Nutrition Advice
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 |
Q: "Can you provide me with some nutrition recommendations for a diabetic diet? I am newly diagnosed and am afraid to eat anything!"
A: Although your question is important and very frequently asked on this site, it is one that I cannot specifically provide you with an answer. You will see in the resources at the end of this answer that a "one size fits all diabetic diet" doesn’t exist, nor does the recommendation to just "avoid sugar." What is important is to develop a healthy eating plan which includes using carbohydrate counting to provide you with the flexibility to enjoy your favorite foods and still control your diabetes.
Obtain a referral to a dietitian: The National Standards for Diabetes Care recommend that all people with diabetes should have a consultation with a registered dietitian to obtain an individualized assessment (includes analysis of your height, weight, activity level, laboratory values--especially glucose, A1C, lipids, and kidney function), a review of your eating habits (obtained after you keep a detailed food record for 3-7 days), and your food likes/dislikes. After assessing the above items, a dietitian would be able to advise you on the specific recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, and to help you learn about various meal planning guides, such as: carbohydrate counting, fat gram counting, the food guide pyramid, food labels, and exchange lists.
Please ask your physician to refer you to a registered dietitian who is also a certified diabetes educator, if possible. I can't emphasize enough the need for you to have a personal meeting with a qualified dietitian, to obtain the assistance you require. Most insurance companies do cover some level of diabetes education. And don’t forget to bring to this visit a list of your food likes and dislikes as well as a food record from a typical week, to ensure that you get advice that meets your specific needs.
Related Questions
Weight Control Resources
Q:
"Can you give me some tips for losing weight?"
Count carbs or count sugar
Q:
"I already look for carbs on food labels. Should I check for grams of sugar
as well? My physician said not to look for sugar. Is she right?"
What is too much carbohydrate?
Q:
"How can you tell when you are taking in too much carbohydrate with your
meals."
Related Links
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
http://www.diabetes.org
American Association of Diabetes Educators
http://diabeteseducator.org
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
US Department of Agriculture
http://www.mypyramid.gov
Diabetes at Work
http://www.diabetesatwork.org
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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