Many people who are pre-diabetic or who already have diabetes are struggling with their new diet. Many of these people have also been overweight for some time, trying to lose weight numerous times with different diets. Now it has become more important than ever that they lose weight and eat correctly.
Eating Correctly Seems Overwhelming
The whole problem of eating correctly, not just for a few weeks but forever, seems overwhelming. Family support is essential. They don’t want to give up their favorite foods either, but cooking one meal for the family and a different meal for the diabetic isn’t practical.
In fact, the necessity of doing a lot of cooking from scratch will be difficult for many families who are accustomed to grabbing take-out on the way home or cooking from a box. Some people are accustomed to eating out a lot, which presents another set of challenges. However, it’s absolutely necessary for a diabetic to learn to eat correctly.
A Diabetic Needs a Team, Including a Dietitian
Sitting down and talking about these problems with someone trained in clinical dietetics and nutrition can be invaluable. A diabetic needs a team of people: their primary care physician, an eye doctor, an endocrinologist, a podiatrist, a dentist, a fitness expert and a registered dietitian. Of course, the patient and the family are the co-captains of the team.
How Can a Registered Dietitian Help?
Nutrition Care begins by figuring out what the diabetic’s food needs are, based upon the desired weight, medication, the patient and family’s lifestyle and the necessary health goals. At a minimum, it’s necessary to control blood sugar and blood fat levels, but it may also be necessary to lower blood pressure, for example. Even someone who has had diabetes for years can benefit because the body’s food requirements change with age.
A dietitian can help in many ways, including:
- Meal planning, for normal days, sick days and celebrations;
- Learning how to eat out safely;
- Reading food labels;
- Balancing medications and food needs;
- Adding new foods to the menu (such as an untried ethnic meal);
- Recommending cookbooks;
- Food substitutions.
Allegheny Medical Integrated Health Services can help a diabetic and the family to learn to manage their diabetic diet. It’s necessary, and it’s actually not a bad diet at all, just different. Call today to schedule an appointment and get the Nutrition Care necessary for good health.
