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Carbohydrates do NOT only appear in sugar cubes, also appear in managing diabetes. “It is not just about taking medications”, says the Essential Health Physiotherapy Birkdale Dietitian
“The number of people living with diabetes in Australia continued to increase between 2000 and 2021 2.8-fold, 1 in 20 Australians were living with diagnosed diabetes in 2021“
~ (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024)
Types of Diabetes (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024)
Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM)
- Lifelong autoimmune disease
- Mainly from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors
- Therapy: insulin replacement
Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM)
- The body becomes resistant to the normal effects of insulin and gradually cannot produce enough insulin
- Strongly related to genetic and family-related risk factors
- Related to Modifiable risk factors
- Type 2 diabetes symptoms: excessively thirsty, feeling tired, slow healing of cuts, blurred vision, headaches, weight gain/weight loss, always feeling hungry
Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
- High blood glucose in pregnancy (usually in the second or third trimester of pregnancy)
- Therapy: lifestyle changes, blood glucose-lowering medications, insulin therapy
Pre-Diabetes
- Impaired fasting glucose: fasting glucose higher than normal
- Impaired glucose tolerance: glucose higher than normal
- Elevate glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c): higher average blood glucose levels in the last 2-3 months
For people with T1DM
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According to the National Evidence-based Clinical Care Guidelines for Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Adults (Australian Type 1 Diabetes Guidelines Expert Advisory Group, 2011), individuals with Type 1 Diabetes should know about low Glycaemic-Index (GI) diets (Grade A evidence!). However, GI should be utilised with carbohydrate portion regulation. Low GI foods are usually unrefined carbohydrate-containing foods, like grainy bread, pasta, soy products, beans, some fruit, oats, and lentils (Better Health Channel, n.d.). Our dietitian can guide you through combining low-GI food with higher-GI choices to reduce the glycemic impact of a meal.
For people newly diagnosed with T2DM
We want to aim for diabetes remission in Essential Health Physiotherapy Birkdale– A return of HbA1c to less than 6.5% for at least 3 months without glucose-lowering medication. Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction is a technique to reduce carbohydrate intake to less than 130 grams per day (including both Low carbohydrate Diet (<26% calories from carbohydrates), and Very low-calorie diet (<10% of calories from carbohydrates). Studies present meaningful short-term clinical effects, such as improving satiety (satisfied/full with meals), more rapid weight loss, improvement in sugar control, and reduction in the need for diabetes medications (Stranks & Smith, 2023).
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Are you behind on your health checks with your GP?
Find out your risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next five years.
Tips to Build a Diabetes-Friendly Diet Plan
1. Start by having regular meals
- This helps spread carbohydrate intake throughout the day, to keep you energetic!
2. Creating balanced meals
- Although we focus on carbohydrates for diabetes, protein and vegetables are still crucial parts of a healthy plate. There are still a variety of foods for type 2 diabetes and other diabetes that do not affect your blood sugar control.
3. Snacking Smart
- Who says no snacks? Including healthy snacks is helpful to resist excessive food later in the day.
If you are looking for a diet for diabetes mellitus, our Birkdale dietitian aims to break myths and design a personalised plan to optimise your physical and emotional health. Call us on 07 3822 8879 if you have any questions.
Book now for your journey to recovery at Essential Health Physiotherapy Birkdale.
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References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024, June 17). Diabetes: Australian facts, Summary. Retrieved July 13, 2024, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes/contents/summary
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024, June 17). Diabetes: Australian facts, What is diabetes? Retrieved July 13, 2024, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes/contents/what-is-diabetes
Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Carbohydrates and the glycaemic index. Retrieved July 13, 2024, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/carbohydrates-and-the-glycaemic-index
Craig, M., Twigg, S., Donaghue, K., Cheung, N., Cameron, F., Conn, F., Jenkins, A., Silink, M., & Australian Type 1 Diabetes Guidelines Expert Advisory Group. (2011). National Evidence-based Clinical Care Guidelines for Type 1 Diabtes in Children, Adolescents and Adults. https://www.diabetessociety.com.au/guideline-category/type-1-diabetes-mellitus/
Stranks, S. N., & Smith, L. L. (2023, Nov). Managing Type 2 Diabetes with Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction. https://www.diabetessociety.com.au/ads-endorsed-resources/
