My 61 year old mother, who was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and also has high blood pressure, was given separate diets for each by her doctor. Will it make a difference if the two diets are combined? Will that make one (diabetes or high blood pressure) raise in the numbers? If possible, could you also give me a sample menu as to what she should eat?

More times than not, people with diabetes tend to have elevated blood pressure also so there is certainly no harm in following a low-sodium diabetes meal plan. A low sodium diet should be used by a majority of people (even those without diabetes) since most people consume three to four times the recommended amount of sodium per day.

I would recommend that you and your mother speak with a registered dietitian who specializes in working with people with diabetes. Nowadays, meal planning is individualized and tailored towards calorie requirements as well as personal food preferences.

JMS
Additional comments from Lois Schmidt Finney, diabetes dietitian:

It will not matter if the diets are combined, but I think a consult with a dietitian regarding what is presently eaten and how to incorporate favorite foods into the new meal plan will be the most tolerable. Also her activity patterns and medications need consideration. So please suggest she talk to her physician about referral to a dietitian.

Diets that are torn off or taken from a book, are usually destined for the garbage.

LSF