Food diabetes, it exists or not actually not!
Food diabetes, exists or not?
Guest of our newspaper, today, is the Dott. Diego Carleo Endocrinologist Diabetologist of the ASL Napoli 2 North. Let’s talk about diabetes and associated lifestyle, giving the floor to our readers, affected by the disease. We will try to dispel doubts about the correct diet, on the need or not of the introduction of balanced foods and particularly formulated for the needs of a diabetic patient.
We will also focus on the consumption of alcohol and wine: they are allowed?! Prohibited?!
In reality, food diabetes does not exist, but this term is used to underline the importance and relationship between diabetes and nutrition, moreover, by our parents we do not inherit the disease (diabetes) but the predisposition. Then following a healthy lifestyle, that is: proper nutrition accompanied to a moderate physical activity, we remove the risk of falling ill with diabetes.
Increase in blood sugar, that is, sugars
Those who get sick of diabetes has an increase in blood sugar, that is, of blood sugars, of these, about 80% come from our diet. Therefore a correct diet rich in whole grains, fruit, olive oil, vegetables, prevents diabetes and cares it while an incorrect diet rich in fats, simple sugars, promotes obesity and causes diabetes and promotes the aggravation through the complications. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is by far the most frequent form of diabetes, affecting 90 percent of cases and is typical of mature age.
The causes of alimentary diabetes
The underlying causes of the onset of the disease are generally to be found in hereditary and environmental factors. Its etiology is multifactorial, i.e. it is determined by multiple causes that interact with each other, such as genetic predisposition and the action of environmental factors. Among the environmental factors that can favor the onset of diabetes we mention being overweight and obesity (especially of the abdominal type) and an unbalanced diet, rich in saturated fats and simple sugars.
Sedentary life, stress and some diseases fall into the list of environmental triggers
They impose additional work on the pancreas as they increase the need for glucose and therefore for insulin. In obese people, therefore, insulin is produced but not in sufficient quantity. If the pancreas is weakened by an inherited predisposition to diabetes, these causes accelerate the onset of the disorder.
Age also plays its role: the aging of the body affects the functionality of all organs, not least the pancreas which, with age, is no longer able to respond promptly to the request for insulin. In fact, the person with diabetes needs a daily caloric intake equal to that of the non-diabetic subject, in relation to factors such as physical constitution, gender, age, height and work activity, with the aim of achieving and maintaining the ideal body weight.
Weight loss
If there is no need to quickly get weight, with a reduction of about 900 calories per day, you can get a weight loss of about 3 kg per month, which can be further increased with the usual daily practice of Moderate physical activity (walking on foot or pedaling on a bicycle floor, bringing the dog for a walk, do not use lifts, walk to work, etc.).
Lots of fiber and little sugar
In the daily diet, the intake of rapidly absorbed simple sugars (milk, honey, sugar, fruit) must be carefully evaluated, giving preference to slowly absorbed complex sugars (pasta, bread, legumes, potatoes). The total daily amount of carbohydrates should not exceed 50-55%. Fibers should be taken in large quantities, especially water-soluble ones, which can slow down the intestinal absorption of carbohydrates and cholesterol.
The proteins?
Proteins must make up about 15%-20% of total calories and at least one third must be made up of animal proteins, rich in essential amino acids. The remaining calories (25%-30%) must be supplied by fats, possibly of vegetable origin, with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The intake of vitamins and minerals must also be adequate.
