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  Helen Edwards (Diabetes Educator, Social Worker)
  Health Professional

  I have lived with type 1 diabetes since 1979. I am married with 3 boys aged 3, 12 and 18 yrs. I am the founder ... View profile

  Hi there, diet is very important in management of any type of diabetes. No matter what stage of diabetes you are at, or what type of management. It is a complicated matter however! If you have not seen a dietitian then I highly recommend you do this to get a deeper understanding of what will work best for your lifestyle, preferences and particular health situation.
  
  On a basic level, we used to think “sugar” that being the table sugar we use, was the “bad guy”. In fact when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 33 years ago, I was told I could not eat any product with sugar listed as an ingredient ever again, but could freely eat fatty foods, meats, cheeses etc!  We now know this is not the case and “sugar” is far more complex.
  
  What we have learnt is that what is important is the type and amount of carbohydrates we eat. Carbohydrates give us the glucose we need to function. It provides energy for all of the cells and organs of our body. Insulin works in tandem with other hormones to utilise this glucose, taking it out of our blood stream and into the cells and organs. If you do not have enough insulin or it is not working effectively, then you get raised blood glucose levels.
  
  Carbohydrates include things like breads, cereals, most fruits, starchy vegetables like potatoes and pumpkin, rice, pasta and noodles, cakes, pastries, beans and milk products. Then there is the speed at which carbohyrdates are absorbed into the blood stream - this is what we call the glycemic index. The faster the food is digested the quicker it gets into the bloodstream and raises the blood glucose - take a food that melts in your mouth like white bread - there is no real processesing needed, in fact not really any chewing even! This means the energy from this food is fast and we want to avoid this in the main. 
  
  Combining higher and lower GI foods can alter the overall glycemic index of a meal as well. So as I said, it is complex and best understood with a personal consultation with a dietitian who works in diabetes. 
  
  
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