Menu for 12 bread units per day. Nutrition by bread units for diabetics

A bread unit is a unified international unit of measurement of carbohydrates in a particular food product. For diabetics, diet is a fundamental point, so it is very important for them to know how much sugar and carbohydrates a product contains. For the convenience of calculations, a bread unit (XE) was proposed, which is identical to 10 - 12 grams of carbohydrates (or 25 grams of bread edge). Knowing the amount of XE in a particular product, you can easily calculate the amount of carbohydrates per day and not exceed the norm. This will reduce the likelihood of diabetes complications and improve the patient’s well-being.

What are bread units? How to count bread units?

Each package indicates the amount of carbohydrates in 100 grams of the product. It is necessary to make a simple calculation and calculate how many grams of product contain 1 bread unit, that is, 10 grams of carbohydrates. For example, 100 grams of muesli contains 28 grams of carbohydrates. When drawing up the proportion, it turns out that 10 grams of carbohydrates (1 XE) are contained in 35 grams of muesli.

It is important to know that for a patient with diabetes receiving insulin, the norm for bread units will be 18 - 24 per day, that is, no more than 7 XE per meal. If you eat 7 XE for 5 - 6 meals, then sugar can be maintained at stable levels. It is advisable to eat the bulk of carbohydrates in the first half of the day.

For the convenience of calculations, special tables with the content of XE in products were created. They are not always accurate, so it is better to make calculations immediately before consuming a particular product. If this is not possible, standard tables may be used.

Why do you need to calculate XE?

  1. To adjust the insulin dose. Depending on the foods and bread units consumed, a diabetic needs different amounts of insulin to absorb this food. In order not to administer a dose that exceeds the amount of carbohydrates entering the body, you need to know that for 1 XE there is about 1 unit of insulin action. If more insulin is administered than necessary, the sugar will drop to extremely low levels, and the patient will fall into a hypoglycemic coma. Glucometers help you monitor your sugar levels.
  2. To adjust the carbohydrate intake. It is very important for diabetic patients to get rid of excess weight, do not overeat, but at the same time you cannot deprive yourself of carbohydrates at all. Bread units help calculate quantities carbohydrate food, which will be useful for a particular patient.
  3. Helps determine the expected increase in blood sugar after a particular food. It is believed that 1 XE increases blood sugar by 1.5 - 2.0 mmol/l. But this figure depends not only on XE, but also on the glycemic index of foods.

How many bread units should you eat per day?

Today, a low-carbohydrate diet is becoming increasingly common among diabetics. The main postulate in it is the restriction of carbohydrates, in terms of XE - 2.0 - 2.5 per day. This can significantly reduce blood sugar levels, which reduces the need for insulin. Therefore, this diet is useful for diabetes mellitus both types 1 and 2. At the same time, a table of bread units and a calculator may not be needed, because the diet implies consuming no more than 12 grams of carbohydrates in each meal, and this is just 1 bread unit.

Diet by bread units

If 1 bread unit is 10–12 grams of carbohydrates, and a patient with diabetes is recommended to take 2–2.5 XE per day, then the diet can be divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the carbohydrate content in them is 6–12 grams, respectively. The smaller amount of carbohydrates for breakfast is explained by the morning dawn phenomenon, when in many patients sugar rises to the highest levels after breakfast. Carbohydrates for breakfast should be replaced with protein foods (meat, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, milk, some nuts). Green vegetables are very healthy (cabbage, including sea cabbage, broccoli, spinach, herbs, zucchini, asparagus and green onions). Dinner needs to be moved to 18.00. This will provide more restful sleep and slight hunger for breakfast, and protein food It will be easier to use in the morning.


Fatty dairy products (sour cream, cream, high-fat butter), lard, mayonnaise, ketchup, sausage, canned food, cakes, pastries and alcohol should be permanently excluded from the diet.
Portable glucometers from LifeScan, which are convenient and easy to use, are always at hand, will help you control your sugar levels depending on your changed diet.

Menu for the week by bread units

1 day:

Breakfast - chicken fillet, cabbage salad, coffee with milk.
Dinner - vegetable soup with a slice of rye bread and butter, tea without sugar.
Dinner – a glass of kefir or yogurt.

Day 2:

Breakfast - omelet of 2 - 3 eggs, baked vegetables, coffee.
Lunch – borscht without sour cream, vegetable stew with rabbit, dried fruit compote.
Dinner - oatmeal and half a glass of milk.

Day 3:

Breakfast – 2 cheesecakes without sugar, buckwheat porridge 100 grams, rosehip decoction.
Lunch – broccoli soup, 2 fish cutlets steamed, tea.
Dinner - stew of zucchini, carrots, onions and herbs, compote.

Day 4:

Breakfast – fish steak, spinach salad and green onions, dried fruits compote.
Lunch – soup with veal meatballs, tea.
Dinner – salad with shrimp, tomatoes and lettuce, flour tortilla coarse.

Day 5:

Breakfast – 2 – 3 hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and tomato salad with herbs and vegetable oil, tea without sugar.
Lunch – oatmeal with cashews, yogurt with pear.
Dinner – vegetable puree soup, a slice of black bread with butter.

Day 6:

Breakfast – beef steak, seaweed salad, compote.
Lunch – green borscht without sour cream, tea with bread and low-fat hard cheese.
Dinner – zucchini pancakes, fresh cabbage salad.

Day 7:

Breakfast - vegetable stew with veal, tea with bread and butter.
Lunch – vegetable soup, steamed fish cutlets, dried fruit compote.
Dinner – a glass of yogurt with peach.

Bread unit is a concept introduced in endocrinology for the correct calculation of the diet and insulin dose for the patient. 1 unit of bread is equal to 12 grams of carbohydrate and requires 1-4 units of insulin for its breakdown.

Diabetes mellitus is endocrine disease associated with impaired glucose absorption. When calculating nutrition, only the amount of carbohydrates consumed is taken into account. To calculate the carbohydrate load, bread units are used for diabetes.

What is a bread unit

A bread unit is a measurement developed by nutritionists. It is used to count the amount of carbohydrates in food. This measure of calculation was introduced into use at the beginning of the 20th century by the German nutritionist Karl Noorden.

One bread unit is equivalent to a piece of bread one centimeter thick, divided in half. This amounts to 12 grams of easily digestible carbohydrates (or a tablespoon of sugar). When consuming one XE, the level of glycemia in the blood increases by two mmol/l. To break down 1 XE, 1 to 4 units of insulin are required. It all depends on working conditions and time of day.

Bread units are an approximate value for estimating the carbohydrate content of a diet. The dosage of insulin is selected taking into account the consumption of XE.

How to count bread units

When buying a packaged product in a store, you need to divide the amount of carbohydrates per 100 g indicated on the label into 12 parts. This is how bread units are calculated for diabetes, the table will help.

The average carbohydrate intake is 280 g per day. This is approximately 23 HE. The weight of the product is calculated by eye. The calorie content of food does not affect the content of bread units.

Throughout the day, different amounts of insulin are required to break down 1 XE:

  • in the morning – 2 units;
  • at lunch – 1.5 units;
  • in the evening – 1 unit.

Insulin consumption depends on body type, physical activity, age and individual sensitivity to the hormone.

What is the daily requirement for XE


In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to break down carbohydrates. In type 2 diabetes, there is an insensitivity to the insulin produced.

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy as a result of metabolic disorders. Disappears on its own after childbirth.

Regardless of the type of diabetes, patients must adhere to a diet. To correctly calculate the amount of food consumed, bread units are used for diabetes.

People with different physical activities require an individual amount of daily carbohydrate load.

Table daily consumption people's bread units various types activities

The daily intake of XE should be divided into 6 meals. Three techniques are significant:

  • breakfast – up to 6 XE;
  • afternoon snack - no more than 6 XE;
  • dinner - less than 4 XE.

The remaining XE are distributed for intermediate snacks. Most carbohydrate load occurs during the first meals. It is not recommended to consume more than 7 units per meal. Excessive intake of XE leads to a sharp jump in blood sugar levels. Balanced diet contains 15–20 XE. This is the optimal amount of carbohydrates that covers the daily requirement.

Bread units for diabetes


The second type of diabetes is characterized excessive accumulation fatty tissue. Therefore, calculating carbohydrate intake often requires the development of an easily digestible diet. The daily intake of XE ranges from 17 to 28.

You can eat dairy products, grains, vegetables and fruits, as well as sweets in moderation.

The bulk of carbohydrates in food should be vegetables, flour and dairy products. Fruits and sweets account for no more than 2 XE per day.

A table with the most commonly eaten foods and the content of bread units in them should always be kept at hand.

Table of allowed dairy products


Dairy products speed up metabolic processes and nourish the body nutrients, maintain optimal blood sugar levels.

List of dairy productsWhat does 1 XE correspond to?
Raw and baked milkpartial glass
Kefirfull glass
Sweet acidophilushalf a glass
Creampartial glass
Sweet fruit yogurtno more than 70 ml
Natural unsweetened yogurtfull glass
Curdled milkcup
Ice cream in a cupno more than 1 serving
Sweet curd mass without raisins100g
Sweet curd mass with raisinsabout 40 g
Condensed milk without sugarno more than a third of the jar
Children's cheese in chocolatehalf a cheese

The fat content of consumed dairy products should not exceed 20%. The daily volume of consumption is no more than half a liter.

Table of grains and cereal products


Cereals are a source of complex carbohydrates. They saturate the brain, muscles, and organ function with energy. It is not recommended to consume more than 120 grams of flour products per day.

Abuse flour products leads to early onset complications of diabetes.

Table of vegetables allowed for diabetes


Vegetables are a source of vitamins and antioxidants. They maintain redox balance and prevent diabetes complications. Plant fiber interferes with the absorption of glucose.

Heat treatment of vegetables increases the glycemic index. You should limit your intake of boiled carrots and beets. These products contain a significant number of bread units.

Table of allowed berries for diabetes


IN fresh berries contains vitamins, trace elements and minerals. They nourish the body necessary substances, which speed up the basal metabolism.

A moderate amount of berries stimulates the release of insulin by the pancreas and stabilizes glucose levels.

Fruit table


The fruit contains vegetable fiber, vitamins and microelements. They stimulate intestinal motility and normalize the functioning of the enzyme system.

List of fruitsAmount of product in 1 XE
Apricots4 small fruits
Cherry plumabout 4 medium fruits
Plums4 blue plums
Pears1 small pear
Apples1 medium sized apple
Bananahalf a small fruit
Oranges1 orange without peel
Cherries15 ripe cherries
Grenades1 medium fruit
Tangerines3 unsweetened fruits
Pineapples1 slice
Peach1 ripe fruit
Persimmon1 small persimmon
Cherries10 red cherries
Feijoa10 pieces

Sweets


If possible, sweets should be avoided. Even a small amount of the product contains a lot of carbohydrates. This group of products does not bring significant benefits.

It is advisable to avoid eating fried, smoked and fatty foods. It contains saturated fatty acid, which are difficult to break down and difficult to absorb.

Foods allowed for diabetes


The basis daily ration should be products containing a small amount of XE. Their share in the daily menu is 60%. These products include:

  • lean meat (boiled chicken and beef);
  • fish;
  • egg;
  • zucchini;
  • radish;
  • radish;
  • lettuce leaves;
  • greens (dill, parsley);
  • one nut;
  • bell pepper;
  • eggplant;
  • cucumbers;
  • tomatoes;
  • mushrooms;
  • mineral water.

Patients with diabetes need to increase their consumption of lean fish to three times a week. Fish contains protein and fatty acids that lower cholesterol levels. This reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and thromboembolism.

When compiling daily ration The content of sugar-lowering foods in the diet is taken into account. Such foods include:

  • cabbage;
  • Jerusalem artichoke;
  • grapefruit;
  • nettle;
  • garlic;
  • flax seeds;
  • rose hip;
  • chicory.

Dietary meat contains proteins and essential nutrients. Does not contain bread units. It is recommended to consume up to 200 g of meat per day. Can be used in various dishes. In this case, additional components included in the recipes are taken into account.

Foods with reduced glycemic index will not harm your health and will saturate the body with vitamins and nutrients. Eating foods low in XE will help avoid sugar spikes, which will prevent complications from metabolic disorders.

Conclusion

Correct calculation of the diet for diabetes prevents the development serious complications. To calculate the daily consumption of bread units, it is advisable to have a notepad and write down the diet. Based on this, the doctor prescribes short-acting insulin and long acting. The dosage is selected individually under the control of blood glycemia.

You may also be interested

Is there a bread diet? It turns out yes. And this is not fake, not nonsense, but real efficient look diet for weight loss, which allows you to quickly lose a couple of unpleasant kilograms of weight from the waist and other problem areas over the course of a week.

Those who like to eat delicious and aromatic bread should take note of this diet.

Principles and sample menu bread diet were developed and formulated by Israeli popular nutritionist Olga Raz. This nutritionist gained worldwide fame precisely thanks to the creation of an original and unusual diet that violates all the canons of dietetics. Agree, we are accustomed to considering bread as a high-calorie product, contraindicated for people losing weight. However, this seemingly contradictory diet has been successfully used for many years by people suffering from overweight and nutritional obesity, with high degree effectiveness and efficiency of treatment.

Principles of the bread diet for weight loss.

This diet consists of two stages, separated by time and quality characteristics of the food consumed. The principles of the bread diet are based on the variability and flexibility of its application and allow you to flexibly and, if necessary, regulate your diet, weakening or strengthening its effect. However, you must understand that the stricter you are with yourself, the better and higher-quality effect of the bread diet you can count on. Despite the flexible nature of a two-stage diet using bakery products, there are rules that a person losing weight must steadily and systematically follow when eating food according to the diet.

Daily dietary meals should be taken at least once every three hours, while a person losing weight will definitely have to drink 8-10 glasses of pure or filtered food natural water. This in no way means that you will have to completely stop taking other liquids, such as tea or coffee. Nutritionists who practice bread diets strongly recommend taking multivitamin complexes enriched with microelements while observing the conditions and principles of the diet. The effectiveness of the bread diet increases with the simultaneous use of multivitamins. They can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription and there is no point in dwelling on them separately, they can be different. But the main feature of the bread diet for weight loss is the counting of conventional bread units in each product, which is discussed below:

Table of bread units.

You should understand, then wait effective weight loss, with any diet, including bread, you can only count the calorie content of the foods you eat. Daily norm to save, existing weight should be at the level of 2000-2500 kcal, and for effective weight loss by 1000 kcal. less. To simplify the calculation, and most importantly, to make it easier to remember exactly how many extra carbohydrates are contained in the product, Olga Raz came up with the term XE (Bread units). For clarity, she cut the bread into pieces of 25 grams each and equated it to 1 bread unit, then counted the amount of carbohydrates in this piece. For sustainable weight loss, the body needs about 12 grams of digestible carbohydrates.

In order not to gain weight, maintaining it in a stable state, 15 grams of digestible carbohydrates are required. 1 bread unit (XE) is 15 grams of carbohydrates digestible by the body. Thus, the daily norm for weight loss should not exceed 10 XE. Below is a reference table of food products by bread units, based on how many grams of a particular product make up 1 XE:

A table of bread units (XE) with calculation of the consumption of specific products for confident and effective weight loss is located on our website.

The first stage of the bread diet for weight loss.

Start following the bread diet for weight loss by eating about 8-10 small pieces of whole grain bread per day. You are also allowed to eat some white bread. To taste qualities such unusual food was better, it is not forbidden to spread the bread thin layer half-fat cottage cheese with a fat content of 5% or use cottage cheese with a 0% fat content for lubrication. Cottage cheese can be periodically replaced with a thin piece of low-fat ham. Products may be different, but should not exceed 10XE, in accordance with the table of bread units.

During the diet, it is recommended to avoid eating sugar, sweets, as well as vegetables and grains that contain a lot of starch (potatoes, corn, etc.). For one week it is allowed to eat every other day boiled eggs. You should not give up any fruit, but their quantity should be reasonable so as not to stretch the walls of the stomach, in order to avoid increased secretion gastric juice. Otherwise, the body will constantly require additional food to repay excess stomach acid, and you will experience constant feeling hunger. As a result, you can forget about losing weight before reaching the second weekly stage of the diet.

The second stage of the bread diet.

After which comes the second stage of the bread diet. At the second weekly stage, you can replace a couple of familiar slices of grain bread with 200g. boiled legumes(beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas) or durum wheat pasta. It is quite possible to replace them, for variety, with one boiled potato or corn cob. Sometimes, depending on your mood, you can eat three or four tablespoons of corn flakes. But control their calorie content and choose cereals with minimal sugar content. Volume of fruit consumed compared to the first weekly stage, can be increased. The first stage of the bread diet should take one to two weeks, the second you choose yourself. If you like bread and bakery products and at the same time want to lose weight, then this diet is for you, the main thing is to watch the bread units.

About, . ABOUT beneficial properties fresh berries.

Almost any diet involves limiting carbohydrates. Weight is lost by reducing energy consumption. On the other hand, this is precisely what entails decreased performance, lethargy and a constant feeling of hunger. However, there was new system nutrition, which goes against the usual postulates. This is the bread diet, which Olga Raz-Kestner, an Israeli nutritionist, first told the world about.

Effect on the body

It is well known that the main enemy of a beautiful figure is carbohydrates. It is on this statement that most nutritional systems that promote weight loss are based: they advocate either complete or partial rejection of high-calorie foods.

Olga Raz was able to experimentally prove the opposite. Her main discovery was the fact that they reduce the level of serotonin in the body. This is the same hormone of happiness. It is not difficult to guess what happens to a person when he loses this little wizard. The mood deteriorates sharply, the appetite grows, and the feeling of hunger eventually becomes almost uncontrollable.

Bread diet avoids these side effects. It provides the body with the necessary amount of carbohydrates, and meanwhile, weight loss will occur by limiting other foods and portion sizes.

The basis is low-calorie bread, which is made from whole flour (bran, rye) or bread. It contains a lot of vitamins (E, B1, B2), minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, etc.). The maximum number of calories consumed is limited to 35-45.

The actual mechanism for losing weight is extremely simple: bread rich in coarse fibers does not provoke a sharp release of glucose and insulin. Energy is produced by the body more slowly and is consumed gradually. As a result, no fat deposits are formed in problem areas.

A bread fast can last quite a long time, as it does not limit motor activity and does not reduce performance. But usually it lasts for a week. And don’t expect stunning results: they will be minimal (4 kg), but lasting.

To lose weight on bread without harm to your health, you need to follow certain rules. It’s worth mentioning right away that Olga Raz’s nutritional system formed the basis for many other methods for combating overweight. Each of them has its own nuances, but we will prescribe postulates common to all, since the main product is one - bread.

  1. Eat small and often meals (at least 5 times a day).
  2. Meals should be at the same time.
  3. The interval between them should not exceed 4 hours.
  4. It is strictly forbidden to skip them, even if there is no feeling of hunger.
  5. The drinking regime involves drinking 2 liters of water.
  6. The main product is dietary bread. IN as a last resort it can be replaced with rye, but the portion is reduced by 2 times.
  7. Since the diet is not varied, it is advisable to take multivitamins.
  8. Exercising will speed up the burning of fat deposits. If you feel weak and unwell, provide at least the lungs physical exercise. This could be walking, yoga or dancing.
  9. To prevent lost kilograms from returning, leaving the diet should be gradual: follow a diet, drink plenty of fluids, don’t eat White bread, replace sugar with honey or stevia.

The stricter the diet, the more accurately you adhere to its rules, the more beneficial it will be for your health and the better the results will be.

Contraindications

You should not use bread for weight loss if you have the following contraindications:

  • pregnancy;
  • lactation;
  • children's and elderly age;
  • any problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
  • inflammatory processes in the liver and gall bladder.

Do not forget that bread is a high-calorie product that should not be eaten in large quantities for certain diseases.

Advantages and disadvantages

So that the diet helps you achieve desired results without harm to health, it is worth assessing its positive and negative aspects in advance.

Advantages:

  • promotes weight loss even if you are obese;
  • allowed for atherosclerosis, diabetes;
  • displays free radicals, toxins, salts heavy metals, waste, excess liquid;
  • hunger is not felt at all;
  • budget;
  • unlimited terms;
  • weight does not return (with proper exit);
  • slight and gradual weight loss leads to the absence of sagging skin, stretch marks, and depletion of muscle mass;
  • the craving for sweets is dulled.

Flaws:

  • the lack of proteins can still negatively affect muscle mass;
  • lack of fat can worsen metabolism;
  • deficiency of calcium and vitamins.

To ensure that the results do not disappoint you, take into account all the disadvantages and try to somehow eliminate them, following the recommendations of experts.

Israeli bread diet

After the unique discovery of Olga Raz, other nutritional systems based on losing weight with bread were created. So you have a choice which one modern techniques suits you better than others. But the most popular is still the Israeli bread diet from a professional in his field. It involves 2 stages.

Stage I

At this stage, active weight loss occurs. It is allowed to eat low-calorie bread with a thin layer of “spread” with minimum quantity fat On the day it is recommended to eat:

  • women - up to 12 pieces;
  • for men - up to 16.

The diet is supplemented with protein foods and vegetables. The duration of the stage is 2 weeks.

Authorized products:

  • sandwiches with cottage cheese (up to 5% fat), fish (even salted), lean meat (chicken, turkey, quail, beef, veal);
  • ham;
  • vegetables without starch: cabbage, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, green peas, lettuce;
  • eggs (three times a week);
  • fermented milk drinks (yogurt, fermented baked milk, etc.) - a glass a day;
  • three times a week you need to eat meat or fish with vegetables, but on such days the serving size of bread is reduced by a third;
  • fruits: plums, avocados, apples, pears (1 piece per day);
  • vegetable oil in small quantities for dressing salads;
  • coffee (occasionally) vegetable juices(celery, tomato, carrot).

Stage II

This stage represents consolidation of the achieved results. The goal is not to regain lost weight. The diet is gradually expanded with other products. The duration of the stage depends on individual indicators. On average - 2-3 weeks.

Authorized products:

  • porridge;
  • pasta;
  • potatoes (1 piece per day);
  • legumes: beans, lentils;
  • the portion of fruit increases (3 pieces per day).

For both stages there is a list of prohibited products:

  • sweets: honey, sugar, candy, confectionery, chocolate, marmalade;
  • smoked foods, pickles, sauces, marinades;
  • alcohol;
  • ketchup, mayonnaise;
  • carbonated drinks;
  • bakery;
  • preserves and jams;
  • food with animal fats;
  • fat meat;
  • some dairy products: milk, homemade cottage cheese, sour cream.

With such a diet, fats practically do not enter the body, which means that it will not have the opportunity to store them in reserve.

Diet based on bread units

The German diet based on bread units is structured differently - a low-carbohydrate nutrition program recommended for patients with diabetes. Similarities with Olga Raz's system are in a balanced and varied diet and duration. The basis is calculation daily value carbohydrates.

All products are measured in grain units(XE) for an approximate estimate of the carbohydrate content in them:

  • 1 XE = 10 grams of carbohydrates (without dietary fiber);
  • 1 XE = 13 grams of carbohydrates (with ballast substances);
  • 1 XE = 20 grams of bread.
  • 4 XE - in main meals;
  • 2 XE - for an afternoon snack;
  • You cannot consume more than 7 XE at a time.

However, a diet based on bread units reduces their daily amount to 10. For calculation, German nutritionists have developed a special table. If it does not contain a certain product, its use as part of weight loss is not limited.

Sample menu

The bread diet is difficult, first of all, in creating a menu. To make this task easier, we offer you approximate version for 7 days according to the system from Olga Raz:

Menu for the week based on bread units

If you can’t go on a diet because you feel hungry, it makes sense to turn to this weight loss method. Bread, despite all its calorie content, will allow you to put your diet in order, improve your well-being, and most importantly, it will not allow you to suffer due to lack of energy. With this product, it is much easier to fight excess weight than with any other mono-diet - you can see this for yourself.

I hope this article helps someone!

What are Bread Units and what are they “eaten with”?

When compiling a daily menu, you should consider only those foods that increase blood sugar levels. U healthy person the pancreas produces required amount insulin in response to food intake. As a result, blood sugar levels do not rise. With diabetes, in order to maintain optimal blood sugar levels, we are forced to inject insulin (or hypoglycemic drugs) from the outside, independently changing the dose depending on what and how much the person ate. That’s why it’s important to learn how to correctly count those foods that increase blood sugar.

How to do it?

You don't have to weigh your food every time! Scientists studied the products and compiled a table of their carbohydrate content or Bread Units - XE for people with diabetes.

1 XE is the amount of product that contains 10 g of carbohydrates. In other words, according to the XE system, those foods that belong to the group that increase blood sugar levels are calculated - these are

Cereals (bread, buckwheat, oats, millet, pearl barley, rice, pasta, vermicelli),
fruits and fruit juices,
milk, kefir and other liquid dairy products (except low-fat cottage cheese),
as well as some varieties of vegetables - potatoes, corn (beans and peas - in large quantities).
but of course, chocolate, cookies, candies are certainly limited in the daily diet, lemonade and sugar in pure form- should be strictly limited in the diet and used only in case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

The degree of cooking will also affect your blood sugar level. For example, mashed potatoes will raise your blood sugar levels faster than boiled or fried potatoes. Apple juice gives a faster rise in blood sugar compared to eating an apple, just like polished rice than unpolished rice. Fats and cold foods slow down the absorption of glucose, and salt speeds it up.

For the convenience of preparing a diet, there are special tables of Bread Units, which provide data on the amount of various carbohydrate-containing products containing 1 XE (I will give it below).

It is very important to learn how to determine the amount of XE in the foods you eat!

There are a number of foods that do not affect blood sugar levels:

these are vegetables - any kind of cabbage, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red and Green pepper(except potatoes and corn),

greens (sorrel, dill, parsley, leaf salad etc.), mushrooms,

butter and vegetable oil, mayonnaise and lard,

as well as fish, meat, poultry, eggs and products made from them, cheese and cottage cheese,

nuts in small quantities (up to 50 g).

A slight rise in sugar is given by beans, peas and beans in small quantities as a side dish (up to 7 tbsp. l)

How many meals should you have during the day?

There must be 3 main meals, and intermediate meals, so-called snacks from 1 to 3, are also possible, i.e. There can be a total of 6 meals. When using ultra-short insulins (Novorapid, Humalog), it is possible to avoid snacking. This is acceptable if there is no hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when skipping a snack.

In order to correlate the amount of digestible carbohydrates consumed with the dose of short-acting insulin administered,

a system of grain units was developed.

  • 1XE = 10-12 g of digestible carbohydrates
  • For 1 XE, 1 to 4 units of short (food) insulin are required
  • On average, 1 XE requires 2 units of short-acting insulin
  • Everyone has their own need for insulin per 1 XE.
    Determine it using a self-monitoring diary
  • Bread units should be counted by eye, without weighing the products

To do this, you need to return to the topic “Rational Nutrition”, calculate the daily calorie content of your diet, taking 55 or 60% of it, determine the number of kilocalories that should come from carbohydrates.
Then, dividing this value by 4 (since 1g of carbohydrates gives 4 kcal), we get the daily amount of carbohydrates in grams. Knowing that 1 XE is equal to 10 grams of carbohydrates, we divide the resulting daily amount of carbohydrates by 10 and get the daily amount of XE.

For example, if you are a man and work physically at a construction site, then your daily caloric intake is 1800 kcal,

60% of it is 1080 kcal. Dividing 1080 kcal by 4 kcal gives you 270 grams of carbohydrates.

Dividing 270 grams by 12 grams, we get 22.5 XE.

For a woman working physically - 1200 - 60% = 720: 4 = 180: 12 = 15 XE

Standard for adult woman and in order not to gain weight - 12 HE. Breakfast - 3XE, lunch - 3XE, dinner - 3XE and snacks 1 XE

How to distribute these units throughout the day?

Considering the presence of 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), the bulk of carbohydrates should be distributed between them,

taking into account the principles rational nutrition(more in the first half of the day, less in the evening)

and, of course, taking into account your appetite.

It should be borne in mind that it is not recommended to eat more than 7 XE at one meal, since the more carbohydrates you eat at one meal, the higher the rise in glycemia will be and the dose will increase short insulin.

And the dose of short-term, “food” insulin, administered once, should not be more than 14 units.

Thus, the approximate distribution of carbohydrates between main meals could be as follows:

  • 3 XE for breakfast (for example, oatmeal - 4 tablespoons (2 XE); sandwich with cheese or meat (1 XE); unsweetened cottage cheese with green tea or coffee with sweeteners).
  • Lunch - 3 XE: fresh cabbage soup with sour cream (do not count according to XE) with 1 slice of bread (1 XE), pork chop or fish with vegetable salad in vegetable oil, without potatoes, corn and legumes (we do not count according to XE), mashed potatoes - 4 tablespoons (2 XE), a glass of unsweetened compote
  • Dinner - 3 XE: vegetable omelette of 3 eggs and 2 tomatoes (do not count according to XE) with 1 slice of bread (1 XE), 1 glass of sweet yoghurt (2 XE).

Thus, the total is 9 XE. “Where are the other 3 HE?” - you ask.

The remaining XE can be used for so-called snacks between main meals and at night. For example, 2 XE in the form of 1 banana can be eaten 2.5 hours after breakfast, 1 XE in the form of an apple - 2.5 hours after lunch and 1 XE at night, at 22.00, when you introduce your “night” extended-release insulin .

The break between breakfast and lunch should be 5 hours, and the same between lunch and dinner.

After the main meal, 2.5 hours later there should be a snack = 1 XE

Are intermediate meals and nighttime meals required for all people taking insulin?

Not required for everyone. Everything is individual and depends on your insulin therapy regimen. Very often we have to deal with a situation where people have had a heavy breakfast or lunch and don’t want to eat at all 3 hours after eating, but, remembering the recommendations to have a snack at 11.00 and 16.00, they forcefully “stuff” XE into themselves and increase their glucose levels.

Intermediate meals are required for those who are at increased risk of hypoglycemia 3 hours after eating. This usually happens when, in addition to short-acting insulin, long-acting insulin is administered in the morning, and the higher the dose, the more likely hypoglycemia is at this time (the time when the maximum effect of short-acting insulin accumulates and the onset of action of long-acting insulin).

After lunch, when long-acting insulin is at its peak of action and overlaps with the peak of action of short-acting insulin administered before lunch, the likelihood of hypoglycemia also increases and to prevent it, taking 1-2 XE is necessary. At night, at 22-23.00, when you administer long-acting insulin, have a snack in the amount of 1-2 XE ( slow-digesting) for the prevention of hypoglycemia is needed if glycemia at this time is less than 6.3 mmol/l.

When glycemia is above 6.5-7.0 mmol/l, a snack at night can lead to morning hyperglycemia, since there is not enough “night” insulin.
Intermediate meals intended to prevent hypoglycemia during the day and at night should be no more than 1-2 XE, otherwise instead of hypoglycemia you will get hyperglycemia.
For intermediate meals taken with preventive purpose in an amount of no more than 1-2 XE, no additional insulin is administered.

Much is said about grain units in detail.
But why do you need to be able to count them? Let's look at an example.

Let's say you have a glucometer and measure your blood glucose before meals. For example, you, as always, injected 12 units of insulin prescribed by your doctor, ate a bowl of porridge and drank a glass of milk. Yesterday you also administered the same dose and ate the same porridge and drank the same milk, and tomorrow you must do the same.

Why? Because as soon as you deviate from your usual diet, your glycemic indicators immediately change, and they are not ideal anyway. If you are a literate person and know how to count XE, then changes in your diet are not scary for you. Knowing that for 1 XE, on average, there are 2 units of short-acting insulin and knowing how to count XE, you can vary the composition of the diet, and therefore the dose of insulin, at your discretion, without compromising diabetes compensation. This means that today you can eat porridge for breakfast for 4 XE (8 tbsp), 2 slices of bread (2 XE) with cheese or meat and inject 12 units of short insulin into these 6 XE and get good result glycemia.

Tomorrow morning, if you don’t have an appetite, you can limit yourself to a cup of tea with 2 sandwiches (2 XE) and inject only 4 units of short-acting insulin, and still get a good glycemic result. That is, the bread unit system helps to administer exactly as much short-term insulin as is necessary for the absorption of carbohydrates, no more (which is fraught with hypoglycemia) and no less (which is fraught with hyperglycemia), and maintain good compensation for diabetes.

Foods that can be consumed without restrictions

all vegetables except potatoes and corn

- cabbage (all types)
- cucumbers
- leaf lettuce
- greenery
- tomatoes
- pepper
- zucchini
- eggplants
- beet
- carrot
- green beans
- radish, radish, turnip - green pea(young)
- spinach, sorrel
- mushrooms
- tea, coffee without sugar and cream
- mineral water
- drinks with sweeteners

Vegetables can be consumed raw, boiled, baked, or pickled.

The use of fats (butter, mayonnaise, sour cream) in preparing vegetable dishes should be minimal.

Foods to eat in moderation

- lean meat
- Not fatty fish
- milk and dairy products (low-fat)
- cheeses less than 30% fat
- cottage cheese less than 5% fat
- potato
- corn
- mature legume grains (peas, beans, lentils)
- cereals
- pasta
- bread and bakery products(not rich)
- fruits
- eggs

"Moderate amount" means half of your usual serving.

Products that need to be excluded or limited as much as possible

- butter
- vegetable oil*
- salo
- sour cream, cream
- cheeses with more than 30% fat content
- cottage cheese with more than 5% fat content
- mayonnaise
- fatty meat, smoked meats
- sausages
- fatty fish
- poultry skin
- canned meat, fish and vegetable in oil
- nuts, seeds
- sugar, honey
- preserves, jams
- candies, chocolate
- pastries, cakes and other confectionery products
- cookies, pastry products
- ice cream
- sweet drinks (Coca-Cola, Fanta)
- alcoholic drinks

If possible, avoid cooking food such as frying.
Try to use cookware that allows you to cook food without adding fat.

* - vegetable oil is a necessary part daily diet, however, it is enough to consume it in very small quantities.

Calculation of the amount of XE in the finished product:

Calculation of bread units of a product in factory packaging is very simple.

All factory products indicate the amount of carbohydrates in 100 g of products,

which must be divided by 12 and multiplied by the weight of the package.

Let's get the amount of XE in a given product package. Then simply divide by XE

To calculate bread units in a restaurant or in the home kitchen you need: a recipe for a prepared dish, a table of bread units, a calculator.

For example, we took 9 tablespoons of flour (1 tablespoon = 1 bread unit, 9 in total), 1 glass of milk (1 bread unit), 1 tablespoon sunflower oil(no XE), 1 egg (no XE). We baked 10 pancakes. This means 1 pancake = 1 unit of bread.

Or, for example, one cutlet (70 g) consists of meat and bread, rolled in flour and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. It turns out that one cutlet = 1 bread unit.

Thus, to summarize, we can draw the following conclusion that nutrition for diabetes is not the maximum restriction of everything edible, as it seems at first glance.

Such food can be not only healthy and dietary, but also tasty and varied!

Table of bread units

Dairy
The product's name Quantity per 1 XE Volume, weight per 1 XE
Milk 1 glass 200 ml
Baked milk 1 glass 200 ml
Kefir 1 glass 250 ml
Kefir bifidok 1 glass 250 ml
Acidophilus sweet 1/2 cup 100 ml
Natural unsweetened yogurt (bio) 1 glass 250 ml
Fruit yoghurt 75-100 g
Cream 1 glass 200 ml
Buttermilk 1 glass 300 ml
Curdled milk 1 glass 200 ml
Ryazhenka 1 glass 200 ml
Milk ice cream (without glaze and waffles) 65 g
Creamy ice cream (in glaze and waffles) 50 g
Condensed milk without sugar (can volume 400g) 1/3 can 130 g
Powdered milk powder 1 tbsp. spoon 30 g
Cheesecake medium (with sugar) 1 piece 75 g
Curd sweet (without glaze and raisins) 100 g
Children's glazed cheese curds 2/3 pieces 35 g
Curd mass with raisins (sweet) 35-40 g
Cereals, cereals, flour products
The product's name Quantity per 1 XE Volume, weight per 1 XE
Rye bread from wholemeal flour 1 piece 1.5 cm thick 35 g
White, gray bread (except butter bread) 1 piece 1 cm thick 20 g
Black bread 1 piece 1 cm thick 25 g
Bran bread 1 piece 1.3 cm thick 30 g
Borodinsky, Riga, aromatic bread 1 piece 0.6 cm thick 15 g
Rye bread 1 piece 1 cm thick 25 g
Crispbread 2 pieces 20 g
Breadsticks quantity depends on size 20 g
Unsweetened crackers 2 pieces 20 g
Unsweetened dryers 1.5-2 pieces 20 g
Crackers - large
-average
-small
2 pieces
5 pieces
15 pieces
20 g
20 g
20 g
Pita 20 g
Butter bun 20 g
Frozen puff pastry 35 g
Frozen yeast dough 25 g
Damn thin 1 large 30 g
Frozen pancakes with cottage cheese 1 piece 50 g
Frozen empanadas 1 piece 50 g
Frozen dumplings with cottage cheese 4 pieces 50 g
Frozen dumplings with cottage cheese 4 pieces 50 g
Cheesecake 0.5 pieces 50 g
Wafers are small 1.5 pieces 17 g
Flour 1 tbsp. heaped spoon 15 g
Gingerbread 1/2 pieces 40 g
Pancakes 30 g
Breadcrumbs 1 tbsp. heaped spoon 15 g
Butter cookies 1-2 pieces depending on size 15 g
Any raw cereal 1 tbsp. heaped spoon 15 g
Any porridge 2 tbsp. heaped spoon 50 g
Cereals 2 tbsp. heaped spoon 15 g
Wheat bran 12 tbsp. spoons 15 g
Pasta depending on the shape from 1 to 4 tbsp. spoons 50 g
Boiled pasta depending on the shape from 2 to 4 tbsp. spoons 15 g
Potatoes and mature legumes, some types of vegetables
The product's name Quantity per 1 XE Volume, weight per 1 XE
Dried beans 1 tbsp. spoon 20 g
Boiled beans 3 tbsp. spoon 50 g
Jacket potatoes 1 piece 75 g
Frozen potato pancakes 60 g
Potatoes, raw, boiled 1 piece (the size of a large chicken egg) 65 g
Mashed potatoes 2 tbsp. spoons 75 g
Fried potato 1.5-2 tbsp. spoons depending on the cut 35 g
Potato chips 1 sachet small 25 g
Corn(cob) 0.5 pieces 100 g
Canned corn 3 tbsp. spoons 70 g
Boiled corn 3 tbsp. spoons 50 g
Cornflakes 4 tbsp. spoons 15 g
Boiled beans 3 tbsp. spoons 50 g
Boiled lentils 2 tbsp. heaped spoons 50 g
Fruits and berries
The product's name Quantity per 1 XE Volume, weight per 1 XE
Apricot 4 pieces 120 g
Avocado 1 piece 200 g
Quince 1 piece 140 g
Cherry plum 4 pieces 140 g
A pineapple 1 slice with peel 140 g
Orange 1 piece with peel 130 g
Watermelon 1 slice with peel 270 g
Banana 1/2 piece with peel 70 g
Cowberry 7 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 140 g
Grape 10 pieces 70 g
Cherry 15 pieces(1 glass) 90 g
Pomegranate 1 piece 170 g
Grapefruit 1/2 piece with peel 170 g
Pear 1 piece 100 g
Melon - "collective farmer" 1 slice with peel 100 g
Blackberry 8 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 140 g
Strawberries 8 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 150 g
Figs 1 piece 80 g
Kiwi 1 piece 110 g
Strawberry 10 pieces(1 glass) 160 g
Cranberry 1 glass 160 g
Gooseberry 6 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 120 g
Raspberries 8 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 150 g
Mango 1 piece 11 g
Tangerines 3 pieces 150 g
Nectarine 1 piece 120 g
Peach 1 piece 120 g
Papaya 1/2 pieces 140 g
Blue plums 4 pieces 90 g
Currant 7 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 140 g
Feijoa 10 pieces 160 g
Persimmon 1 piece 70 g
Cherries 10 pieces(1 glass) 100 g
Blueberry 7 tbsp. spoon (1 glass) 140 g
Rose hip 3 tbsp. heaped spoons 60 g
Apple 1 piece 100 g
Juices 1/2 cup 100 ml
Sweets and other products
The product's name Quantity per 1 XE Volume, weight per 1 XE
Sugar jam 1 tbsp. spoon 120 g
Kvass 1 glass 120 g
Kissel 1 glass 120 g
Compote 1 glass 120 g
Chocolate candy. 1 piece 120 g
Dried fruits 15 g
Honey 1 tbsp. spoon 120 g
Pudding 120 g
Marmalade 120 g
Lump sugar 2 pieces 12 g
Granulated sugar 1 tbsp. spoon 12 g
Chocolate 1/5 tile 20 g
Pizza 1/6 pieces 50 g
Cake pie 1 piece 3-8 XE

These are just the basics! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!