2 Tips For Preparing For Your First Nutrition Counseling Session For Your Diabetes
If have just been diagnosed with diabetes or have lived with the condition for a few years, your doctor most likely has concerns about your blood sugar levels. They may refer you to a nutritionist to receive counseling if they suspect that your diet is causing too many insulin spikes. The following tips can help you prepare for your first session.
1. Keep a Record of Everything You Eat for a Week
One thing you can do to prepare for your first counseling session with a nutritionist is to keep a log of everything you eat for a week. Having this information to give to the nutritionist can help them gain insight into your current diet so that they can see what needs to be changed.
If you are eating too many starchy carbohydrates, they can point those items out and recommend the correct amount that you should be eating.They can also recommend substitutions if you have any foods that you do not want to give up.
For example, if you love eating any form of potatoes and refuse to stop eating them, the nutritionist can recommend the portion size. Or, they may recommend a substitution for you to try, such as mashed "potatoes" made out of mashed up cauliflower.
2. Write Down the Times You Are Eating Meals and Snacks
Along with keeping a diary of what you eat, you should also write down the times that you are eating. Whether or not you are taking insulin or oral medications, the timing of meals and snacks can affect the way either of them works.
If you are eating during a time when your medication levels are at their lowest, they will not be able to compensate for the influx of glucose from your food that result in high glucose levels. Or, if you do not eat while the medicine is peaking, you may experience hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. When reviewing your medication and meal times, the nutritionist can suggest adjustments to your schedule.
Having the above information about your eating habits ready when you arrive at your first appointment, can help give the nutritionist an overall view of your diet and a place to start with guiding you toward changes in what and when you eat. For more information, contact a nutrition counseling service to find out if there is anything else they require for your first session.