What to Eat? Ask a Dietitian and Educator

Get the most from your visit with a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. We asked Mary M. Austin, R.D., CDE, FAADE, how to prepare for your meeting, what to expect to learn from a food expert, and how a registered dietitian can help you manage your diabetes.

By Kelly Rawlings

How a Dietitian and Educator Can Help You Learn What to Eat

Got questions about what to eat with diabetes? Ask an expert.

Meet Mary M. Austin, R.D., CDE, FAADE, from Shelby Township, Michigan. She is a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator. As an experienced practitioner in dietetics and diabetes education, Mary works daily to help people with diabetes learn what to eat to manage their diabetes and meet their health and weight goals. Mary is the recipient of an American Dietetic Association Diabetes Care and Education Practice Group award, the 2010 People's Choice Diabetes Educator of the Year. Mary shares with Diabetic Living why it's important to have a dietitian and diabetes educator on your health team. Click on the arrow below to play our interview with Mary.

Q. How can a dietitian and diabetes educator help a person with diabetes learn how and what to eat?

A. People already know how to eat. What they really want to know is whether what they eat is helping to improve their health and manage their diabetes. A dietitian, especially one who specializes in diabetes, can help you look at the big picture.

As a dietitian, I practice the three A's. I can help you:

Adapt what you're currently eating;
Adopt new foods, portions, and cooking styles; and
Adhere to, or stick with, changes that will best control blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids, and weight. It's an investment in you and your health.

Next Page: What to Expect from a Dietitian