Medical Nutrition Therapy has been around for more than 200 years. It was the only way to manage Diabetes prior to the discovery of insulin therapy. Nutrition therapy for diabetes was initially popularized by Dr Elliot P Joslin, one of the most important diabetes physicians of modern times. Dr Joslin held a strong belief that patients should be empowered to help in their treatment. Today, the benefits of proper nutrition are well appreciated. With diabetics, proper nutrition has been shown to decrease the dose of medications needed to control blood sugar and allow for weight loss, which have been shown to reduce the complications of Type 2 diabetes.
How to get started?
For any medical intervention to be succesful, realization of the need for therapy by both the patient and medical professional are essential. Simply saying “avoid sugar” or “cut back on carbs” is not enough to achieve good outcomes. The Primary Care Physician or Endocrinologist needs to emphasize the importance of nutrition to all diabetic patients and make the referral to a nutrionist or diaetician where appropriate. Medical Nutrion Therapy begins with a thorough assessment by a registered nutritionist or dietitian. This assessment will address metabolic needs and lifestyle patterns, help set goals and guide interventions The information obtained from this assessment can help develop specific, individualized dietary recommendations. The challenge for medical practitioners is to translate these recommendations into a patients lifesyle and make them an intergral part of their treatment plan. The registered nutritionist/dietician along with the diabete educator are 2 very important parts of the team approach to treating diabetics.
For more imformation or a recommendation to a nutritionist, please call us. If you or anyone you know has a diabetes related foot problem or just need to have their feet checked, don’t hesitate! Give our office a call ASAP! The foot you save may be your own!
