What if Getting Nutrition Help Was Actually Easy?

If you can remember leaving your doctor’s office with a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis and little more than a pamphlet about food, you’re not alone. 

For the 1.2 million people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with diabetes every year, nutrition education isn’t often prioritized as part of comprehensive care. Yet nutritional choices have a direct and powerful impact on helping prevent or manage diabetes. So, why is good nutrition advice so hard to find?

“Unfortunately, medical advice is often a single sentence: ‘Cut back on carbs,’” said Janice Baker, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). “I’d like to think that this is changing, but education is often overshadowed by poor or harmful advice from social media sources and ‘one size fits all’ handouts from medical offices without any nuance or individualization.”

But Baker is right to be optimistic: Things are changing. Access to education from board-certified nutritionists is expanding and becoming more individualized for people living with diabetes. Virtual care options, including telehealth-based services like Fay, are making it easier to connect with dietitians in ways that are more flexible – and covered by insurance for most people with diabetes and depending on their insurance plan. That means easier access to valuable nutrition advice, which the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recognizes as an integral role in diabetes management.

As these models grow, they’re empowering more people to access support that fits both their schedules and goals for a happy, healthy life.

Why so many people miss out on nutrition counseling

There’s no denying the impact of food on our blood sugar levels. Yet, there are still many reasons why people don’t receive proper nutrition counseling, like access, time, proper resources, and support, to name a few. Often it’s because a diabetes diagnosis comes with so much information that nutrition may get lost in the shuffle. 

As Baker pointed out, there are many factors competing for mental real estate while managing diabetes, including medications, screenings, glucose testing, exercise, and more. 

“It’s like a full-time job that you didn’t ask for,” Baker said.

For those who do find the bandwidth, there’s still the challenge of sourcing valuable and actionable advice. A study by the Lundquist Institute at Harbor UCLA Medical Center the National Institute revealed that most people diagnosed with diabetes look to their primary care providers as the main source of nutrition education. However, primary care providers polled in the study “indicated a lack of time for diet discussion and preferred other staff do the teaching.”

System gaps compound the problem. Some clinics lack strong referral pathways to dietitians, while others may not be familiar with insurance billing requirements for medical nutrition therapy. So, where does that leave many people with diabetes? Scrolling through social media in search of nutrition advice, which can be problematic because “anyone can call themselves a ‘nutritionist,’” said Baker.

These information gaps have real consequences. Less than 10% of people living with diabetes made a least one nutrition visit within nine years according to an American Diabetes position statement on nutrition therapy for individuals living with diabetes. The good news is, things may be getting easier.

New virtual options make nutrition support easier

A personalized nutrition plan and regular exercise can help. Getting proper nutrition advice is no longer limited to referrals from your doctor. Thanks to the emergence of virtual platforms, many people with diabetes are finding dietitians who match both their needs and lives.

Services like Fay let you find board-certified nutritionists in your area who accept your insurance. Whether you’re looking for support around personal or family meal planning, healthy eating styles, or blood sugar management, it’s now easier than ever to find someone who truly can help you.

These services are designed to cut through the noise and make professional support easier to access. Instead of navigating confusing networks or hoping for a referral, people can search directly for a registered dietitian who specializes in their specific needs.

Sessions are often covered by insurance and many users report little to no out-of-pocket cost. For those living with diabetes, that affordability can mean the difference between accessing consistent support or going without.

Care is also much more personalized than the medical office handouts of the past, with options to conduct sessions virtually to accommodate time or mobility. One-on-one sessions are also tailored to individual goals, which can help drive meaningful change. 

Nine out of 10 people in their programs adopt behaviors that improve their health and well-being, with 85% of people reaching or maintaining their target weight, according to Fay.

While these new tools make nutrition education easier compared to traditional approaches, you can set yourself up for even more success by preparing for your first session with a dietitian.

How to prepare for your first virtual session

Preparing for your first session with a registered dietitian doesn’t require perfection, but it does need a bit of intention.

“I ask my patients to come in with a list of their questions and reassure them that this is the most important part of our visit – getting their questions answered,” said Baker. “People want to be heard, not fixed.”

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to start, or simply curious about food’s roles in things like blood sugar regulation, the most important thing is showing up. To get the most out of your first visit, it can help to think about:

• Your current routines: What do you typically eat in a day? Are there times when blood sugar feels harder to manage?
• Biggest questions or concerns: Is there something you’ve always wondered about food and diabetes? What’s been confusing or frustrating?
• Your goals: Whether it’s lowering A1C, cooking more at home, reducing stress around food, or feeling more confident in grocery shopping, share what matters to you.
• Your schedule and preferences: Let your dietitian know how often you’d like to meet, what kinds of support help you most, and what your lifestyle looks like.

They will take this information and co-create a plan that works for you, so you feel more confident, informed, and supported as you move forward.

The bottom line

Nutrition support shouldn’t be a luxury or afterthought. With new digital tools like Fay, support is becoming a more accessible resource. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or looking to better understand the connection between food and your health, the right support can help you feel more confident and boost overall wellbeing.

Sponsored Article: diaTribe occasionally publishes articles in conjunction with our partners promoting products and services likely to be of interest to our readers and the diabetes community. Sponsored articles are written by diaTribe and are subject to our standard editorial and medical review process to ensure they meet our standards for quality, accuracy, and relevancy.