Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash .
Carbohydrates do NOT only appear in sugar cubes, the same as managing diabetes. It is not just about taking medications.
“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 un-refined 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– 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).
Photo by Odiseo Castrejon on Unsplash .
Are you behind 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 balance 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 in a later time of the day.
If you are looking for a diet for diabetes mellitus, our dietitian aims to break myths and design a personalised plan to optimise your physical and emotional health. Call us on 07 3132 0898 if you have any questions.
Book now for your journey to recovery.
