According to Diabetes UK, More people than ever have diabetes. More people than ever are at risk of Type 2 diabetes. If nothing changes, more than five million people will have diabetes in the UK by 2025. And the number of people experiencing complications or dying because of their diabetes is growing too.

Diabetes is a condition where someone has too much glucose – a type of sugar – in their blood. When people don’t have diabetes their blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin produced in their pancreas. If someone has diabetes, they’re either not producing insulin, or the insulin they do produce can’t work properly or there isn’t enough of it. This means that sugar builds up in their blood and can’t get into the cells of their body where it’s used for fuel. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to sight loss, amputation, kidney failure, stroke and death.

Type 2 develops when the body still makes some insulin but it’s not able to work properly or there isn’t enough. Some people can manage it with a healthy diet, regular physical activity and, if they need to, by losing weight. But the longer someone has Type 2, the more likely it is that they will need medication. About a quarter of people with Type 2 will eventually need to take insulin.

4.7 million people in the UK have diabetes.

Someone is diagnosed with diabetes every two minutes. 

At least 10,350 people in the UK have end stage kidney failure because of their diabetes. 

More than 1,700 people have their sight seriously affected by their diabetes every year in the UK. 

 Every week diabetes leads to more than 169 amputations, 680 strokes, 530 heart attacks and almost 2,000 cases of heart failure. More than 500 people with diabetes die prematurely every week.

What we put in our mouth during meal times and throughout the day as snacks and drinks all play a role in the development of type one and two diabetes, and thus it makes sense that by addressing some of these nutritional imbalances we can get a favourable outcome with blood glucose and thus insulin management and diabetes development or risk.

A healthy, balanced diet is also important for people with Type 1 diabetes. Apart from managing blood glucose levels with insulin and carbohydrates, people with Type 1 diabetes are also encouraged to make healthier food choices that are lower in saturated fat, sugar and salt. ... maintain a healthy weight.

There are certainly some foods that are more inclined to have a negative effect on insulin sensitivity. Some of the worse foods include:

• Processed Sugars
• Processed grains
• Vegetable oils

This is not to say that you may never eat these foods again, however, it may be wise to moderate them alongside a number of other foods while focusing on developing a plan around foods that are generally supportive of blood glucose regulation.

Foods that are supportive are often natural whole foods such as fiberous vegetables, proteins, healthy fats, good quality carbohydrates like certain fruits, root veg and some grains in some individuals.

We are all individual and developing a nutrition plan that both suits your physiological goals and also satisfies your social and psychological relationship with food can be challenging and take time to develop, but that is what I am here to help support you with.