Phil Vickery - Diabetes meal planner : deliciously simple recipes and weekly weight-loss menus

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Hello,

Thank you for buying this book.

Diabetes is with you when you go to sleep. Its with you when you wake up. Its also with you every mealtime, and its far from simple.

But planning what you eat and having some go-to recipes that you know are good for you can make life with diabetes easier.

This book will help you plan, make and eat delicious, healthier meals. By buying it youre supporting our vital work.

Whether its through our helpline, local groups or website, youll be helping us provide the information and support that people need to live well with diabetes.

Our campaigns change thousands of peoples lives every year and ensure care is always getting better. Our researchers are discovering more about diabetes, helping us find new treatments and reducing the damage it does every day. Were fighting for a world where diabetes can do no harm. You can join us at www.diabetes.org.uk.

Thank you for your support, and enjoy the book.

Best wishes,

Chief Executive, Diabetes UK

When Bea Harling and I set out to write our first diabetes book, The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook, in 2016, we really had no idea how the book would be received. As with many of the books I have written, I thought it would be a relatively straightforward case of developing and cooking the recipes, getting them photographed and saying, hey ho, thats it. We soon realised it wouldnt be as simple as that.

The list of ingredients that you can eat if you have diabetes is fortunately very varied, but when you are building balanced, nutritional recipes, you really need to be extremely careful, and it takes a huge amount of time and effort to get things right. As with any very focused recipe development, you have to be so strict, not only when developing or cooking the recipes, but also to ensure you give the correct advice. Research is being published all the time and there have been significant changes even in the three years since the publication of The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook.

We have tried to write easy, colourful and tasty recipes that hopefully will inspire you to get involved and cook. In addition, weve given you sample low-calorie menus, using these recipes, for those wanting to lose weight to help manage their diabetes, to help you plan every meal of the day for two weeks. We have also taken into consideration shopping and so have kept ingredients to a minimum. Some recipes are very simple, and we make no excuse for that as a wise chef once said to me, The fewer ingredients, the less you can hide.

Always, the overriding factor is the need to eat a nutritionally well-balanced diet, keeping a careful eye on calorie intake if youre trying to manage your weight, but also it goes without saying that keeping active is crucial. As you know, I am no doctor, but my older brother is, so we often chat about diets, and he always stresses the need for a combination of moderate exercise and a balanced diet.

Every word in this book has been checked by Diabetes UK and they have been invaluable with guidance, help and latest research. Please note, though, that before embarking on any diet, you should seek advice from your doctor or healthcare professional.

Phil Vickery

More people than ever have diabetes it affects more people than all cancers and dementia combined. It is not always the easiest of conditions to understand and not enough people appreciate the damage it can do. Symptoms include being unusually thirsty, feeling tired all the time and needing to pee more than usual. By spotting the symptoms early, taking prescribed medications and making healthy changes to diet and lifestyle, you can reduce your chances of developing diabetes complications.

Diabetes is a condition where someone has too much glucose (sugar) in their blood. When people dont have diabetes, their blood sugar levels are controlled by a hormone, insulin, which is produced in their pancreas. Insulin helps to move glucose from our blood into our cells, such as muscles, where it is used as fuel for energy.

There are two main types of diabetes type 1 and type 2. Ninety percent of people with diabetes have the type 2 version; 8 per cent have type 1, and about 2 per cent of people have rarer types of diabetes. Rarer forms of diabetes include monogenic diabetes, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and diabetes caused by rare syndromes. Certain types of medication, such as steroids and antipsychotics, surgery or hormonal imbalances can also lead to other types of diabetes.

Type 1 develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body have been destroyed and the body is unable to produce any insulin. It can develop at any age but usually appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood. It is not caused by diet or lifestyle a common misconception. We dont know the exact cause, so there is currently no cure and the long-term health risks are serious: everyone with type 1 needs to treat their diabetes by injecting insulin or using an insulin pump, as well as eating healthily and being regularly active.

Type 2 develops when the body either cant produce enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels in check, or cant use insulin properly. As a result, glucose is poorly absorbed, and the excess can be stored as fat: often around the tummy and clogging up the liver and pancreas. Longer-term health risks are serious. It usually strikes in midlife and slightly more men than women are affected by type 2 diabetes. The risk increases as you get older, although in people of South Asian descent, who are at greater risk overall, the chances increase from the age of 25. People from African-Caribbean and Black African backgrounds are also at higher risk of developing it. Having a close family member with diabetes (a sibling or parent) and being overweight also increases your risk.

The NHS website is a great resource for inspiration, free exercise programmes (without equipment) and tips on staying healthy and living well: have a browse. If you dont do much activity, its best to start slowly and gradually build up, and check with your doctor.