Unfortunately, a disease like type 2 diabetes affects more and more people every year. In terms of mortality, it ranks second, second only to oncology. The risk of such a disease is not only in constantly elevated glucose levels, but in the failure of almost all bodily functions.
"Sweet" disease is not treated, you can only minimize the risk of complications and avoid insulin-dependent type of diabetes. To normalize sugar levels, endocrinologists primarily prescribe a low-carbohydrate diet and regular exercise therapy. It turns out that type 2 diabetes diet and nutritional therapy is the primary and primary treatment.
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 blood cells with a glucometer at home.
Causes and symptoms
Diabetes refers to diseases of the endocrine system, when blood sugar levels rise continuously. This is due to a decrease in the sensitivity of cells, as well as tissues to the hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.
It is interesting that the body produces this hormone in sufficient quantities, but the cells do not respond to it. This condition is called insulin resistance.
There is no single, 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. But this does not mean that the disease has progressed significantly. Most likely, the patient has simply ignored the symptoms of prediabetes for many years, thereby exhausting the body.
Signs of SD:
- thirst;
- dry mouth;
- slow healing of wounds and ulcers;
- frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- rapid fatigue;
- sleepy
If at least one of the symptoms occurs, it is recommended to go to an endocrinologist for diagnosis to rule out or confirm the presence of disorders. Diagnosis is quite simple - the donation of venous and capillary blood. If you know the symptoms and treatment will be effective.
Diabetes is more common in the following categories of people:
- age over 40;
- overweight according to the type of abdomen;
- nutritional deficiency, when light carbohydrates (sweets, wheat products) predominate in the diet;
- a sedentary lifestyle without proper exercise;
- high blood pressure;
- presence of diabetes in close relatives.
During the treatment of a "sweet" disease, it is necessary to strictly follow a diet aimed at lowering blood sugar.
diet therapy
>A properly formulated therapeutic diet, along with moderate exercise, will be the primary 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. The last dinner at least a few hours before bedtime.
Type 2 diabetes Diet and nutritional therapy stabilize blood sugar. Up to half of your daily diet should be vegetables. The daily menu must also include cereal, fruit, meat or fish and dairy products.
The body of diabetics suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals. This is due to a malfunction in metabolic processes, not only in the endocrine system. That's why eating a healthy diet is so important.
The 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 or 150 grams of cottage cheese;
- fruits should be included in the breakfast;
- when preparing vegetarian dishes, use only seasonal products;
- choose products according to GI.
All diabetic foods should have a low glycemic index. Endocrinologists follow this clue when formulating a dietary regimen.
In addition to observing the principles of nutrition, one should not forget the permissible heat treatment, which aims to ensure that there is no bad cholesterol in the dishes.
Cooking is permitted as follows:
- to boil;
- for a couple;
- in a microwave oven;
- bake in the oven;
- in a multicooker;
- stew, using a small amount of vegetable oil.
It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the concept of GI and learn on your own how to create a diet based on personal preferences.
After all, the choice of products for diabetics is quite large and allows you to cook many healthy dishes.
GI product in diet therapy
The glycemic index is a measure that reflects the effect of a certain food on the rise in blood sugar after eating it. 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 need to choose from the food groups that have a low GI. Food with an average indicator can only be in the diet sometimes, no more than twice a week. Products with a high GI can raise glucose levels to 4 mmol / l in a relatively short time.
The glycemic index of foods is divided into three categories. But in addition to this value, you need to pay attention to the calorie content of the food. So, some foods have zero units, but at the same time contain bad cholesterol and high calorie content.
A bright one will take fat, which does not contain carbohydrates and has 0 units, but it is absolutely contraindicated for diabetics. GI Department:
- 0 - 50 units - low;
- 50 - 69 units - medium;
- over 70 units - high.
There is a special reserve table with indexes to make it easier for the patient to create their own menu. Some products after heat treatment can significantly increase the index - these are beets and carrots. Raw they are allowed, but cooked under ban.
A therapeutic diet allows you to cook dishes from such vegetables:
- onion;
- all types of cabbage - white and red, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli;
- garlic;
- eggplant;
- tomato;
- string and asparagus beans;
- lentils;
- beans;
- guidance;
- cucumber
Many people are used to having potatoes on the table. But with a "sweet" disease, it is better to refuse it because of the high GI. In rare cases, when it is still decided to use tubers, they should be soaked in water overnight. This way you can get rid of starch and slightly reduce the index.
Vegetables for diabetics are a source of vitamins, micronutrients and fiber. They prepare not only fresh salads, but also side dishes, as well as complex dishes. It is permissible to diversify the taste characteristics with greens - spinach, lettuce, oregano, basil, dill and parsley.
Fruits are an equally important part of the diet. The daily permissible norm should not exceed 150 - 200 grams. Fruits, even with a low index, cannot be juiced. With this treatment, they lose fiber and glucose quickly enters the bloodstream.
In a diet, the following fruits and berries are allowed:
- cherries;
- apricot;
- bulb;
- nectarines;
- persimmon;
- black and red currants;
- all types of citrus fruits - orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, pomelo and lime;
- gooseberry;
- sweet cherries;
- peach.
There are many valuable substances in dried fruit, no more than 50 grams per day is allowed. Dried fruit is good to add to the cereal and thus form a perfect meal. Low GI dried fruits - 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 present at least three times in the weekly diet. Choose lean meat and fish. The skin and fat residues are removed from them, since there are no vitamins in them, but only bad cholesterol.
Endocrinologists recommend the following products:
- chicken;
- rabbit meat;
- turkey;
- beef;
- quail;
- chicken liver;
- beef liver;
- beef tongue;
- beef lungs.
There are no restrictions on the choice of seafood. From fish, you can choose between roach, lamprey, roach or perch.
Grains 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. The alternative will be brown (brown) rice, its GI is 50 units. It takes a little longer to cook - about 45 minutes.
Barley is considered the most valuable grain, its GI is only 22 units. Other types of grain 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 buttermilk products. All of them are based on the fat content of products. Therefore, it would be wise to reject sour cream, margarine and butter.
Medical treatment
If it is not possible to achieve the desired results with the help of diet therapy, the doctor is forced to prescribe hypoglycemic drugs. Their choice in the pharmaceutical market is vast.
Self-medication is prohibited, as all pills have their own side effects. Only an endocrinologist can choose the right pills for the patient, taking into account the characteristics of his body and the course of the disease.
The purpose of hypoglycemic drugs is to stimulate pancreatic cells to increase the production of the hormone insulin so that it is in the blood in the required amount.
If in this case it is not possible to normalize the level of glucose in the blood, then the treatment includes several groups of hypoglycemic tablets.
Additional measures
If type 2 diabetes is present, treatment should include possible physical activity. This serves as a great replacement for high sugar levels.
That is, when you do sports in your body, all metabolic processes are accelerated and glucose is absorbed faster.
You should devote at least half an hour a day to this lesson. If you can't exercise every day, at least walk in the fresh air for forty minutes.
You can choose the following types of exercise for type 2 diabetics:
- yoga;
- Nordic walk;
- sports parades;
- jogging;
- ride a bike;
- swimming.
If a person wants to learn at home, there are many online video courses dedicated to diabetics.
If training is carried out outside the home and after it there is a feeling of hunger, then it is permissible to prepare an additional meal - a snack. An ideal option would be 50 grams of nuts, which contain nutritious protein, have a low GI and perfectly fight appetite. Just do not exceed the permissible daily dose, because such a product is high in calories.
From all of the above, it should be concluded that the manifestation of diabetes can be minimized using only two rules: follow the principles of dietary treatment for diabetes and exercise regularly.