ADA issues new diet recommendations for diabetes patients

NEW YORK — All people living with diabetes should make nutrition therapy part of their treatment plans, the American Diabetes Association is recommending. But the group also is saying that no single eating pattern works best for everyone.

The group made the recommendation in a position statement published online last week in the journal Diabetes Care. The statement replaces the nutrition therapy recommendations for the management of adults with diabetes published in 2008, calling for all adults diagnosed with diabetes to eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods in appropriate portion sizes as part of an eating plan that takes into account individual preferences, culture, religious believes, traditions and metabolic goals.

"Just because you have been diagnosed with diabetes does not mean you can no longer enjoy the foods you love or your cultural traditions," University of Washington Medical Center coordinator of diabetes education programs Alison Evert said. Ideally, the person with diabetes should be referred to a registered dietitian or participate in a diabetes self-management education program soon after diagnosis. An important goal of nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes includes the collaborative development of an individualized eating plan with ongoing support to promote health behavior change."