Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Summer 2017 - 10

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION NEWS

What Can I Eat? New Program Focuses on Healthy Food Choices
What Can I Eat? is an exciting and innovative nutritionfocused diabetes self-management support program for adults
living with type 2 diabetes and their families and caregivers. It
is the first program of its kind pairing the American Diabetes
Association's renowned Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes
with evidence-based nutrition and behavior change strategies
aiming at simplifying the basic components of making healthy
food choices for people with diabetes. The program consists of
five interactive sessions for 10-15 participants. Sessions 1-4
occur weekly for 90 minutes each. Session 5, a "Reunion" session
scheduled 3 months after Session 4, tracks progress and reinforces the positive behaviors participants have adopted.
This program, which complements the Diabetes SelfManagement Education and Support programs recognized by
the Association, was designed to promote and sustain positive
behavior changes related to healthy food choices. The program
empowers people with diabetes to find everyday nutritious
solutions within their community and satisfyingly answers their
most common question: What can I eat?

Value for People Living With Diabetes

Providing data analysis and outcomes validation to show
that health care providers' investment in the program is
making an appreciable difference in the health status of
individual patients and in communities

How It Works
Four 90-minute sessions are delivered for four consecutive weeks
in groups of 10-15 participants. A fifth session is held 3 months
later. The sessions include:
1. Food Is Love
2. Healthy Eating
3. Shopping and Cooking
4. Eating Out and Special Events
5. Reunion (to reinforce positive behaviors and share lessons
learned)

What Can I Eat? benefits people with diabetes and the greater
community by:

What Participants Are Saying

Answering the #1 question people with diabetes have on a
daily basis: What can I eat?

"It got me thinking about reading food labels when I shop now."

Using easy-to-understand pictures and simple concepts to
explain complex nutrition and meal-planning information
to help people manage blood glucose and benefit their
head-to-toe health

Offering solutions to the real challenges people face daily in
making food choices within their community

Showing people, through storytelling and hands-on learning, how to make and sustain healthy behavior changes at
home, on the job, and out in their community

Introducing participants to Association tools and resources
to support them in the months and years ahead, as they
journey toward better health and improved quality of life

Value for Health Care Providers

"I drink less juice, and my A1C was in the 9s, but now it is in the 6s."
"I loved the people interaction."
"This class was more realistic with everyday life"

How to Bring What Can I Eat? to Your Community
The program is currently funded through grants and sponsorships. Delivery sites are generally funded for 1 year of programming. Under grant funding, each delivery site is responsible for
delivering 8-10 groups (each including four 90-minute weekly
classes and a follow-up class at 3 months) per year, including
data collection and reporting to the Association.
For additional information about the What Can I Eat? program
and for questions about implementing it in your community,
please contact wcie@diabetes.org.

The program also benefits diabetes health care providers by:

Providing a turnkey, up-to-date, and validated nutrition
education program and materials for patients or clients with
type 2 diabetes

Incorporating evidence-based concepts aligned with the
Association's globally recognized Standards of Medical Care
in Diabetes

Offering training by Association staff for dietitian facilitators, as well as tools and resources that can be customized
to meet the needs of specific communities

Addressing health-related disparities and social determinants of health to meet participants where they are and
improve their confidence in and ability to make healthy
eating a way of life

New Management of Diabetes in Children
Self-Assessment Program Offered
This continuing education activity on the management of diabetes
in children is perfect for medical staff/volunteers at diabetes
camps, school nurses, and other health care professionals with an
interest in children and diabetes. Earn 4.25 continuing education
credits for this free activity.
Log on now at professional.diabetes.org/ce.

http://professional.diabetes.org/ce

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Summer 2017