”There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.”
(There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.)
This phrase is often used to illustrate the diversity of interpretations of literature, which is a matter of opinion and wisdom. The classic aphorisms of literature are obviously not well suited to the field of science, especially medicine. People are accustomed to accepting a definite diagnosis of a disease and a definite treatment. It is enough to drive people crazy when two or three doctors offer completely different treatment plans for the same disease. Unfortunately, the phenomenon of “a thousand Hamlets” is not uncommon in clinical practice. In the case of diabetes, for example, “how to eat and drink with diabetes” is one of the most important concerns of patients and their families. However, for this seemingly very simple question, it is difficult for doctors to give a clear and definite answer that is “universally applicable”.
First, how to scientifically answer the question “How should diabetics eat?”
First of all, we have to exclude the widely rumored and clearly disproven “recipes for lowering sugar” such as “water with fruit kernels” and “bitter melon juice”. The stereotypes that doctors once agreed with but later realized to be wrong, such as excessive starvation therapy, should also be discarded. Each of the answers given below is from a senior medical and academic group, has been subjected to rigorous and objective clinical research, has been published in authoritative professional journals, and is still accepted by most medical and nutritional practitioners. High-carbohydrate, low-fat, moderate-protein diet: This is the mainstream recommended dietary pattern for diabetes, suggesting that 45% to 60% of total caloric intake throughout the day should come from carbohydrates, 25% to 35% from fat, and 15% to 20% from protein.
Mediterranean diet: Named for the Mediterranean coastal region, the Mediterranean diet is represented by fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and olive oil, supplemented by moderate amounts of poultry, fish and red wine, and small amounts of red meat, salt and sugar. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to help control blood sugar and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes.
Vegetarian: Recipes that do not contain any foods of animal origin, or are all vegetarian but keep eggs or milk. Vegetarian diets have been shown to be effective in weight loss, sugar control, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Vegetarian diets have been shown to be effective in weight loss, sugar control, and cardiovascular disease risk reduction.
Low-carbohydrate diet: A diet high in protein (e.g., meat, fish, eggs, poultry, shellfish, cheese, nuts, etc.) and fat (e.g., butter, olive oil, avocado, etc.) is advocated, which also includes vegetables with small amounts of carbohydrates (e.g., greens, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, etc.), but avoids foods with high sugar content such as rice, bread, and macaroni.
DASH diet: This is a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, including whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts, limiting salt and avoiding saturated fats, red meat and sugary drinks. the DASH diet was originally designed for people with high blood pressure, but it has since been found to be beneficial not only for lowering blood pressure, but also for lowering sugar and reducing cardiovascular disease.
In fact, if the findings of some small, controversial studies are taken into account, many more can be added to the recommended list of dietary patterns for diabetics, such as high-fat dairy diets (recipes rich in butter, cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.), low-fat complex carbohydrate diets, low protein high carbohydrate (LPHC) diets, etc.
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Second, “High-carb or low-carb, that is the question.”
Without giving more examples, this Hamlet-style confusion is believed to make many people feel a lot of claws scratching their hearts: “There is no end to it, how should diabetic patients eat, can’t your doctor give a precise word?
If I could only sum up the diabetic diet in one sentence, it would be: there is no absolute diabetic-only diet or nutrient ration.
”I don’t like noodles”, okay; “I love noodles”, medium; “Buddha is above, I have banned meat and meat”, okay, Amitabha Buddha is great;” The new moon has appeared, I have to fast and abstain from food”, no problem, Allah is with you.
The scientific diabetic dietary pattern is never to develop a one-size-fits-all recipe, but to choose a personalized diet suitable for each person’s different tastes and preferences, and to continue to enjoy favorite foods in a healthy way to the maximum under the guidance of professionals, taking into account such factors as customs, religion, health philosophy, metabolic goals, and economic status.
From the perspective of medical nutrition, the goal of a diabetic diet is to correct the metabolic disorders that have occurred and reduce the load of high blood sugar on the pancreatic islets, thus delaying the occurrence and development of diabetes and its complications and further improving the quality of life, while ensuring the normal life of the patient and the normal growth and development of the child and adolescent patient.
Third, this certainly does not mean that diabetic patients can eat whatever they want.
The choice of dietary pattern is a combination of individualization and specialization. For each person with diabetes, it is necessary to have a good chat with your doctor or dietitian to calculate the total caloric intake throughout the day and to discuss the distribution of nutritional elements and the development of recipes.
In addition, there are some universal principles that apply to most people, such as.
1. Do not drink sugary drinks;
2. Encourage eating fresh fruit instead of filtered fruit juice;
3, for carbohydrates, should pay attention to both its quality and quantity, and choose more low “glycemic load” food, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and dairy products;
4, for fat, quality is far more important than quantity, should be mainly unsaturated fatty acids, reduce the intake of saturated fatty acids, as far as possible to avoid the intake of trans fat;
5, it is recommended to eat fish (especially fatty fish) at least twice a week, cooking should be based on less oil.
6, any dietary pattern, must be combined with exercise.
Diabetes is not terrible, and very often, the harm caused by people’s misconceptions about the disease may be greater than the disease itself.