January 30, 2004
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Springfield, Missouri, USA:
My mom was recently diagnosed with diabetes. She is 74 years old, and also has been diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure, and she recently had to have stents put in her heart because she had heart failure. I do not know what type of diabetes she has. She lives in Tennessee, and my sister is taking care of her. My sister has asked me about doing meal planning for her, but I do not know where to begin. I have checked out some web sites, but they do not have actual meals on them, or what you should eat, or not eat. I would really appreciate it if I could get a list of foods that she might have, or where to start in meal planning for her.
Answer:
I would recommend that you and your mother schedule an appointment with a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in diabetes meal planning and renal meal plans. The combination of diabetes and renal meal plans can be quite difficult to handle without the assistance of an expert. The RD can individualize a meal plan that will give your mother adequate calories and help obtain optimal blood sugar control. Ask your physician for a referral to an RD if needed.
JMS
