Top tips for managing blood sugars

Care UK chefs share advice on how to live well with diabetes.

At Care UK we’re committed to helping residents with diabetes to eat well and stay hydrated, offering personalised care plans tailored to their needs and preferences. Our dedicated chefs use the National Diabetic Associations advice on diet and managing blood sugars.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious condition in which a person’s blood glucose levels are too high. It can happen when your body doesn't produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces isn't effective. 

What are the different types of diabetes?

The two main types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.

• Type 1 diabetes is when you can’t make any insulin at all.
• Type 2 diabetes is when the insulin you make either can’t work effectively, or you can’t produce enough of it.

There are other types of diabetes such as gestational diabetes, type 3c, MODY and Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA).  

Care UK’s approach to blood sugar management

At Care UK our chef-led kitchen teams use the National Diabetic Associations advice on managing blood sugars. They advise a well-balanced healthy diet consisting of food from each food group. However, the traditional ‘eat well plate’ used as guide for healthy eating may need tweaking when people are living with diabetes and are trying to control their blood sugars through diet.

Tips for managing blood sugars:

• Choose healthier carbohydrates. Choose complex carbohydrates such at oats, brown rice and pulses, that are fibre-rich and slow-digesting as they will release glucose gradually into the bloodstream.
• Cut down on refined sugar. Use natural sugars in recipes such as maple syrup, over ripe bananas and honey instead of refined sugar. Natural sugars are better as they contain fibre, which slows down digestion and the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. This prevents sugar spikes.
• Eat less processed and red meats. Care UK chefs suggest adding ingredients such as lentils to cottage pie as that reduces the red meat and increases the fibre.
• Eat less salt. use herbs, spices and citrus instead to add flavour.
• Eat more fruit and vegetables. Smoothies are an easy way to add more portions of fruit and vegetables to your diet. 
• Choose healthier fats. Try to use healthier fats such as olive oil, nuts, avocados and dark chocolate.
• Be smart with snacks.  Try making healthy swaps with snacks, like choosing plain popcorn instead of crisps or dark chocolate instead of milk.
• Drink alcohol sensibly. As with every aspect of a balanced diet, it is okay to enjoy everything in moderation.
• Get your vitamin and minerals from your food. Ensure you are eating a balanced diet including fruit and vegetables, to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from your food.

The good news is you can ‘have your cake and eat it’ when you have diabetes. Care UK chefs advise: “if you keep your blood sugars stable through the day with simple swaps then a piece of cake is absolutely fine, especially those made with unrefined sugars such as sweet potatoes.”

For more information you can visit Diabetes UK.