Sticking with Your Medical Diet
Follow Your Medical Diet
for Better Health
When you are diagnosed with a medical condition, your doctor may prescribe a medical diet to help you manage that condition.
Your medical diet truly is a prescription, and it’s just as important as the medication you’re prescribed. Your medical diet is a lifestyle change, not just a temporary fix. When you start feeling better, it’s because your healthy dietary changes are helping, so don’t stop your diet!
Sticking with your medical diet has more benefits than helping with your medical condition. Following your diet may help you need less medication and avoid additional health complications. The right nutrition can also help your body heal.
Types of medical diets
There is a wide range of medical diets, and each one is tailored to treat a specific health condition. Some of the most common medical diets are:
Medical weight-loss diet: Restricts calories and/or certain food groups to promote weight reduction.
Diabetic diet. Controls carbohydrates for a stable blood sugar.
Heart healthy diet. Limits sodium, fat, and cholesterol for cardiac health.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Limits sodium and highly processed foods and recommends fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats to lower blood pressure.
Renal diet. May limit fluid, potassium, and phosphorus intake for patients with kidney failure.
Allergy-avoidance diets. Eliminate certain foods for people with allergies or sensitivities.
Symptom-management diets. Eliminate foods that trigger uncomfortable health symptoms, like removing fried and fatty foods from the diets of patients with gallbladder disease.
Once you’re prescribed a medical diet, it can be tough getting used to a new way of eating. If you feel frustrated — or hungry! — remember that you aren’t alone and discuss your concerns with your doctor. Medical diets can be restrictive, and getting the correct nutrition within those restrictions is essential, so always speak up if you have concerns or don’t feel well.
Learn to Read a Food Label
Understand what you are eating by reading food labels. Pay attention to the ingredients as well as the nutrition facts and opt for choices without additives. Learn more about food labels with these FDA resources.
Tips for staying on your diet
Medical diets can help you meet your health goals, but staying on a diet can be tricky. You may slip up if you don’t know what to eat or how to eat it. You may also eat to cope with your feelings or when you participate in an activity associated with food.
Preparation is key to sticking with your medical diet. Once you engage in your healthcare plan and understand your goals, you can prepare to manage your diet and set yourself up for success.
Get educated. Learn about your diet, what it involves, and why it’s important for you. Understanding how your diet can protect your health can motivate you to stay on track! Learn about foods you need to avoid, how to identify them, and find possible alternatives.
Food labels are an excellent source of information. Whole, unlabeled foods, like fruits and vegetables, are often excellent, healthy choices, but be aware that they can be high in substances you need to avoid for some diets. For example, bananas are a healthy snack for many people, but should be avoided by those watching their potassium levels.
For foods without labels, you can find detailed information at the USDA’s FoodData Central.
Start small. Make small, realistic changes and build on them. Change takes time, but it does get easier! Focus on gradual, sustainable changes rather than aiming for perfection from the start.
Shop ahead. Planning meals and keeping healthy snacks on hand will go a long way to helping you stick to your diet. Keep the foods you should be eating on-hand, and don’t buy foods your diet restricts.
Find replacements. The toughest part of sticking to a medical diet can be giving up foods you enjoy. Participating in activities associated with food, like picnics, and also can trigger dietary slips. Get ahead of these potential pitfalls by finding healthy alternatives to the foods you need to avoid and take them with you to activities where you might be tempted to go off your diet.
Cook at home. It’s much easier to control what you eat if you’re the one cooking. Learn how to make a few really good dishes that follow your diet. Then add more recipes over time. You can buy cookbooks that are specifically written for your medical diet.
Keep track. Keep a food journal and track what you eat. Writing it all down can help you stay accountable, identify when you tend to slip up, and provide your doctor with helpful information. You can also use a food app on your phone or tablet.
Get support. Tell friends and family about your diet and why it’s important for you. A trusted friend or family member can help you stay accountable. Online and in-person support groups can also be helpful.
Eat Your Veggies First
If one of your dietary goals includes getting more fruits and vegetables, try eating your vegetables before the rest of your meal. You will fill up and naturally eat less of other foods.
A Mindset of More
Instead of thinking of your diet as restricted, focus on what you can add. For example, aim to eat a wide variety of fresh vegetables prepared in delicious ways, rather than thinking about how you must avoid fried foods.
References:
Patient education: Diet and health (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate.
What You Need To Know About Diabetes. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology.
Meal Prep: How to Plan for Healthy Eating. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology.
Kidney Disease. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Cardiovascular Health/Heart Disease/Hypertension. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Low-FODMAP Diet. American College of Gastroenterology.
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