Eating outside the house can be very complex for those who suffer from diseases such as diabetesbecause it is easy to fall into excesses and errors that literally disrupt the treatment plan and make it more difficult to control the disease. Patients and their families must learn regarding basic nutrition issues and thus make appropriate decisions inside and outside the home, but the commitment of other actors, for example, restaurants, is also needed.
“Usually when people go to a restaurant Due to food culture, there are many menus at a gastronomic level that are high in carbohydrate content, fried foods or sources of fat, These are situations that can go once morest the control of diabetes”, says Carolina Montejo, nutritionist, dietician.
Therefore, for a person with diabetes, eating away from home requires substituting some foods for others, knowing how to manage portions and preferring certain preparations.
“In Colombia, we have 3.5 million people who suffer from diabetes, therefore, we have a large population that requires food availability in the territory of healthy foods,” adds Montejo.
Precisely, an initiative of patient organizations, doctors and different allies is born that seeks that restaurants offer healthy options in their menus, in this case, for people with diabetes, but in the end, that help improve the diet and health of Colombians .
“This alliance is unique in the country and is extremely innovative because, for the first time, it trains restaurants that claim to be healthy or that want to have a healthy product suitable for people with diabetes, they want to be trained, they want to certify to be diabetic friendly or friendly with people who have diabetes”, explains Érika Montañez, director of the Fundación Voces Diabetes.
The idea is that more people feel calm and do not put the control of their disease at risk. That is why the initiative begins with eight restaurants in Bogotá, but he hopes that quickly more across the country will join in this crusade for health.