Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

There’s quite a lot of conflicting info out there about diets and managing your blood glucose if you have metabolic syndrome, you’re pre-diabetic or have type 2 diabetes so here are a few websites and stats that you may find helpful. I’ll add new ones as I find them and please feel free to send me any good ones you know of.

One of the terms you’ll come across regularly when reading about nutrition is Reference Intakes (RI), previously known as Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs). These are the important ones you need to know about in respect to creating a healthy balanced diet.

• RI calories = 2000/day
• RI total fat = 70g/day
• RI saturated fats = 20g/day
• RI sugars = 90g/day
• RI protein = 50g/day
• RI salt = 6g/day
• RI fibre = 30g/day
• Reference Intake (RI) for an average adult for carbohydrate is 260g/day but this is not a target and many people who struggle with their weight exceed this amount daily; 130g is often quoted as the minimum daily amount as this what the brain requires. However, the body can adapt to a low carb approach by using ketones for brain energy and making the small amount of glucose it needs from protein and fat so there is actually no minimum amount.
  • Low carb food is defined as having less than 10g of carbohydrate/100g e.g. broccoli
  • Very high carb food is defined as more than 60g of carbohydrate/100g e.g. sugar
• Red meat consumption guideline (pasture-raised) 500g or less/week
• Vitamin D: 10mcg/day of the so-called ‘sunshine vitamin’ is recommended as a daily supplement between September and March
• Alcohol consumption guidelines: 14 units/week or less with at least 1 to 2 alcohol-free days every week

Useful websites

• Diabetes UK – Preventing Type 2
• NHS – Type 2 prevention programme
• British Nutrition Foundation
• *Drinkaware
• **X-PERT Health
• The Blood Sugar Diet – Dr Michael Moseley

NB: Always consult an appropriately qualified health professional before adopting a dramatic lifestyle change – we’re all different, what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone.

My #Eattobeatdiabetes articles

• Eat to beat diabetes! | Healthy eating 2020
• Eat to beat diabetes | Getting started
• Eat to beat diabetes | Reading and understanding food labels
• Eat to beat diabetes | Breakfast tips