For people with diabetes, diet can have a big impact on health. Eating right helps stabilize blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, and also allows patients to maintain a healthy weight.
But eating right is not just about eating the right foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, some dairy products) and staying away from other foods (fried foods, high-salt foods, sweets, high-sugar drinks), but how much and how often you eat is also important.
A dietitian (RD) or nutritionist (RDN) is a professional who has been specially trained to help people plan their diet.
What does a dietitian do?
During the treatment process called medical nutrition therapy, a dietitian or nutritionist does the following activities with the patient:
- discussing eating habits and daily diet;
- Setting realistic goals for health, such as exercising or drinking more water;
- Create a personal nutrition plan.
What can patients who visit a dietitian expect to get help with?
Patients see a dietitian for the first time, usually to explain their medical history and the medications they take. The dietitian will ask what kinds of foods are preferred and how well they exercise, and then take all of these factors into account to help develop a daily diet plan.
There are usually 4 follow-up visits over the next period (maybe 6 months), depending on progress and overall health status. Thereafter, the dietitian is visited once a year.
What can a dietitian provide about diabetes?
Trained in diabetes.
A dietitian trained in diabetes can:
- Help patients understand diabetes;
- Answer questions about diabetes;
- Give patients and their families some advice on managing their diabetes.
It may be beneficial to talk to a dietitian if the patient has:
- Taking many different medications at different times;
- are on an insulin pump;
- need to constantly test their blood glucose levels.
In consultation with a dietitian, the dietitian will:
- advise the patient on what to eat and how to exercise;
- Explain how medications work;
- discuss problems encountered in managing diabetes.