Running Head: Nutritional Assessment 1

Nutritional Assessment for Mr. Luke Skywalker

Christine J. Olinger

University of South Florida

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Nutritional Assessment for Mr. Luke Skywalker

The prevalence of type two diabetes mellitus has continued on a stable increase for over

a decade and remains a large health concern across the United States. 30.3 million people in the

United states suffer from diabetes mellitus with the majority of them having type 2 diabetes

mellitus in specific (Palmer, 2017). Mr. Luke Skywalker has been recently diagnosed with type 2

diabetes mellitus and is now prescribed an oral diabetic medication. A nutritional assessment

must be created in order to understand the disease process, dietary restrictions and inclusions,

and how to educate Mr. Skywalker on the proper nutrition plan he must follow.

Disease Process

Chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes mellitus require daily lifestyle planning to

keep a healthy control on blood glucose levels because the pancreas cannot produce enough

insulin. A proper nutrient balance is crucial to maintain the balance of insulin in the body, with

the recommended meal following The MyPlate method where a meal should include 40%

vegetables, 30% grains, 20% protein, and 10% fruit with a small serving of dairy (Palmer, 2017).

Required or Restricted Nutritional Items

Special restrictions are focused on beverages with added sugars, foods with high

amounts of trans fats and foods that are processed. Special inclusions need to be focused on

eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables, drinking water over any other beverage, focusing

carbohydrate intake on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and consuming proteins that

contain low amounts of sodium.

Rationale for Dietary Inclusions or Restrictions

Due to the bodies inability to regulate its insulin levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus,

sugar intake must be monitored closely. By replacing beverages containing added sugars (soda,
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sports drinks, beer) with water, intake of carbohydrates will dramatically decrease.

Carbohydrates consumed should primarily be natural (whole grains, fruits and vegetables)

because of their nutrient content, rather than carbohydrate sources containing saturated fats and

trans fats (lard, butter, bacon, processed foods, etc.) because the body breaks down these types of

fats differently and has different effects on insulin levels. Proteins are vital in the diet as they

cause the body to secrete glucagon, which aids in keeping blood glucose levels within range

(Malaguti-Boyle, 2016).

Patient Education Regarding Proper Nutrition Based on Their Disease Process

Educating Mr. Luke Skywalker would be crucial so that he could live a healthy lifestyle

with little complications from his illness. He needs to understand the importance of consuming

healthy carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits and vegetables), unprocessed proteins (eggs, non-

fried chicken or fish, and legumes), and water. Other considerations about his diet need to

include not skipping any meals (breakfast is the most common) so that glucose levels can be

reset in the morning and preparing meals and snacks ahead, so he doesn’t desperately buy

processed food when he needs something. Mr. Skywalker should be given the understanding that

his body does not process sugars like it needs to, so the most important aspect of his diet needs to

be monitoring the consumption of sugar and ensuring that all sources are healthy.

Conclusion

With the diagnoses of type 2 diabetes mellitus, Mr. Luke Skywalker will need to closely monitor

his sugar intake and maintain a balanced, nutritious diet. His dietary lifestyle will now require

planning ahead to ensure he consumes everything he needs to. Healthy carbohydrates, proteins

and water will now be the priority, and process foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy

carbohydrates (trans fats, saturated fats) will need to be excluded as much as possible.
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References

Palmer, C. (2017). Providing self-management education to patients with type 2 diabetes

mellitus: Addressing basic nutrition and hypoglycemia. The Nurse Practitioner, 36-42.

Malaguti-Boyle, M. (2016). Evidence for the effectiveness of clinical nutrition therapy in

diabetes mellitus type 2. Journal of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society, 74-82.