Helping the diabetic — good nutrition essential

With this in mind, maintaining health, and the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases of the population remain critical.

Therefore, you should note that the incorporation of nutritious foods for the preparation of balanced meals and healthy snacks consistently in your meal plan add benefits, and are included in the plan of adopting a heathy lifestyle.

Nutrition plays a major role global health and development. According to the Global Nutrition Report (2015, 2014) good nutrition is critical to sustainable development and can make a significant impact during one’s lifespan, leading to improvement in cognitive skills, and better-nourished mothers giving birth to better-nourished children, boost immunity, adults being productive and able to earn better wages, as well as prevent or lower their potential risk for diseases. You can conclude that good nutrition is essential throughout the life cycle, simply meaning prior to and during pregnancy, infancy, school-aged children and adolescents, and in adulthood.

This aid physical growth, cognitive development and can assist in improving and/or maintaining the nutritional status of persons.

For, the improvement of nutritional status may probably be beneficial in breaking intergenerational cycle of poverty, generates broad-based economic growth, and great health benefits for individuals, households, communities, and countries. Today’s article will focus on diabetes mellitus nutrition management and some barriers to compliance.

People can still enjoy life even though diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.

They should follow the advice of their medical doctor and be compliant with the prescribed diet and medications; as these are essential components of the plan.

Diabetes mellitus (or sometimes referred to as sugar) can be characterised by increase blood sugar levels (high blood glucose concentrations) that results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.

You should note that abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat are present.

Those individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus may not produce or respond to insulin. This causes sugar to build up in the blood. Insulin, a hormone is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas (simply put the pancreas is an organ that lies near the stomach and makes several hormones, one of which is insulin). The role of insulin is to help the body use the glucose produced from the food that you consume.

Also, keep in mind that with diabetes, uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, foot problems, and loss of limbs through amputation (Mahan and Escott- Stump, 2008; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). For the diabetic diet schedule a visit with your registered dietitian or nutritionist, also refer to Special diets – benefits you can’t deny, August 9, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, pp. B2, B23.

In addition, self-management tips and support are always helpful to a client. According to the American Diabetes Association, Standards for Diabetes Care (2017); these include the following: (a) adopting a healthy lifestyle, the client should make wise choices such as choosing nutritious foods (adding more of the non-starchy vegetables to your plate and limit the starchy vegetables e.g. carrots, pumpkin, beetroot; add only two fruits daily to your meal plan; eat a balanced diet); omit sugary drinks and processed foods, add fresh local seasonings to your food during meal preparation; participate in physical activity – note, first check with your medical doctor; manage your weight; tobacco cessation; and develop effective strategies for stress management; (b) monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure levels; (c) prevent diabetic complications; and (d) identify any problems that might occur with self-management, work together with healthcare professionals to get them resolve.

Though, the primary goals are to manage blood sugar and blood pressure levels and prevent diabetic complications; there are some barriers to compliance