A Smarter MNT

-

            Healthcare professionals, including dietitians, constantly struggle with patient adherence.  A physician may prescribe an individual a pharmaceutical intervention, however, adherence lies upon the responsibility of the patient and/or caregiver.  Similarly, a physical therapist may prescribe a rehabilitation strategy in an outpatient setting, but will that individual follow through with the routine?  Not always.  These struggles are no stranger among the field of nutrition and dietetics.  Medical nutrition therapies prescribed by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) may be tough for many individuals to adhere by.  Let’s take a carbohydrate controlled diet for a type II diabetes patient into consideration.  After educating the patient, they are on their own until their next follow up.  The exchange system, portion sizes, types of carbohydrates, and food choices can all be overwhelming.  So, how can we help bridge this gap?

A new piece of technology, called the Smart Plate, may not only benefit individuals in this type of situation, but also aid RDNs in monitoring and evaluating patients’ diets.  The Smart Plate is a three-section plate with sensitive scales positioned in each section.  The user fills their plate with a typical meal or snack, snaps a picture using the mobile app, and receives detailed nutrition information in seconds.  This data is saved and logged to their account.  Healthcare systems could essentially collaborate with these databases and pull real-time data into electronic health records.  This may potentially improve how RDNs monitor and evaluate individuals in an outpatient setting.  The telehealth field is ever-expanding.  We may see some variation of this concept in the near future.

https://www.getsmartplate.com/

SM

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Milk Mythbusters

-
Image
Just like with any nutrition topic, the facts about milk can become convoluted pretty quickly. Whether you drink milk for the protein, the nutrients, the flavor, or just like to switch it up, there are pros and cons to every kind. Here are some quick nutritional facts about each type to help you decide which is best for you. Animal-Based Milks  Whole Milk: The original diary drink. It gets a bad rap, but what whole milk has going for it, is that it’s in its proper nutritional form. Whole milk contains all of its original fat-soluble vitamins, A, E, D, & K, along with the fat to help you absorb them all. It also has the proper concentrations and ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or your omega-3s and omega-6s, so that they are metabolized as they should be. The downside is that whole milk is calorically dense, meaning that a little goes a long way. You don’t need much to get what you need, so just don’t overdo it!  2% Milk: The fat content of 2% milk is about half of that in who
Read more