A Sound Nutritional Regime for People with Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which eating has to be controlled extremely strictly in order to keep blood sugar stable and balanced. Taking in too many carbohydrates causes a sudden spike in blood sugar, leaving the patient exhausted and opening the door to many dangerous complications.

It is a disease that cannot be cured outright, but if the patient maintains a sound diet and lifestyle and takes medication as prescribed by a doctor, their health will improve. So what does a suitable nutritional regime for a person with diabetes look like? The article below shares what you need to know about it.

Nutrition is extremely important for people with diabetes

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What is diabetes?

Diabetes (also known as diabetes mellitus) is a chronic metabolic disorder that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, or does not use the insulin produced by the pancreas effectively.

Insulin is a very important hormone produced by the pancreas that helps move sugar (glucose) from the blood into the cells to create energy.

When the body lacks insulin or becomes “resistant” to it, the level of sugar in the blood rises, causing prolonged hyperglycaemia – the defining feature of diabetes.

Diabetes is divided into two main types:

Type 1 diabetes

This is the form in which the pancreas can no longer produce insulin.

It is usually found in children and young people.

Patients must inject insulin every day in order to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes

This is the most common form (accounting for around 90–95% of cases).

It occurs when the body becomes insulin resistant, meaning that insulin is still produced but does not work effectively.

It is usually found in adults, especially those who are overweight or obese, sedentary, or have an unhealthy diet with too much sugar or too many carbohydrates.

It can be controlled through diet, exercise and oral medication.

People with the disease often feel thirsty, urinate frequently, lose weight, feel tired and find that wounds heal slowly. If it is not controlled, the disease can lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, damage to the eyes and nerves, and foot infections.

The good news is that diabetes can be controlled if the patient eats sensibly, maintains a healthy weight, exercises regularly and has their blood sugar checked periodically. A healthy lifestyle is the “natural medicine” that keeps blood sugar stable and protects health over the long term.

Nutritional principles for people with diabetes

For people with diabetes, what they eat each day is very important and becomes the key factor in controlling the disease. Patients who want to keep their blood sugar under good control need to observe the following basic principles:

Each meal should contain less rice, more green vegetables and fewer sugary fruits. It is best to split food intake into 4–5 small meals a day, so as to avoid going hungry or experiencing sudden rises and falls in blood sugar.

Drink enough water, from 1.5 to 2 litres a day.

Never skip meals or restrict food excessively, as this weakens the body and affects both physical and mental health, making the disease worse.

Carbohydrate foods

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, but taking in too much of this group raises the level of sugar in the body and worsens the condition. People with diabetes therefore need to take in just enough carbohydrate, choose the right types and spread it across small meals during the day in order to avoid a sharp rise in blood sugar.

This food group includes rice, bread, potatoes and other tubers, maize, rice noodles, glass noodles, cereals and cakes. These foods supply energy, vitamins A, C and D and a proportion of fat. However, eating too many refined carbohydrates (such as white rice, white bread and noodles) causes blood sugar to rise quickly.

Patients should choose brown rice, sweet potato, maize and wholegrain cereals instead of white rice, white bread or potatoes. Keep carbohydrates at a moderate level rather than cutting them out completely, because the body still needs energy to function.

Alongside this, avoid white rice, cakes, white bread, instant noodles, pasta and sugary breakfast cereals.

People with diabetes should eat plenty of fibre and fruit

Fibre, vegetables and fruit

Fibre plays an extremely important role in the diet of a person with diabetes, because it slows the absorption of sugar, lowers cholesterol and supports effective digestion, and above all helps the patient feel full for longer when carbohydrates have to be limited.

The recommendation is that people with diabetes take in at least 14g of fibre for every 1,000 kcal of energy consumed. On average, women need about 25g a day and men should reach 38g a day.

Vegetables and fruit are also a rich source of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and fibre. Patients should eat lightly; when preparing green vegetables, boil or steam them, or make them into a salad for variety.

Vegetables to use regularly include water spinach, katuk, Malabar spinach, English spinach, bitter melon, wax gourd, Malabar spinach, amaranth, seaweed and asparagus.

Even so, not every vegetable or root is good for the patient; some contain a small amount of starch and should be limited, such as sweet potato, yam, corn, beetroot and green peas.

As for fruit, not every kind is suitable. Patients should avoid those high in sugar or starch, such as durian, ripe mango, longan, jackfruit, lychee, dried fruit and fruit preserved in syrup. Choose fresh, low-sugar fruit such as apple, pomelo, dragon fruit, orange, strawberry and guava.

Vegetable oils are very good for people with diabetes

Foods containing protein, vitamins and minerals

Foods rich in protein and vitamins, such as meat, fish, eggs and milk, supply the energy the body needs without raising blood sugar much, so people with diabetes need to pay close attention to this group.

People with diabetes should take in around 1–1.2g of protein per kg of body weight a day, equivalent to 15–20% of the total energy in the diet.

Preferred protein sources:

• Lean meat, especially free-range chicken, skinless turkey, pork loin and lean beef.
• Oily fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel.
• Plant protein: soya beans, tofu and unsweetened soya milk.
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, chia seeds and peanuts.
• Eggs and unsweetened yoghurt

Protein sources to limit:

• Processed meat (sausages, cold cuts, ham, Chinese sausage, bacon).
• Fatty meat, chicken and duck skin.
• Nuts coated in sugar or seasoning.
• Fast food and canned meat.
• People who are overweight or obese need to cut down on red meat and increase plant protein in order to avoid storing fat and to support weight control.

Fats and vegetable oils

Fat is a nutrient that supplies energy and plays an important role in the working of the cells, while also helping the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. However, people with diabetes should keep a tight rein on this group; it should account for only around 25–30% of the total energy in the diet.

Use vegetable oils such as soya bean oil, olive oil, peanut oil and sesame oil. Oily fish provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart.

Limit animal fat, offal, brain, poultry skin, processed or canned foods containing saturated fat, and dishes deep-fried or fried in a lot of oil.

Using healthy fats not only helps keep blood sugar stable but also prevents cardiovascular disease, a dangerous complication commonly seen in people with diabetes.

Foods to limit or avoid entirely

People with diabetes need to take particular care with the following food groups:

• Foods containing more than 20% carbohydrate: sweets, jam, soft drinks, dried fruit.
• Foods containing 10–20% carbohydrate: eat these sparingly and calculate the amount carefully.
• Eat less salt: reduce salt intake to under 2,300mg a day.
• Avoid wine, beer and alcoholic drinks, especially on an empty stomach, as they easily cause a sudden drop in blood sugar.
• Avoid fast food, stir-fried and deep-fried dishes, and canned food.
• Have periodic check-ups to monitor health and adjust the diet accordingly.
• A sensible diet that is nutritionally complete but tightly controlled is the essential foundation that allows a person with diabetes to live in good health.

Build sound eating habits, combine them with regular exercise and periodic check-ups in order to control blood sugar, prevent complications and enjoy a healthy life every day. A well-planned meal helps the patient live well, live long and limit the dangerous complications the disease can cause.

Today, the meals supplied by STAVI industrial catering also pay close attention to portion size and nutritional balance, so as to supply all the nutrient groups without any excess. For people with diabetes, the nutrition department recommends limiting carbohydrates and eating more vegetables and fruit in order to stay in good health and maintain performance at work.