Healthy home-cooked dishes

Author: Zhang, Han
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features:
Controlling total calorie intake is the primary principle of diabetic dietary therapy.
Supplying an adequate amount of carbohydrates.
Supplying sufficient dietary fiber.
Supplying sufficient protein.
Controlling fat intake.
Supplying adequate vitamins and inorganic salts.
What is Diabetes
Diabetes is a polygenic metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, accompanied by metabolic disorders of glucose, fat, and protein due to insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance. Diabetes is a common metabolic endocrine disease, a clinical syndrome caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, and is a lifelong condition. In addition to medication, rational dietary control and the selection of appropriate dietary therapies are also very important and should not be overlooked. Diabetes is typically diagnosed through blood glucose testing. Diabetes can be diagnosed when fasting plasma glucose levels are ≥7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) or random plasma glucose levels are ≥11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL). Patients may experience increased thirst, increased appetite, frequent urination, increased urine volume, and weight loss, known as the "three more, one less" symptoms.
Health Knowledge for Diabetic Patients
Diabetic dietary therapy should avoid the following misconceptions:
1. Restricting fluid intake. Some patients restrict fluid intake because of excessive thirst and urination in the early stages of the disease. In fact, thirst occurs because glucose excreted in the urine carries away a large amount of water, so drinking water is necessary when thirsty. Fluid intake should never be restricted, as this may lead to dehydration or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state.
2. Overly restrictive diet. Some patients attempt to lower their blood and urine glucose levels by blindly restricting food intake, abruptly shifting from uncontrolled eating to excessive dietary restriction. While this may temporarily reduce blood and urine glucose levels, insufficient nutrient intake means the body will break down fat to provide energy, potentially leading to diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.
3. Eating more nuts. Some patients believe that eating more peanuts, sunflower seeds, and other nuts can reduce their hunger. However, these foods are high in fat, and excessive intake can raise blood lipid levels. Some of these lipids may be converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis, which is harmful to the body.
4. Avoiding fruits. Some patients avoid fruits because they contain sugar. In reality, fruits contain beneficial vitamins, pectin, and minerals. On the condition of controlling total carbohydrate intake, choosing fruits with lower carbohydrate content as snacks can help reduce pancreatic burden.
New medical research has found that the risk factor triggering further worsening of diabetes is not sugar but fat. Doctors or patients mistakenly view sugar as the main cause of diabetes, and attempting to control diabetes through low-sugar diets is a waste of time. However, if diabetic patients adhere to a low-fat diet and reduce fat intake to a lower level, such as reducing the proportion of calories from fat intake from 40% to 10%, diabetes can be better controlled. In Western countries, a higher number of people suffer from type 2 diabetes, many of whom have high fat intake.