Is eating with
Diabetes leaving you feeling down or frustrated?
Are your worried about how your eating may be affecting your blood sugars or HbA1c?
Or feeling lost with your food choices with ALL the different food messaging you’ve heard?
Perhaps you’ve tried everything but nothing really ‘sticks’?
Do you feel guilty after you’ve eaten?
Welcome to Diabetes Nutrition
No shame, guilt or judgement
Living (or being diagnosed) with diabetes can mean different things for different people. Some people seem to find it smooth sailing. However, many find the reality of chronic illness very tiring at times.
It is common to experience periods of exhaustion, frustration and distress, especially if you are experiencing blood sugar swings, or are trying your utmost but the sugars just aren’t falling into line.
Please know you have a soft place to land here.
What you need depends on where you are
Adults with Diabetes
Type 1, Type 2, LADA
I offer guidance and support at any stage of Diabetes, whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or living with the condition for a while.
Newly Diagnosed?
Feel confident with your eating by building a solid understanding of the role of food in diabetes and managing blood sugars.
Learn about:
- Carbohydrates (carbs), protein, and fats – and how these affect your blood sugar levels
- Meal planning with diabetes
Changing Medication
Develop your food skills & knowledge to help match your medication with the food you eat.
These might include:
- Carb counting for your usual meals, recipes, & when eating out
- Tools for carb counting
- An understanding of your diabetes medication and how it works with the food you eat
Needing a Refresher?
You know a lot already. Perhaps you’re stuck in a rut or are looking for some inspiration? Add to your food knowledge and eating experiences.
Support
Review your eating plan to suit the lifestyle you wish to achieve or fine-tune your blood sugar levels.
Eating Concerns with Diabetes
Find a different way to think about, or plan food to help find calm in managing diabetes, especially if you’ve experienced yo-yo dieting, binge eating, or otherwise feel you have a poor relationship with food. You may like to consider a non-diet approach.
Nutrition Services for Diabetes
What I Provide...
You have the option to have one appointment or a series of consultations, depending on your need and goals. The following gives an outline of multiple appointments to help address your concerns.
At the Start, we discuss:
- the aspects of your health & Diabetes that you would like to address
- what food and eating concerns you have
- some practical food steps to start working toward your goals
- anything that comes up in conversation that may need support or attention from other healthcare providers eg. Diabetes Educator, Psychologist, Exercise Physiologist, or your treating doctor.
As you Progress, we cover:
- practical food ideas and meal planning
- tips for monitoring your progress
- managing expectations – yours, and others around you
- any challenges you may face
The Longer-term Plan is about:
- developing an eating approach that meets your nutritional needs and suits your lifestyle
- feeling confident in your food choices
- building nourishing and healthy food habits
- having strategies to manage future eating-related challenges
You may be eligible for Medicare rebates to support regular or multiple appointments.
Diabetes Nutrition: a different approach
Non-diet nutrition
‘Non-diet’ nutrition switches focus away from restrictive diets to considering how blood sugars may be supported or improved through nourishing meals and activities such as mindful eating, getting adequate sleep, participating in enjoyable movement, and managing stress.
A non-diet approach recognises everyone is unique, and develops curiosity around how foods, your eating patterns, and other aspects of your life impact your blood sugar levels. This information then gives you the knowledge, insight and freedom to choose how you want to go about your eating.
Non-diet nutrition may be a great option if you are keen to manage your blood sugars AND you:
- want to keep your eating options flexible and enjoyable
- don’t want to go on another diet
- find restrictive diets and/or a focus on body weight triggers disordered eating
Mindful eating may be part of this approach, as it involves paying attention to our eating experience in a non-judgemental way. It helps us to tune into hunger and fullness signals (as well as diabetes-related cues) that let us know when we need to eat, or when we’ve eaten adequately.
Having said that, mindful eating may feel overwhelming for some people. Others may benefit from an individualised meal plan as a guide for meals and food options for nourishment. This is especially true if you feel lost in what to eat, or your eating times are chaotic and impacting your blood sugar levels. I invite you to explore these options with me when we work together.
If you’re bingeing often, it may also be worthwhile to see a Psychologist who understands binge-eating behaviours to provide extra support around your food and health goals.
A Health- or Diabetes Psychologist may also be helpful in navigating issues around lifestyle, stress management, sleep and Diabetes Distress.
A little note: non-diet strategies may improve blood sugar levels by promoting a healthier connection with food. But if your main goal is losing weight to manage diabetes, the non-diet approach will likely feel frustrating. Some people lose weight with a non-diet approach, and others don’t. The non-diet way is focussed on other factors that measure health, rather than focussing on the numbers on the scale.
Be first in line to find out about workshops and courses on Diabetes Nutrition.
Also provide your thoughts and ideas on future program development.
A Compassionate Approach to Diabetes Nutrition
Food & eating in Diabetes,
presented in a non-judgemental way
