Steart, Barnard & Associates Inc

31/01/2023

How exactly does weight-loss surgery benefit patients with type 2 diabetes?

The body's production of ghrelin, the hormone that increases appetite, has been shown to be decreased as a result of weight loss surgery. Additionally, the procedure boosts the production of hormones like GLP-1, which benefits insulin production. The body is better able to move blood sugar into the cells for use as fuel when there is more insulin available, instead of allowing it to accumulate in the bloodstream.
After surgery, these changes can start to occur quickly, and many patients have even been able to immediately reduce the dosage of their diabetes medication. Most of them reach remission from their diabetes within 2 years and stop taking any medication altogether!

29/09/2022

Diabetes Day Retreat #2

Anyone in and around Pietermaritzburg area who is living with any of the following conditions :






Come join us!

The Day is aimed to :
- Inspire
- Be relaxing
- Connect with others living with similar condition
- Empower - so that you leave feeling equipped and supported to focus on your health

The feedback from our Diabetes Day Retreat #1 has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited to see people's lives changed!

24/08/2022

Limited spaces so rsvp soon to book your spot :)

14/07/2022

Mindful Eating

😱 A dietitian eating a chocolate pastry? Is what I’m sure many of you may be thinking as you see this pic…?

Yes she is! Here’s why I posted this pic…

In my teens I had anorexia and bulimia for most of my high school years and even early 20s…it nearly ruined my life and my family’s…But thank the Lord (literally) I am fully recovered.

As I embarked on relearning how to eat “freely” and not with guilt and voices of good and bad and condemnation and judgement (from myself) going through my mind, I had to really slow down and learn to be ok with eating foods - ALL types of foods.

One of the biggest things I find I did and many of our patients do, is if they’re indulging in something “sinful” they eat it quickly and don’t enjoy every mouthful…
It’s almost as if the quicker it’s eaten the less one feels bad about it or getting rid of it means it won’t torment one further by being there…?

I had to re learn to savour, enjoy, be present, be ok and work through the negative deceitful thoughts that tried to make me feel bad…

So sure, a chocolate croissant may not be the “healthiest” option for one BUT this post is more about self love, breaking the harsh cycle of guilt and dieting mentality and encouraging YOU that your mindset and relationship with food can improve…

This croissant took me 20min to eat…every mouthful I savoured and I aimed to do nothing else while eating it…
Being present and mindful eating is imperative in improving our health and relationship with food 🤗💛

Talk to a dietitian that deals with relationships with food if you feel you need that help 🤗🙏🏻

💛 Fran

09/03/2022

Thank you Cheryl Mackinnon from Great Women in Business for asking me to share my story next week at your networking breakfast! Looking forward to it! If anyone in the Hillcrest / Kloof area would like to come please do 🙂

Bookings can be made on this link : https://forms.gle/WS75TDXvcsfspDpB6

19/11/2021

12/11/2021

World Diabetes Month

As a dietitian passionate in helping those newly diagnosed with diabetes to those who’ve had it for 40+ years, today I start a trial of glucose monitoring myself!

Firstly to see what it feels like - which quite honesty was less painful than having a finger prick test!

Secondly, This little device is connected with a little sensor into my bloodstream at the back of my arm and will test my sugars every 5minutes for 10-14 days! It’ll be very interesting to see how foods affect readings for someone who has a working pancreas…will chocolate make me go high…will my intermittent fasting drop me too low…will wait and see 🤗

This little amazing device means No regular finger prick tests to check sugars 🥳 and also gives you the trend of your sugar which is indicated by a little arrow so one can correct the trajectory if going to high or heading for a low…

How things have and should continue to change for those living with diabetes!

The fact that medical aids DON’T want to pay for this from the get go and one has to motivate and sometimes beg while patients have hypos and lose limbs and eyesight…How much does that cost them? Way more! Blows my mind!! 🤯

If you have input and information that doesn’t hurt and carries on while you sleep or work or exercise, and enables you to make wise decisions about your medication dosages and food, SURELY it’ll mean better control going forward. Surely it’ll mean less:

- peripheral neuropathy
- renal failure
- amputations
- cardiovascular complications
The list goes on…🤯

We see YOU, living with diabetes and we want to help where we can 🤗🙏🏻

08/11/2021

The 1st food to Test and measure - Oats!

Oats if high in fibre and considered a low GI food once cooked.
However, many of my patients living with diabetes find that their sugars increase after eating it...So let's see what happens...

By adding other foods like:
- butter and / or
- nut butter and / or
- blueberries and / or
- a scoop of whey protein powder
Can assist in getting a better sugar reading after eating cooked oats.

Please share what it does to YOUR pre and post sugar readings :)

08/11/2021

Awareness Month is here...

I personally love helping people living with diabetes or newly diagnosed with diabetes as so much can be done to help!

Diabetes shouldn't control YOUR life - you should be helped to control your diabetes.

Working together with our patients I strongly believe :

1) You (living with diabetes) are not a robot & just because you are diagnosed with diabetes doesn't mean you suddenly should be deprived of all the foods that you usually enjoy.

2) I believe that personalizing your diabetes care is of UTMOST importance. Your dose of medication should be tailored to your needs (especially on insulin) & your medication should match your eating times and portions and NOT you having to change your portions etc to match your medication.

3) Each person responds differently to different foods.
Yes sure, eating low GI or "sugar free" foods can be "good" and there are recommended guidelines BUT finding out what works for YOU - what pushes YOUR sugar levels up, which foods YOU can tolerate or not - is so important.

If I can help you to "eat what you love and love what you eat" and still keep your sugars under control - well, that makes us all happy 😊

For this week, we want to call on anyone out there living with diabetes to bring out your glucometers (hopefully you aren't dusting them off!) and let's share what certain foods do to your sugar levels...

Each day we will suggest a certain food (something containing Carbs in it) and please do the following :
- Test your sugars BEFORE you eat the food & write your reading down
- Take a picture of your food & eat a portion of the suggested food (record your portion & what you added to it)
- Retest your sugars 2 hours POST eating the food

Please share openly if you feel you can & hashtag us into your post ( ) and then let's make people aware of how unique and precious your body is and how it works.

Or send us your private results and we can post them confidentially on our page.

To all of you living with diabetes...
We see YOU! Know we want to walk along side you and improve YOUR quality of life 🤗

x Fran and Claire

04/11/2021

Howick Peeps
Meet Cath 💛
Cath had worked with us over the last few years, in hospitals and in our rooms and is compassionate, passionate and full of joy 🤗
She is an mighty warrior lady who’s survived breast cancer and who can emphasize with anyone experiencing treatment and the journey…

She is available for HOME visits - mainly in the Howick area but do call our offices for more information 🤗 Coming to you in the comfort of your home can be a great place to learn and make changes.

24/10/2021

Don't forget about our upcoming Postnatal Support Groups at Hilton Health!

The next group will be this coming Friday, the 29th of October, with guest speaker Claire Barnard - registered dietician from Steart, Barnard & Associates.

Contact Lyn Wade by Wednesday evening to RSVP - 084 466 9988