After diabetes is diagnosed, blood sugar control is very important, especially in terms of diet, which is one of the key factors affecting blood sugar. If not carefully controlled, it may worsen diabetes, cause many complications, and even affect cardiovascular health.

What are the dietary principles and taboos for diabetics? What foods can help stabilize diabetes control? How to choose nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes? This article will help you understand it clearly.

Key dietary principles for diabetics

There are three main purposes for diabetic patients to control their diet:

1. Avoid blood sugar spikes.
   
2. Avoid complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease and kidney disease.
   
3. Avoid rapid weight gain or loss.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that a healthy diet suitable for patients with diabetes includes four key points:

1. Eat fruits and vegetables
   
2. Eat lean meats and plant-based proteins
   
3. less sugar
   
4. Eat less processed food

Excessive intake of calories and fat will cause blood sugar to rise, which may lead to complications in the nerve, kidney or heart in the long run; therefore, it is important to formulate a diabetes diet menu, especially for type 2 diabetes that requires attention to weight control ( Type 2 diabetes) patients.

Make good use of nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes to reduce the burden of meal preparation

Portion control of carbohydrates in daily diet is very important for diabetic health indicators. However, in order to maintain nutritional stability, it is not easy to implement dietary management for a long time. In addition to following dietary principles, timely use of nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes can help improve dietary control!

5 principles for selecting nutritional supplements for diabetes

1. Comply with the nutritional recommendations of multinational associations
   The nutritional ingredients comply with the standards recommended by international authoritative organizations, including: protein, sugar, low GI, fiber, etc., and are special nutritional foods approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to provide appropriate nutritional needs for diabetic patients.
   
2. Water-soluble dietary fiber, stabilizes blood sugar after meals
   Water-soluble dietary fiber, such as indigestible maltodextrin, inulin, etc., can retain water and slow down the absorption of sugar, delaying the rapid rise in blood sugar after a meal. And it can be fermented by probiotics to produce short-chain fatty acids, which promotes the growth of good bacteria and maintains normal digestive tract function.
   
3. Low GI, helps stabilize blood sugar
   Choosing foods or nutritional supplements with a low glycemic index (GI) can help stabilize blood sugar fluctuations, secrete appropriate amounts of insulin, and reduce the burden on the pancreas. Currently, there are “0 grams of sugar” nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes on the market for diabetic patients to choose from.
   
4. Contains high quality “chromium” to help normal carbohydrate metabolism
   Chromium is a key promoter involved in insulin regulation of blood sugar and helps normal metabolism of sugar. However, as we age, chromium is gradually lost from the body. The 2022 U.S. Health and Nutrition Examination Survey “NHANES” shows that 91.7% of people over the age of 40 are deficient in chromium. Low chromium is related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the risk value increases by nearly 50%.
   
   • The National Institutes of Health in US recommends daily intake: 30 to 35 micrograms for adult men and 20 to 25 micrograms for women. US stipulates that the daily intake of chromium picolinate should not exceed 200 micrograms.
     
   • “Chromium picolinate” has the highest absorption rate, which is 16 times that of chromium trichloride: Not only the “amount” must be Eat enough, the form of chromium is also important! The public Ohio State University in the United States has confirmed through human studies that “chromium picolinate” is the form of chromium with the highest absorption rate, which is 3 times that of chromium niacinate and 16 times that of chromium trichloride.
     
5. Choose a big brand and trust is guaranteed
   Choosing a big brand is safe and trustworthy, with guaranteed quality and safety, and has the support of a professional R&D and nutrition team to ensure the food safety and nutritional needs of users
   ​

Diabetic Diet Menu Suggestions

Take the nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes from a major domestic manufacturer as an example: each can is 250 calories, consisting of 11.3 grams of protein, 5.2 grams of water-soluble dietary fiber, and 32.7 grams of carbohydrates (approximately 2 servings of sugar). According to the nutritional needs of diabetics, A well-prepared ratio of the three major nutrients can be used as part of a diet plan to reduce the effort of preparation and supplement the required nutrients. According to the “Food Replacement Table” proposed by the National Health Service of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2019, the following daily dietary reference is provided for people with diabetes:

1. Easy breakfast
   
   • 1 jar of nutritional supplements suitable for diabetes
     
   • 1 hard-boiled or tea egg has 325 calories and 32.7 grams of carbohydrates (about 2 servings of sugar).
     
2. Free meal options
   • Half a small sweet potato
   • 1 can of diabetic supplements (replacing 80% full of white rice)
   • 1~2 plates of vegetables
     
3. 1 palm-sized piece of fish meat

With 490 calories and 55 grams of carbohydrates (about 3.5 servings of sugar), it is not only convenient for sugar replacement and regular and quantitative eating, but also provides nutritional management.

5 dietary taboos for diabetics

Diet taboo 1: Sugary drinks

Sugar-sweetened drinks on the market are very high in sugar. A 360 ml can of plain Coke contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar. In addition, some drinks may seem healthy but still contain a lot of sugar, such as fruit juices. .

Although fruit juice contains vitamins, minerals and a small amount of fiber, commercially available fruit juices often add too much sugar; even unsweetened fruit juices contain a lot of natural sugars, so diabetics should pay special attention when drinking them.

Other drinks to avoid include:

1. Sugary tea, coffee
   
2. Sports or energy drinks
   
3. High-sugar flavored milk, yogurt or lactic acid drinks
   
4. Sugary soy milk or plant milk
   
5. Coconut water

No matter how healthy or natural sugary drinks appear in advertisements, they may raise blood sugar, cause insulin resistance, and increase weight and triglycerides. Sugar lovers need to be careful when consuming them.

Diet taboo 2: Eating too much refined starch

Refined starches are processed grains. Since a large amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed, the nutritional content is greatly reduced. They are easier to digest and absorb than whole grain foods, and are more likely to increase blood sugar.

Common refined starchy foods include:

1. white rice
   
2. white noodles
   
3. White bread
   
4. white flour
   
5. cookie

It is recommended that diabetic patients should choose brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet, buckwheat, oatmeal, etc. in their daily diet.

Diet taboo 3: Eating too much dried fruits and high GI fruits

Fruit is a high-quality food rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but diabetics need to pay extra attention to their intake.

Dried fruits such as raisins, dried mangoes, and figs have lost a lot of nutrients due to dehydration and drying, and their sugar content and calories are also relatively high.

Here are the nutritional differences between the same cup size of fresh grapes and raisins:

1. One cup of fresh grapes: 104 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrates
   
2. One cup of raisins: 433 calories and 115 grams of carbohydrates

It can be seen from the above that based on the same volume, fresh fruits contain much fewer calories and carbohydrates than dried fruits. Moreover, fruits are larger and easier to feel full, so you will not accidentally overeat. . However, since fruits generally contain high sugar content, you should eat less high-GI fruits, such as watermelon, durian, and mango, and switch to low-GI fruits, such as guava, apples, and kiwi fruits.

It is recommended to consume 2 servings of fruit a day. One serving is about 1 small piece of fruit, such as a small apple or diced orange, and each serving contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Dietary taboo 4: Eat too much fat and consume too much saturated fat and trans fat

Saturated fat and trans fat contained in fried foods, processed snacks and desserts will increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL, also known as bad cholesterol) in the body, which will not only increase the burden on the cardiovascular system, but also increase the burden on the cardiovascular system. The calories and sugar content are generally high, which can easily lead to elevated blood sugar and obesity.

In addition, fried foods can easily cause inflammatory reactions in the human body and increase the risk of various chronic diseases.

Diet taboo 5: Eating too salty and taking in too much sodium

Eating out or selling food in the market generally adds too much salt, and consuming too much sodium can increase blood pressure, increase the burden on the cardiovascular system and kidneys, affect blood sugar fluctuations, and worsen diabetes; according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, adults The daily sodium intake should not exceed 2,400 mg (6 grams of table salt). However, due to poor metabolic ability of people with diabetes, it is recommended that the sodium intake should be less than 2,000 mg (5 grams of table salt).

Diabetes diet is not a one-size-fits-all approach

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) believes that there is currently no set standard for diabetes diet.

It should be noted that everyone’s physical condition is different. Even if they eat the same food, the blood sugar fluctuations may be different in different people. Therefore, people with diabetes should remember to follow the doctor’s advice and maintain the habit of monitoring and recording blood sugar. Based on a balanced diet and adjusted according to personal circumstances to achieve optimal nutritional management.