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Diet and diabetes

Our team of Registered Diabetes Dietitians can help you manage your diabetes, for example to improve your blood glucose levels.

We can help you to achieve a healthy diet and lifestyle in the best way for you and your diabetes. Managing your diabetes is very important to lower the risk of complications later.

We work with people of all ages who have:

  • Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes (high blood glucose during pregnancy)
  • Secondary diabetes, such as from pancreatitis or steroid treatment

How we can help

We can help you to:

  • learn how to balance your insulin along with your carbohydrate foods and still keep glucose levels in target
  • achieve a healthy diet and lifestyle in the best way for you and your diabetes
  • understand what is myth and what is fact when it comes to food and diabetes
  • adjust insulin and food for planned activity – whether this is a walk, or something more intense such as a half marathon
  • understand your glucose readings to feel empowered to adjust your own insulin doses
  • use technology, including continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps

We mostly support those living with diabetes that are injecting insulin. If your diabetes is managed by your GP and you are on tablets only, you will see our Community Dietetic colleagues.

Where you can find us

You can attend our clinics and group sessions at:

  • Ayr Diabetes Centre
  • Crosshouse Diabetes Centre

Appointments are available in a way that suits you:

  • Face to face
  • By video call
  • By telephone

We also run and support a range of group sessions, and you may see us at:

  • Transition clinics
  • Young adult clinics
  • Pregnancy clinics

How to be referred

  1. You can ask your Diabetes Nurse, Consultant or any member of the Diabetes team to refer you to our clinics. We accept referrals from any healthcare professional.
  2. After you’ve been referred, we’ll usually contact you by letter, inviting you to get in touch to arrange your appointment. You’ll be asked to leave us a message so we can book a time that works for you.
  3. An appointment will then be sent out to you in the post.
  4. If we don’t hear from you by the date in the letter, we’ll assume you no longer wish to attend and remove you from the waiting list. Don’t worry – you can be referred again at any time if you change your mind.

Resources

For more information on food and diabetes, see:

Support with losing weight

If your main goal is to lose weight and you already understand how to adjust your own insulin, we recommend contacting NHS Ayrshire & Arran Weight Management Team.

Contact

For further support, please contact:

  • Diabetes Day Centre: 01563 827 642