• Some of the main points from Karen Oriss (Dietician)'s talk are given below for those who were unable to attend.

• Starchy foods at each meal will help control blood sugar - but the type of starchy carbohydrate is important. Porridge, basmati rice, pasta and granary bread are good choices. However, portion size is important. We should aim for 7 - 8 servings per day. Be particularly careful with portion sizes of breakfast cereals - 30-40 grams is a portion (3-4 tablespoons)!
• The diabetic diet is not a sugar free one, but a low sugar. Sugar can be included. The recommendation is 25g per day. If something sweet is to be eaten it should be taken after a meal. Look at ingredient labels and include food labelled low/reduced sugar. Obvious sources of sugar should be avoided especially sugar in liquid form such as sugary tea/coffee, ordinary sweetened drinks and "pick me up" drinks.
• Snacks are not regularly encouraged. If you need a snack, fruit is a sensible choice. Any protein foods should be kept to meals rather than snacks. We should have 2-3 servings of protein per day.
• Being overweight does not help your blood sugars. As your weight increases, blood sugars generally follow suit. Weight, especially round the middle, leads to insulin resistance, which in turn makes blood sugars more difficult to control. Losing just 10% of your body weight will help.
• Vegetables and fruit should be eaten at least 5 times a day. Ideally 2 fruits and 3 vegetable portions. A portion of fruit is roughly a hand full. Be careful with fruit juice - it only counts as one portion as it has very little fibre - blood sugars may rise significantly. Bananas can be eaten but should not be too ripe as the sugar content will be higher.  A portion of vegetables is 3 heaped tablespoons or a cereal bowl of salad.
• Alcohol should always be taken with a meal to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia. Avoid sweet wines, sherries. alcopops and high alcohol beers. Be careful with low sugar beers as they may have high alcohol content and low alcohol beers as they may have a higher sugar content. Ordinary beers and lagers, dry medium wines and low calorie soft drinks and mixers are advised. Men should have no more than 3 units per day and no more than 2 per day for women.
• Oats, pulses and vegetables contain a lot of fibre and this has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood sugars, cholesterol and weight as they make you feel fuller and therefore eat less.
• Not all low fat foods are low in sugar and so should not be eaten freely. Look at the labels. Low fat foods may have extra sugar to improve the taste. If sugar  (or anything ending in ..ose is shown in the first three ingredients it is probably a high sugar food.
• Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated margarines contain the same amount of fat as butter, but they are a better choice as butter contains more saturated fat. Try to have a mixture of monounsaturated fats (olive, rapeseed and groundnut oils or spreads) and polyunsaturated fats (sunflower bases oils and spreads). It is also a good idea to eat 2 portions of oily fish a week.
• Foods that are high in fat have a low GI do not raise blood sugars directly (which is why chocolate should not be used for treating hypos!) but eating a lot of food high in fat will increase weight, which leads to insulin resistance, which may make blood sugars more difficult to control. Salt intake should be controlled. Beware of salt replacers eg Lo salt which are not recommended as they contain potassium chloride which can cause problems with kidneys and hearts.

The information presented on this site is for general use only and is not intended to provide personal medical advice or substitute for the advice of your physician. If you have questions or concerns about individual health matters or the management of your diabetes, please consult your diabetes care team. Products highlighted on this website are not necessarily endorsed by Diabetes UK.