Unfortunately, a disease like type 2 diabetes affects more and more people every year. It is the second leading cause of death after oncology. The danger of such a disease lies not only in the constantly elevated glucose level, but also in the failure of almost all body functions.
"Sweet" disease is not cured, only the risk of complications can be minimized and insulin-dependent type of diabetes can be avoided. To normalize the sugar level, endocrinologists first prescribe a low-carbohydrate diet and regular exercise therapy. It turned out that diet and nutrition treatment is the main and main therapy in type 2 diabetes.
If the desired results cannot be achieved with the help of diet therapy, you should start taking hypoglycemic drugs. It is also necessary to monitor the blood count with a glucometer at home.
Causes and symptoms
Diabetes refers to diseases of the endocrine system, when the level of sugar in the blood constantly rises. This is due to a decrease in the sensitivity of cells, as well as tissues, to the insulin hormone produced by the pancreas.
Interestingly, the body produces this hormone in sufficient quantities, but the cells do not react with it. This condition is called insulin resistance.
There is no single and specific cause of type 2 diabetes, but doctors have identified risk factors, one of which is age 40. It is at this age that DM is often diagnosed. However, this does not mean that the disease is developing acutely. Most likely, the patient ignored the symptoms of prediabetes for many years, thereby exhausting the body.
Symptoms of SD:
- thirst;
- dry mouth;
- slow healing of wounds and scratches;
- frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- rapid fatigue;
- drowsiness.
If at least one of the symptoms appears, it is recommended to visit an endocrinologist for an analysis to exclude or confirm the presence of a disease. The diagnosis is quite simple - delivery of venous and capillary blood. If you know the symptoms and the treatment will be effective.
Diabetes is more common in people who:
- over 40 years old;
- overweight due to the type of abdomen;
- nutrition, when light carbohydrates (sweets, flour products) dominate the diet;
- sedentary lifestyle without proper physical activity;
- high blood pressure;
- presence of diabetes in close relatives.
When treating the "sweet" disease, it is necessary to strictly follow a diet aimed at reducing blood glucose.
diet therapy
>A properly designed therapeutic diet, along with moderate physical activity, will become the main treatment for diabetes. One of the main rules is not to starve and not to overeat. The number of meals is six times a day. Last dinner at least a few hours before bedtime.
Type 2 diabetes Diet and nutritional therapy stabilize blood sugar levels. Up to half of the daily diet should be vegetables. Also, the daily menu should include grains, fruits, meat or fish and dairy products.
The body of a diabetic patient suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals. This is due to a failure not only in the endocrine system, but also in metabolic processes. That's why it's so important to eat a balanced diet.
The main principles of the diet can be distinguished from the above:
- small meals, six times a day;
- minimum fluid intake - two liters;
- do not starve and do not overeat;
- dinner should be light, it is worth limiting yourself to a glass of fermented milk product or 150 grams of cottage cheese;
- fruits should be included in breakfast;
- use only seasonal products in the preparation of vegetable dishes;
- Choose a GI compliant product.
All diabetic foods should have a low glycemic index. Endocrinologists adhere to this indicator when designing dietary therapy.
In addition to observing the principles of nutrition, we must not forget the allowed heat treatment aimed at the absence of bad cholesterol in food.
Cooking is allowed in the following ways:
- To boil;
- for a couple;
- in a microwave oven;
- cook in the oven;
- in the multivark;
- stew using a small amount of vegetable oil.
You need to learn the concept of GI separately and learn how to build a diet based on personal taste preferences.
After all, the choice of products for diabetics is quite wide and allows you to cook many healthy dishes.
GI of products in diet therapy
The glycemic index is a measure of the effect of a certain food on increasing blood sugar levels after a meal. Products with a low GI contain complex digestible carbohydrates, which are not only necessary for the patient, but also give him a feeling of satiety for a long time.
Diabetics should choose one of the low GI food categories. Foods with an average indicator can be in the diet only occasionally, no more than twice a week. High GI products can raise the glucose level to 4 mmol / l in a fairly short period of time.
The glycemic index of foods is divided into three categories. However, in addition to this value, it is necessary to pay attention to the calorie content of the food. Thus, some foods have a value of zero units, but at the same time have bad cholesterol and high calorie content.
A bright one will take no carbohydrates and 0 units of fat, but it is strictly contraindicated for diabetics. GI section:
- 0 - 50 units - low;
- 50 - 69 units - medium;
- More than 70 units - high.
There is a special table of products with indexes to make it easier for the patient to create a menu for himself. After heat treatment, some products can significantly increase the index - these are beets and carrots. Raw they are allowed, but boiled under the ban.
Therapeutic diet allows you to prepare dishes from such vegetables:
- onion;
- all types of cabbage - white and red, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli;
- garlic;
- eggplant;
- tomatoes;
- string beans and asparagus;
- lentils;
- pea;
- pumpkin;
- cucumber.
Many people are used to having potatoes on their table. But with a "sweet" disease, it is better to refuse it due to its high GI. In very rare cases, if you still decide to use tubers, they should be pre-soaked in water overnight. Thus, you can get rid of starch and slightly reduce the index.
For diabetics, vegetables are a source of vitamins, trace elements and fiber. They prepare not only fresh salads, but also side dishes, as well as complex dishes. It is allowed to diversify the taste qualities with greens - spinach, lettuce, oregano, basil, dill and parsley.
Fruits are an equally important part of the diet. The daily allowed rate should not exceed 150 - 200 grams. Fruits, even if they have a low index, cannot be juiced. With this treatment, they lose fiber and glucose quickly enters the blood.
The following fruits and berries are allowed during the diet:
- cherries;
- apricot;
- pear;
- nectarine;
- dates;
- black and red currants;
- all types of citrus fruits - orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, pomelo and lime;
- corn;
- sweet cherry;
- peach.
Dried fruits contain many valuable substances, more than 50 grams per day is not allowed. Dried fruits are good to add to cereals and thus create a complete meal. Dried fruits with low GI - dried apricots, prunes and figs.
Meat, offal, fish and seafood are also a daily part of the menu. At the same time, fish should be included in the weekly diet at least three times. Choose lean meat and fish. Skin and fat residues are removed from them, they do not contain vitamins, but they contain bad cholesterol.
Endocrinologists recommend the following products:
- chicken;
- rabbit meat;
- turkey;
- beef;
- quail;
- chicken liver;
- beef liver;
- beef tongue;
- beef lungs.
There is no limit to the choice of seafood. From fish, you can choose pollock, hake, pike or perch.
Cereals are a source of energy, so they give a feeling of satiety for a long time. Some of them have a high GI, especially white rice. Its alternative would be brown (brown) rice with a GI of 50 units. It takes a little longer to cook - about 45 minutes.
Barley is considered the most valuable cereal plant, its GI is only 22 units. Other cereal types are also allowed:
- barley groats;
- buckwheat;
- oatmeal;
- wheat porridge.
By the way, the thicker the porridge, the lower the index.
There are few restrictions on milk and sour milk products. All of them are based on the fat content of the products. Therefore, it would be rational to refuse sour cream, margarine and oil.
Treatment
If the desired results cannot be achieved with the help of diet therapy, the doctor is forced to prescribe hypoglycemic drugs. Their choice is wide in the pharmaceutical market.
Self-medication is prohibited, because all pills have their own side effects. Only an endocrinologist can choose the right pills for the patient, taking into account the characteristics of the body and the course of the disease.
The goal of hypoglycemic drugs is to stimulate the cells of the pancreas to increase the production of the hormone insulin, so that it is in the right amount in the blood.
In this case, if it is not possible to normalize the level of glucose in the blood, the therapy includes several groups of hypoglycemic tablets.
Additional measures
In the presence of type 2 diabetes, treatment should consist of possible physical activity. It serves as an excellent compensation for high sugar levels.
That is, when doing sports, all metabolic processes in the body accelerate, glucose is absorbed faster.
You should devote at least half an hour a day to this lesson. If you cannot exercise daily, you should walk for at least forty minutes in the fresh air.
For type 2 diabetes patients, you can choose the following types of physical activity:
- yoga;
- Nordic walking;
- sports walk;
- running;
- cycle;
- swimming.
If a person wants to study at home, there are many video courses on the Internet dedicated to diabetics.
If training is carried out outside the house, and there is a feeling of hunger after them, it is allowed to have an additional meal - a snack. An ideal choice would be 50 grams of nuts, which contain nutritious protein, have a low GI and perfectly fight appetite. Just do not exceed the daily allowance, because such a product is high in calories.
From all of the above, it is necessary to conclude that the manifestation of diabetes can be minimized by using only two rules: follow the principles of dietary therapy for diabetes and exercise regularly.