All our patients need to know about intensified diabetes management they learned in fourth grade.

It may be feasible for some patients using simplified meal-planning approaches and short-acting insulin regimens to use an insulin pump instead of 2 daily injections of 70/30 insulin. Although this approach may not be possible for everyone, the methods discussed in this article open the door for some individuals whose main stumbling blocks are calculating insulin dosing and grams of CHO. In our practice, we have seen repeatedly that simplified approaches for counting CHO intake and calculating insulin dose can work successfully even with intensive insulin management. It is our challenge as diabetes health professionals to continually search for creative ways to help our patients simplify their daily diabetes management tasks. In many cases, the patient is more likely to commit to healthful changes when the meal plan is simpler and more visual. It is not possible, however, to make patients proficient in CHO counting and insulin dosing in one visit. Referral to a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes allows a tailored plan to be developed with each individual based on health parameters, treatment goals, lifestyle, and cognitive skills.