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tidbits about diet

Dietary recommendations for individuals with diabetes

Daily diet

Diet recommended for people with diabetes is broadly the same as recommended for people in general, that is, healthy and varied food that helps us get the nutrients our body needs. It is preferable to choose foods that are rich in nutrients from nature, such as vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, whole grain products, beans and lentils, fatty and lean fish, oils, low-fat dairy products and meat, and water for drinking. . Food rich in fiber fills you up well, can contribute to better blood sugar control and lower blood cholesterol levels. It is therefore recommended to choose foods rich in fiber over other sources of carbohydrates. Examples of fiber-rich foods are beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and whole grain products, e.g. coarse bread. However, the consumption of processed foods, which often contain a lot of saturated fat, sugar and other refined carbohydrates and/or salt, should be limited. Examples include soft drinks, sweets, biscuits, cakes, snacks, fast food and processed meat products.

Fruits and vegetables

Many people eat vegetables and fruits daily, but most people could increase their consumption significantly, especially of vegetables. It is recommended to eat five servings of vegetables and fruit per day or at least 500 g in total. At least half should be vegetables, but vegetables contain a large amount of fiber, which reduces blood sugar spikes.

 

Fruit contains fructose, which can raise blood sugar if consumed in large quantities, but also contains a lot of important nutrients. The fiber content of fruit reduces hyperglycemia, so it is natural to eat fruit daily. It is good to aim to eat no more than one portion of fruit per meal. Pure fruit juices and shakes, on the other hand, contain a large amount of fruit sugar, which is easily digested and raises blood sugar quickly. It is therefore desirable to keep the consumption of fruit juices and shakes to a minimum. It is also good to keep in mind that dried fruit contains as much fruit sugar as fresh fruit. It is therefore important to pay attention to the portion sizes of dried fruit.

 

Although potatoes belong to a varied diet, they are not included in the five servings of vegetables and fruits per day.

Cereal products

It is recommended to choose bread and other grain products from whole grains, but these products are often marked with the Keyhole or the whole grain label. An example of use is using whole grains in baking or porridge, e.g. rye, barley, whole wheat, coarsely ground spelled or oats and use barley, brown rice and whole grain pasta as side dishes instead of refined products. The less processed the grain, the less effect its consumption has on blood sugar.

Milk and milk products

Milk and milk products contain important nutrients such as protein, calcium, iodine and other minerals and trace elements. Milk and most dairy products also contain lactose, which can affect blood sugar. When lactose is in liquid form, it can raise blood sugar quickly, so it is not advisable to drink a lot of milk or dairy products. It is better to eat dairy products, e.g. curd, yogurt and cheese and use drinking milk as an outlet. It is recommended to choose low-fat, unsweetened or low-sugar dairy products as often as possible.

Sugar and sweeteners

About 80% of the added sugar in the Icelandic diet comes from soft and soft drinks, sweets, cakes, biscuits and ice cream, almost half of which comes from soft and soft drinks. Products that contain a lot of added sugar usually provide little in the way of essential nutrients and other nutrients, but can raise blood sugar quickly, especially the drinks. It is therefore correct to exercise moderation in the consumption of sweets, cakes, biscuits and ice cream and to drink little or preferably no sugary soft drinks and soft drinks.

 

There is little evidence of that

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to sweeteners, e.g. stevia, aspartame, acesulfame-K, xylitol, etc. have an effect on blood sugar and have not been shown to be harmful if they are consumed within certain limits. However, the consumption of these substances should be moderate. It is not recommended to consume sweets that are specifically marketed to people with diabetes, as such products often contain low-quality fat and/or sweeteners instead of sugar.

Meat, fish, eggs and beans

It is preferable to choose primarily unprocessed, lean meat, and the National Health Service recommends limiting the consumption of red meat to 500 g per week. In particular, the consumption of processed meat products should be limited. Processed meat products refer to meat (usually red meat) that is smoked, salted or preserved with nitrates or nitrites. Examples include salted meat, bacon, pepperoni, bacon, sausages, puff pastry, meat farces, ham and ham. Red meat means e.g. beef, lamb and pork

 

You can choose poultry (white meat), fish, eggs, beans or greens in other meals of the week and as a side dish. It is recommended to eat fish two to three times a week as a main course, and it is preferable that one of the fish meals is fatty fish, e.g. salmon, char, halibut or mackerel.

Fat

It is desirable to increase the proportion of soft fat in the diet at the expense of hard fat, as this can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, it is not advisable to replace saturated fat with refined carbohydrates, such as sugar or white flour, as this can have unwanted effects. Soft fat is primarily found in plant-based foods, e.g. in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, larch, and in fatty fish.

Salt

There is a health benefit to reducing salt consumption, as it can reduce the rise in blood pressure. Most salt in the diet comes from processed foods, such as processed meats, bread, cheese, packaged soups and sauces, ready meals and fast food. Note that the type of salt does not matter, sodium from any salt can contribute to an increase in blood pressure.

Vitamin D

In order to promote good vitamin D benefits, it is necessary to take in vitamin D separately as a food supplement, either fish oil or vitamin D tablets. For adults, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 15 μg/day, but for older people, it is 20 μg/day. The upper limit is 100 μg/day.

Number of meals per day

In traditional nutritional therapy for diabetes, it is recommended to have breakfast, lunch and dinner and an intermediate meal once or twice, spread throughout the day. It is not wise to skip meals in order to lower blood sugar. When a person is on medication that affects insulin levels in the blood, it is especially important to have regular meals.

The plate

The plate promotes more variety in each meal and makes it easier to eat healthy and follow dietary recommendations.

 

  • Vegetables/fruits

  • Fish/meat/eggs/beans

  • Potatoes/ rice/ pasta/ bread

 

HALF vegetables or fruits.

QUARTER whole grain pasta, brown rice, barley, potatoes or wholemeal bread.

A QUARTER protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, eggs or beans.

 

Drink water as often as possible, it is the best cooling drink.

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Finally

A diet for people with diabetes is actually a moderate, delicious and healthy diet that is suitable for everyone, both people with diabetes and non-diabetics. Most people succumb to temptation at some point, and when that happens, it's best to enjoy the sweets to the fullest. The main thing is that the portion is not large and that it takes some time before you taste sweets again.

 

For once

People using mealtime insulin may find it helpful to learn to count carbs to determine mealtime insulin doses or practice keeping mealtime carb levels similar from day to day.

 

Let's leave the dinner table happy and satisfied without always having a bad conscience.

Healthy advice on diet

  • A variety of food in reasonable quantities

  • Fruits and lots of vegetables. Limit consumption of fruit juices and shakes

  • Bread and other whole grain food products.

  • Fish two to three times a week.

  • Meat in moderation. Choose lightly processed, lean meat and especially limit consumption of processed meat products.

  • Low-fat, unsweetened or low-sugar dairy products. A suitable amount is 2 servings per day. Limit consumption of milk for drinking

  • Less added sugar. Drink little or preferably no soft drinks and soft drinks and be moderate in your consumption of sweets, cakes, biscuits and ice cream.

  • Softer and healthier fats. Oily fish, fish oil, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and green beans are good sources of healthy fats.

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  • Less salt

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  • Vitamin D daily, either fish oil or vitamin D tablets

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  • Drink water when thirsty

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  • Óla Kallý Magnúsdóttir nutritionist January 30, 2017

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