Paying attention to nutrients
If you have diabetes, it is important to watch your diet. This has a direct influence on your glucose and fat balance. Healthy food can protect against problems. Additional intake of certain nutrients can have beneficial effects. Read about which nutrients to watch out for if you have diabetes.
Diabetes type 1 and nutrition
In people with type 1 diabetes, it helps to properly coordinate the amounts of carbohydrates (sugars, so glucose) from food, injected insulin and exercise. When these people eat more carbohydrates than they are used to, and do not exercise extra, they need more insulin. If they do not inject extra insulin, the carbohydrates are not absorbed by the organs. The insulin that is administered before the meal must ensure that the extra glucose from the meal is absorbed into the body cells. It is therefore very important to know in advance how many carbohydrates are in the food. The amount of insulin can then be adjusted accordingly.
In the beginning this takes quite a lot of time. You always have to look up exactly how many carbohydrates you eat, what the blood glucose values are before and after the meal, and keep track of how much insulin you inject and how much you exercise.
Type 2 diabetes and nutrition
For people with type 2 diabetes who use tablets, it is a bit more complicated. If the pancreas still produces enough insulin, the blood glucose levels will not be out of balance if the food contains a little more carbohydrates. However, it makes sense to spread the meals throughout the day. If you eat three main meals, you will always have to process a lot of carbohydrates at the same time.
By always taking a small meal, you prevent blood glucose levels that are too low between meals. Most tablets lower the glucose levels even if the extra glucose has already been processed. If your own insulin production decreases further (because the body can no longer respond to it properly) and the glucose levels therefore have to be regulated more by tablets, you should pay more attention to the amount of carbohydrates (sugars) you eat.
Healthy food helps!
It is not yet clear which substances we should ingest to protect our body. What is clear: a varied diet is a healthy diet! Provide plenty of plant-based foods, supplemented with some animal products. Healthy eating helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease!
Dietitian help
A dietitian can help someone with diabetes develop a healthy eating plan. The dietitian takes personal circumstances into account and gives nutritional advice. In this way the patient gets enough of all food types and ingredients.
