As an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Jessica offers a weight neutral approach to nutrition therapy. This means that rather than centring on weight, she explores all the ways you can improve your health regardless of the number on the scales. It also is a way to reduce weight-stigma and support people in accessing the compassionate healthcare they deserve. In this post, Jessica explores the foundational aspects of Type 2 diabetes and key nutrition recommendations to help people manage their blood sugar levels and diabetes management.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a condition where a person’s body becomes less sensitive to the normal effects of insulin and may overtime lose its capacity to produce enough insulin. This makes it difficult for your body to regulate its blood sugar levels, leading to a build-up of glucose in the bloodstream.
Carbohydrates and blood sugar levels explained
Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet. Found in foods like rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, and cereals, they provide your body with its primary source of energy (fuel).
Carbohydrates are broken down in your body into glucose. Glucose is a simple carbohydrate and is your body’s main source of fuel or energy. All your organs – your brain, lungs, digestive system, and so on – require glucose to operate. In fact, it is only with a steady supply of glucose that your body can function optimally. As such, carbohydrates shouldn’t be feared or avoided but rather welcomed as one of the cornerstones of a healthy body.
When your body is functioning well, the hormone insulin transports glucose from the bloodstream into liver and muscle cells to be used as energy. Insulin also helps the liver store glucose for later use. The amount of glucose in our blood is what we mean when we refer to blood sugar (or glucose) levels.
What are optimal blood sugar levels?
Blood sugar levels will fluctuate for everyone. In someone without diabetes, the body can keep blood sugar levels mainly between 4.0 – 7.8 millimoles of glucose per litre of blood (mmols/L). T2D is characterised by excessive glucose in a person’s bloodstream. High sugar levels often have immediate and long-term impacts on one’s health.
For someone with T2D, then, the aim is to reduce the frequency of high blood sugar levels and to keep them within the following ranges:
- Before meals between 4.0 to 7.0mmol/L
- 2 hours after starting a meal: 5.0 to 10mmol/L
What is the impact of high blood sugar levels on the body?
If you have T2D, your body will struggle to transport glucose from the blood vessels (veins, arteries, capillaries) into the cells. This means your body can’t properly access the fuel that it needs from carbohydrates. As a result, glucose lingers in the blood, gradually causing high blood sugar levels.
High blood sugar levels can start to damage to blood vessels and nerves. Blood vessels are meant to be flexible, with a degree of natural elasticity. When they are filled with too much glucose, however, they can lose some of that flexibility – degrading blood vessel walls and impairing the flow of blood to vital centres of the body. Damage to blood vessels can lead to an increased risk for heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, vision complications, foot and circulatory problems.
What is pre-diabetes?
Someone with pre-diabetes will start to experience increases in their blood sugar levels more frequently, even though they do not yet meet the criteria for T2D. Being in a pre-diabetic state does not mean a person will develop T2D. However, in the absence of lifestyle changes, there is an elevated risk that they will do so within 5-10 years. Pre-diabetes is a little like your body’s early warning system: communicating its need for help to manage its blood sugar levels and keep you healthy.
What role does diet have in the management of T2D?
Diet plays a significant role in improving and managing blood sugar levels. It is not the only factor, but it is a crucial one. Dietary changes that can help improve a person’s blood sugar levels include:
- Choosing high fibre, low-GI carbohydrates
- Evenly distributing one’s carbohydrate intake throughout the day
- Pairing carbohydrates with fibre, fats, and protein
- Reducing saturated fat and trans intake, while improving the intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturate fats
- Reducing one’s alcohol intake
- Including a diverse range of fibre in one’s diet, particularly soluble fibre and microbiota accessible carbohydrates
- Including antioxidants and phytonutrients
- Improving eating habits (reducing dieting and chaotic eating patterns)
- Improving one’s relationship with food and their body
Non-diet interventions that a person can still work on with a dietitian:
- Improving stress levels (reducing stress around food)
- Adequate and sufficient sleep
- Exercise – both resistant training and aerobic exercise (walking, running, dancing, bike-riding, swimming, team sports, etc.)
Type 2 Diabetes Dietitian support: what to expect
If you’re struggling with T2D or pre-diabetes, changes to your diet can yield significant improvements. As a dietitian, I can provide you with individualised dietary advice and a plan to help you implement those dietary strategies. This could involve exploring food preferences, cultural foods, social eating, emotional eating patterns, discussing meal ideas, cooking skills, meal planning, or developing a tailored meal plan.
Having T2D can feel overwhelming, and you may feel pressure to eat well. I want to help you alleviate this pressure, supporting you in building realistic and achievable goals. I want to help you learn to nourish your body well without losing the joy of food.
Ready to take the next step? You can book an appointment or contact me first through a free discovery call. It’s a simple, no-obligation opportunity to connect, ask questions and to see if we are a good fit.
