This week is National Diabetes Week 14th – 20th July!
Dietitians can help people who have Type 1, Type 2, pre-diabetes and Gestational diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes is a common condition clients present to Dietitians with. Type 2 Diabetes is often caused by lifestyle factors and can be managed through diet. It is a condition which effects your body’s ability to produce insulin (a hormone that helps transport sugar). This means your body’s ability to regulate your blood sugar levels (also known as blood glucose levels) is not as good as someone who doesn’t have diabetes. Therefore we have to control how much sugar we consume.
So what is sugar? All carbohydrates are broken down into sugar by our body when we consume them. What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates include breads, cereals, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables (potato, sweet potato, corn), fruit, dairy foods and ‘treat foods’ like pastries, cakes, biscuits, lollies and muffins. If you have diabetes you don’t need to cut these foods out, rather monitor the portions and spread out your carbohydrate intake throughout the day.
To find out how many carbohydrates you need and how often, you should see a health professional such as a Dietitian to assist with dietary management of Diabetes.