"A food diary can identify unfavorable patterns in carbohydrate intake and can help clients realize how often they might be splurging on unnecessary calories."Īccording to Megan Day, MS, RD, CDE, a gestational diabetes specialist at Cooper University Health Care in the greater Philadelphia area, "An accurate food diary brings those quick snacks and sneaky calories to light."Īlthough some people with diabetes are resistant to keeping a food diary, dietitians usually can persuade them once they see the benefits. "I use diaries to assess the patient's carbohydrate counting skills and whether or not they're taking correct insulin doses," she says. The mHealth apps gave patients the opportunity to take a more active role in their health management.2 "When keeping a food diary to understand the relationship between carbohydrates, exercise, and their blood glucose level, the patient can get results very quickly," says consultant Clara Schneider, MS, RD, RN, CDE, LDN, from Norfolk, Virginia.Īmy Aponick, MPH, RD, LD/N, CDE, an outpatient diabetes educator at the University of Florida Health's Diabetes Institute in Gainesville, Florida, agrees that food diaries can be an invaluable part of diabetes self-management. A review of studies done on mobile health (mHealth) applications in diabetes management found that digital food diaries were an effective method of diabetes self-management.1 Specifically, mobile phone apps were found to be more effective than computer-based programs for diabetes self-care. While all of these values are possible to calculate in a physical book or journal, many computer-supported programs and mobile apps have built-in calculators or memory banks that easily can provide this information. They also can track medication use physical activity nutrition information levels of ketones, blood glucose and insulin calorie counts and percentage of recommended daily intake. It's common knowledge that food diaries can track basic information such as portion sizes and the amount of food people eat. Today's Dietitian spoke with certified diabetes educators (CDEs) about the benefits of food diaries and the different types clients and patients can use to best fit their lifestyles to facilitate diabetes self-care. Learn more about the different types and how to keep patients enthused about using them.ĭietitians often tell clients and patients that controlling blood sugar levels to prevent highs and lows is an important aspect of diabetes self-management and that keeping a food diary, in the form of a physical book or journal, a computer software program, a website or app, or even a digital photo gallery, can play a key role. The Role of Food Diaries in Diabetes Self-Care
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