Diabetes Healthy diet can lead to a positive attitude to life

Healthy nutrition has a positive influence on blood pressure and blood lipid levels

More and more people in Germany are suffering from diabetes. After diagnosis, sufferers are often treated quickly. But in many cases, the disease can be controlled without medication. Important here is, above all, a healthy diet.

Get diabetes under control without drugs

According to health experts, around 7.5 million people in Germany live with diabetes. 95 percent of them have type 2 diabetes. In a large proportion of these patients, the disease can be well controlled even without medication. Important here is a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition and adequate exercise.

A healthy diet and sufficient exercise can help to lose weight and a more positive attitude to life, not only in diabetics. (Image: marilyn barbone / fotolia.com)

Positive influence on blood pressure and blood lipid levels

Many diabetics are overweight or obese (overweight).

You benefit from a weight loss. Because a healthy diet has a positive influence on the blood pressure and blood lipid levels and prevents sequelae in the long term.

In addition, a healthy weight can achieve a new, positive attitude to life.

Healthy diet and adequate exercise

"With a change in lifestyle - a healthy diet and adequate exercise, overweight diabetes patients can manage to" counteract the insulin resistance that underlies the disease, "said Michaela Berger, board member of diabetesDE - German Diabetes Aid Message.

"About half of all people with diabetes type 2 could get along without medication," said the diabetes counselor.

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, people with diabetes - whether type 1 or type 2 - and people whose metabolism is completely healthy are basically the same:

Many whole grains, like legumes, two pieces of fruit per day, plenty of vegetables (three times two hands full, formed into a shell), animal products rather than side dishes and preferably vegetable oils.

Water is the best drink, even in the form of tea or coffee.

More fiber and less sugar

Sufficient exercise should not be missing, of course, at least 30 minutes per day.

"Added sugar should not exceed ten percent of the daily energy; with an average calorie requirement of 2000 Kcal for a woman, that's 200 sugar calories or 50 g of sugar, "Berger explained.

In addition, less than 30 percent of the energy in the form of fat should be consumed - which is rather low in fat -, but ideally at least 40 grams of fiber - which is high in fiber.

"The more fiber and the less sugar you eat, the easier it will be for those affected to keep their blood sugar levels under control and to lower or maintain body weight," says the expert.

Talk to a doctor before taking a low carb diet

In the expert chat of diabetesDE - Deutsche Diabetes-Hilfe, Ms Berger also answered questions about the effects of specific diets, such as low-carb diets.

"The goal of Low Carb diets is always to keep insulin low," said the diabetes consultant, "because of low carbohydrate intake.

"The fact that the body hardly gets carbohydrates, from which he can gain energy, he must resort to the body's own fat as an energy supplier (this process is referred to as ketosis); as a result, the fat reserves of the body are broken down. "

Patients taking tablets that stimulate insulin production should talk to their doctor before switching to a low carb diet to avoid heavy hypoglycaemia.

Intervall fasting as an alternative

Intervall fasting can also help you lose weight.

"Most people with type 2 diabetes, who have become used to a hypercaloric diet for many years, are not thrilled when they're about to lose weight," Berger said.

"The prospect of being" hungry "daily for the rest of their lives reduces their willingness to embark on a change in dietary habits," says the diabetes expert.

As an alternative, interval fasting is propagated. Patients are allowed to eat as much as they want five days a week if they lower their intake to less than 500 kilocalories or one quarter of their need for the remaining two days.

Another method is 16/8 fasting: fasting for 16 hours a day and eating eight hours, but purposefully healthy. (Ad)