Food is Medicine: The Diabetes Diet Plan to Manage Diabetes - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Contact program identified is the Food is Medicine objective program whose primary mission is to change the food behaviours of the people with diabetes by providing them with access to appropriate food and nutrition education. It is crucial to note that diabetes can be effectively managed with healthy eating with a combination of regular activity and weight management. Individuals with diabetes need to follow a healthy diet based on the recommended dietary plans. The plans should mainly integrate plenty of vegetables and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, low-salt baked beans and kidney beans, among others. The diabetic individuals are further needed to reduce their intake of the saturated (unhealthy) fat as well as the added sugars. The dietary plan, in this case, is crucial in ensuring that the individuals who have diabetes can maintain a healthy body or metabolic processes, and weight, and therefore allows for better blood glucose management (Montonen 2005). The initiative offers five vital services. Firstly, it provides information about food prescription, which begins with the screening of patients for food insecurity within their health facilities (Srinivasan, 2005). Notably, the patients who turn positive are given referred to the help centre, where they are led to free local food as per their nutritional requirements. Through nutritional education, the program provides a variety of educational services, which include training on food insecurity on health outcomes for people with diabetes and obesity (Aggarwal, Grady, Desai, Hartog, Correa, Ostfeld, & Batiste, 2019).

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Population

Food is Medicine Initiative is a program that is mainly meant for the individuals in Carrollwood who suffer from Diabetes and Obesity. This group constitutes a significant minority because they are given little attention, even though diabetes and obesity are two health conditions that affect a great number of individuals. It is important to note that the diabetic and obese population are faced with several health challenges, which need to be addressed (Ballali, & Lanciai, 2012). Broadly, they are faced with challenges such as inability to maintain their general good health, blood glucose level, blood pressure and other complications. Thus, the Food is Medicine Initiative will enable the patients to embrace better health or eating habits, which will play a crucial role in maintaining good health, will allow them to manage the level of their blood glucose, achieve the blood lipid levels, maintaining a healthy weight and the Body Mass Index (BMI). It is crucial to note that the eating habits of the people with diabetes or obesity.

Accessibility

The Food is Medicine Initiative program has been significantly made accessible to patients with diabetic and obesity. It has since grown into a critical strategy for the Florida Hospital West Region; in terms of combating, both diabetes and obesity in the region. It has enabled the patients to embrace better health or eating habits, which will play a crucial role in maintaining good health, will allow them to manage the level of their blood glucose, achieve the blood lipid levels, maintaining a healthy weight and the Body Mass Index (BMI).

For a healthy living, studies have suggested that every patient should have proper access to evidence-based practice, culturally sensitive advice regarding the issues of a balanced diet, healthy eating, and the kind of food to consume during a given situation (Aggarwal, Grady, Desai, Hartog, Correa, Ostfeld, & Batiste, 2019). These issues, though occasionally subjected to the discussion, emanate in the daily patient visits within health facilities or hospitals. It is important to note that the identification, analysis, and resolution of healthy eating should be an integral part of the projects aimed at changing the food behaviours of the people with diabetes and obesity. As such as, the Food is Medicine Initiative is aimed at improving the accessibility

Program Funding Mechanism

The Food is Medicine initiative in Tampa has received enormous support from both governmental and private players. Through the Florida West hospital that champions the action, the program has received a lot of funding. The produce trucks used in the program were also donated. Over two dozen community associates are part of FIM, and this includes hospitals outside the Florida Healthcare System. The Food is Medicine initiative has since grown into a critical strategy for the Florida Hospital West Region; in terms of combating, both diabetes and obesity in the region. Through the partnership between the program and the county government, the initiative is set to expand to the eighth division of other facilities. The overarching objective of the Food is Medicine program is to enhance the health of individuals living in food deserts, as well as those that experience low-income food access areas within the city. As a comprehensive program, they have been able to provide individuals with low-cost production and improve the educational opportunities regarding nutrition. It further removes the barriers to health and meets the nutritional needs of the target population. The Food is Medicine Initiative has been working with the community partners to provide the insurance to the patients and increase access to fresh produce nutritional education and classes.

Effectiveness

Since its inception, the Food is Medicine has served more than 1700 people. With the program data, about 46 percent of the target population and participants had a reduced level of their blood sugars. Additionally, more than 50 percent of the participants demonstrated reduced BMIs. This implies that the Food is Medicine is capable and responsible for the experienced food access and is responsible for the behaviour change, which includes food selection, preparation and finally, consumption. Another effectiveness of the program has been linked to the strength of the Carrollwood area. Notably, a vital force of the area is its potential to grow, especially in the real estate and tourism area that is already booming. As such, the program will take advantage of this to reach an excellent minority group in the region.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is crucial to note that diabetes can be effectively managed with healthy eating, which involves a combination of regular activity and weight management. Individuals with diabetes need to follow healthy eating based on the recommended dietary plans. The Food is Medicine Initiative program has been significantly made accessible to patients with diabetes and obesity. In terms of funding, it is evident that the program has received tremendous support from both governmental and private players and other stakeholders. Further, there has been a collaboration where the plans were community partners to provide the insurance to the patients and increase the access to fresh produce nutritional education and classes. The program has been able to give individuals low-cost food, and improve the educational opportunities concerning nutrition.

References

Aggarwal, M., Grady, A., Desai, D., Hartog, K., Correa, L., Ostfeld, R. J., ... & Batiste, C. (2019). Successful Implementation of Healthful Nutrition Initiatives into Hospitals. The American journal of medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934319307211

Ballali, S., & Lanciai, F. (2012). Functional food and diabetes: A Natural Way in diabetes prevention? International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 63(sup1), 51-61. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09637486.2011.637487

Montonen, J., Jarvinen, R., Heliovaara, M., Reunanen, A., Aromaa, A., & Knekt, P. (2005). Food consumption and the incidence of type II diabetes mellitus. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59(3), 441. https://www.nature.com/articles/1602094

Srinivasan, K. (2005). Plant foods in the management of diabetes mellitus: spices as beneficial antidiabetic food adjuncts. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 56(6), 399-414. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09637480500512872