There is an urgent need for strategies to prevent or at least slow down the emerging burden of diabetes apart from treating diabetes and associated complications. Prevention of diabetes and its complications is the urgent need of the hour. Prevention of diabetes can be done at every stage in the natural history of diabetes resulting in four levels of diabetes prevention.
The 3 D’s of the nutrition department -Dietary service, Diet counselling and Diet analysis- contribute significantly to the control of diabetes by prescribing a suitable diet, thus preventing complications.
The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics is an essential part of the Clinic and dietitians/diabetes educators are a vital link in the paramedical team. The 3 D’s of the nutrition department -Dietary service, Diet counselling and Diet analysis- contribute significantly to the control of diabetes by prescribing a suitable diabetic diet, thus preventing complications. In addition to the obvious function of catering to the nutritional requirements of patients, such a program supplements therapy. It has a direct influence on the morale and attitudes of patients and their families.
The dietitian/diabetes educators at Dr. Rajnish Diabetes Specialities Centre undertake the responsibility of reviewing a patient’s diet and medication as well as educating them about insulin techniques, home monitoring of blood glucose and demonstrating the use of kits. They also conduct education programmes to create awareness of diabetes and a healthy diet for patients and attendants. Through counselling services like group therapy sessions for type-1 patients every month as well as group therapy programmes for in-patients using ‘conversation maps’ can improve a patient’s mental and emotional well-being.