Low Glycaemic Index (GI) Diet

Foods that contain carbohydrates have a GI which is a number used to rank and score foods according to the effect they will have on your blood sugar levels. A Low GI diet can not only reduce your HcA1c but it can increase your good cholesterol levels, even out your blood sugar levels, keep you feeling fuller for longer and help you lose weight.  A dietitian can help you find low GI foods that you can swap into your current diet without difficult restrictions.

 

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruit and vegetables, lower in meat and meat products and with moderate amounts of dairy products (mostly cheese and yoghurt), fish and wine. Like the other diet options, this has been shown to lower blood sugars, lead to more weight loss and improvement in cholesterol levels. This can be a very enjoyable diet for diabetes but advise from a dietitian will ensure that you get the right types and amounts of each of the food groups without weight gain and maximise the health benefits.

 

High-Protein Diets

These diets provide up to a third of your calories from protein and have shown a reduction in HbA1c concentrations. It is thought that the effect may be because a high-protein diet can suppress your appetite and improve insulin sensitivity. High-protein diets for diabetes need careful consideration and monitoring to prevent unnecessary and excessive protein intake which may have longer-term impacts on organs such as kidneys.

 

Low Carb Diets

This diet restricts carbohydrates to 20-60g/day and has shown to lead to weight loss, improve blood sugars and improve your cholesterol levels. This type of diet for diabetes can be challenging and restrictive at first so getting help from a dietitian initially will ensure you are getting the right balance of nutrients you need for good health as well as ensure you have enough energy for your lifestyle.

 

So how do you get started on the right diabetic diet for you?

Choosing the right diet for you is a personal decision which should take into consideration your lifestyle, food preferences and medical history. A dietitian can guide you through that process and identify the diet for diabetes that is most likely to work for you as well as provide lots of practical information to get you started and stay on track such as recipes, meal plans and shopping guides.

To get more help with Diabetes, book an appointment with one of our dietitians below.

Chantal deSousa
Dietitian

Hi! I’m Chantal and I am an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with an interest in the nutrition and wellbeing of all individuals. I have a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetic Practice from Bond University and a Bachelor of Medical Research (with Honours) from the University of Tasmania.

Since graduating, I have been working in private practice and aged care. I am very interested in gut health and have post-graduate certification from Monash University in IBS management. I have experience helping people manage their weight and chronic diseases. I am not one of those dietitians who will tell you to stop eating your favourite foods. I prefer to develop personalised eating plans that you enjoy and make you feel good while improving your health. The benefit of seeing a dietitian is that you can eat some of what you like while improving your health!

My favourite nutrition areas: 

IBS

Weight management

Diabetes

Chronic disease management

Amber Schilder Dietitian

Amber Schilder
Dietitian

Amber Schilder is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who graduated from Griffith University and grew up on the Gold Coast. Amber became a dietitian after  seeing how much food can impact someone’s health in a positive way. Amber enjoys helping people finding ways to incorporate simple yet effective changes to eating habits.  Amber loves food and loves to see her clients gain more enjoyment from food through her individualised eating plans and food swaps. Amber has worked many years in the catering team at Gold Coast Private Hospital and more recently has been creating individualised meal plans in private practice.  Amber has an interest in:

 

IBS

Weight management

Diabetes

Chronic disease management

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