Recently, many friends have been asking how people with diabetes should eat. Although there are many books on diabetes diet on the market, most of them only provide general principles and some common recipes, without discussing how to combine them or provide specific details. In order to help friends easily understand the dietary habits for diabetes, let me tell you a story.
Mr. Wang, a friend of mine, is a senior executive in a company. He leads a busy life, constantly commuting and eating out. He has a very good appetite and particularly enjoys oily and flavorful food. He rarely exercises, even driving for a distance of 300 meters. With a height of 180 centimeters, his weight exceeds 105 kilograms.
One day, we went on an outing with friends. After climbing only 300 meters, Mr. Wang was already out of breath. He used to be a high school sports star, but due to lack of exercise over the years, his physical fitness has greatly declined. When we returned, he sighed and said, "Today, I walked more than I did in an entire year..."
I advised him, "You can't continue like this. You eat too much, exercise too little, and have poor physical fitness. Look at your body, your waist is wider than your hips. Be careful of diabetes!" He laughed and said, "Don't scare me, I don't eat sweets at all, how can I get diabetes?" I shook my head helplessly.
I need to explain here that most people with type 2 diabetes have weak muscles, low physical fitness, and excess abdominal fat. Even if their weight is not excessive, if their waist circumference is too large (indicating excess visceral fat) and their limbs are weak, they need to pay attention to the risk of diabetes. On the other hand, if their waist-to-hip ratio is normal, their muscles are strong, and they are able to run and jump, even if their weight is slightly high, the risk of diabetes is smaller. It is well known that exercise within 30 minutes mainly consumes blood sugar and glycogen, especially short-term exercise of a few minutes mainly consumes blood sugar. Three-quarters of the body's blood sugar is used by muscles. If the muscles are well-developed and the body is physically fit, it means that the muscle tissue is good at utilizing glucose, and the body's insulin sensitivity is relatively high. Blood sugar can quickly leave the bloodstream and enter the tissues that need it, naturally avoiding the danger of high blood sugar.
Two years later, I met Mr. Wang again. "Unfortunately, you were right," he said, "this year's physical examination revealed that I really have diabetes. The doctor gave me advice on what I can't eat and my life suddenly returned to the old days. I can't even eat enough..."
Among chronic diseases, diabetes is probably the most troublesome in terms of diet. It requires controlling postprandial blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, salt, and body fat. This is because diabetes patients have a high risk of cardiovascular diseases, and 50% of diabetes patients die from cardiovascular complications. Therefore, controlling blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood sugar are equally important.
How to Live a Life Free from Diabetes
So why should we also control body fat? Because excess body fat, especially excess visceral fat, is a common risk factor for diabetes and coronary heart disease. After reducing body fat, it usually brings about a comprehensive effect of increased insulin sensitivity, decreased blood pressure, and decreased blood lipids. Therefore, for patients with excessive body fat, a diabetes diet is also a mild weight loss diet.
The doctor gave Mr. Wang comprehensive advice. On one hand, he was asked to eat less staple food and control all carbohydrate-containing foods. On the other hand, he was asked to eat less meat and oily food. Mr. Wang was in a dilemma. Under the strict supervision of his wife, he reduced his intake of staple food by half and reduced his meat consumption to twice a week, with each serving being only 50 grams. The problem was that he felt hungry every day with less rice, less meat, and less oil... He didn't dare to eat fruit as the doctor only allowed him to eat tofu and vegetables. Under such strict dietary control, it was difficult to maintain a good quality of life.
Eating more vegetables and less oil, the doctor was absolutely right. Let me briefly introduce the dietary and exercise considerations for people with diabetes:
1. Eat more vegetables: It is recommended for diabetes patients to eat more than 500 grams of vegetables every day (excluding starchy vegetables such as potatoes and taro). Leafy green vegetables not only provide a variety of minerals and antioxidants, reduce the risk of complications in the eyes, heart, and blood vessels, but also increase satiety, which is great for diabetes patients.
2. Eat less oil: Cooking should use less oil and more steaming, stewing, boiling, and cold dishes. This is beneficial for cardiovascular health and long-term blood sugar control. Research suggests that a high dietary fat intake does not significantly increase blood sugar immediately after a meal, but it can impair postprandial blood sugar control over the long term. It is recommended to avoid fried and deep-fried foods, reduce stir-fried dishes, and use condiments such as onions, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns in moderation.
3. Control meat consumption: Meat does not need to be eaten every day. Fish and soy products cooked with less oil can provide a portion of protein, making the ratio of dietary fatty acids more reasonable. According to current research evidence, it is sufficient to consume no more than four eggs per week, and there is no need to discard the egg yolks. One cup of milk can be consumed daily, and if blood lipids are high, low-fat milk and yogurt can be chosen.
4. Don't eat too little staple food, focus on controlling blood sugar response: The quantity of staple food does not need to be too small. Half a kilogram per day is still acceptable. What really needs to be strictly controlled are refined rice and refined flour-based foods. Other slow-digesting starch foods can still be eaten in moderation. Research has shown that a low blood sugar response diet with the same amount of staple food can produce better long-term effects than a diet with only increased dietary fiber. Compared with refined and soft staple foods, whole grain pasta made from hard wheat digests the slowest and has the lowest blood sugar response.
Many people think that all starch foods will turn into glucose after digestion and absorption, so they will all increase blood sugar. Indeed, after consuming starch food, blood sugar will increase, but the effect of increasing blood sugar varies greatly depending on the type of staple food. Most studies support the idea that a diet with a lower blood sugar response is beneficial for reducing the risk of diabetes and helps reduce glycated hemoglobin levels (one of the indicators of long-term blood sugar control) in diabetes patients.
Glucose, maltose, and dextrin have the fastest blood sugar response because they are quickly digested and absorbed. Among them, glucose is considered as a reference with a blood sugar index of 100, and maltose exceeds 100. Then there are white bread, white steamed buns, white rice porridge, glutinous rice products, and white sugar, which are not much different from glucose. White rice and rice cakes are slightly lower, but still in this category with a blood sugar index of over 80. All of these foods need to be strictly limited and are best eaten with other slow-digesting foods. Among "fine grains," pasta made from hard wheat digests the slowest and has the lowest blood sugar response.
Compared to white rice and white flour, coarse grains digest more slowly. Among them, the blood sugar index of millet and sticky yellow corn is the highest, between 70-75, while black rice, buckwheat, oats, barley, and rye are all below 70. The blood sugar response of corn products depends on their processing status. Puffed corn flakes and popcorn are similar to rice, while sweet corn has a blood sugar index of only 55. Lotus seeds are also good for low blood sugar response and can be added to staple foods.
Legumes are all low blood sugar response foods. Red beans, mung beans, lentils, fava beans, string beans, and chickpeas are all below 40, much lower than coarse grains. In general, replacing white rice and white flour with beans is filling. If kidney function is normal, there is no need to worry about replacing rice with beans. Compared with white rice and white flour, beans are rich in vitamin B1, potassium, magnesium, and other elements. They are beneficial for diabetes patients who are prone to mineral and water-soluble vitamin loss. They are also rich in antioxidants, contain vitamin E, and have a high dietary fiber content, which is helpful in preventing cardiovascular complications.
5. Mixing staple foods: It is a good idea to combine grains with vegetables or beans. Vegetables and beans have a very good satiety effect, which can reduce blood sugar response and hunger. For example, the traditional eight-treasure porridge, without white rice and sugar, but with more starchy beans and various whole grains, is a very good staple food. Another example is the traditional "steamed green beans" and "steamed vegetables" in the Central Plains region. Sprinkle beans, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, and other ingredients on top of green beans, shepherd's purse stems, and carrot shreds. After steaming, dip them in a sauce made of sesame, garlic, vinegar, and a small amount of sesame oil. It is fragrant, delicious, low in fat, and low in calories, making it an excellent choice to replace a portion of the staple food. Another example is adding some tender peas, tender fava beans, etc., to soups and dishes, while reducing half of the rice, which can improve the nutritional quality of a meal and avoid hunger.
6. Moderate consumption of nuts and fruits: Diabetes patients can also eat some fruits and nuts in moderation. Reducing the amount of oil used in cooking and replacing it with a small handful of nuts (25 grams) can increase dietary fiber and mineral content. Reduce a few mouthfuls of staple food during meals and allocate space to eat a small amount of fruit (about 100 grams each time, 200 grams per day). This way, blood sugar will not fluctuate dramatically. This is because most fruits have a low glycemic load. For example, compared with the same amount of carbohydrates, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, grapefruits, strawberries, etc., are all very low. Kiwis, bananas, pineapples, and grapes have slightly higher glycemic index, but their glycemic load is still much lower than that of white rice. Remember to eat fresh and whole fruits, not fruit juice or sweetened canned fruits.
Mr. Wang finally understood that it is not that he can't eat anything sweet, and that he can eat anything not sweet. It is also not necessary to avoid starch foods. He can eat fruits, nuts, use various seasonings, and eat a satisfying meal. Life suddenly became much better...
It sounds like it's not difficult to achieve all of this when eating at home. However, as a businessman, he often has to attend business banquets, and it is not so easy to eat a balanced diet at every meal.
To consider the irregular eating time and unhealthy content in restaurants, I suggested placing a soy milk machine, a small refrigerator, and a microwave in his office in addition to a water dispenser. Before going out for a banquet at night, he can drink some homemade soy milk, mix in some plain oats, and drink some unsweetened yogurt to stabilize his stomach. This way, he won't experience hypoglycemia and won't overeat during the meal. During the banquet, he can intentionally choose vegetables, beans, tofu, and fresh fish and shrimp, and eat less oily dishes, so that the food content won't be too extreme.
8. Maintain exercise and strengthen muscle strength: However, diabetes control requires five pillars: diet, medication, monitoring, education, and exercise. After a meal, one should not sit still and engage in some light physical activity, which makes blood sugar control easier.
If physical fitness is poor, one can start with walking, then gradually increase speed and distance. It is best to do some muscle training, even if it's just using dumbbells, resistance bands, and hand grip trainers at home. Research has found that not only aerobic exercise is helpful for blood sugar control, but resistance exercise for muscle training also has very good effects. Prepare for exercise, do it within your limits, and drink some water before and after exercise to avoid injury and dehydration.
Mr. Wang started with a 3-kilometer walk in the evening, gradually increasing it to 5 kilometers and eventually turning it into brisk walking. Later, he even carried a backpack for weighted walking. He also bought various small fitness equipment for regular practice. After a few years, his weight decreased, his waist circumference shrunk, and his physical fitness gradually improved. He paid attention to monitoring his postprandial blood sugar and maintained good dietary control. His blood sugar levels gradually returned to normal, and other indicators also returned to normal.
He laughed and said, "When I attend banquets, I often see bosses with big bellies and weak muscles take out needles before meals to inject insulin, and then say generously, 'Let's eat and drink!' At that time, I felt fortunate that I woke up early."
Looking back on his past life, he couldn't understand why he used to enjoy greasy and heavy-flavored food so much. He remembered that the oil in restaurants often had a sticky texture, but he was completely unaware. He sighed and said, "If it weren't for getting diabetes, I wouldn't know how much low-quality oil I would have consumed."
"It's the scariest thing to have money but no health knowledge. I am fortunate to have regained my health..."
Here are some tips:
1. To prevent diabetes, it is a good preventive measure to engage in physical activity, maintain body fat within normal limits, have a normal waist circumference, and avoid muscle atrophy. Diligence pays off, and laziness does not bring any benefits. In the end, the loss in health is greater. After developing diabetes, it is the same. Taking action and controlling both exercise and diet are equally important. Maintaining muscle function is of great significance in controlling blood sugar.
2. Eating fresh, light, low-oil, and low-salt food is not a form of suffering but a form of happiness. It is a sign of high-quality diet. Diabetes patients must control oil and salt intake to prevent cardiovascular complications. The nutritional quality of food needs to be higher than that of healthy individuals, especially eating more fresh vegetables to obtain more antioxidants, in order to avoid premature aging and disability.
3. Controlling diabetes through diet does not mean eating as little as possible. Eating too little can cause malnutrition, weaken the body, and even lead to the risk of hypoglycemia. Eating more nutrient-rich and chew-resistant vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, especially replacing white rice and white flour-based staple foods with eight-treasure porridge made from half starchy beans, can take care of nutritional supply, satiety, and blood sugar control.
4. Although it is difficult to control the variety of dishes on the restaurant table, many methods can be used to improve the content of meals, such as preparing healthy food in advance, choosing more light dishes, and consuming less oily foods. With planning, determination, and perseverance, the harm of eating out to health can be minimized.
Lastly, let me share my personal experience. My grandparents and parents all have chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. I myself had symptoms of hypoglycemia when I was young and did not have ideal blood sugar control. Considering these risk factors, I started paying attention to exercising and maintaining muscle strength from the age of 35, as well as controlling my diet. Until now, I have maintained a good body composition, and there are no problems with my blood sugar and blood lipids. I believe that as long as I make an effort, I can at least stay away from chronic diseases before the age of 60...
