Dietary Advice
In the scorching summer season, cool and refreshing fruits are often the preferred choice for many. Fruits contain a large amount of vitamins, dietary fiber, and minerals, as well as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Of these, fructose does not require insulin involvement during metabolism, so diabetic patients should not completely abstain from consuming fruits once their blood sugar is under control. From a physiological standpoint, it is beneficial for diabetic patients to consume fruits, as they contain a rich supply of vitamins, minerals, niacin, carotene, and a certain amount of dietary fiber. Consuming fruits will produce varying effects on the body, being able to balance the absorption of nutrition, prevent constipation and colon cancer, stimulate appetite, and maintain the body's acid-base balance. Therefore, for diabetic patients, eating fruits in moderation is also beneficial for stabilizing blood sugar levels. Nevertheless, while fruits are beneficial for the human body, excess consumption or incorrect consumption will also affect the body's health.
It is not recommended to consume fruits immediately before or after meals.
Diabetic patients with a fasting blood sugar level below
7mmol/L, postprandial blood sugar level below 10mmol/L, and glycated hemoglobin
below 7.0% can eat some fruits appropriately. If a patient's blood sugar
control is not ideal, it is best to seek advice from a doctor or nutritionist.
For diabetic patients who can eat fruits in moderation, it is best to choose
fruits with a low glycemic index and a sweet and sour taste. It is also best to
consume fruits between meals, usually around 9:30am or 3:30pm, or 1 hour after
dinner or before sleep. It is not recommended to consume fruits immediately
before or after meals. In addition, fruits can be exchanged with the main meal
and staple food, and the intake of staple food can be appropriately reduced,
with fruits serving as a supplement. For example, if the amount of fresh fruit
consumed per day is 200-250 grams, 25 grams should be deducted from the total
amount of staple food intake for the day to prevent the total calorie intake
from exceeding the standard.
It is advisable to consume half an apple every day. Apples contain low levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, but are rich in vitamin E (approximately 2.12mg/100g) and vitamin C (approximately 4mg/100g), which can help maintain insulin function, promote tissue utilization of glucose and insulin formation, regulate the body's blood sugar levels, and inhibit the action of aldose reductase, delaying or improving peripheral neuropathy in diabetes. The pectin and chromium in apples can also maintain stable blood sugar levels, making it an essential fruit for those wishing to control their blood sugar. The boron and manganese (approximately 0.03mg/100g) in apples can help with the absorption and utilization of calcium, preventing bone loss in diabetic patients. Apples also contain a significant amount of potassium (approximately 119mg/100g), which can combine with excess sodium in the body, flushing it out and lowering blood pressure. Additionally, apples can reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, increase bile secretion and bile acid function, thereby preventing cholesterol from precipitating in bile and forming gallstones. Remember to eat half an apple every day.
Tip: It is best to eat apples freshly sliced, as leaving them cut for too long can cause oxidation and nutrient loss. Additionally, apples should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as the mixture of fruit acid and stomach acid can increase the burden on the stomach.
When eating apples, it is not advisable to peel the skin as it contains rich antioxidants and bioactive substances that are beneficial for health.
Cherries are a low-sugar fruit that does not cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. They are rich in anthocyanins, which can promote insulin production and increase the insulin content in the body, effectively reducing blood sugar levels. In addition, cherries are low in energy and sugar, and are rich in vitamin E (about 2.22mg/100g), which is beneficial for diabetic patients with nephropathy and can also prevent complications of the cardiovascular system. The iron content in cherries (about 11.4mg/100g) can promote the regeneration of hemoglobin, preventing and treating iron-deficiency anemia while also enhancing physical fitness. It is recommended to consume 5-10 cherries per day.
Tips:
Cherries can be used as a garnish for meat dishes, enhancing
their flavor and color.
It is not advisable to eat cherries with cucumbers as the enzymes
in cucumbers can destroy the vitamin C in cherries.
Due to their warm nature, do not consume too many cherries
at once. Before eating, soak them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes to
help remove pesticide residues from the surface of the skin.
Strawberry porridge with oatmeal is an excellent breakfast for diabetics.
Strawberries have low energy content (about 32kcal/100g) and will not burden pancreatic cells. The dietary fiber they contain can extend the time food stays in the stomach, reducing the speed of glucose absorption and avoiding sudden fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The carotenoids in strawberries (about 30ug/100g) are essential for synthesizing vitamin A and can prevent eye problems associated with diabetes. Additionally, strawberries are rich in vitamin C (about 11.4mg/100g), which can prevent arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, angina, cerebral hemorrhage, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases. Strawberry porridge with oatmeal has the effects of reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, making it a great breakfast or snack for diabetics.
Tips:
Combining strawberries with milk not only provides the body
with rich nutrition but also has a cooling and calming effect on the heart and
mind.
Strawberries contain a lot of oxalic acid, which can combine
with calcium in other foods to form calcium oxalate. Therefore, it is not
advisable to eat strawberries with calcium-rich foods, especially for patients
with urinary stones. Additionally, diabetic patients with diarrhea or impaired
kidney function should not eat too many strawberries.
