Debunking 9 Common Diabetes Management Myths for a Balanced Life
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Myth 1: Use starvation therapy to control diet
Diabetics also need nutrition. Diet control for diabetics requires a balanced diet, with a reasonable mix of sugar (carbohydrates), protein, fat, etc. Many people misunderstand that diet control means not eating anything, blindly starving or having a partial eclipse, resulting in nutritional deficiencies.
Misunderstanding 2: Non-staple food replaces staple food
Carbohydrates, the main component of staple foods such as pasta and rice, are “sugar” in medical terms. Many patients dare not eat them and replace staple foods with non-staple foods such as meat. As long as the heart is beating and the brain is active, calories will be consumed, and carbohydrates are the most economical source of calories. If you rely on protein to obtain calories, it will be like "transporting gas from the west to the east", which will consume a lot of calories, and the metabolic waste of protein will It also puts additional burden on the kidneys.
Myth 3: Two meals a day
Many patients eat only two meals a day to control their diet. In fact, whether you eat or not, insulin and digestive enzymes will be secreted at a certain point. If you don't eat after secretion, the endocrine system will be at a loss as to what to do. If things continue like this, it will disrupt the biological clock and cause more endocrine problems. And if you reduce one meal, you will eat more in the next meal "with a vengeance".
Myth 4: Not eating fruit
Some fruits, such as grapes and bananas, have high monosaccharide content and should be eaten as little as possible. However, many fruits do not have high sugar content and are polysaccharides, so you can choose to eat them. Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which are beneficial to people with diabetes. Diabetics can selectively eat fruits after their blood sugar is well controlled, and they do not have to exclude them all.
Misunderstanding 5: Don’t dare to drink water
Polyuria in diabetic patients is caused by osmotic diuresis due to the excretion of large amounts of glucose from the urine. Worrying about excessive urination and not drinking water can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in the body.
Myth 6: Food can replace antidiabetic drugs
In early stage diabetes, blood sugar can be controlled by reducing dietary intake, but this does not mean that food has a hypoglycemic effect. All foods are only different in their effect on raising blood sugar. No food has any effect on lowering blood sugar and cannot replace hypoglycemic drugs.
Myth 7: You can eat more “sugar-free” foods
So-called sugar-free foods only do not contain simple sugars such as sucrose, but they still contain polysaccharide carbohydrates. Eating too much can also cause blood sugar to rise.
Myth 8: Increasing exercise will eliminate the need for antidiabetic drugs
Exercise can increase the sensitivity of insulin receptors and help treat insulin resistance, and developed muscles can increase the use of blood sugar and lower blood sugar. However, the hypoglycemic effect of exercise is limited, and severe diabetes cannot control blood sugar by exercise alone.
Myth 9: Exercise is allowed without taboos
Exercise is good for controlling blood sugar, but it also has taboos. People with fasting blood sugar >16.7mmol/L, repeated hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, infection, severe diabetic nephropathy and severe cardiovascular disease should choose exercise methods and control the amount of exercise.
Diabetics also need nutrition. Diet control for diabetics requires a balanced diet, with a reasonable mix of sugar (carbohydrates), protein, fat, etc. Many people misunderstand that diet control means not eating anything, blindly starving or having a partial eclipse, resulting in nutritional deficiencies.
Misunderstanding 2: Non-staple food replaces staple food
Carbohydrates, the main component of staple foods such as pasta and rice, are “sugar” in medical terms. Many patients dare not eat them and replace staple foods with non-staple foods such as meat. As long as the heart is beating and the brain is active, calories will be consumed, and carbohydrates are the most economical source of calories. If you rely on protein to obtain calories, it will be like "transporting gas from the west to the east", which will consume a lot of calories, and the metabolic waste of protein will It also puts additional burden on the kidneys.
Myth 3: Two meals a day
Many patients eat only two meals a day to control their diet. In fact, whether you eat or not, insulin and digestive enzymes will be secreted at a certain point. If you don't eat after secretion, the endocrine system will be at a loss as to what to do. If things continue like this, it will disrupt the biological clock and cause more endocrine problems. And if you reduce one meal, you will eat more in the next meal "with a vengeance".
Myth 4: Not eating fruit
Some fruits, such as grapes and bananas, have high monosaccharide content and should be eaten as little as possible. However, many fruits do not have high sugar content and are polysaccharides, so you can choose to eat them. Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which are beneficial to people with diabetes. Diabetics can selectively eat fruits after their blood sugar is well controlled, and they do not have to exclude them all.
Misunderstanding 5: Don’t dare to drink water
Polyuria in diabetic patients is caused by osmotic diuresis due to the excretion of large amounts of glucose from the urine. Worrying about excessive urination and not drinking water can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in the body.
Myth 6: Food can replace antidiabetic drugs
In early stage diabetes, blood sugar can be controlled by reducing dietary intake, but this does not mean that food has a hypoglycemic effect. All foods are only different in their effect on raising blood sugar. No food has any effect on lowering blood sugar and cannot replace hypoglycemic drugs.
Myth 7: You can eat more “sugar-free” foods
So-called sugar-free foods only do not contain simple sugars such as sucrose, but they still contain polysaccharide carbohydrates. Eating too much can also cause blood sugar to rise.
Myth 8: Increasing exercise will eliminate the need for antidiabetic drugs
Exercise can increase the sensitivity of insulin receptors and help treat insulin resistance, and developed muscles can increase the use of blood sugar and lower blood sugar. However, the hypoglycemic effect of exercise is limited, and severe diabetes cannot control blood sugar by exercise alone.
Myth 9: Exercise is allowed without taboos
Exercise is good for controlling blood sugar, but it also has taboos. People with fasting blood sugar >16.7mmol/L, repeated hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, infection, severe diabetic nephropathy and severe cardiovascular disease should choose exercise methods and control the amount of exercise.