Thank goodness for the internet. Without it, I don't know what I would have done when I received my diagnosis of gestational and then pre-diabetes. Although I was 'helped' by a nutritionist here in Germany, it didn't really go further than 'eat low GI foods', 'keep carbs under 40g per meal', 'exercise', and 'don't drink juice'. These are some of the best resources I have found which have really helped me understand more about the condition and how it can be managed.
1. Diabetes.co.uk is a Global Community dedicated to helping people who have been diagnosed with all forms of diabetes. It is certainly the only one I have found that gives comprehensive information over pre-diabetes and that have an APP with recipes that you can download for free. It has loads of really useful information over sugar substitutes (and no honey doesn't count for diabetics), and which foods contain the most and least carbs. I made the Chickepea and Carrot Stew for dinner recently and it was absolutely delicious.
2. Diabetic Living is a USA based website and magazine with similar information to Diabetes UK. They have lots of recipe and fitness ideas, although quite a few of the products aren't available in Europe so definitely one for the North American blog readers. The carbohydrate content of some of the meals, I do sometimes find a little bit iffy - but they are clearly stated, and for me that is the main point. The site gave me lots of inspiration on snacking and the plate method of devising dinners.
3. A Carbohydrate Content List (which I googled and again Diabetes UK provided for me) is fantastic at informing other people on what I can eat or not. It really helps by breaking down the average carb content but also explaining what a serving is. They do recommend that you continue to check labels as obviously contents can greatly differ, but having an overview was really useful.
4. A Sweet Life is another online magazine with information over Diabetes and lots of recipes. You will notice a trend here. The best resources let you know what you CAN eat, as well as providing information about the disease. Again as a Stateside magazine, some of the recipes use ingredients that we do not get here in Europe, but the ideas are fab and there are plenty of festive recipes (such as this one for mulled wine) for those of you who dread holidays where most foods are 'off limit'.
5. Missjengrieves.com is a blog about having type 1 diabetes. I don't have this type of diabetes, but lots of people do. She writes well, makes me laugh, and on dealing with diabetes, she gives me a good kick up the bottom and reminds me that life goes on. And sometimes, no matter what stage or type of the condition you are dealing with, a good chuckle is what you need.
I hope that some of these resources will be useful to you, especially if you, like me, are new to the pre-diabetes game. Let me know if you have any other secret squirrel gems laying in your internet treasure chest. I am all about having a wide range of resources at my finger tips. Don't forget to check back on Saturday for my Festive Low GI Recipes especially for the World Diabetes Awareness Day. Until then folks, until then...
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