Diabetic Nutrition Services

At Nutrition Link Services, we are Registered Dietitians – Nutritionists who practice an integrative and functional approach to counsel and educate those with diabetes on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Each Nutrition Link Services diabetic patient receives a comprehensive evaluation and assessment, and all  planned nutrition visits are coordinated through a team-based approach that includes your Registered Dietitian – Nutritionist,  Endocrinologist or Primary Care Physician. We have office locations in Iselin, Brick, Berkeley Heights, Freehold, Redbank, Hoboken, Jersey City, Paramus, and Princeton, and also offer Tele-Health services for individual counseling or Diabetic Group Classes.

Diabetes self-management support is important to us when working with our clients and our dietitians – nutritionists can help you get started.  We take into account all aspects of a client’s life circumstances. 

• Emphasizing the importance of eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods in appropriate portions to attain blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid goals
• Minimizing sodium intake – trying to eat less than 2300 mg a day (one tsp a day)
• Watching fat intake – aiming for less than 10% saturated fat, limiting trans fats, and eating 25-38 grams of fiber per day
• Opting for a Mediterranean diet, which is a great option to manage diabetes
• Attaining and maintaining body weight goals
• Delaying and/or preventing diabetic-related complications
• Addressing individual nutrition needs based on personal, cultural preferences, and access to food
• Maintaining a pleasure of eating by providing positive message about food
• Limiting food choices only when backed by science
• Providing practical tools for day-to-day planning, which includes our New Living Plate Customized Meal System for Diabetes with cooking food demos and recipes from Living Plate.

Diabetes is the United States’ fastest-growing chronic disease. It affects more than 20 million Americans. Over 40 million Americans have pre-diabetes or early type 2 diabetes. Based on 2020 Standard of Care, 33-49% of individuals do not meet targets for A1c, blood pressure, or lipids (2).
Education and counseling are essential to combating this debilitating disease and to prevent pre-diabetes from developing into Type 2 diabetes. In a recent NHIS study of people with chronic disease:
• Two-thirds of those who didn’t take their meds, never shared this with their provider
• 50% of adults with diabetes reported financial stress
• 20% reported food insecurity and older adults are at highest risk

We focus on social determinants of health and integrative behavior modification techniques related to the three major types of diabetes.

Type I diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood, but many patients are diagnosed when they are older than age 20. With type 1, the body makes very little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown – genetics, viruses, and autoimmune problems may play a role. People with type 1 diabetes should eat about the same times each day and try to be consistent with the types of food they choose. This helps to prevent blood sugar from becoming extremely high or low. Our dietitians – nutritionists take the time to educate thoroughly on all food groups and portion control.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. It usually occurs in adulthood, but young children are increasingly being diagnosed with this disease. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not even know they have it. Type 2 is more common due to the increasing obesity population. People with type 2 diabetes should follow a well-balanced and low-fat diet.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes. This population is at high risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

Our team also provides nutritional services for patients who have been diagnosed with insulin resistance and prediabetes.

Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood. As a result, your pancreas makes more insulin to help glucose enter your cells. As long as your pancreas can make enough insulin to overcome your cells’ weak response to insulin, your blood glucose levels will stay in the healthy range.

rediabetes means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes usually occurs in people who already have some insulin resistance or whose beta cells in the pancreas aren’t making enough insulin to keep blood glucose in the normal range. Without enough insulin, extra glucose stays in your bloodstream rather than entering your cells. Over time, you could develop type 2 diabetes.
Based on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), more than 84 million people ages 18 and older have prediabetes in the United States. That’s about 1 out of every 3 adults (1)

Contact us at 845.566.3506 or click to make an appointment to get started!

We accept health insurance and can even verify your coverage for nutrition counseling.

References:
1) Diabetes Facts and Statistics
2) Standards of Care in Diabetes 2020