Gretchen Broecker, MS, RD, CDE

            Gretchen is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and obtained a Master’s Degree in Nutrition from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She has been working as a Diabetes Educator for the past 10 years. Gretchen enjoys spending time with family, skiing, hiking, and camping.

Kathleen Peralta, RD, CDE

            Kathleen is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition from the University of Vermont. She has been working as a Diabetes Educator for the past 25 years. Kathleen enjoys cooking, biking, and hiking.

Reyna Perucca
            Reyna is our assistant. You will speak to her when making and checking in for appointments. She graduated with honors from Pima Medical Institute in 2007. Reyna is also a wife and a mother of two.

Our Classes

Diabetes Self-Management
Our Diabetes Self-Management Course is a two-part series. Classes are held several times throughout each month.

Who should attend this course:
-Anyone with a new Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes diagnosis
-Anyone with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes that has not attended a class for at least 5 years
-Anyone with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes who would like to refresh their diabetes education

Diabetes and Nutrition: Class 1
This 3-hour class focuses on:
-What happens in the body when you have diabetes?
-Treatment options and how medications work
-What is blood glucose and what is a blood glucose meter?
-What are carbohydrates and how do you count them?
-How to read labels and determine portion sizes

Staying Healthy: Class 2

This 3-hour class focuses on:
-Making healthier choices when dining out
-How to choose healthy fats
-Stress management and how it affects your blood glucose
-Physical activity and weight loss for blood glucose control
-Which tests you should regularly have to maintain your health

Carbohydrate Counting
Our Carbohydrate Counting Class is offered to anyone with diabetes who simply wants to refresh their carb counting skills.  This 2-hour class will be offered every other month.

Cooking Class
This 2-hour class is offered once every other month.

This class will focus on:
-How to prepare quick healthy meals
-How to choose healthy ingredients
-How to determine portion sizes while cooking

Shopping Class
This class is a two-part series offered every other month. Each class will be 1.5 hours. The first class will be at our Denver West office and the second class will be held at a local grocery store. 

This class focuses on:
-How to make healthy purchases at the grocery store
-The importance of reading labels while shopping
-How to eat healthy without resorting to overpriced specialty foods

Medical Nutrition Therapy
We now offer a Medical Nutrition Therapy Class for people who do not have diabetes. This class will be offered every other month. This class will specifically focus on the importance of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of major health complications.

Who should attend this class:
-Anyone with high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure that is at risk of heart disease
-Anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher
-Anyone at high risk for heart disease, cancer, or diabetes
-Anyone with Metabolic Syndrome

This 2-hour class focuses on:
-How to choose healthy fats
-The importance of adding fiber to your diet
-How to reduce the use of salt in your meals
-How to read and understand food labels
-The importance of smaller portion sizes
-The importance of a safe exercise routine under your doctor’s supervision
-How to make healthier choices when dining out

Pattern Management
This class will be offered to patients who are currently taking insulin and are established with our office.  In this class you will learn to adjust insulin for your lifestyle: exercise, eating out, and traveling. This class is 2-hours in length.

Insulin Pump Therapy & Continuous Glucose Monitoring
We also teach classes for those patients who are using insulin pump therapy or continuous glucose monitoring. Please call our office if you are interested in learning about either one of these technologies to help you better control your diabetes. The cost of these classes is typically covered by the device manufacturer.

Forms for our patients:

http://www.medfusion.net/templates/groups/2339/3093/DiabetesPolicyREV.pdf

Diabetes Center Policy sheet which must be signed by all patients

http://www.medfusion.net/templates/groups/2339/3093/NewPatient_IntakeMNT.pdf

New patient form for patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes or any non-diabetes patients

http://www.medfusion.net/templates/groups/2339/3093/NewPatient_Intake.pdf

New patient form for patients diagnosed with Type I and Type II diabetes

http://www.medfusion.net/templates/groups/2339/3093/Monitoring_Blood_Glucose.pdf

Monitoring blood glucose

http://www.medfusion.net/templates/groups/2339/3093/Directions.pdf

Directions to our location