Nutritional considerations for other complications of diabetes.

The long-term complications of diabetes can have a devastating effect on an individual's self-esteem and outlook on life. Some preliminary studies have suggested that normalization of blood glucose levels may prevent or reverse the complications of diabetes in some individuals. Nutrition and diabetes meal planning play a critical role toward achieving this normalization. It is our job as diabetes educators to fully assess a patient's eating and life-style habits, as well as to recognize any complications from diabetes that the patient may be coping with at this time. Depending on the type of complication, diet alterations may need to be made to meet the patient's current needs, ie, reducing fiber content of the diet temporarily in patients with mild gastroparesis, or increasing the protein content of the diet in patients with nephropathy and a foot ulcer. By setting positive, attainable goals, the individual with diabetes may lead a healthier, more productive life in which the complications from diabetes can be prevented, reduced, or better tolerated.