Diabetes and diet: Interview with Yasmine Zerbo, Nutritionist-Dietician, Specialist in Clinical Nutrition and Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition

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Extract from the article: Le diabète est une maladie chronique caractérisée par une élévation anormale du taux de sucre dans le sang. Il est favorisé par les mauvaises habitudes alimentaires, la sédentarité et certains antécédents. Une alimentation équilibrée et saine peut ai

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« Diabetics can eat anything. It's the quantity of the different foods that make up their plate that needs to be the focus of attention »

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterised by an abnormal rise in blood sugar levels. It is favoured by poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle and certain antecedents. A balanced, healthy diet can help diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels. What should diabetics eat? What diet is right for diabetics? Find out in this interview with Sandrine Yasmine Zerbo, Nutritionist-Dietitian, Specialist in Clinical Nutrition and Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition. Consultant and expert in dietetics.

Santé-Education: What should a diabetic's diet consist of?

Sandrine Yasmine Zerbo: Diabetics need to know the different types of food.Cereals, millet, rice, maize, sorghum, starches and tubers contain fast sugars that are not good for diabetics. They should not be eliminated from a diabetic's diet, but the proportions consumed should be reduced.Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products) and vegetable proteins (beans, lentils, peas, soya) have a very low glycaemic index and are good for diabetics.

Fruit should be included in the diet of diabetics because it contains complex sugars, i.e. natural sugars. They are not harmful to the health of diabetics, provided they are eaten in moderation.Vegetables are also foods with a low glycaemic index.They include fruit vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and okra, as well as leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Guinea sorrel (Esrou) and okra leaves (Gboma).Green vegetables are a diabetic's ally, and he or she should not be deprived of them. Diabetics can eat anything, but it's the quantity of different foods on their plate that needs attention.Half of a diabetic's plate should be made up of green leafy vegetables or and the other half of three spoonfuls of rice or corn pasta or pasta such as spaghetti or macaroni, a piece of meat or fish or chicken and a piece of fruit at the end of the meal.I recommend eating the fruit at the end of the meal to avoid blood sugar spikes.

What foods can help diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels?

There are several.The first is water.You need to drink a lot of water.It's a diabetic's first ally, because it hydrates and helps to eliminate toxins and reduce blood glucose levels. We also have lemon juice, which can be added to a glass of lukewarm water to drink in the morning or sprinkled over meals.

This helps to lower blood sugar levels.Spinach is also very rich in iron and antioxidants. Garlic also contains substances that help the liver, where sugars are often stored, to regulate blood sugar levels. Garlic is best eaten raw or as an accompaniment to salads. Add to this red onion, oats, which contain a lot of fibre, ginger, legumes and cinnamon.

What foods should diabetics avoid?

Diabetics should avoid high-sugar foods such as fizzy drinks, preferring natural homemade fruit juices with no added sugar.If they want to eat bread, they should prefer wholemeal bread to white bread.Diabetics should also avoid mayonnaise, jam (which is very sweet), cold meats and margarine, preferring pasteurised butter.Margarine contains bad fats and diabetics should avoid bad fats.They can drink tea and coffee, but without adding sugar.

What dietary advice can you give diabetics?

Diabetics should eat three times a day, preferring less salty breakfasts with snacks at 10am and 4pm.They should watch their weight, eat less fat, avoid red meat in favour of white meat and fish.Favour healthy fats by eating olive, peanut, sesame, soya or sunflower oils, which contain amino acids that are good for the body.

Also avoid deep-frying, preferring grilling, baking or steaming.Eat plenty of foods rich in Omega 3 and 6 (fish, vegetable oils), which are antioxidants that help prevent certain opportunistic diseases such as high blood pressure and kidney failure.

Eat fish and pulses at least two or three times a week. Add lemon juice to the various dishes you eat.Give priority to fruit and green leafy vegetables.Limit alcohol consumption, as it can cause a major glycaemic spike. Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by practising sport.

Diabetics should never eliminate carbohydrates from their diet, but rather reduce their intake. They should also forget overly restrictive diets and adopt diets suited to their condition.

Interview by Abel OZIH