, in the middle of the morning or mid-afternoon, rather than at the end of a meal. In fact, it contains fructose, a sugar that would be added to carbohydrates in bread and pasta. Instead, taken out of meals, he avoids drops in blood sugar and allows this value to remain stable;
  • used for milk and coffee without sugar. Milk is, in itself, a little sweet thanks to the presence of lactose; you can also use it to "stain" the coffee and make it less bitter.

  Follow these tips for feeding people with diabetes and you will stay healthy without losing the pleasure of food. And remember: if in doubt, consult your doctor!