As you know, only those foods that contain carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels. That is, if you eat a sandwich with butter, after 30-40 minutes your blood sugar level rises, and this comes from the bread, not from the butter. If the same sandwich is spread not with butter, but with honey, then the sugar level will rise even earlier - after 10-15 minutes, and after 30-40 minutes there will be a second wave of sugar increase - this time from the bread. But if from bread the blood sugar level rises smoothly, then from honey (or sugar) it, as they say, jumps, which is very harmful for the patient diabetes mellitus. And all this because bread is a slowly digestible carbohydrate, and honey and sugar are a quickly digestible carbohydrate.
Therefore, a person living with diabetes is different from other people in that he has to keep a record of his consumption of foods containing carbohydrates and remember by heart which ones quickly and which slowly raise blood sugar levels.
But how can one correctly determine the required amount of foods containing carbohydrates? After all, they all differ very much from each other in their useful and harmful properties, composition, calorie content. It is impossible to measure these important food parameters using any available home method, for example, with a teaspoon or a large glass. It is also difficult to determine the required volume daily norm products. To make the task easier, nutritionists came up with a certain conventional unit - a bread unit, which allows you to quickly imagine the carbohydrate value of a product.
In different sources it can be called differently: starch unit, carbohydrate unit, replacement, etc. This does not change the essence, we are talking about the same thing. The term “bread unit” (abbreviation XE) is more common. XE was introduced for diabetic patients receiving insulin. After all, it is especially important for them to comply with the daily daily intake of carbohydrates corresponding to the administered insulin, otherwise a sharp jump in blood sugar levels (hyper- or hypoglycemia) may occur. Thanks to the development of the XE system, patients with diabetes have the opportunity to correctly create a menu, wisely replacing some foods that contain carbohydrates with others.
XE is like a convenient kind of “measuring spoon” for counting carbohydrates. For one unit of bread, 10-12 g of digestible carbohydrates were taken. Why bread? Because it is contained in 1 piece of bread weighing 25 g. This is an ordinary piece that is obtained if you cut a 1 cm thick plate from a loaf of bread in the form of a brick and divide it in half - the way bread is usually cut at home and in the dining room.
The XE system is international, which allows people living with diabetes to estimate the carbohydrate value of foods from any country in the world.
In different sources there are also slightly different figures for the carbohydrate content in 1 XE - 10-15 g. It is important to know that XE should not show any strictly defined number, but serves for the convenience of counting carbohydrates consumed in food, which as a result allows you to select the required dose of insulin. Using the XE system, you can avoid constantly weighing food. XE allows you to determine the amount of carbohydrates just by looking, using easy-to-read volumes (piece, glass, piece, spoon, etc.), right before breakfast, lunch or dinner. Once you know how much XE you plan to eat per meal by measuring your blood sugar before eating, you can administer the appropriate dose of short-acting insulin and then check your blood sugar after eating. This will remove a large number of practical and psychological problems and save your time in the future.
One XE, not compensated by insulin, conventionally increases blood sugar levels by an average of 1.5-1.9 mmol/l and requires approximately 1-4 units of insulin for absorption, which can be found out from your self-monitoring diary.
Typically, good knowledge of XE is necessary for patients with type I diabetes mellitus, while for type II diabetes mellitus, daily caloric intake and the correct distribution of carbohydrate intake across all meals during the day are of greater importance. But even in this case, to quickly replace certain products, determining the amount of XE will not be superfluous.
So, although the units are called “bread”, they can be used to express not only the amount of bread, but also any other product that contains carbohydrates. The advantage is that you don't have to weigh it! You can measure XE in teaspoons and tablespoons, glasses, cups, etc.
Amount of XE in products
Let's look at how to determine the amount of XE in various products.
Flour products
One piece of any bread (both black and white, but not rich) = 1 XE. This is the most ordinary piece of bread that you automatically cut from a loaf of bread. If this same piece of bread is dried, the resulting cracker will still be equal to 1 XE, because only the water has evaporated, and all the carbohydrates remain in place.
Now grind this cracker and get 1 tbsp. a spoonful of breadcrumbs and the same 1 XE.
Flour and starch
1 XE is contained in 1 tablespoon of flour or starch.
If you decide to make pancakes or pies at home, do a simple calculation: for example, 5 tablespoons of flour, 2 eggs, water, sweetener. Of all the listed products, only flour contains XE. Count how many pancakes you baked. On average it turns out to be five, then one pancake will contain 1 XE; If you add sugar to the dough rather than a substitute, count that too.
Vermicelli
3 tablespoons of cooked pasta contain 2 XE. Domestic pasta contains more fiber than imported ones, and, as you know, indigestible carbohydrates are healthier for the body.
Cereals
1 XE is contained in 2 tablespoons of any boiled cereal. For a patient with type I diabetes mellitus, the type of cereal is less important than its quantity. Of course, a ton of buckwheat contains slightly more carbohydrates than a ton of rice, but no one eats tons of porridge. Within one plate, such a difference is so minuscule that it can be ignored. Buckwheat is no better and no worse than any other cereals. In countries where buckwheat does not grow, rice is recommended for patients with diabetes.
Legumes
Peas, beans and lentils can be practically ignored according to the XE system, since 1 XE is contained in 7 tbsp. spoons of these products. If you can eat more than 7 tbsp. spoons of peas, then add 1 XE.
Dairy products. Milk in its physical composition is a mixture of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in water. Fats are found in butter, sour cream and heavy cream. There are no XE in these products because there are no carbohydrates. Proteins are cottage cheese, it also does not contain XE. But the remaining whey and whole milk contain carbohydrates. One glass of milk = 1 XE. Milk must also be taken into account in cases where it is added to dough or porridge. Butter, sour cream and heavy cream do not need to be counted (but if you bought cream at the store, count it closer to milk).
Sweets
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar = 1 XE. Keep this in mind if you add it to pancakes, etc. 3-4 pieces of refined sugar = 1 XE (use in case of hypoglycemia).
One serving of ice cream contains about 1.5-2 XE (in 65-100 g). Let's say it is taken as a dessert (that is, you first need to eat lunch or cabbage salad, and then - sweets for dessert). Then the absorption of carbohydrates will be slower.
It should be remembered that creamy ice cream is better than fruit ice cream, as it contains more fat, which slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, and blood sugar levels rise more slowly. And popsicles are nothing more than frozen sweet water, which melts at high speed in the stomach and is quickly absorbed, significantly increasing blood sugar levels. Ice cream is not recommended if you are overweight, as it is quite high in calories.
For patients with type II diabetes mellitus, for those who are overweight and for those who for some reason do not want to spend time on all sorts of calculations and self-control, it is recommended to exclude foods containing quickly digestible carbohydrates from constant consumption and leave them to relieve hypoglycemic symptoms. states.
Meat and fish products
These foods do not contain carbohydrates, so they do not need to be counted according to XE. Accounting is necessary only for special cooking methods. For example, when preparing cutlets, bread soaked in milk is added to the minced meat. Before frying, the cutlets are rolled in breadcrumbs, and the fish in flour or dough (batter). You also need to take into account the bread units of additional ingredients.
Roots
Potatoes need accounting according to XE. One medium-sized potato = 1 XE. Depending on the method of preparation, only the rate of absorption of carbohydrates in the stomach changes. The fastest increase in blood sugar will come from mashed potatoes and water; the slowest increase is from fried potatoes.
Other root vegetables can be ignored as long as you use them in your diet in quantities not exceeding 1 XE: three large carrots= 1 XE, one large beet = 1 XE.
Berries and fruits
1 XE contains:
- half a grapefruit, a banana, a cob of corn;
- one apple, orange, peach, one pear, persimmon;
- three tangerines;
- one slice of melon, pineapple, watermelon;
- three or four apricots or plums.
Smaller fruits are considered tea saucers without a slide: strawberries, cherries, cherries - one saucer = 1 XE. The smallest berries: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries, currants, blackberries, etc. - one cup of berries = 1 XE. Grapes contain a very significant amount of carbohydrates, so 3-4 large grapes are already 1 XE. These berries are best eaten when there is low sugar (hypoglycemia).
If you dry fruit, remember that only water is subject to evaporation, and the amount of carbohydrates does not change. Therefore, it is also necessary to count XE in dried fruits.
Beverages
Indicator 1 XE is contained in:
- 1/3 cup grape juice (so you should drink it only when your sugar levels are low);
- 1 glass of kvass or beer;
- 1/2 cup apple juice.
Mineral water and diet sodas do not contain XE. But regular sweet carbonated water and lemonade should be considered. Alcoholic drinks are not taken into account in the classification of grain units. A separate section of the diabetes encyclopedia is devoted to them.
Other products
You can determine the amount of XE in any product purchased in a store. How? Look at the packaging; it must indicate the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in 100 g of the product. For example, 100 g of yogurt contains 11.38 g of carbohydrates, which approximately corresponds to 1 XE (we know that 12 g of carbohydrates = 1 XE). In one package of yogurt (125 g) we get 1.2-1.3 XE, respectively.
Such tables are available on almost all food products, which means you can always find out the XE content in any unfamiliar product.
A special table of bread units was developed (see below), into which specific products were added depending on their carbohydrate content in terms of XE.
| Product Name | Quantity of product containing 1 XE |
| Dairy | |
| Milk, kefir, cream of any fat content | 1 cup (200 ml) |
| Cottage cheese | if not sprinkled with sugar, then it does not need to be counted |
| Sweet curd mass | 100 g |
| Butter, sour cream | do not need accounting |
| Syrniki | 1 medium |
| Bakery and flour products | |
| Bread (white, black), loaf (except butter) | 1 piece (25 g) |
| Crackers | 20 g |
| Breadcrumbs | 1 tablespoon (15 g) |
| Starch | 1 heaped tablespoon |
| Flour of any kind | 1 heaped tablespoon |
| Crackers | 3 large (15 g) |
| Raw puff pastry | 35 g |
| Raw yeast dough | 25 g |
| Thin pancakes | 1 in a small frying pan |
| Pancakes | 1 medium |
| Vareniki | 2 pcs. |
| Dumplings | 4 things. |
| Meat pie | half a pie |
| Pasta and cereal products | |
| Noodles, vermicelli, horns, pasta | 1.5 tablespoons (15 g) |
| Porridge from any cereal (buckwheat, rice, semolina, oatmeal, barley, millet) | 2 tablespoons |
| Meat products mixed with bread or starch | |
| Cutlet with added bun | 1 medium |
| Sausages, boiled sausage | 150-200 g |
| Fruits and berries | |
| A pineapple | 1 slice (90 g) |
| Apricot | 3 medium (110 g) |
| Watermelon | 400 g with peel |
| Orange | 1 medium (170 g) |
| Banana | half (90 g) |
| Grape | 3-4 large berries |
| Cherry | 15 large berries(100 g) |
| Pomegranate | 1 large (200 g) |
| Grapefruit | half a fruit (170 g) |
| Pear | 1 medium (90 g) |
| Melon | 300 g with peel |
| Figs | 80 g |
| Strawberry | 150 g |
| Kiwi | 150 g |
| Mango | 80 g |
| Tangerines | 3 small (170 g) |
| Peach | 1 medium (120 g) |
| Plums | 3-4 medium (80-100 g) |
| Persimmon | 1 medium (80 g) |
| Apple | 1 medium (100 g) |
| Berries (strawberries, lingonberries, blackberries, currants, blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries) | 1 cup (140-160 g) |
| Dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes) | 20 g |
| Vegetables | |
| Boiled potatoes | 1 small (65 g) |
| Fried potato | 2 tablespoons |
| Mashed potatoes | 1.5 tablespoons |
| Potato chips | 25 g |
| Legumes | 7 tablespoons |
| Corn | half a cob (160 g) |
| Carrot | 175 g |
| Beet | 1 large |
| Other vegetables (cabbage, radishes, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, herbs) | do not need accounting |
| Soybean, vegetable oil | do not need accounting |
| Nuts, seeds (pure kernels weighing up to 60 g) | do not need accounting |
| Sweets | |
| Granulated sugar | 1 tablespoon (12 g) |
| Rafinated sugar | 2.5-4 pieces (12 g) |
| Honey, jam | 1 tablespoon |
| Ice cream | 50-65 g |
| Juices | |
| Apple | 1/3 cup (80 ml) |
| Grape | 1/3 cup (80 ml) |
| Orange | 1/2 cup (100 ml) |
| Tomato | 1.5 cups (300 ml) |
| Carrot | 1/2 cup (100 ml) |
| Kvass, beer | 1 cup (200 ml) |
| Lemonade | 3/4 cup (150 ml) |
The XE system, like any artificial one, has its drawbacks: choosing a diet based only on XE is not always convenient, since the diet must contain all the vital components of food: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and microelements. Doctors recommend dividing the daily calorie intake according to specific gravity main components: 50-60% carbohydrates, 25-30% fats and 15-20% proteins.
You do not need to specifically count the amount of proteins, fats and calories. Just try to eat as little oil and fatty meat as possible and load up on vegetables and fruits and be sure to consider the amount of carbohydrates you digest.
The human body should receive from 10 to 30 XE per day, depending on the type of physical activity, age and body weight (see table below).
| Type of physical activity | Required amount of XE per day |
| Hard physical labor | 25-30 |
| Moderately hard work, normal body weight | 21 |
| Physically active people, as well as young people with sedentary jobs, without obesity | 17 |
| Inactive people, as well as over 50 years of age, with normal weight or grade 1 obesity | 14 |
| Patients with grade 2-3 obesity | 10 |
All carbohydrates entering the body must be correctly distributed throughout the day among meals according to the dose of insulin and physical activity. At the same time, most of the carbohydrate-containing foods should be consumed in the first half of the day. For example, let's take young man with type I diabetes mellitus, normal body weight, who works at a computer, walks a lot every day and visits the pool 2 times a week, that is, he is physically active. According to the table, he needs 17 XE per day, which, with six meals a day, should be distributed as follows: for breakfast, lunch and dinner, approximately 25-30% of the total calorie content will be required (that is, 3-5 XE), for snacks - the remaining 10 -15% (that is, 1-2 XE). The distribution of food depends on the specific insulin therapy regimen, but in any case, the amount of carbohydrates should not exceed 7 XE per meal.
It must be remembered that carbohydrates should be represented mainly by starches, that is, 14-15 bread units should come from bread, porridge and vegetables and no more than 2 XE from fruits. On simple sugars should account for no more than 1/3 of the total amount of carbohydrates, of which refined sugars should not exceed 50 grams.
Bread units at McDonald's
For those who eat or just have a snack at McDonald's, we also provide a table of XE contained in the menu of this establishment:
| Menu | Number of XE |
| Hamburger, cheeseburger | 2,5 |
| Big Mac | 3 |
| McChicken | 3 |
| Royal Cheeseburger | 2 |
| McNuggets (6 pcs.) | 1 |
| French fries (children's portion) | 3 |
| French fries (standard portion) | 5 |
| Vegetable salad | 0,6 |
| Ice cream with chocolate or strawberry | 3 |
| Ice cream with caramel | 3,2 |
| Pie with apples and cherries | 1,5 |
| Cocktail (standard portion) | 5 |
| Sprite (standard) | 3 |
| Fanta, Cola (standard) | 4 |
| Orange juice (standard) | 3 |
| Hot chocolate (standard) | 2 |
To make it easier for a patient diagnosed with diabetes to control the amount of carbohydrates consumed, to correctly calculate the dosage of insulin injections and the calorie content of meals, there are special conventional bread units that were developed by German nutritionists.
Calculation of bread units allows you to control the level of glycemia in diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2, normalize carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, correct preparation of a menu for patients helps to achieve compensation for the disease, and reduce the risk of complications.
What is 1 bread unit equal to, how to correctly convert carbohydrates into this value and how to calculate it for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, how much insulin is needed to absorb 1 XE? One XE corresponds to 10 g of carbohydrates, without dietary fiber and 12 g including ballast substances. Eating 1 unit causes an increase in glycemia by 2.7 mmol/l; 1.5 units of insulin are required to absorb this amount of glucose.
Having an idea of how much XE a dish contains, you can correctly create a daily balanced diet and calculate the required dosage of the hormone to prevent sugar spikes. You can diversify the menu as much as possible; some products are replaced by others that have identical indicators.
How to correctly count bread food units for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, how much XE is allowed to be consumed per day? A unit corresponds to one small piece of bread weighing 25 g. Indicators for other food products can be viewed in the table of bread units, which should always be on hand for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Patients are allowed to eat 18–25 XE per day, depending on total body weight and intensity of physical activity. Meals should be fractional, you need to eat up to 5 times a day in small portions. For breakfast you should consume 4 XE, and for lunch and evening meals you should consume no more than 1-2, since a person spends more energy during the day. It is unacceptable to exceed 7 XE per meal. If it is difficult to abstain from sweets, then it is best to eat them in the first half of the day or before playing sports.
Online calculator
The calculation of bread units in ready-made meals and food products for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus can be done using an online calculator. Here you can select dishes, drinks, fruits and desserts, see their calorie content, the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and count total XE for one meal.
When counting bread units to create a menu for diabetic patients using a calculator, it is necessary to take into account the oil that is added to salads or when frying foods. Don't forget about the milk you use to cook porridge, for example.
XE content in vegetables and fruits
It is recommended to add as much as possible to a diabetic's diet. fresh vegetables, since these products contain a large amount of essential vitamins, minerals, plant fiber, and some carbohydrates. Unsweetened fruits are rich in pectin, micro and macroelements. In addition, these products have a low glycemic index. To find out how many bread units are contained in 100 g of watermelon, melon, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries, tangerines, raspberries, peaches, 100 g of blueberries, plums, serviceberries, strawberries, you need to look at their value in the XE table of products for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus . Bananas, grapes, raisins, figs, and melon contain large amounts of carbohydrates, so patients should refrain from eating them.
Table of grain units contained in fruits for creating a diet for type 1 and type 2 diabetics:
| List of products | Carbohydrate content | XE in 100 g |
| Strawberry | 8 | 0,6 |
| Peaches | 9 | 0,75 |
| Raspberries | 8 | 0,6 |
| Cherries | 10 | 0,83 |
| Gooseberry | 4 | 0,8 |
| Blueberry | 5 | 0,9 |
| Watermelon | 5 | 0,42 |
| Melon | 7 | 0,58 |
| Plums | 9 | 0,75 |
| Tangerines, oranges | 8 | 0,67 |
| Apricots | 9 | 0,75 |
| Cherry | 10 | 0,83 |
| Irga | 12 | 1 |
| Apples | 9 | 0,75 |
| Pomegranate | 14 | 1,17 |
| Banana | 12 | 1,75 |
The most complete vegetable table of bread units of all products:
| Products | Carbohydrates | XE in 100 g |
| Potato | 16 | 1,33 |
| Eggplant | 4 | 0,33 |
| Champignon | 0,1 | 0 |
| White cabbage | 4 | 0,33 |
| Broccoli | 4 | 0,33 |
| Cabbage | 2 | 0,17 |
| Carrot | 6 | 0,5 |
| Tomatoes | 4 | 0,33 |
| Beet | 8 | 0,67 |
| Bell pepper | 4 | 0,33 |
| Pumpkin | 4 | 0,33 |
| Jerusalem artichoke | 12 | 1 |
| Onion | 8 | 0,67 |
| Zucchini | 4 | 0,33 |
| cucumbers | 2 | 0,17 |
XE content in dairy products
If you have diabetes, you need to consume low-fat dairy products that do not contain sugar. One glass of milk is equal to 1 XE. You can find out how many bread units are contained in cottage cheese, cheeses, and yogurt from the table for calculating carbohydrates, XE for diabetics.
Table of bread units of fermented milk products:
| Products | Carbohydrates | XE in 100 g |
| Kefir | 4 | 0,33 |
| Cow's milk | 4 | 0,33 |
| Goat milk | 4 | 0,33 |
| Ryazhenka | 4 | 0,33 |
| Cream | 3 | 0,25 |
| Sour cream | 3 | 0,25 |
| Cottage cheese | 2 | 0,17 |
| Yogurt | 8 | 0,67 |
| Butter | 1 | 0,08 |
| Dutch cheese | 0 | 0 |
| Processed cheese | 23 | 1,92 |
| Serum | 3 | 0,25 |
| Homemade cheese | 1 | 0,08 |
| Curdled milk | 4 | 0,33 |
Milk is useful product nutrition, as it contains proteins, vitamins and minerals. These substances are necessary for the body to grow muscle tissue, strengthen the structure of skeletal bones and teeth. Children especially need it. Diabetics are allowed to consume a low-fat product. Please note that goat's milk is much fattier than cow's milk. But it is useful for normalizing intestinal motility and strengthening the immune system.
Another useful product is whey, which helps normalize glycemia, regulates metabolic processes in organism. Consuming whey helps reduce excess weight.
The best cheese to use is tofu, a soy product. Durum varieties should be eaten in limited quantities and ensure that the fat content does not exceed 3%.
If your glycemia is unstable, it is better to completely avoid cream, sour cream and butter. But you can and even should eat low-fat cottage cheese, but in small portions.
Meat and eggs
How many bread units are there in an egg? In chicken quail eggs does not contain carbohydrates, so this product corresponds to 0 XE. Boiled yolk contains 4 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, its XE value is 0.33. Despite their low value, eggs are quite high in calories, they contain fats and proteins, this should be taken into account when creating a menu.
Lamb, beef, rabbit, bacon pork and turkey have a zero XE indicator. Diabetics are recommended to cook less fatty varieties of meat and fish. Preference should be given to steamed dishes baked with vegetables that are not fried in oil. You cannot combine meat products with potatoes. It is necessary to count bread units taking into account oil and spices.
One sandwich with boiled pork and white contains 18 g of carbohydrates and the XE calculation corresponds to 1.15. This amount can completely replace a snack or one meal.
Various varieties of cereals
What is a bread unit, how much is contained in cereals and porridges, which of them can be eaten with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2? Most healthy cereal is buckwheat, you can cook porridge from it or add it to soup. Its benefit lies in the content of slow carbohydrates (60 g), which are gradually absorbed into the blood and do not cause sudden jumps in glycemia. XE=5 units/100 g
Very useful oat groats, flakes (5 XE/100 g). This product is boiled or steamed with milk, you can add pieces of fruit, nuts, and a little honey. You can't add sugar; muesli is prohibited.
Barley (5.4), wheat (5.5 XE/100 g) cereals have a large amount of plant fiber, this helps normalize digestion processes, slows down the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines, and reduces appetite.
Prohibited cereals include rice (XE=6.17) and semolina (XE=5.8). Considered low-carbohydrate and easily digestible corn grits(5.9 XE/100 g), it prevents excess weight, while containing a useful composition of vitamins and microelements.
Alcohol
Alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks are strictly prohibited for diabetics. These products cause a sharp decrease in glycemic levels, which can lead to coma, because a person, arriving in a state of alcoholic intoxication, cannot provide himself with timely help.
Light and strong beers contain 0.3 XE per 100 g.
For patients with diabetes, it is important to control the amount of carbohydrates consumed and the calorie content of food, so it is necessary to calculate XE. Violation of nutrition rules and non-compliance with the diet can lead to serious consequences. Various complications develop from the heart, vascular, nervous and digestive system. Hyperglycemia can cause coma, which can lead to patient disability or death.
Any diabetic knows exactly what the so-called “bread unit” is. This is one of the most important conventional units for this type of disease, which is no less important than the glycemic index for diabetes and must be considered.
To live a normal life while in such a situation, you need to know which foods you can eat and which you cannot. In particular, a person with diabetes needs to take carbohydrates seriously.
U healthy person the pancreas produces required amount insulin in response to food intake. As a result, blood sugar levels do not rise.
Clinical picture
What doctors say about diabetes
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The concept of carbohydrates
The carbohydrate component of food is responsible for increasing blood glucose levels. But not all carbohydrates can cause an equally rapid rise in glycemia; some foods with carbohydrates do not raise blood sugar at all.
There are digestible and indigestible carbohydrates. Indigestible substances are divided into soluble and insoluble. For a diabetic, it is important to pay attention specifically to indigestible soluble carbohydrates, or dietary fiber, because they:
- create a feeling of satiety;
- stimulate the digestive system;
- do not increase blood sugar;
- reduce cholesterol levels.
These foods rich in dietary fiber include:
- cabbage;
- bran;
- beans;
- green peas;
- coconut;
- parsley;
- pumpkin;
- tomatoes;
- beans and other fresh vegetables.
Carbohydrates have another quality that not only patients with diabetes need to know about – speed of absorption. There are fast carbohydrates that can instantly cause an increase in glycemia (high glycemic index), and there are slow carbohydrates that increase sugar smoothly and gradually (low glycemic index). A person with type 1 or type 2 diabetes needs to include slow and indigestible carbohydrates in the menu.
be careful
According to WHO, every year 2 million people die from diabetes and its complications around the world. In the absence of qualified support for the body, diabetes leads to various kinds of complications, gradually destroying the human body.
The most common complications are: diabetic gangrene, nephropathy, retinopathy, trophic ulcers, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis. Diabetes can also lead to the development of cancer. In almost all cases, a diabetic either dies fighting a painful disease or becomes a real disabled person.
What should people with diabetes do? The Endocrinological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences succeeded make a remedy completely cures diabetes mellitus.
Currently, the Federal program “Healthy Nation” is underway, within the framework of which this drug is given to every resident of the Russian Federation and the CIS FOR FREE. For detailed information, see official website MINISTRY OF HEALTH.
Source diabetsaharnyy.ru
We all know about the existence of slow and fast carbohydrates. We also know that fast ones provoke sharp jumps in blood sugar levels, which a person with diabetes should not allow. But how can you make friends with carbohydrates? How to subjugate these difficult products and make them benefit the body and not harm it?
It is difficult to simply calculate the required amount of carbohydrates consumed when they all have different composition, properties and calorie content. In order to cope with this difficult task, nutritionists came up with a special bread unit. It allows you to quickly calculate carbohydrates in a variety of foods. The name may also be different, depending on the source. The words “replacement”, “starch”. unit" and "carb. unit" mean the same thing. Further, instead of the word combination “bread unit”, the abbreviation XE will be used.
Thanks to the introduced XE system, many people suffering from diabetes, especially insulin diabetes, and simply those who are watching their weight or losing weight, have found it much easier to deal with carbohydrates, accurately calculating their daily intake for themselves. The XE system is not difficult to master. You will be able to competently plan your daily menu.
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So, one XE is 10-12 grams of digestible carbohydrates. A unit is called a bread unit, since this is exactly how much one piece of bread contains if you cut a piece from a whole loaf, about 1 cm thick, and divide it into 2 parts. This part will be equal to HE. It weighs 25 grams.
Since the CE system is international, it is very convenient to navigate carbohydrate products from any country in the world. If somewhere there is a slightly different number for the XE designation, about 10-15, this is acceptable. After all, there cannot be an exact number here.
With the help of XE, you don’t have to weigh food, but simply determine the carbohydrate component by eye.
XE is not only a definition for bread. You can measure carbohydrates this way with anything – cups, spoons, pieces. The more convenient it will be for you to do this.
Source diabetof.ru
When creating the term “bread unit”, nutritionists took as a basis the most common product - bread.
If you cut a loaf of bread (“brick”) into the most standard pieces (1 cm thick), then exactly half of such a piece, which weighs 25 g, will be equal to 1 bread unit.
A diabetic should always have a table of bread units on hand, which indicates how much carbohydrate is in a particular product, equivalent to 1 XE (12 grams of carbohydrates). For each product, carbohydrates were calculated and replaced with XE. Such tables have long been developed and are the basis for creating a menu for the day. In the event that this table is not at hand, and you are standing in a store and don’t know what is best to choose, then you can easily calculate how much XE is in the product.
You look at the label, which indicates the amount of carbohydrates per 100 grams of product. After this, you need to divide this value by 12 (1 XE = 12 grams of carbohydrate, as you remember). The resulting figure is the number of bread units per 100 grams of product. Now all that remains is to simply weigh the product that you will consume and count XE in this amount.
You need to calculate it like this: for example, 100 grams of cookies contains 50 grams of carbohydrates. 50 must be divided by 12 to determine XE, the result is 4. If you are going to eat 150 grams of this cookie, then in total you will consume 6 XE. It is for this amount that you need to calculate how much insulin you will need.
Source diabetdieta.ru
The fun begins when you need to create a menu based on what is known about foods for diabetes. How to correctly calculate all other indicators - many get lost, but everything is extremely simple. The main thing is to have special scales and a table of bread units at hand. So, basic rules boil down to the following:
- If you have diabetes, it is advisable to eat no more than seven XE per meal. In this case, insulin will be produced at an optimal rate;
- The consumption of one XE increases the concentration of glucose in the blood, as a rule, by 2.5 mmol per liter. This makes measurements easier;
- one unit of this hormone reduces the blood glucose ratio by approximately 2.2 mmol per liter. However, it is necessary to use and remember that there is a table of bread units every day.
You should also remember that for one XE, which should be counted, different dosage ratios are needed at different times of the day and night. Let’s say that in the morning, one such unit may require up to two units of insulin, in the afternoon – one and a half, and in the evening – only one.
Source diabetikum.ru
XE in products
There are several more rules that allow you to count XE.
- When drying bread and other products, the amount of XE does not change.
- It is better to eat pasta made from wholemeal flour.
- When preparing pancakes and pancakes, count EXE for the dough, and not for the finished product.
- Cereals have the same amount of XE, but it is better to give preference to those that have a lower glycemic index, more vitamins and fiber, for example, buckwheat.
- There is no XE in meat and dairy products, such as sour cream and cottage cheese.
- If bread or breadcrumbs are added to the cutlets, then it can be estimated at 1 XE.
Source diabetdieta.ru
Diabetes mellitus and bread units (video):
Below is a table of bread units for basic food products.
Bread units in cereal and flour products
| The product's name | Amount of product in 1 XE |
| White bread or wheat bread for toast | 20 gr |
| Black bread | 25 gr |
| Rye bread | 25 gr |
| Wholemeal bread with bran | 30 gr |
| Rolls | 20 gr |
| Crackers | 2 pcs |
| Breadcrumbs | 1 tbsp. spoon |
| Crackers | 2 pcs large size (20 g) |
| Unsweetened dryers | 2 pcs |
| Crispbread | 2 pcs |
| Pita | 20 gr |
| Damn thin | 1 large size (30 g) |
| Frozen pancakes with meat/cottage cheese | 1 piece (50 g) |
| Pancakes | 1 piece medium size (30 g) |
| Cheesecake | 50 gr |
| Gingerbread | 40 gr |
| Fine flour | 1 tbsp. heaped spoon |
| Wholemeal flour | 2 tbsp. heaped spoons |
| Rye flour | 1 tbsp. heaped spoon |
| Whole soy flour | 4 tbsp. heaped spoons |
| Raw dough (yeast) | 25 gr |
| Raw dough (puff pastry) | 35 gr |
| Dumplings, frozen dumplings | 50 gr |
| Dumplings | 15 g |
| Starch (wheat, corn, potato) | 15 g |
Bread units in cereals, pasta, potatoes
Stories from our readers
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Read the full article >>>| Product | Amount of product in 1 XE |
|
Any raw cereal |
1 tablespoon |
|
Any boiled porridge |
2 tablespoons |
|
Boiled or baked potatoes |
70 grams |
|
Jacket potatoes |
1 piece |
|
Mashed potatoes (dry semi-finished product) |
1 tablespoon |
|
Mashed potatoes (water) |
2 tablespoons |
|
Mashed potatoes (with milk, butter) |
2 tablespoons |
|
Dry potatoes |
25 grams |
|
French fries |
2-3 tbsp. spoons (12 pcs) |
|
Potato chips |
25 grams |
|
Potato fritters |
60 grams |
|
Corn and rice cereals (prepared breakfasts) |
4 tablespoons |
|
Cornflex (muesli) |
4 tablespoons |
|
Pasta, dry |
4 tablespoons |
|
Boiled pasta |
60 grams |
| Product | Amount of product in 1 XE |
| Milk (any fat content) | 1 glass(250ml) |
| Kefir (any fat content) | 1 glass(250ml) |
| Curdled milk (any fat content) | 1 glass(250ml) |
| Yogurt (any fat content) | 1 glass(250ml) |
| Cream (any fat content) | 1 glass(250ml) |
| Condensed milk | 110 ml |
| Curd mass with raisins | 40 grams |
| Curd sweet mass | 100g |
| Ice cream | 65 grams |
| Syrniki | 1 medium |
| Dumplings with cottage cheese | 2-4 pcs |
Bread units in fruits and berries
| The product's name | Amount of product in 1 XE |
| Apricot | 120 gr |
| Quince | 140 gr (1 piece) |
| A pineapple | 130 gr |
| Orange | 170 g (1 piece medium with peel) |
| Watermelon | 270 g (1 small piece with crust) |
| Banana | 90 g (half a large fruit with peel) |
| Cowberry | 140 g (7 tablespoons) |
| Elder | 170 gr |
| Grape | 70 gr (10-12 berries) |
| Cherry | 90 gr (12-15 berries) |
| Pomegranate | 180 gr (1 piece) |
| Grapefruit | 170 g (half a fruit) |
| Pear | 90 g (1 piece medium fruit) |
| Guava | 80 gr |
| Melon | 100 g (small piece with crust) |
| Blackberry | 150 gr |
| Strawberries | 150 gr |
| Figs | 80 gr |
| Kiwi | 110 g (1 piece large fruit) |
| Strawberry | 160 gr (10 pieces of large berries) |
| Cranberry | 160 gr |
| Gooseberry | 120 g (1 glass) |
| Lemon | 270 gr (2-3 pcs) |
| Raspberries | 160 gr |
| Mango | 80 gr |
| Mandarin (with/without peel) | 150 g / 120 g (2-3 pcs) |
| Papaya | 140 gr |
| Peach | 120 g (1 piece medium fruit with stone) |
| Blue plums | 90-100 g (3-4 medium pieces) |
| Currant | 140 gr |
| Feijoa | 160 gr |
| Persimmon | 70 g (1 medium fruit) |
| Blueberries (blueberries) | 160 gr |
| Apple | 90 g (1 piece medium fruit) |
Bread units in vegetables
Bread units in dried fruits
Bread units in nuts
Bread units in sweets and sweeteners
Bread units in drinks and juices
| The product's name | Amount of product in 1 XE |
| Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, etc. | 100 ml (0.5 cup) |
| Kvass / Kissel / Compote | 200-250 ml (1 glass) |
| Orange juice | 100 ml (0.5 cup) |
| Grape juice | 70 ml (0.3 cups) |
| Cherry juice | 90 ml (0.4 cups) |
| Grapefruit juice | 140 ml (1.4 cups) |
| Pear juice | 100 ml (0.5 cup) |
| Cabbage juice | 500 ml (2.5 cups) |
| Strawberry juice | 160 ml (0.7 cups) |
| Redcurrant juice | 90 ml (0.4 cups) |
| Gooseberry juice | 100 ml (0.5 cup) |
| Raspberry juice | 160 ml (0.7 cups) |
| carrot juice | 125 ml (2/3 cup) |
| Cucumber juice | 500 ml (2.5 cups) |
| Beet juice | 125 ml (2/3 cup) |
| Plum juice | 70 ml (0.3 cups) |
| Tomato juice | 300 ml (1.5 cups) |
| Apple juice | 100 ml (0.5 cup) |
Bread units in ready meals
| The product's name | Number of XE |
| Hamburger, Cheeseburger | 2,5 |
| big Mac | 3-4 |
| Royal Cheeseburger | 2 |
| Royal deluxe | 2,2 |
| McChicken | 3 |
| Chicken McNuggets (6 pcs) | 1 |
| French fries (standard portion) | 5 |
| French fries (children's portion) | 3 |
| Pizza (300 gr) | 6 |
| Vegetable salad | 0,6 |
| Ice cream with chocolate, strawberry, caramel | 3-3,2 |
| Cocktail (standard portion) | 5 |
| Hot chocolate (standard portion) | 2 |
Video about bread units:
Calculation and use of XE
A patient with diabetes needs to count bread units in order to calculate the correct insulin dosage. The more carbohydrates you plan to consume, the higher the hormone dosage will be. To absorb 1 XE eaten, you need 1.4 units of short-acting insulin.
But basically, bread units are calculated using ready-made tables, which is not always convenient, since a person must also consume protein foods, fats, minerals, and vitamins, so experts advise planning the daily calorie content according to the specific gravity of the main foods consumed: 50 - 60% - carbohydrates , 25–30% is fat, 15–20% is protein.
A diabetic’s body should receive approximately 10–30 XE per day, exact amount directly depends on age, weight, type of physical activity.
The largest portion of food containing carbohydrates should be consumed in the first half of the day; the division of the menu should depend on the insulin therapy plan. In any case, no more than 7 XE should be consumed per meal.
Absorbed carbohydrates should mainly be starches (cereals, bread, vegetables) - 15 XE; fruits and berries should account for no more than 2 units. For simple carbohydrates, no more than 1/3 of the total. If your blood glucose level is normal, between main meals you can consume a product that contains 1 unit.
Source diabetes-doctor.ru
Glycemic index of foods
With diabetes, it is not only the presence of carbohydrates in a certain product that matters, but also how quickly they are absorbed and enter the bloodstream. The smoother the carbohydrate is digested, the less the increase in blood glucose occurs.
GI () is the coefficient of the effect of various foods on blood glucose. Products with a high glycemic index (sugar, sweets, sweet drinks, jam) should be excluded from your menu. It is allowed to consume only 1-2 XE of sweets to relieve hypoglycemia.
Glycemic index of foods (video):
Drawing conclusions
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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 of daily consumption of bread units for people of various types of activity
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 of the carbohydrate load occurs in 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 by excessive accumulation of 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 fermented milk 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, saturate the body with nutrients, and maintain optimal blood sugar levels.
| List of dairy products | What does 1 XE correspond to? |
| Raw and baked milk | partial glass |
| Kefir | full glass |
| Sweet acidophilus | half a glass |
| Cream | partial glass |
| Sweet fruit yogurt | no more than 70 ml |
| Natural unsweetened yogurt | full glass |
| Curdled milk | cup |
| Ice cream in a cup | no more than 1 serving |
| Sweet curd mass without raisins | 100g |
| Sweet curd mass with raisins | about 40 g |
| Condensed milk without sugar | no more than a third of the jar |
| Children's cheese in chocolate | half 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 of flour products leads to early complications of diabetes mellitus.
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
Fresh berries contain vitamins, trace elements and minerals. They saturate the body with essential substances that 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 plant fiber, vitamins and microelements. They stimulate intestinal motility and normalize the functioning of the enzyme system.
| List of fruits | Amount of product in 1 XE |
| Apricots | 4 small fruits |
| Cherry plum | about 4 medium fruits |
| Plums | 4 blue plums |
| Pears | 1 small pear |
| Apples | 1 medium sized apple |
| Banana | half a small fruit |
| Oranges | 1 orange without peel |
| Cherries | 15 ripe cherries |
| Grenades | 1 medium fruit |
| Tangerines | 3 unsweetened fruits |
| Pineapples | 1 slice |
| Peach | 1 ripe fruit |
| Persimmon | 1 small persimmon |
| Cherries | 10 red cherries |
| Feijoa | 10 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 acids, which are difficult to break down and difficult to absorb.
Foods allowed for diabetes
The basis of the daily diet should be foods containing small amounts 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 a daily diet, 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 a low glycemic index will not harm your health and will saturate your body with vitamins and nutrients. Eating foods low in XE will help avoid sugar spikes, which will prevent complications from metabolic disorders.
diabetsaharnyy.ru
This is the basic unit that is used to calculate the amount of carbohydrates that a patient consumes daily. It is generally accepted that 1 bread unit (XE) corresponds to 12 g of carbohydrates. Sometimes, instead of the phrase “bread unit,” doctors use the term “carbohydrate unit.” Due to the fact that there is a special table that indicates the exact carbohydrate content in a certain amount of each product, you can not only calculate the required nutritional plan, but also correctly replace some products with others. In this case, it is best to use products that are included in group 1 when substituting.
In some cases, the number of bread units can be measured using available means: a spoon, a glass. Sometimes products may be measured in pieces or pieces. But such a calculation is not enough. Diabetic patients need to know the exact content of bread units in their products. After all, the amount of XE consumed must correspond to the administered doses of insulin.
It is not advisable for patients to consume more than 7 XE in one meal. But the dose of insulin and the number of bread units needed per day should be determined by the attending physician. He will make an appointment based on the characteristics of your body. It is worth considering that not all foods require careful carbohydrate counting. This group includes most vegetables. This fact is due to the fact that the content of the element in such products is less than 5 g.
Calculation of carbohydrate units
In order to introduce such a concept, nutritionists used the most common product - bread. If the entire loaf of a brick-shaped product is cut into equal pieces 1 cm thick, then half of such a piece will equal 1 carbohydrate unit. Calculating bread units is very important for diabetics.
In order to determine the number of foods that you can eat during the day, you need to check the table. The standard rate per day for a patient should not exceed 27 units. It is necessary to divide their quantity among all meals. Most of the food consumed should be consumed in the 1st half of the day.
Thanks to the table created by nutritionists, patients no longer need to independently weigh foods and measure the amount of carbohydrates by eye. The patient’s task is to properly distribute food throughout the day. This can be 3 full meals and several snacks. It is advisable not to take long breaks between meals. The doctor may allow the patient to avoid snacking.
This is possible if the patient does not experience hypoglycemia when refusing food for several hours. Avoiding snacking is also possible when using ultra-short insulin. Correct counting of carbohydrate units helps diabetics eat even foods that are usually prohibited. It is only important to correctly calculate XE and the required amount of insulin.
Basic foodstuffs
Bread units for diabetes must be counted during each meal. Special attention must be given to basic foodstuffs:
- Meat.
- Fish.
- Krupam.
- Bobov.
- Root vegetables.
In order to eat meat or fish, it is not necessary to use the table. These products do not contain carbohydrates. But when preparing meat or fish, you need to pay attention to additional products that are used in creating dishes. If you prepare minced meat for cutlets, you most often use milk or crackers. In this case, it is necessary to use a table for calculating XE. Using flour or dough also involves counting XE.
When consuming meat products such as sausages or sausages, you need to pay attention to what they are made from. Often, not meat, but soy is used to produce sausages. In addition, the products contain starch and other additives. This obliges the patient to calculate the amount of XE in the product and determine the permissible amount of sausages that can be consumed.
Eating cereals and porridges is necessary for diabetes. It is not so important how exactly the dish is prepared. Both crumbly and liquid porridge contain the same number of carbohydrate units. The difference is that the liquid product is absorbed faster by the body. Therefore, before preparing porridge dishes, please note that when elevated level Blood sugar is better to eat crumbly. If a patient has hypoglycemia, then a liquid product is more suitable for nutrition. For example, semolina porridge.
Bread units for diabetes are practically not counted when eating legumes such as lentils, peas or beans. The amount of carbohydrates contained in these products is extremely low (1 XE in 7 tablespoons). Carbohydrate counting is only done if you eat a large amount of legumes per day.
When calculating XE in root crops, it is customary to pay attention only to potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes. No matter how you prepare these foods, the amount of XE they contain will not change. One carbohydrate unit is usually equal to 1 medium potato. Depending on the food you prepare, your blood sugar may rise faster or slower.
Sweets and flour products
Sweets are the most forbidden food for all patients with diabetes. When preparing desserts and sweet drinks, it is necessary to take into account that 10 g of sugar is equal to 1 XE. This means that you don't have to completely eliminate sweets from your diet. You can have ice cream as a dessert. This is a product with a fairly low carbohydrate content; 100 g of ice cream contains only 2 XE.
This, of course, does not mean that it can be consumed in unlimited quantities. Moreover, there are different kinds this dessert. Creamy ice cream will help your blood sugar levels rise very slowly. This is due to the fact that the product contains a high fat content. This provokes slow absorption of carbohydrates by the body. Unlike the classic product, popsicles are quickly absorbed into the stomach due to the fact that they consist of juices, and this contributes to a rapid increase in sugar. This dessert will not hurt during hypoglycemia.
Flour products cannot always be completely eliminated from your diet. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor how much you eat per day. Fresh and dry bread contain the same amount of XE. A small piece 1 cm thick will contain 1 XE in any case, no matter what type of bread you take or how fresh it is. One carbohydrate unit is equal to 1 spoon of flour.
Eating pasta can be relatively frequent. They contain a sufficient amount of fiber, which is necessary for patients with diabetes. 1 serving of boiled pasta contains 5-6 bread units. This makes it possible to eat such a dish several times a week. When preparing dishes, you need to pay attention to how many carbohydrate units are contained in the ingredients. Such control will help adjust your diet and make it possible not to abstain from sweets and flour products. If you count carbohydrates correctly, you can sometimes treat yourself to pancakes, buns and other delicacies.
Berries and fruits in nutrition
Most fruits and berries contain a small amount of carbohydrates, but this does not mean that they do not need to be counted or consumed in large quantities. One bread unit corresponds to 3-4 apricots or plums, a slice of watermelon or melon, half a banana or grapefruit. Apple, pear, orange, peach, persimmon - 1 piece of each such fruit contains 1 carbohydrate unit. Most XE is found in grapes. One bread unit is equivalent to 5 large berries.
It is best to measure berries not in pieces, but in glasses. So for 200 g of product there is 1 bread unit. It is important to remember that not only fresh foods, but also dried fruits contain carbohydrate units. Therefore, before using dried fruits and berries for cooking, weigh them and calculate the amount of XE they contain.
Fruits come in different varieties and, depending on this, can be either sweet or sour. But no matter how the taste of the product changes, its carbohydrate value does not change.
Acidic fruits and berries contain more carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.
Any fruit in a person’s blood begins to raise the sugar level, but this happens at different speeds.
saharvnorme.ru
The fact that in diabetes mellitus the patient’s diet plays a role decisive role, many people know. Indeed, regulating the intake of carbohydrates from food greatly facilitates the selection of the correct dose of insulin. The principles of insulin action - science saves lives 
, however, it is very difficult to calculate the required amount of certain foods every day, for many years, and everything that is difficult is usually ignored by people. That is why the concept of “bread unit” was introduced, which made it easier to calculate nutrition for millions of people suffering from one form or another of diabetes.
What is a bread unit
Bread unit (XU) is a measure of carbohydrates in foods. One bread unit is equal to twelve grams of sugar, or twenty-five grams of black bread. A certain amount of insulin is spent on the breakdown of one unit of bread, on average equal to two action units in the morning, one and a half units in the afternoon, and one action unit in the evening.
The numbers may vary depending on the individual characteristics of the human body, so all patients are recommended to initially keep a food diary in which they note their glucose levels. Glucose: a source of energy 
on an empty stomach, the dose of insulin administered, foods taken, their quantity and glucose level after meals. Based on these data, monitored for two to four weeks, it is possible to draw a conclusion about the amount of an individual dose of insulin required to break down one unit of bread.
Information about how many bread units are contained in a specific amount of product significantly makes the life of a patient with diabetes mellitusDiabetes mellitus is a terrible and incurable disease 
, as it helps to determine the required dose of insulin for each injection.
Determination of the daily norm of bread units
We determine the daily calorie intake using special tables that take into account age and type of activity. If the weight is higher than normal, we subtract ten percent from the result obtained.
Example: we find that you need to consume 2000 kcal per day; if you are overweight, we subtract 10% (200) and note that you need to consume 1800 kcal per day.
- 55% of the diet should come from carbohydrates, therefore, we multiply 1800 by 55 percent and get 990 kilocalories.
- One gram of carbohydrates provides 4 kilocalories, so divide 990 by 4 and get 248 grams. That is, you can consume 248 grams of carbohydrates per day.
- One unit of bread is equal to 12 grams of carbohydrates, so divide 248 by 12 and get 20 XE.
Considering the fact that a person’s weight, age and field of activity rarely change, such a calculation is also not carried out often.
Distribution of bread units during the day
Traditionally, there are three main meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner, so the largest amount of carbohydrates falls on them, taking into account the work schedule, individual characteristics of appetite and the principles of rational nutrition.
You can eat no more than seven units of bread at the same time, since you cannot simultaneously administer more than 14 units of short-acting insulin (2 units of insulin are administered per 1 XE). An approximate distribution of bread units during the day may look like this: breakfast and lunch for six XE, for dinner - five XE and three XE are distributed throughout the day for so-called snacks - second breakfast, afternoon snack and second dinner.
Knowing how many units of bread can be eaten, the patient looks at special tables and selects those products that cause appetite, meeting the selection criteria. Thus, the patient’s nutrition will be varied and complete.
Tables of bread units
There are detailed tables that indicate the name of the product, its quantity in grams, kilocalories and bread units. They can be found in clinics with endocrinologists, in special books and on the Internet.
One bread unit contains:
Bread units are, of course, a very important concept for a patient suffering from diabetes, so you must definitely use them and lead a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy and varied.
Svetlana Shimkovich
www.womenhealthnet.ru
Daily table of bread units
How to find out how many bread units a particular food product contains? There are special tables of bread units that indicate the amount of XE for food products. We will briefly list the most common products. So, one bread unit is contained in this number of products:
- 1 piece of bread, or 2 unsweetened crackers, or 5 crackers;
- 1 tbsp. breadcrumbs, starch or flour;
- 2 tbsp. any cereal (boiled) or 1 tbsp. raw;
- 2-4 tbsp. boiled pasta (depending on the shape);
- 7 tbsp legumes;
- 1 boiled potato, or 2 tbsp. mashed potatoes, or 0.25 tbsp. fried potatoes;
- vegetables: 3 carrots or 1 beet (XE are taken into account when consuming 200 g or more);
- berries: 1 tea saucer of strawberries / cherries, or 6-8 tbsp. raspberries / currants / gooseberries / blueberries / lingonberries / blackberries, or 12 grapes;
- half a grapefruit or banana;
- 1 orange, or apple, or pear, or peach, or persimmon, or mango, or kiwi, or fig, or pomegranate;
- 3-4 plums, or apricots, or tangerines;
- 1 piece of pineapple (cross section), or watermelon, or melon;
- juice: 0.5 tbsp. apple or 0.3 tbsp. grape;
- drinks: 1 tbsp. kvass, or beer, or dry wine, or any unsweetened dairy product;
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar.
Basically, if you are dealing with products in factory packaging, you don't even need to use with a table. The packaging of any product indicates the amount of nutrients (carbohydrates) per 100 g. This number must be divided by 12 (get the XE number per 100 g of product), and then adjusted based on the weight of the product.
Number of bread units in prepared dishes calculated according to the recipe. To do this, add up the bread units for each ingredient and divide by the resulting number of servings after cooking.
Accurate adherence to the diet for diabetes is a very important component of the patient’s well-being.. A bread unit makes following a diet much easier.
strana-sovetov.com Hypoglycemic index Glycemic index of pasta durum varieties wheat
When compiling a daily menu, you should consider only those foods that increase blood sugar levels.
In a healthy person, the pancreas produces the required amount of insulin in response to food intake.
As a result, blood sugar levels do not rise.
With diabetes mellitus, 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.
These are vegetables - any variety of cabbage, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers (with the exception of potatoes and corn);
Greens (sorrel, dill, parsley, lettuce, 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 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 products 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);
⇒ some varieties of vegetables - potatoes, corn (beans and peas - in large quantities);
⇒ chocolate, cookies, candies - must be limited in the daily diet; lemonade and sugar in their 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 faster than baked 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 type of cabbage, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers (except potatoes and corn),
⇒ greens (sorrel, dill, parsley, lettuce, 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).
Beans, peas and beans in small quantities as a side dish give a slight rise in sugar.
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.
Foods that can be consumed without restrictions
- CABBAGE (all types)
- CUCUMBERS
- LEAF SALAD
- GREENERY
- TOMATOES
- BULGARIAN PEPPER
- ZUCCHINS
- EGGPLANT
- BEET (raw)
- CARROTS (raw)
- GREEN BEANS
- RADISH, RADISH
- GREEN BEANS
- GREEN PEAS (young)
- SPINACH, SORREL
- MUSHROOMS
- TEA, COFFEE without sugar and cream
- MINERAL WATER
- DRINKS with sweeteners
Vegetables can be consumed raw, boiled, or baked.
The use of fats (butter, mayonnaise, sour cream) in preparing vegetable dishes should be minimal.
Foods to eat in moderation
"Moderate amount" means half of your usual serving.
- lean meat
- lean fish
- milk and dairy products (low-fat)
- cheeses with less than 30% fat content
- cottage cheese less than 5% fat
- potato
- corn
- mature legume grains (peas, beans, lentils)
- cereals
- pasta
- bread and bakery products (not rich)
- fruits
- eggs
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, this type of cooking method should be avoided. frying.
Try to use cookware that allows you to cook food without adding fat.
* - vegetable oil is a necessary part of the daily diet, but 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 adjusted according to the weight of the product.
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 :
9 tablespoons of flour - 1 tablespoon = 1 bread unit, 9 in total,
1 glass of milk - 1 bread unit,
1 tablespoon sunflower oil- no HE,
1 egg - no HE.
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 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 daily carbohydrate needs
Applicable only to adults with T1DM and DM receiving insulin*
Table of bread units
(1 XE = 10-12 g of carbohydrates. 1 XE increases blood sugar by 1.5-2 mmol/l.)
Cereals, cereals, flour products
|
Product |
Quantity of product per 1 XE |
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Borodino bread | 1 piece 0.6 cm thick | 15 g |
| crackers | a handful of | 15 g |
| crackers (dry cookies) | --- | 15 g |
| breadcrumbs | --- | 15 g |
| bun | --- | 20 g |
| damn (big) | 1 PC. | 30 g |
| frozen dumplings with cottage cheese | 4 things. | 50 g |
| frozen dumplings | 4 things. | 50 g |
| cheesecake | --- | 50 g |
| waffles (small) | 1.5 pcs. | 17 g |
| flour | 1 tbsp. heaped spoon | 15 g |
| gingerbread | 0.5 pcs. | 40 g |
| pancakes (medium) | 1 PC. | 30 g |
| pasta (raw) | 1-2 tbsp. spoons (depending on shape) | 15 g |
| pasta (boiled) | 2-4 tbsp. spoons (depending on shape) | 50 g |
| cereal (any, raw) | 1 tbsp. spoon | 15 g |
| porridge (any) | 2 tbsp. heaped spoons | 50 g |
| corn (medium) | 0.5 ears | 100 g |
| corn (canned) | 3 tbsp. spoons | 60 g |
| cornflakes | 4 tbsp. spoons | 15 g |
| popcorn | 10 tbsp. spoons | 15 g |
| cereals | 2 tbsp. spoons | 20 g |
| wheat bran | 12 tbsp. spoons | 50 g |
Dairy
Milk and dairy products are a source of calcium and animal protein.
In small quantities they contain almost all vitamins, and most of all vitamins A and B2.
But it’s better to avoid whole milk altogether. The saturated fat content in 200 ml of this drink is almost a third of the daily intake.
Drink skim milk or make a smoothie with it, adding berries or pieces of fruit to the drink.
| Product | Quantity of product per 1 XE | |
|---|---|---|
|
baked milk |
||
|
yogurt (natural) |
||
|
milk ice cream |
--- | |
|
ice cream |
--- | |
|
cheesecake (medium, with sugar) |
||
|
curd |
--- | |
|
curd mass with raisins (sweet) |
--- | |
Vegetables, legumes, nuts
Vegetables, legumes and nuts must be present in the diet of people with diabetes.
They help control blood glucose levels, reduce the risk of complications, in particular the development of cardiovascular diseases, and enrich the human body with microelements such as potassium, fiber, and protein.
Get into the habit of using raw vegetables as a snack.
Try to choose vegetables with a low glycemic index and significantly limit your intake of starchy vegetables, which are high in calories and carbohydrates.
| Product | Quantity of product per 1 XE | |
|---|---|---|
|
raw and boiled potatoes (medium) |
||
|
mashed potatoes |
2 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
fried potatoes |
2 tbsp. spoons |
|
| --- | ||
|
carrots (medium) |
||
|
beets (medium) |
||
|
beans (dried) |
1 tbsp. spoon |
|
|
beans (boiled) |
3 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
peas (fresh) |
7 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
beans (boiled) |
3 tbsp. spoons |
|
| --- |
60-90 g |
|
| --- | ||
|
Jerusalem artichoke |
--- | |
Fruits and berries (with pit and peel)
The exceptions are bananas, grapes, melon, watermelon, pineapple and mango.
These fruits significantly increase blood glucose levels, so their quantity should be limited.
Berries can become an excellent replacement sweet desserts.
| Product | Quantity of product per 1 XE | |
|---|---|---|
|
apricots |
||
|
quince (large) |
||
|
pineapple (cross section) |
||
|
orange (medium) |
||
|
Banana (medium) |
||
|
cowberry |
7 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
grapes (small berries) |
||
|
pomegranate (medium) |
||
|
grapefruit (large) |
||
|
pear (small) |
||
|
8 tbsp. spoons |
||
|
kiwi (large) |
||
|
Strawberry wild-strawberry) |
||
|
gooseberry |
6 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
8 tbsp. spoons |
||
|
mango (small) |
||
|
tangerines (medium) |
||
|
nectarine (medium) |
||
|
peach (medium) |
||
|
plums (small) |
||
|
currant |
7 tbsp. spoons |
|
|
persimmon (medium) |
||
|
7 tbsp. spoons |
||
|
apple (small) |
||
|
Dried fruits |
||
|
prunes |
||
|
2 tbsp. spoons |
||
Beverages
When choosing drinks, just like food, you should pay attention to their carbohydrate content.
You need to give up sugary drinks.
Green tea is considered especially useful, having a beneficial effect on arterial pressure and lowering cholesterol and fat levels in the human body.
| Product | Quantity of product per 1 XE | |
|---|---|---|
|
cabbage |
2.5 cups |
|
|
carrot |
2/3 cup |
|
|
cucumber |
2.5 cups |
|
|
beetroot |
2/3 cup |
|
|
tomato |
1.5 cups |
|
|
orange |
0.5 cups |
|
|
grape |
0.3 cups |
|
|
cherry |
0.4 cups |
|
|
pear |
0.5 cups |
|
|
grapefruit |
1.4 cups |
|
|
redcurrant |
0.4 cups |
|
|
gooseberry |
0.5 cups |
|
|
strawberry |
0.7 cups |
|
|
crimson |
0.75 cups |
|
|
plum |
0.35 cups |
|
|
apple |
0.5 cups |
|
|
sparkling water (sweet) |
0.5 cups |
|
Sweets
Sugary foods typically contain sucrose (sugar) and are strongly discouraged for people with diabetes.
Currently, the choice of sweets based on sugar substitutes has increased significantly.
According to most diabetologists and nutritionists, it is also undesirable for people with diabetes to consume such products uncontrollably due to the property of some sugar substitutes to influence weight gain.
**Close to normal body weight indicates the adequacy of the relationship between the patient’s diet and energy expenditure, so these patients, as a rule, do not need recommendations on the amount of XE per day.
