Topic > Diabetes: How to Eat Healthily and Maintain Good Levels

Index Patient Background Patient Learning Needs Conclusion References Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in which the ability of the pancreas to produce or respond to insulin is impaired. A long-standing multisystem disease related to irregular insulin production, reduced insulin use, or both, resulting in abnormal carbohydrate metabolism and elevated blood and urine glucose levels. There are two categories of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes that has no age limit of onset, which can occur as a result of certain lifestyle choices. Such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise and obesity. While type 1 is also called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, which is the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin; typically starting at an early age. This chronic disease affects more than 29.1 million people worldwide. Diabetes is considered a leading cause of death, it is also a leading cause of adult blindness, neuropathy, end-stage renal disease, peripheral vascular disease, and non-traumatic lower extremity amputations (Lewis, Bucher, Heitkemper & Harding, 2017 , p.1120). Diabetes mellitus is significantly more prevalent in African American, American Indian, and Hispanic populations and is more common in men (Holman, Williams, Johnson, Ball, Wheless, Leehy, & Lemon, 2018, p. 527). Diabetes is a chronic disease that can be maintained with a balanced diet, proper physical activity and daily use of medications. With an appropriate diet, a person's blood glucose level can be controlled and well managed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Patient Background The patient is a 52-year-old African American male with a history of hypertension and migraines. He arrived at the emergency room with a blood sugar reading of 439, temperature of 98.6, respirations of 19, pulse oximetry of 97, and a B/P of 159/86. Her daughter noticed she was drinking more water than usual and needed to stop and use the bathroom four times while shopping at Target. She became worried on the way home and he yelled that he couldn't see the lines on the road clearly. He has been a widower for two years and lives alone with his dog. He works as a Septa bus driver and can work up to 16 hours a day. His wife used to cook, so now he usually eats frozen meals from the market. His two daughters and one son are all in college or living on their own. They visit quite often, usually bringing home-cooked meals with them. One daughter is a newly licensed nurse and noticed signs of diabetes mellitus and took him to the hospital. The patient was hospitalized and placed on an insulin drip. The diabetes team has informed him that he is a type 2 diabetic. Patient's learning needs The patient has completed high school and vocational school. He said he learns best by reading and being hands-on with the materials. It would be a good idea to use the healthy eating brochure and step-by-step instructions for blood sugar testing. For two days he has been pointing his finger, checking his blood sugar level without missing a step and writing down the values ​​in his notebook. The patient states that he knows how to cook, but does not know what to cook; later it's easier to reheat a frozen meal in the microwave and eat it. As studied by Sumlin and Brown (2017), traditional diabetes education that includes information about recommended dietary changes has been attempted in African American communities, but with limited success (p.566). The patient will need a thorough analysis ontypes of dietary changes you will need to make. After reviewing the assessments documented in his or her chart, the patient is willing and ready to learn how and what to eat for a balanced meal and adequate snacks to maintain acceptable blood glucose levels. A dietician was contacted for explanation of meal preparation and healthy eating. At the end of the teaching, the patient will be able to teach the correct diabetic food choices and the appropriate portion of meals. Furthermore, the patient will be able to explain how to read the nutritional values ​​on food and drink packages and how to pay attention to the amount of sugars and carbohydrates in each intake. Finally, the patient will be able to find simple, healthy food choices to prepare before discharge. Knowledge deficit related to lack of awareness of the diabetes disease process and ineffective health teaching as evidence of unhealthy food choices and sedentary lifestyle. Short term – Reduce your sugar intake by planning your meals for the day and keeping a diary to track the amount of carbohydrates and sugars you consume. Long term – Being able to maintain a normal blood sugar level by eating healthier food choices. Use the diabetes brochure to demonstrate correct food choices and proper portioning of food. Provide examples of food groups that will control your blood sugar level. The brochure will guide him to select the appropriate food choices. Explain to the patient the importance of a daily food diary to effectively monitor sugar consumption. However, counting the grams of sugar in a food is helpful; The best way to keep your blood glucose levels under control is to count carbohydrates. “Although the amount of other nutrients in the diet can influence blood sugar levels to some extent, the amount of carbohydrates consumed has the most significant effect” (Bussel, 2016, p.26). Documenting meals and snacks consumed throughout the day; the diary will be an excellent tool for him to keep track of his choices and his food intake. At the end of the conversation the patient was able to repeat complete learning. Explain the benefits of a healthy diet change that includes portion sizes and carbohydrate counting. Topics such as how to continue eating the meals she loved in moderation, rather than a complete overhaul of dietary restrictions, were discussed. Capehorn (2017) stated that it is better to modify a person's diet slightly to achieve the best overall results, rather than attempting to completely change the foods they consume; this ensures the best adherence to a person's blood glucose monitoring (p. 94). He was able to make a list of all the snacks and meals he loves and found that there were plenty of foods he could continue to eat, in moderation. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Overall the teaching was helpful and the patient seemed to understand that this new diagnosis will rely on self-discipline when it comes to dietary changes. Vanstone, Rewegan, Brundisini, Giacomini, Kandasamy, & DeJean, (2017), states that self-discipline can be facilitated by portion control, allowing one to consume favorite or socially significant foods in small quantities (p. 223). The patient seemed open to the new dietary changes, only time will tell if he will adhere to the new dietary program. Bibliography Bussell, G. (2015). Understanding the relationship between type 1 diabetes and,/10.1177/1742395316675024