Diabetes and eating

Not so long ago, sugar was ‘forbidden’ for people with diabetes. Fortunately, that is no longer the case today. In principle, someone with diabetes can eat everything, even a pastry, if he or she considers what they continue to eat for the rest of that day. Sugar-free products are not necessary, but sugarfree drinks are recommended. It is extra important for people with diabetes to eat healthy and regular, and to exercise a lot. People with diabetes must carefully consider the number of carbohydrates they eat and adjust their medication use accordingly. Carbohydrates are found in, for example, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, sugar, fruit and milk. After eating carbohydrates, the blood glucose level rises and insulin is needed to ensure that it does not get too high. People with diabetes therefore always have to think about what they eat and plan well.

If you are a diabetic, you need to pay extra attention to the number of carbohydrates you eat. The food that you eat, contains carbohydrates (such as glucose and starch), fats and proteins. These are all energy and nutrients for your body. Your body needs them to make everything work well and to grow. When you eat carbohydrates, the glucose level in your blood increases. Normally, the pancreas reacts to this by providing more insulin. Insulin makes sure that glucose can be absorbed into the cells, which causes the blood sugar level to decline again. However, this doesn’t happen when you are a diabetic, you must inject insulin. This treatment keeps the amount of glucose in your blood within normal limits. How much insulin you need depends on how much you eat, and what you’re doing.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are in almost all food types. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, beans and legumes, dairy products, fruit, sweets, cakes, biscuits, jams, soft drinks, fruit juice and more! However, there are little to no carbohydrates in products like cheese, eggs, sausages and vegetables, light soft drinks, coffee, and tea.

It’s important to know what you eat, and you learn how to count carbohydrates. This can be done with the help of carbohydrate tables or you can check the number of carbohydrates on the food label. Soft drinks and fruit juices are not often recommended because carbohydrates in these drinks increase your blood sugar levels very quickly. When having a hypo though, this can, of course, come in handy, but you’re otherwise better off choosing something with fewer carbohydrates, such as a light soft drink or water.

If you’re going to eat something, it’s vital to know how many carbohydrates it has. Then you can adjust your insulin intake accordingly. Sometimes this can be very difficult, such as with composed meals like lasagne, pie, or whenever you are eating out. In these cases, you must make your best estimation but it’s very useful to measure your insulin before the meal, and 1.5 hours afterwards. Then you can then see how your body has reacted to the food. The next time, this can help to better estimate your insulin dose. By counting carbohydrates, and adjusting your insulin accordingly, you become in charge of your diabetes and it doesn’t take control over you.

Fats

Fats can be classified as good (unsaturated) and bad (saturated) fats. In other words: saturated = wrong, and unsaturated = okay. Good fats are mostly in fish, oil, margarine, peanuts, peanut butter and nuts. Bad fats are mostly in meat (think of white, greasy edges on pork chops and steaks), all types of sausages, butter, full cream dairy products, cheese, whipped cream, biscuits, cakes, and chocolate. If you eat a lot of saturated fats, you’re more at risk to develop a cardiovascular disease. That’s why it’s better not to eat too many saturated fats.

Exercising

In addition to food, exercise also plays a big role in preventing and coping with diabetes. If you exercise, your blood sugar levels declines. However, this varies per person and depends on the type of sport. Regularly checking your blood glucose levels is a useful way of knowing how your body responds to a sport.
To ensure that your blood sugar is not too low, it’s often good to eat something extra before you start. With every 30 mins of physical effort, you should consider that you need an extra 15-20 grams of carbohydrates. This means that you can have one more sandwich (with 16g of carbohydrates), without extra insulin injections.

Stresssssss

How high your blood glucose levels are doesn’t only depend on how many carbohydrates you eat or how many insulin shots you have. Stress, for example, an exam, a fight, or an exciting soccer match on TV, can also cause your blood sugar level to rise. To know how your body reacts to stress or anxiety, it is good practice to check your blood sugar levels regularly. Next time you’re in a similar situation you can adapt your insulin dosage beforehand. Your diabetes nurse can help you with this.

Alcohol

Alcohol contains carbohydrates but also lowers your blood sugar level. Be sure to always eat something with carbohydrates when drinking alcohol.

Dietitian

In most hospitals, dietitians can help you with eating healthily and regulating your diabetes. The dietitian will review your eating habits with you and will work with your endocrinologist and diabetes nurse to create an insulin schedule for you. They will also teach you to count carbohydrates so that you can regulate your insulin yourself. Next, to that, they will talk to you about healthy food, weight, sports, vacation, etc.