Low-cal diabetes diet offered on NHS

There are nearly 7,000 children and young adults under 25 with type 2 diabetes in England and Wales - about 10 times the number reported before, according to Diabetes UK.

NHS England will now be offering Diabetic patients an 800-calorie diet to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. The treatment consists of 800-calories per day using liquid meals and shake for 3 months.

This is really concerning. There is a lack of education given to the patients around diet and lifestyle factors that mediate Type 2 Diabetes. The reliance on shakes and meal replacements takes the patient away from a whole-food approach. Shakes are very often filled with sweeteners and synthetic vitamins and minerals and therefore not a credible match for quality nutritious food. There is no mention of calorie quality and it's well-regarded that not all calories are equal and in fact consuming 800 calories of sugary foods may do little with reversing Type 2 Diabetes. The programme may, therefore, only be a 'quick-fix' and creates a high risk of relapse without educating the client on the right foods for prevention of the disease.

A 'one-size-fits-all’ approach does not work. Treating each client as an individual allows for personalisation of dietary advice that will best suit them. Not just a quick fix that could potentially do more harm that good.

So my top tip for this week! Keep an eye on your individual sugar intake for one week by using the calculation 4g = 1 teaspoon. You may find that you are consuming much more than you realise