RICHARD CATTON meets a nutritional therapist who is helping people with type-two diabetes stabilise their sugar levels.

IF there is a watchword to live your life by when dealing with type two diabetes, it must surely be “balance”.

A diagnosis of type-two diabetes is something 2.9 million people in the UK have experienced and that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next decade, thanks to our aging population and increasing number of overweight people.

While being delivered the news that you have type-two diabetes doesn’t mean the end of your world, it can come as big shock and will certainly mean changing a few lifestyle habits, not least your diet, which brings us back to balance.

Controlling type-two diabetes with diet alone is the goal of most people with the condition and that could about to become much easier thanks to a York nutritional therapist whose diet plan, which she has honed over many years, is starting to yield remarkable results on those with diabetes and is currently being considered by the NHS as a way of controlling those all important blood sugar levels.

The Rebalance eating plan, developed by 52-year-old Elaine Wilson, was originally intended as way of reducing fat and increasing general health, however it also proved to have some impressive results for those with type-two diabetes.

She said: “Balancing blood sugar means matching the rate of uptake of glucose into the bloodstream with the body’s energy needs. Carbohydrates, found in foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes, are turned into glucose quickly while proteins and fats turn more slowly.

“So when you eat proteins or fats (healthy ones of course) with carbohydrates they slow down the speed at which glucose enters the blood stream. It is all about knowing your needs, and which foods or combinations of foods will work for you.

"The more we can even out the dips in blood sugar, the more comfortable we are, feeling satisfied or fuller for longer.

“It is vital that there is always some glucose in the blood, to ensure our brains are able to function, yet, the amount of glucose in our blood is never static. Our cells are constantly using up the glucose and burning it for energy. Replacing glucose that has been used up is essential for our brains.

“If the systems that regulate our blood sugar are healthy, the amount of glucose they provide is just enough to replace the glucose used. In this way, you could say we “balance” our blood sugar.

Working out the best diet for each individual comes after a consultation and assessment with Elaine at her clinic on Clifton Green. Once a suitable eating regime has been established then the results should be noticeable almost immediately.

Jon Charters-Reid, who runs a successful chartered surveyors business in York, turned to Elaine after failing to get his blood sugar levels under control.

He said: “I was diagnosed with type-two several years ago and, despite my very best attempts to get my blood-sugar under control, I couldn’t get my levels below 16, 17, 18 or even 19 and 20 which is dangerously high.

“I joined a gym, I followed every bit of advice from the NHS dietician, but to no avail. My diabetes specialist at York District Hospital was adamant that I must increase my dietary efforts. At my wit’s end, I talked to a friend who knows Elaine Wilson, and he suggested I contact her.”

John said Elaine looked at his diet and she advised him to do a “180- degree turn” in his dietary habits.

“She meticulously planned my diet – giving me very detailed meal plans. Now, just six weeks later, my blood sugar levels typically range between 5.8 and seven – hitting my target perfectly.

“I have lost 5kgs in weight and my partner and family have all noticed that I am a different man.”

The rebalance eating plan is not just for diabetics and in fact was born from a previous healthy eating regime devised by Elaine to help people lose the dangerous build up of fat around the stomach, one of the worst places to carry excess weight in terms of the effect on your health.

“It is the distribution of fat which is critical,” said Elaine. “If you are what is called an apple shape or have a muffin top hanging over your belt you are at risk from conditions like diabetes and heart disease so it is precisely the kind of fat which has to be moved. But it is also about shifting that visceral fat, which you may not notice because it is around the internal organs.

“The Rebalance programme helps to move that fat without losing muscle tissue.”

For more information on Rebalance email: thecliniconthegreen@practicepartnership.co.uk or phone 01904 673050