Elsie Friel Diabetes Dietitian

12/10/2025

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09/10/2025

08/10/2025

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05/07/2024

Hi. I am a dietitian specialising in diabetes. I am looking for 5 people with Type 2 diabetes who would be willing to answer a few questions on what aspects of diabetes management they struggle with most. In turn I am offering a FREE 20minute question and answer session with myself to answer your dietary related questions.

Send me a message if you are interested in participating 😊

30/04/2024

I have reached 200 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

26/02/2024

Are you experiencing erratic blood sugars and not sure why? 🫤

Many factors can affect your blood sugars but here is a few factors to consider:
1️⃣Your carb intake varies. If you don’t adjust your insulin for the amount of carbs you eat, you will experience variable blood glucose readings. Similarly, if you are using insulin:carb ratios but are guesstimating your carbs you might find your are not achieving your blood sugar targets. 2️⃣ Your activity levels vary. Somedays you might be more or less active than others which will affect your blood sugars. Some exercise will make your blood sugars go up and others will drop your blood sugars. Having an understanding of how exercise affect your blood sugars will help you to decide what changes you need to make to your insulin or carbs to help you achieve your blood sugar targets.
3️⃣When you gain weight you become more insulin resistant. This will affect your insulin requirements. You might need to adjust your insulin (e.g. back ground insulin, insulin at meal times, insulin:carb ratio and correction factor).
4️⃣High fat meals make you insulin resistant. You typically need more insulin for a high fat meal compare to a low fat meal even when the carb content in the meal is exactly the same.
5️⃣Lack of sleep can make you more insulin resistant. You might find you have higher blood sugar levels in the morning after a poor night sleep.
6️⃣ if you are unwell or under a lot of stress, you’ll also find your blood sugars rise. This is again due to increased insulin resistance. Similarly, if you premenstrual , pre-menopausal or going through menopause, you will become more insulin resistant and may need to adjust your insulin.

Tired of doing this all by yourself? Book a FREE discovery call ☎️ with me to find out how I can support you. Link is in my bio👆Alternatively DM me the word “SUPPORT” and I’ll show you how.

21/02/2024

Looking for whole food plant-based snack ideas to help you manage your blood sugars?🙋‍♀️

I have recently completed this snack book called “Snack your way to a lower HbA1C”📣.

Want a copy? Click on the link in my bio 👆to get your FREE copy or DM the word CONTROL to me and I will send you the link.

Find out how you can drop your HbA1C with as much as 10mmol/mol in the next 12 weeks on a FREE call ☎️ Book now via link in my bio or DM me ‘READY’ and I’ll show you how.

20/02/2024

Is insulin resistance causing your high blood sugars? 🤔

Insulin resistance can be present in people with Type 1, Type 2, gestational and pre-diabetes.

Our bodies need insulin to help us manage our blood sugars. Insulin resistance is when your body is not able to use the insulin you inject or the insulin your body still makes effectively, resulting in high blood sugars.

Lifestyle and non-lifestyle factors can cause insulin resistance.

Luckily there is a lot one can do to reduce or even overcome insulin resistance. For example:
1. Eat more foods from plants such as wholegrains, lentils, fruit and veg. Plant based foods are high in fibre, low in fat and high in nutrients and phytonutrients which are essential for supporting us to lower insulin resistance. And no, you don’t have to become vegan or vegetarian. Just eat more foods from plants.
2. Do exercise most days. Exercise makes us more sensitive to our insulin. That is why you might experience a hypo after certain types of exercise.
3. Make time to relax. Stress and anxiety can cause a release in stress hormones. Stress hormones makes us insulin resistance.
4. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can make you more insulin resistant.
5. Limit your fat and oil intake. High fat foods make you insulin resistant especially processed foods high in fat.

Do you want to lower your HbA1C with as much as 10% in the next 12 weeks? DM me the word “RESISTANCE” and I’ll show you how. Alternatively book a FREE discovery call ☎️ with me. Link is in my bio 👆

19/02/2024

Is insulin resistance causing your high blood sugars? 🤔

Insulin resistance can be present in people with Type 1, Type 2, gestational and pre-diabetes.

Lifestyle and non-lifestyle factors can cause insulin resistance.

Making small changes to what you eat, how you exercise and your sleeping habits to name a few factors, can significantly improve your insulin resistance and lead to lower blood sugars☺️

Do you want to lower your HbA1C with as much as 10% in the next 12 weeks? DM me the word “RESISTANCE” and I’ll show you how. Alternatively book a FREE discovery call ☎️ with me. Link is in my bio 👆

14/02/2024

Frustrated with high and unpredictable blood sugars? 🫤

High and unpredictable blood sugars can be due to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the body is not able to use insulin effectively resulting in high blood sugars. Insulin resistance can be present in people with all types of diabetes😮

Insulin resistance can be caused by lifestyle and non-lifestyle factors. Lifestyle factors include inactivity, carrying excess weight, high fat foods, highly processed foods, stress and lack of sleep😴

Non lifestyle factors include anxiety and illness.

Luckily there is a lot one can do to lower insulin resistance and thus lower blood sugars. For instance:
1. Eat more foods from plants. Plants are high in fibre. Fibre slows down digestion and lowers insulin resistance.
2. Do some physical activity most days. Activity makes you more sensitive to insulin and therefore lowers blood sugars.
3. Make relaxing a priority. When we stress we release stress hormones which makes us more insulin resistant and thus higher blood sugars.
4. Make sure you get enough sleep. Lack if so sleep makes you insulin resistant. You are also more likely to crave high calorie foods after a poor night sleep because your body is trying to gain energy through eating high calorie foods.
5. Avoid foods high in fat especially highly processed foods. Fat makes it harder for your insulin to work resulting in higher blood sugars.

Not sure what to eat for lower blood sugars? Book a FREE discovery call ☎️ with me to find out how I can support you. Link is in my bio 👆Alternatively DM me the work SUPPORT and I’ll show you how.

13/02/2024

Are you curious about the benefits of whole food plant-based (WFPB) diets when you have diabetes ? 😊

WFPB diets have many benefits but the main benefit for people with diabetes (type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes) is that it promotes insulin sensitivity whilst also lowering other risk factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure 😮

A well balanced WFBP diet is also great for supporting a healthy body overall.

And no! You don’t have to become a vegan or vegetarian to benefit from whole food plant-based eating.

Do you want a lower HbA1C and a higher time in range? Book a free discovery call ☎️ with me to find out how I can support you. Link is in my bio. Alternatively DM me the word SUPPORT and I’ll show you how.