Patient Education

[KateyRN23]

Looking for good patient education material on Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, CHF. As well as info I can learn from. I am an OR nurse recently switched to family practice nursing and any good sources would be greatly appreciated!

[natural thing]

Please allow me to carry on for a moment regarding your inquiry as empowering people in the healthcare system is a passion of mine.

Do check out Functional Medicine (FM). You will find a treasure trove of information that will guide your teaching and help people reverse their chronic illness, maybe help get them off unnecessary meds and regain their health. FM looks at the root cause. And as I've learned, much comes right back down to diet and exercise, and people have 100% control here. Environmental toxins and various infectious diseases complicate matters but nowadays we can look into all these factors to understand the impact on a person's health. For starters, food choices and exercise are within the realm of possibilities if someone is ready to make the change to improve health status.

For patient education on Type II diabetes or cardiovascular disease, changes in diet and exercise - stop smoking if indicated - will drive down inflammation. Insulin doses reduce, people can get off Metformin, etc. There are various "diets" to choose from but, first and foremost, one must resist the temptation of a high carb intake and keep it to 30-50gms/day, according to the new medical science. We must also consider the brain in inflammation. Insulin resistance is worsened by all the sugar consumed. There is so much high fructose corn syrup and junk carbs in the U.S. food supply that it's no wonder we have the epidemic in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As sugar is pro-inflammatory, patients can totally take charge of their health and wellbeing by "simply" cutting down sugar. I know it's not easy!

Please check out the health benefits of a ketogenic diet that will benefit many people with diabetes or heart disease. It is effective for weight loss as ketones are used for fuel, not glucose, and aids in a reversal of diabetes or pre-diabetes, is anti-cancer, etc. It is high fat and includes coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado; is low in carbohydrates. Very good for the brain. Pounds melt off and lab values normalize.

Thanks for your post and this opportunity to share, and best wishes in your new position!