Deconstructing Diabetes

Popcorn itself can be a pretty good snack option.

Plain popcorn can be light, crunchy and a source of fibre.

Add caramel, butter, salt or sweet coatings, and the snack changes pretty quickly.

But for a more regular snack, I’d look at starting with plain popcorn and adding flavour in a different way.

This version is my favourite. It has smoked paprika, which gives it a savoury flavour without the sugary coating.

A lot of my work happens at a desk.

Writing.
Client notes.
Telehealth.
Emails.
Resources.
Planning.

Even with regular exercise, it is very easy for the rest of the day to become mostly sitting.

That is one reason I use a standing desk.

Long periods of sitting are associated with poorer health outcomes, including changes in glucose management, heart health and overall metabolic health.

For me, it simply makes it easier to change position, break up sitting time, and add small amounts of movement into the workday.

It is the same kind of conversation I often have with clients.

Yes, planned exercise matters, especially strength training.

But breaking up sitting time matters too.

It is standing for part of the day, walking while taking a phone call, getting up between tasks, or moving after lunch.

Small changes add up.

Do you spend most of your workday sitting?

Brown rice often gets labelled as the “better” choice for diabetes.

And yes, brown rice can be a good option.

But I don’t eat brown rice. I just don’t like brown rice.

And that matters too.

A lot of people with diabetes are told to swap to foods they don’t enjoy, then wonder why the plan feels hard to stick to.

For me, I’d rather choose the rice I enjoy and focus on the bigger picture.

How much rice is on the plate?
What else is in the meal?
Is there enough protein?
Are there plenty of vegetables?
Is the meal satisfying?
Does it fit the context of the day?

In these meals, the rice is not the whole meal.

It is paired with protein, vegetables, fibre, and enough volume to make the meal feel balanced.

Brown rice can be useful.

White rice can still fit.

Not the “perfect” rice.

But meals that works better for you and still feels like food you actually want to eat.

The 4pm Snack Isn’t the Problem. The 6-Hour Gap Is.

If you’re grazing before dinner, it’s probably not a willpower issue.

It’s math.

Lunch at 12-1pm. Dinner at 8:30pm. That’s a 7+ hour gap and of course hunger builds.

And by the time you’re starving, exhausted, and still don’t know what’s for dinner? Grazing isn’t a choice anymore. It’s inevitable.

The fix isn’t more discipline. It’s a planned bridge.

Not mindless snacking; one intentional option that gets you to dinner calmer, less ravenous, and back in control.

A solid 4pm bridge has:
Protein
Fibre
Enough volume to actually satisfy
Something you genuinely enjoy

Try:
Chia pudding with yoghurt, berries and nuts
Protein yoghurt or custard
Boiled eggs with fruit or veggie sticks
Soup with chicken, lentils or beans
Hummus with veggie sticks and crackers
Protein shake or bar (backup option)

You don’t need a perfect meal plan.

You need one simple option ready for the exact time of day you always get stuck.

Save this for your next 4pm slump.

So, what time does your hunger usually spike? 4pm? 5pm? Drop it below.

It has been a very full couple of weeks in the diabetes world.

I recently had the opportunity to be part of an ADIPS case study panel, discussing complex diabetes in pregnancy scenarios alongside other clinicians.

These complex case discussions are always a good reminder that diabetes care rarely fits neatly into a textbook case.

From a dietetic perspective, it’s about interpreting glucose data, changing insulin requirements, food intake, and providing dietary advice around meals and snacks to meet pregnancy requirements during pregnancy planning and care throughout pregnancy.

Grateful to contribute to the panel discussion with other Monash Health team members and other colleagues, and to keep learning from amazing researchers and clinicians working across diabetes and pregnancy care.

DiabetesDietitian DiabetesNutrition DiabetesEducation MonashHealth

What patients taught me this week: sometimes my usual advice needs rethinking.

This week I worked with a patient who was preparing for travel and long days on the road for work.

Normally, when I am helping someone plan for travel, I have a fairly familiar list of practical options.

Ready-to-heat meals.
Tuna and rice.
Chicken and salad options.
High-protein snacks.
Easy supermarket meals.

But this patient was on a GLP-1 medication and was a vegetarian.

What their doctor advised, and some of my usual “easy options” were not actually easy options for them.

That meant we had to slow down and build a different list together.

Vegetarian meals with enough protein.
Supermarket choices upgraded with alternatives.
Backup snacks for days when choices were limited.
Options that could work without a kitchen, without much time, and without relying on meat or fish.

It was a good reminder.

A list of healthy options is not the same as a useful plan.

Useful advice has to fit the person in front of you.

Sometimes I learn with the person in front of me.

And often, that is where the most useful strategies come from.

Hot chocolate is one of those winter drinks where the ingredients can make a big difference.

A café-style or packet hot chocolate may be made with full cream milk, cream, chocolate syrup, sweetened drinking chocolate, marshmallows or other toppings.

But it may be useful to have a lighter version.

This one was made with:

• unsweetened almond milk
• cacao
• stevia

It is much lower in added sugar and lower in calories from fat and carbohydrate, while still giving you that warm chocolate flavour.

Another example of a small upgrade.

Same idea.
Different ingredients.

Save this for your next winter hot chocolate.

There has been a lot of discussion online recently about whether bananas should be combined with berries because of the possible effect on absorption of some polyphenols.

Interesting? Yes.

Something most people need to turn into another food rule? Probably not.

This was a cacao, berry and banana smoothie bowl I had in Bali after being in the water for around 3 hours.

I had worked up an appetite, and it tasted amazing.

Refuelled, caffeinated, and happy.

Polyphenol debate and all.

Sometimes nutrition detail matters.

But sometimes the bigger picture matters more.

And sometimes the most useful nutrition skill is knowing when not to overcomplicate things.

People with diabetes are often given enough food rules already.

Food does not need to become a constant optimisation project.

Especially when breakfast tastes this good.

For much of my life, a lot of my training has been hard.

Bodybuilding.
Powerlifting.
Judo.
Jiu-jitsu.
Strength training.
Freediving.

I enjoy training hard, and I still value strength, and performance.

But yoga gives me something different.

It is a way to slow down, move with more awareness, work on balance, breathe better, stretch, and feel better in my body.

It also supports my freediving, where being relaxed, efficient and calm matters just as much as being fit.

Not every form of exercise needs to be about pushing harder, burning more, lifting heavier or doing more.

Sometimes movement is valuable because it helps you recover.
Sometimes it helps you feel calmer.
Sometimes it helps you reconnect with your body.
Sometimes it helps you keep doing the other things you love.

What type of movement helps you feel better, not just fitter.

Dry July does not have to be about proving you can be “good” for 31 days.

Taking a break can create space to notice a few things.

Maybe you slept better.
Maybe your energy changed.
Maybe your appetite was different.
Maybe your glucose levels were steadier.
Maybe you noticed less evening snacking.
Maybe you realised how often alcohol appears after work, with stress, at dinner, or in social situations.

That information is useful.

Because awareness gives you choice.

At the end of Dry July, the question does not have to be:

“Did I do the month without alcohol?”

A better question might be:

“What did I learn, and what do I want to carry forward?”

That might be drinking less often.
Choosing alcohol-free options sometimes.
Keeping alcohol away from weeknights.
Being more intentional with social drinking.
Or simply understanding your habits a little better.

You do not need to make it all-or-nothing.

What is one thing you have noticed during Dry July?