Optimal low-carb diet for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, allowed and prohibited foods and menu for the week

Impaired glucose metabolism, diabetes, chronic incurable disease. In addition to drug treatment, to overcome diabetes, the patient needs to completely change his or her daily routine. To normalize glycemia, it is not enough to take medications on time and constantly, but it is vitally important to monitor your diet. Without this, no treatment will be effective. Nutritionists and endocrinologists have developed many recommendations for low-carbohydrate nutrition. The basic instructions are summarized in dietetics. Treatment table No. 9 is intended for type 2 diabetes.

Do's and Don'ts for Diabetes

What is a low carb diet for type 2 diabetes?

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not function properly and does not produce the hormone insulin in the required amount, so the level of glucose in a person’s blood is significantly increased, which leads to serious pathologies of the vascular and nervous systems. To treat this pathology, the use of special medications and strict adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet are indicated.

The main goals of a low-carb diet are to normalize glucose levels, lose weight, and improve sugar absorption. This helps reduce the load on the pancreas. In addition, if the diet is followed, the lipid spectrum is restored, which reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood and the risk of developing atherosclerosis (vascular damage) and thrombosis.

Flaws

A person who is used to eating sugar and carbohydrate foods will have a difficult time switching to the Bernstein diet. At first, a patient with diabetes may be hungry, but then the body will get used to the changes . It is most difficult for patients with kidney complications. In late-stage diabetic nephropathy, a low-carbohydrate diet is contraindicated. In 2011, an American medical school completed a study that proved that a low-carbohydrate diet can trigger the development of diabetic nephropathy. The experiment was carried out on mice.

Basic principles

A low-carbohydrate diet for diabetics requires adherence to the following principles:

1. Reducing portions. To eliminate obesity, which affects most diabetics, the daily diet should be divided into more meals.
2. The basis of the diet should be low-fat protein foods, which promote weight loss.
3. It is necessary to avoid foods that contain simple carbohydrates: fruits, sweets, flour, etc. Low-carbohydrate diet recipes for type 2 diabetes should include cereals and vegetables rich in fiber (buckwheat, celery, cucumbers, etc.) .
4. The daily calorie intake (1800–3000) should be distributed as follows: breakfast – 25–30%, snack – 10–15%, lunch – 25–30%, afternoon snack – 10%, dinner – 15–20%.

Nutrition Basics

Everyone knows that carbohydrates are sources of energy that are used for the normal functioning of the human brain. But a person is so accustomed to eating delicious food in the form of sweets and flour dishes that they enter the body in excess quantities, thereby provoking the development of obesity. But excess carbohydrates not only turn into fat deposits that appear under the skin, but also contribute to an increase in blood sugar. The danger of diabetes lies in the lack of insulin production, which can lead to death. To help, a special diet was developed to reduce the consumption of excess carbohydrates.

The basis of a low-carbohydrate diet is the principle of eating carbohydrate foods in the smallest quantities, while giving preference to protein products. When the body does not have enough carbohydrates, it uses up the fat masses that were previously stored. This diet allows you not only to reduce the likelihood of an increase in blood sugar, but also to get rid of fat masses.

It is impossible to eliminate carbohydrate foods from the diet, as this will lead to adverse consequences in the form of decreased intellectual activity, as well as loss of strength, apathy, etc. Therefore, a low-carb diet does not eliminate the consumption of carbohydrates, but reduces their intake to a minimum amount. Therefore, it is important with such a diet to correctly create a menu, which is what this material will actually tell you about.

List of Low Carb Foods

A diet for type 2 diabetics involves eating foods low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber, which stimulate intestinal function. These include:

• bran, whole grain bread;
• low-fat meat and fish;
• mushrooms;
• chicken eggs;
• legumes;
• durum wheat pasta;
• green apples;
• dried fruits (no more than 50 g per day);
• low fat dairy products;
• vegetables (onions, celery, tomatoes);
• vegetable oil;
• berries (no more than 100 g per day);
• nuts;
• lemons.

Cooking

It is no secret that the method of preparing soups, cereals, meat or fish significantly affects the glycemic index of the dish and its calorie content. A low-carb diet for diabetics limits the choice of recipes:

• Boiled and stewed meat and fish do not lose their nutritional value, that is, the protein and fat composition does not change. But if the meat is fried, then the proportion of fat in the composition becomes much higher and the dish turns into too high in calories;
• soups on a low-carb diet are prepared with vegetable broth or weak chicken broth. But if the recipe includes a strong fatty broth and involves the addition of butter and fried giblets, its calorie content increases significantly, and the carbohydrate load is much greater;
• Baking, as a rule, does not affect the fat and protein composition, but increases the calorie content of the dish, since the weight of the product is reduced. This should also be taken into account;
• porridge with water has a “basic” calorie content and glycemic index, but oatmeal already cooked with milk from a low-calorie dish suitable for diabetics turns into a test for the pancreas - the GI rises to 65. If you add a spoonful of honey or jam here, the dish becomes unsuitable . This recipe cannot be used.

Foods to which there is an individual high sensitivity are also excluded from the diet. This most often applies to milk, since many adults lose the ability to fully digest lactose.

Prohibited Products

Some substances found in foods can be harmful to people with diabetes. Therapeutic diets for this category of people are compiled taking into account the condition of the patients and the nutritional recommendations of doctors. Check out the list of foods that you should not eat if you have diabetes:

• potato;
• spicy and smoked meat and fish;
• wheat bread;
• pasta made from 1st and 2nd grade wheat flour;
• confectionery;
• alcoholic drinks;
• corn;
• grape;
• bananas;
• salo;
• marinades.

Varieties

There are several types of low-carbohydrate diets, each of them has its own characteristics and is prescribed in accordance with the characteristics of the disease.

Atkins diet

This diet has gained popularity not only among patients with type 2 diabetes, but also among celebrities and is known as the “Hollywood diet.”

The basic idea is that excess weight is caused by excessive consumption of the wrong carbohydrates, which cause high blood sugar levels.

In conditions of constantly increased glucose, insulin loses its effectiveness, and the sensitivity of cells to the hormone decreases. There are conflicting opinions about whether extra calories cause obesity or whether carbohydrates are the culprit, but its effect in treating diabetes is clear.

The diet consists of 4 phases:

1. The first phase is the hardest and lasts 2 weeks. Observations of the results showed that at this time the process of ketosis - the breakdown of fat deposits - intensifies. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 grams. Meals from 3 to 5 times a day, with a total volume of 250-300 grams at a time. An important point is that the intervals between doses are no more than 5-6 hours. Water consumption is from 2 to 2.5 liters per day. Strong physical activity and taking multivitamins are recommended.
2. The second phase of this nutritional option can last up to 2 years. During this phase, it is important to take into account the patient’s weight and the rate of its decline. The amount of carbohydrates consumed is monitored. Based on this, a balanced type of nutrition is created, which helps to lose weight methodically and constantly. If the desired weight is not achieved, the patient is returned to phase 1 of the diet; if achieved, the transition to the third phase occurs.
3. In the third phase, the patient has received the required weight and learns to maintain it by combining foods; the optimal amount of carbohydrates is determined to maintain the desired shape.
4. The fourth phase is the use of a balanced phase 3 diet for the rest of your life.

The Atkins diet reduces the amount of carbohydrates and increases the amount of fat and protein consumed.

Benefits of the diet:

• 
  Suitable for people with severe obesity. Helps to lose excess weight, forces the body to restart its metabolism.

• Recommended for those who find it difficult to control hunger. When consuming simple carbohydrates, there is a rapid release of glucose and a subsequent rapid drop in its levels, which causes a feeling of acute hunger. With the Atkins diet, this does not happen due to the lack of sufficient carbohydrates.
• Indicated for high blood sugar. By losing weight, its performance improves.

Disadvantages of the diet:

• 
  Carbohydrates form the body’s energy potential; with a sharp reduction in carbohydrates, mental activity decreases and physical weakness appears.

• A small amount of plant foods in the form of vegetables and fruits increases the risk of cancer.
• Eating fatty foods causes cardiovascular diseases. Patients with type 2 diabetes often have them as concomitants of the underlying disease, and this diet can aggravate the situation.
• It increases the level of cholesterol in the blood; in cases of severe atherosclerosis, the Atkins diet is not prescribed.
• Type 2 diabetic patients with kidney disease cannot practice the diet. Diet causes the formation of kidney stones.
• Contraindicated for pregnant women.

LCHF

Another high-fat diet, translated as “low carbohydrates - high fat.” American nutritional scientists monitored obese people and found that when the amount of carbohydrates is limited, metabolism is rearranged so that the necessary energy is taken from fat breakdown products.

At the same time, fats coming from food are released much slower than carbohydrates, and more energy is spent on this.

Diet rules:

• 
  Carbohydrates in the diet should not exceed 10% , while the amount of fat is increased to 70%

• You need to eat when you feel hungry; you don’t need to follow a timed diet; you can skip any meal if you don’t want to have a snack.
• A ban on fast food, alcohol, sugar, sweet drinks and any high-carbohydrate baked goods, trans fats, and a minimum of fruit.
• Minimum temperature processing of food. Vegetables are best eaten raw.
• Increase physical activity and get enough sleep.
• 30 minutes before a meal, drink a glass of water.

The principles of the LCHF diet are similar to those of the Atkins diet. It has the same advantages and the same contraindications.

Paleo diet

A diet that has chosen the path of the human past. Developers and adherents of the diet believe that people suffer from diseases such as diabetes, obesity and others due to the consumption of foods that are not intended for the body.

Man does not need food that was not collected and obtained by his ancestors. In those days they did not bake, did not eat grains, and did not drink milk after the end of infancy.

Naturally, in those days they did not know what sugar, preservatives and other innovations in the food industry were. Products for the diet are taken only natural, in season and characteristic of the place of residence.

Rules:

• 
  The basis of the menu: any meat and fish with low fat content, fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables. The only vegetables prohibited are potatoes and corn.

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• Drinks - only natural juices, teas and coffee. This is the only difference in the diet of the Paleo diet from the diet of ancient man.
• Meals 5-6 times a day, the most satisfying and high-calorie breakfast. By the end of the day, caloric intake tends to a minimum.
• Portions are formed according to your own wishes, the volume can be any, but you need to finish your meal before you are full. Although, diet developers insist that overeating with Paleo is impossible.

Benefits of the diet:

• Due to the lack of carbohydrates and the ability to maintain a balance between foods of plant and animal origin, the diet shows good results in reducing blood sugar, which is important for patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Since fats are not the main diet, as with the Atkins and LCHF diets, with the right ratio of foods, you can reduce blood cholesterol levels and improve the condition of the cardiovascular system.
• Helps you lose weight and get your body in shape.

Flaws:

• The diet is not cheap; natural products and quality meat have a relatively high cost.
• The diet is prohibited for kidney disease.

Attention! All diets are low-carbohydrate and can cause general weakness. It is not recommended to practice diets without the advice of a doctor.

Recommendations for creating a menu

When compiling a weekly diet, it is necessary to take into account not only the carbohydrate content of dishes, but also portion sizes, their calorie content, glycemic (the rate of absorption of sugars by the body) and insulin index (the rate of insulin release). At the initial stages of a diet, patients often have difficulty choosing the right foods, so doctors recommend planning a menu in advance, keeping a food diary, and printing out and carrying a list of allowed foods with you. You should obtain additional recommendations for diet planning from an endocrinologist.

Where to start?

A low-carb diet for diabetes requires the right approach and preparation. What should be done:

• Consult with your treating endocrinologist about how to correctly select and calculate the dose of insulin. You need to be able to do this in order to select the amount of the drug depending on the individual menu.
• Have a glucometer on hand to check your sugar levels in a timely manner and something sweet to stop an attack of hypoglycemia in time.
• The specialist should become familiar with the glycemic indicators over the past few weeks. As a rule, next to the numbers, patients indicate what they ate, the level of physical activity, and the presence of concomitant diseases. All this is important!
• The doctor also clarifies whether the patient has already developed any complications or not.

Endocrinologist is a specialist who will help you choose an individual menu

Based on all these indicators, the endocrinologist will help you plan a menu for the week, assess possible physical activity, and adjust drug treatment.

Weekly menu for diabetics

The diet for the week should be planned in advance: this will help to avoid unplanned meals and will allow you not to deviate from the recommended caloric intake and not to exceed the amount of permitted carbohydrates. An approximate weekly menu for diabetics is presented in the table:

Dish recipes

Let's look at several recipes for preparing dishes for diabetics. Based on these recipes, you can fantasize and cook at your own discretion.

Chicken stew

Chicken meat is the most popular product, without which it is impossible to imagine your life. You can prepare chicken stew as follows:

1. Take a carcass or half and peel it.
2. Wash and salt, and then sprinkle with black pepper.
3. After this, add a few bay leaves and water in the amount of one glass.

Place the pan on the fire and cover with a lid. If you have a multicooker, you can throw the meat into a cup and turn on the appropriate mode. The duration of stewing chicken meat is about 1.5 hours, after which it can be taken out and served. Additionally, while cooking the chicken, you can cut a vegetable salad.

Chicken fillet with vegetables, cooked in pots

For preparation you will need to use the following products:

Cabbage and spinach should be finely chopped and poured into a clay pot. The onion is chopped, after which a marinade is made with the addition of apple juice. Add chicken fillet to the pot, then season with pepper and put in the oven to cook. The cooking time is about an hour, after which the dish can be removed and served. This simple recipe allows you to create culinary masterpieces and delight your stomach with tasty and healthy food.

Squid salad

To prepare the salad, you need to boil squid and 2 eggs. After this, the eggs are peeled, and then finely chopped and mixed with squid. You can add ingredients such as corn and olive oil or a spoonful of sour cream to the salad.

Recipes for type 2 diabetes

During a therapeutic and health diet, you can only eat foods with a low mass fraction of fats and carbohydrates. Make a daily menu so that the prepared dishes contain a minimum amount of fast carbohydrates, and the mass fraction of protein and fiber is at least 50% of the total diet. For heat treatment, use baking in the oven or boiling. Meat dishes (cutlets, meatballs, meatballs) are best steamed.

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Carrot-apple salad

• Time: 20–30 minutes.
• Number of servings: 2–3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 43 kcal/100 grams.
• Purpose: lunch.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: easy.

A salad of fresh ripe vegetables and fruits contains a lot of fiber, which stimulates intestinal function. To prepare this dish, it is better to take firm green apples, which contain a large amount of vitamins, nutrients and few simple carbohydrates: glucose and fructose. It is important to know that a significant part of the beneficial components is found in the peel of the fruit, so peeling it off is not recommended.

Ingredients:

• apple – 200 g;
• carrots – 2 pcs.;
• white cabbage – 150 g;
• salt, pepper – 1 pinch;
• vinegar 9% – 1 tbsp. l.;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the apples, cut them in half, remove the core and seeds, and cut into small cubes.
2. Wash the carrots, use a vegetable peeler or knife to remove the skin, cut off the ends, and finely grate.
3. Remove the stalk from the cabbage, separate it into individual leaves, and cut them into squares.
4. Mix oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir thoroughly, let sit for 5-10 minutes.
5. Collect all the salad ingredients, pour in the prepared dressing, and stir.

Zucchini with meat

• Time: 70–80 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5–6 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 84 kcal/100 grams.
• Purpose: lunch.
• Cuisine: Azerbaijani.
• Difficulty: medium.

A hearty dish of poultry and juicy vegetables perfectly satisfies hunger, does not contain simple carbohydrates and is good for lunch. To prevent zucchini mince molds from falling apart and turning into mush when baked, choose firm fruits with a strong skin. During heat treatment, they will become soft and tender, and inside they will be saturated with juice released from the meat.

Ingredients:

• large zucchini – 2 pcs.;
• chicken fillet without skin and bones – 0.5 kg;
• carrots – 200 g;
• onion – 150 g;
• fresh white cabbage – 150 g;
• oregano – 1 tsp;
• olive or sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• greens (dill, parsley) – 1 bunch.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the carrots, remove the skin, cut off the ends, and finely grate.
2. Peel the onion, cut off the ends, and chop into small cubes.
3. Cut the stalk from a head of cabbage and chop the leaves into thin, short strips.
4. Rinse the parsley with water, dry, cut off excess stems, and chop.
5. Wash the chicken fillet, remove films and veins, cut into pieces.
6. Combine meat, herbs, oregano, prepared vegetables, season with salt and pepper.
7. Knead the resulting minced meat for 2-3 minutes until it reduces slightly in volume.
8. Rinse the zucchini, cut off the ends, cut the fruits crosswise into equal small cylinders. Using a tablespoon, scrape out the seeds and some of the pulp from the top, leaving an intact bottom on the other side.
9. Place portions of minced meat into the prepared zucchini so that there are even mounds 1–2 cm high on top.
10. Bake the dish for 35–40 minutes on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil at 170–180°C.

Curd soufflé

• Time: 20–30 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4–5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 135 kcal/100 grams.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: French.
• Difficulty: easy.

This airy sweet dessert is perfect for people suffering from type 2 diabetes. It does not contain sugar (replaced with a sweetener), contains a lot of protein and a small amount of fat. Remember that when heated, the soufflé increases significantly in volume. Fill portioned dishes so that the workpiece occupies no more than half the container.

Ingredients:

• low-fat cottage cheese – 200 g;
• vanillin – 1/2 tsp;
• sweetener – 1 g;
• skim milk – 20 ml;
• chicken eggs – 3 pcs.;
• cinnamon – 1 tsp.

Cooking method:

1. Rub the cottage cheese through a fine sieve 2-3 times.
2. Heat the milk, add sweetener, vanillin, and stir thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator to cool for 30–40 minutes.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl, separating the yolks. Beat the egg whites with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
4. While continuing to beat the resulting protein mass, gradually add milk and pureed cottage cheese.
5. Place the soufflé mixture into portioned silicone or special glass molds and bake in the microwave for 6–7 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the finished soufflé with cinnamon before serving.

Criteria for a properly selected diet

Most diabetics wonder how they will know that diet therapy really helps. Efficiency will be confirmed by the following indicators:

• good health;
• absence of pathological hunger and, conversely, heaviness in the stomach after eating;
• weight loss;
• normalization of blood pressure indicators;
• normalization of lipid metabolism indicators (cholesterol, triglycerides);
• fasting blood glucose levels are less than 5.5 mmol/l;
• sugar levels 2 hours after eating are less than 6.8 mmol/l;
• level of glycated hemoglobin less than 6.5%.

Important! Based on clinical and laboratory data, it is possible to judge whether compensation for the disease has been achieved.