"Life was hard in the past, with not enough to eat or drink. Now that life is better, I've developed diabetes and there's so much I can't eat." Many middle-aged and elderly diabetic patients share this frustration. In fact, controlling your diet for diabetes doesn't mean you have to give up good food. On the occasion of the "United Nations World Diabetes Day," experts at the "Cooking for Delicious, Happy Sugar Control" event, jointly organized by the PLA General Hospital, Peking University First Hospital, and Novartis Pharma Beijing Co., Ltd., pointed out that as long as patients master the four principles of "daily total quantification, rational nutritional pairing, rich variety of foods, and light cooking methods," health and deliciousness can go hand in hand.
In his clinical work, Sun Mengli, Director of the Nutrition Department at Peking University First Hospital, found that many diabetic patients are afraid to eat staple foods because they are worried about their blood sugar rising. In response, Sun Mengli emphasized that 55% of a patient's total daily calories should come from carbohydrates, which are the staple foods. Generally, a person of standard weight needs 30 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day, 25 kilocalories for those who are overweight, and 35 kilocalories for those who are underweight. After calculating the total calories, these should be distributed across meals. Sun Mengli recommends that patients eat at least three meals a day; the more severe the condition, the more meals they should have. For example, patients who cannot control their blood sugar well should eat 4-6 small meals a day to achieve frequent, small portions.
·Interview: How Far Are You from Diabetes?Once the total calories and the amount of staple foods are set, you can vary the types of food according to your preferences to enrich your dining table and increase the pleasure of eating. Director Sun Mengli said that diabetic patients should learn to weigh their food and apply these dietary skills to their daily lives.
To eat scientifically, experts offer the following 10 tips: 1. Eat more leafy green vegetables, as they contain more dietary fiber and fewer carbohydrates; 2. Try to avoid fried or oily foods, as oil is high in calories and can easily lead to excessive calorie intake; 3. When cooking, avoid thickening sauces with starch if possible. If it is necessary, use as little starch as possible to avoid making the sauce too thick; 4. Combine whole grains and refined grains for your staple foods, and choose appropriate whole grains based on your physical condition. For example, elderly people with poor digestion should not eat too many whole grains; 5. Use tomatoes and cucumbers as substitutes for fruits; 6. When drinking soup, remove the oil from the surface; 7. Eat fish 1-2 times a week, as it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for blood vessels. It is recommended to eat fish with few bones, because if a diabetic patient is pricked by a bone, the wound heals more slowly. Additionally, steamed fish is better than braised fish. 8. Eating meat with bones can make the meal more enjoyable, and the amount of meat consumed is not large, but be sure to estimate the weight of the meat; 9. When eating chicken, remove the skin and fat. 10. It is not advisable to drink alcohol, especially on an empty stomach, to avoid hypoglycemia. If the symptoms of hypoglycemia are masked by drunkenness, it can be even more dangerous. (Zhang Tong) (Source: Life Times)