Our Services
Diabetes education helps people with diabetes learn to manage their disease and be as healthy as possible. It focuses on seven self-care behaviors that are important to focus on to be healthy and enjoy a full life:
- Healthy eating
- Being active
- Monitoring
- Taking Medication
- Problem Solving
- Healthy Coping
- Reducing Risks
The goal of diabetes education is to help you practice these behaviors every day. This can be difficult but it does work by helping lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. Most people with diabetes know self-management is important, but many find it overwhelming.
How our educators can help you
If you have diabetes, you know how challenging it can be to manage your disease. Healthy eating, physical activity, monitoring your condition, taking medication and reducing risks to your health are probably part of your daily routine. At times, all of this might seem overwhelming. Our diabetes educators can help. As members of your healthcare team, your diabetes educator will work with you to develop a plan to stay healthy, and give you the tools and ongoing support to make that plan a regular part of your life. FirstHealth will contact your insurance company to confirm the extent of coverage. Insurance coverage varies. Medicare Part B beneficiaries with diabetes or non-dialysis kidney disease are eligible for Medical Nutrition Therapy with a referral.
Nutrition services
Our registered dietitians will meet with you one on one to develop a personalized nutrition plan, establish a healthy eating and lifestyle action plan, and provide ongoing coaching and advice. Services are available for a range of needs:
- Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Digestive disorders
- Celiac disease
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Food allergies
Metabolic testing
People often run into difficulties with losing weight if they are not eating the right number of calories for their unique metabolism - too much or too little can lead to weight gain or a weight-loss plateau. Indirect calorimetry can offer more insight than a standard estimate of calorie needs to help you maintain your goal weight long-term. A measurement of metabolism, this simple 10-minute breath test can measure your resting metabolic rate (RMR), the number of calories your body burns at rest in a given day. From there, we can calculate a more precise estimate of your daily calorie needs, accounting for your weight goals, activity level, etc. A registered dietitian can then provide you with more effective dietary recommendations. The test must be done by fasting, and is typically given in the morning. With a provider referral, the test is covered by most insurance plans.
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