Dietary Advice for Patients with Diabetes

Effective management of diabetes cannot be achieved without an appropriate diet. All patients with newly diagnosed diabetes should receive educational advice from a dietitian as soon as possible after diagnosis.

For further information see (TDEP) - Tayside Diabetes Education Programme (available only via NHS Intranet).

Aims of Dietary Advice

• To provide knowledge of healthy eating
• To encourage lifestyle changes in order to reduce obesity and ensure optimal weight.
• To maintain blood glucose and lipids as near normal as possible.
• To reduce the acute complications of diabetes i.e. hypoglycaemia / hyperglycaemia.

Objectives of Dietary Advice

• To tailor dietary advice to suit individuals needs, taking account of eating habits, physique, occupation, culture and religious beliefs.
• To provide realistic advice.
• To provide dietary education to allow patients to understand their diabetes and to achieve independence in management.

Dietary Goals

• Ensure an adequate and balanced nutritional intake.
• Aim to provide 50% energy intake from carbohydrate by increasing intakes of complex carbohydrate / fibre rich foods.
• Limit rapidly absorbed carbohydrate intake.
• Ensure that complex carbohydrate foods (starchy foods) are eaten at each meal / snack.
• Encourage regular eating habits / meals.
• Reduce fat intakes to <35% of energy intake.
• Monitor body weight encouraging weight maintenance and weight reduction when necessary.
• Avoid hypoglycaemia.

Weight Reduction

Weight loss in overweight and obese individuals improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Aim for weight maintenance and modest weight loss i. e. 5-10 kg in one year, which can improve health outcomes.

General guidance on healthy eating should be advised initially:

• ncreasing intake of starchy carbohydrate foods.
• Increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
• Reducing fat intake.
• Reducing sugar intake.
• Reducing salt
• Safe and sensible alcohol consumption

Lifestyle

Patients should follow dietary advice as part of lifestyle modifictaion including appropriate exercise regimes and smoking cessation