Medical Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes

According to American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2009 clinical practice recommendations, pre-diabetics or diabetics should receive an individualised Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). MNT increases the chances of meeting the treatment goal. An individual with diabetes should consult a registered endocrinologist or physician, who can guide him about the components of MNT. MNT aids in diabetes management and reduces the burden on a physician to guide the patient about diabetes diet and nutrition. This significantly lowers the chances of diabetes complications.  With MNT, pre-diabetics can prevent the onset of diabetes. What is MNT? Medical nutrition therapy or MNT is a diet plan for individuals with diabetes. Adhering to MNT helps a diabetic to lead a normal life with less or no restrictions on diet and to effectively control and regulate his blood sugar levels. With the onset of diabetes, nutritional needs of an individual do not increase, remain same as non-diabetics, but their food intake can be potentially injurious to their health thus, the need for MNT arises for diabetics. Purpose of MNT The purpose of medical nutrition therapy remains same as other diet plans. It is too keep a watch on calorie and fat intake to keep blood sugar levels of a diabetic on track, .i.e. keeping them within a healthy or normal range. Medical nutrition therapy also aids diabetics to lose weight, which is an important aspect of combating diabetes. Inclusions of MNT Simple VS Complex Carbohydrates Carbohydrates play a major role in regulation of an individual's blood glucose levels. Thus, it is important to identify the right carb type. Simple carbohydrates are the unhealthy ones for diabetics as they cause sudden spike in blood sugar. Complex carbs does not affect blood glucose and are high in fibre, thus, safe for diabetics to consume. Diabetics should avoid consumption of soda, high-sugar cereals, whole-milk products, white bread and rice, white pasta, candy and sweetened fruit juice. They should opt for sources of complex carbs, such as oatmeal, kidney beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta and brown rice. Glycaemia Index The rank of a food item on glycaemia index can help a diabetic to decide whether to eat it or not. On glycaemia index, foods are rated as per their carbohydrates content and their impact on blood sugar. The lower the ranking, the lesser is the impact. A diabetic should eat foods, which are rated at 55 or less. Green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, green beans, celery and cucumbers, oatmeal and brown rice are good choices for diabetics as they are low on glycaemia index. Lean Protein Diabetics should stay away from sources of unsaturated fats, such as red meat, steak and hamburger. These unhealthy fats are replaced with unsaturated fats in MNT. Diabetics should not consume red meat and they need to replace it with lean protein, white-meat poultry, tuna, cod and salmon.