Just like regular physical activity and stopping smoking, diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic hyperglycemia. On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, this November 14, Professor Jean-Marie Bard reveals the products to favor in order to control your blood sugar level.
- In case of diabetes, “it is therefore advisable to have a balanced, healthy, varied and low-calorie diet.”
- To do this, Professor Jean-Marie Bard advises reducing intake of saturated fatty acids, ingesting more fiber, favoring foods with low energy density and eating three meals a day.
- To reduce food consumption, you can also rely on konjac glucomannan, oats, barley, chromium, artichoke, blueberry, olive leaves, black pepper and chamomile. gold.”
In case of overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes, “weight reduction is one of the cornerstones of treatment”, indicated Jean-Marie Bard, professor emeritus of biochemistry and hospital pharmacy practitioner, during a press conference on November 7. Indeed, he specified that a weight loss of more than 5% to 10% made it possible to improve glycemic control, lipid levels and blood pressure. However, to do this, you must monitor the contents of your plate. “It is therefore advisable to have a balanced, healthy, varied and low-calorie diet. We must therefore limit intake of saturated fatty acids, i.e. fats, increase fiber consumption, favor foods with low energy density, that is to say having few calories, and above all, contrary to what the we can think, eat three meals a day”, explained the expert.
How to eat a balanced diet in case of diabetes?
In detail, the specialist recommended eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day because of their high fiber content and consuming dried vegetables twice a week because they contain “particular proteins” which are important for the proper functioning of the body. On the starchy side, it is possible to ingest it once a day and turn to those made from whole grains. Other advice: promote the consumption of omega 3 and 9 by using rapeseed, walnut or olive oil, by eating two portions of fish per week, “including one fat”and a handful of nuts and seeds, such as almonds or walnuts. “We allow ourselves 500 g of meat per week and 150 g of cold meats. Obviously, we moderate our consumption of red meat and we favor lean meats. For dairy products, we can have two per week.” It is best to salt dishes in the kitchen and not to put salt on the table. For drinks, you can sip a maximum glass of a sweet drink per day and you are limited to two glasses of alcohol per day or 5 glasses per week.
Diabetes: products helping to reduce food consumption
“There are products that can reduce food consumption. In the list, we find konjac glucomannan, namely a soluble fiber derived from the root of the konjac plant, which is known to slow digestion and improve the feeling of satiety “, explained Jean-Marie Bard. The professor also adds that oats and barley contain a significant amount of fiber, which can improve carbohydrate metabolism. “Chromium also helps regulate insulin secretions in the body and contributes to the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels.” But that’s not all. According to the specialist, it is appropriate to encourage the consumption of foods rich in polyphenols, such as “artichoke, blueberry, olive leaves, black pepper and golden chamomile, because these help maintain good blood sugar levels.”
