In addition to taking medication, diabetes patients also need to pay attention to their diet. So, can diabetes patients eat spinach?
[Can Diabetes Patients Eat Spinach]
1. Can diabetes patients eat spinach?
Diabetes patients can eat spinach. Spinach has a moderate nutritional value and a balanced content of various nutrients. It is rich in potassium and other trace elements, and has good therapeutic effects. Spinach can moisturize the intestines, clear heat and relieve vexation, cleanse the skin, and has the effects of promoting bowel movements, clearing heat, regulating qi and blood, preventing diseases, and resisting aging. Regular consumption of spinach is beneficial for diabetes patients (especially type 2 diabetes patients) and helps to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It is a good choice for diabetes patients.
Spinach is a nutritious green vegetable and is beneficial for diabetes patients. Spinach contains abundant beneficial substances such as carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, and phosphorus, which can provide diabetes patients with various nutrients. Spinach also contains substances similar to insulin, so eating spinach often can help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Therefore, spinach contains substances that can lower blood sugar, and patients can eat more of it.
2. Nutritional value of spinach
Promoting bowel movements and preventing hemorrhoids: Spinach contains a large amount of plant fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis and facilitate bowel movements. It can also promote pancreatic secretion and aid digestion. It has therapeutic effects on diseases such as hemorrhoids, chronic pancreatitis, constipation, and anal fissures.
Promoting growth and development and enhancing immunity: The beta-carotene in spinach is converted into vitamin A in the body, which can maintain normal vision and the health of epithelial cells, increase the ability to prevent infectious diseases, and promote the growth and development of children.
Providing nutrition and promoting health: Spinach contains abundant beneficial substances such as carotene, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and a certain amount of iron and vitamin E, which can provide the body with various nutrients. The iron content in spinach has a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on iron-deficiency anemia.
3. Effects of eating spinach
Spinach has a sweet taste and a cool nature, and it enters the large intestine and stomach meridians;
It can nourish blood, stop bleeding, benefit the five viscera, promote intestinal health, regulate the middle energizer, activate blood circulation, quench thirst, moisturize the intestines, nourish yin, smooth the liver, aid digestion, and it is mainly used to treat conditions such as hypertension, headaches, dizziness, red eyes, diabetes, constipation, indigestion, bruises, bleeding, hemorrhoids, and blood disorders.
[Diet Therapy for Diabetes]
1. Green tea duck egg: Duck eggs nourish yin and moisturize, and green tea clears heat and quenches thirst. Regular consumption or eating this can help with the treatment of diabetes.
Method: 10 duck eggs (about 1 kg), 20 grams of green tea, and soy sauce as needed. Boil the duck eggs in water, remove the shells, and set aside. Boil the green tea, soy sauce, and water in a pot or stainless steel pot, then pour it into a porcelain bowl and soak the duck eggs in it. They can be eaten gradually after 24 hours.
2. Steamed tea carp: Carp can invigorate the spleen and remove dampness, treat spleen deficiency with reduced appetite, weakness, edema, and difficulty urinating; green tea clears heat and quenches thirst. The combination of the two has the effects of tonifying weakness, clearing heat, and relieving thirst.
Method: 500 grams of carp, green tea as needed. Remove the gills and internal organs of the carp, leaving the scales; stuff the carp belly with green tea and place it on a plate. Steam until fully cooked. Eat the fish without seasoning.
3. Stir-fried spinach roots with egg whites: Spinach roots can clear heat and nourish yin, nourish the intestines and stomach, and egg whites nourish yin and tonify the kidneys. The combination of the two has the effects of nourishing yin, tonifying weakness, and clearing thirst. It is suitable for regular consumption by diabetes patients.
Method: 200 grams of tender spinach roots, egg whites from 5 eggs, salt, and vegetable oil as needed. Steam the egg whites in a bowl until cooked, then cut into strips or flower shapes. Stir-fry the spinach roots in oil until fully cooked, then add the cooked egg whites and season with salt. Serve after thickening the sauce.
[Proper Diet for Diabetes]
1. The amount of food eaten each day mainly depends on the patient's gender, age, intensity of physical activity, and standard body weight.
2. Thin individuals, those engaging in heavy physical activity, children in the growth and development period, pregnant women, and diabetes patients with wasting diseases (such as pulmonary tuberculosis, tumors, and hyperthyroidism) can eat slightly more food; on the contrary, obese individuals and those engaged in light physical labor require fewer calories, so they should eat less food.
3. The total calorie intake per day should be distributed based on the principles of carbohydrates accounting for 50-60%, protein accounting for about 15%, and fat accounting for about 25%. It is also advisable to eat more foods rich in fiber and distribute them in proportions of 1/5 for breakfast and 2/5 each for lunch and dinner.
4. Diabetes patients should not restrict water intake. Drinking a glass of water before meals can create a feeling of fullness and reduce the amount of food consumed.
5. Commercially available diabetic foods are often made from buckwheat or oats, and some are only higher in fiber or sugar-free. However, they are still mainly composed of grains (carbohydrates), so their consumption should be calculated as part of the overall dietary plan.
6. When traveling, engaging in heavy physical labor, or participating in sports, the amount of food can be increased appropriately, or the dosage of insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs can be adjusted accordingly.
