By: Jessica M. Kelly, RDN, LDN

November is American Diabetes Month. If you do not have diabetes yourself, it is likely that you know someone who does. According to the CDC’s National Diabetes Statistics Report, 37.3 million people (or 11.3% of the US population) have diabetes, while 96 million people (or 38.0% of the adult US population) have prediabetes. Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases; type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5-10%. 

Whether dealing with diabetes for 1 year or 10, meeting with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you learn tips for managing blood sugar and living a healthier lifestyle overall. RDNs are nutrition experts and have completed many years of appropriate training in order to become the experts in their field. Some dietitians even have an advanced credential known as a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES); these individuals have put in even more hours of training specific to diabetes itself. Many insurance companies are now covering medical nutrition therapy (MNT) as a preventative service. You or your RDN can check coverage depending upon your specific plan. 

A dietitian can provide the confidence needed to navigate the grocery store and restaurant without sacrificing health or flavor. He or she can also help you create a list of healthy snacks or meals that fit your lifestyle, as well as exercise that fits your schedule and ability level. Learning to live with diabetes is a lifelong process and working with an RDN can help get you there. What better time to find a qualified nutrition professional than American Diabetes Month?

From stock images in Word

Sources:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/quick-facts.html
2. https://www.eatright.org/health/diseases-and-conditions/diabetes/how-an-rdn-can-help-with-diabetes 

Jessica M. Kelly, RDN, LDN is a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania based registered dietitian nutritionist. She has experience working as a clinical dietitian in the acute care, long term care, rehabilitation, and outpatient dialysis settings. She currently works as a contract dietitian for Dietitians on Demand where she counsels clients with diabetes and/or high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. She just launched her own private practice, Nutrition That Heals, LLC where her mission is to empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence necessary to improve their overall health and well-being through trusting, client-focused counseling sessions. In her free time, she works on MS in Nutrition coursework, reads, walks her dog Lola, cuddles her cat Gary, and spends time working on house projects with her boyfriend Bernard.