An integrative approach to managing diabetes
BY NICHELLE SMITH-RODGERS
Elisabeth Dupuy always had a feeling she’d have diabetes one day – and when she was diagnosed as pre-diabetic in 2010, her concerns became her reality. Now, officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Dupuy was forced to make lifestyle adjustments to ensure her glucose levels were tightly controlled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 million U.S. adults have diabetes – a chronic health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy – and one in four is unaware he or she has it. With patients such as Dupuy in mind, Robert Israel, M.D., FACP, an internal medicine physician at USA Health Mobile Diagnostic Center, sought to fill a gap that he noticed during his many years of practice – the lack of focus on illness prevention, and 28
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the need to foster healthy behaviors and skills for effective self-care that can be used by patients throughout their lives. “It’s not easy to accept that for the rest of your life you’re going to have a chronic disease that you’ll have to manage each and every day,” Dupuy said. “I’m beyond thankful for the support from Dr. Israel and his team as I navigate this life-changing journey.” Coined USA Health Integrative Health and Wellness, the new service offers an array of evidence-based treatment options that address the whole person – mind, body and spirit – by coupling conventional Western practices with complementary and alternative therapies. “Integrative health is a collaborative approach that puts each patient at the center and develops an approach to wellness of the entire person,” Israel said. “It includes
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all evidence-based methods – traditional Western medicine, nutrition and other lifestyle choices – along with complementary medical treatments such as acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, meditation and other stress management strategies.” For patients with diabetes, a key component for keeping symptoms at bay is knowing exactly what to eat. To address this need, the new program hosts cooking classes to help patients learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle with good food choices. “Once I found out about the cooking classes, I made it a priority to attend Phyllus Justice, RDN, left, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator with USA Health Mobile Diagnostic Center, and patient Elisabeth Dupuy cook a healthy recipe together at the new test kitchen housed at the Mobile Diagnostic Center University Commons location.