Find a diabetes dietitian near you
Managing Your Diabetes and Nutrition to Help You Thrive
You went to the doctor and found out you have diabetes. Now what?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder marked by high blood sugar. It’s caused by defective insulin action (a hormone produced by your pancreas to control blood sugar levels), defective insulin secretion, or a combination of both.
Some forms of diabetes:
- Prediabetes: Blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet diagnosed as diabetes. With proper nutrition and lifestyle changes, you may be able to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
- Type 1 Diabetes: This autoimmune condition requires insulin therapy for life.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Makes up 90-95% of all diabetes cases (source). Type 2 diabetes is often linked to weight, diet, and lifestyle factors.
- Gestational Diabetes (GDM): GDM develops during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and typically resolves after delivery, though it increases risk for type 2 diabetes later.
When blood sugars are too high, this can result in short and long term complications and increases your risks for heart disease, kidney disease and lower limb amputations.
In short? Diabetes is a serious condition.
But it’s also a manageable condition.
Questions around diabetes & nutrition
This is one of the biggest misconceptions about diabetes nutrition! You don’t need to eliminate carbohydrates or sugar completely. Our BC Dietitians help you understand that carbs are an important energy source – it’s about choosing the right types and amounts, and timing them appropriately with your meals and medications. We focus on finding a sustainable approach that includes foods you enjoy while keeping your blood sugars in a healthy range.
Absolutely not! Starchy foods like whole grains, potatoes, and legumes, as well as fruits, can all be part of a healthy diabetes meal plan. Our diabetes specialists help you understand how different carbohydrates affect your blood sugar and teach you practical strategies for including these nutritious foods while managing your glucose levels. The key is portion control, timing, and pairing carbs with protein and healthy fats.
Medication decisions are made by your healthcare team based on your blood sugar levels, overall health, and how well lifestyle changes are working. Our BC Dietitians work closely with your doctor to optimize your nutrition plan and help you understand how food affects your blood sugar. Many people can manage Type 2 diabetes effectively with lifestyle changes, while others benefit from medications as part of their overall treatment plan.
Modern diabetes nutrition is much more flexible than you might think! Gone are the days of rigid “diabetic diets” with long lists of forbidden foods. Our diabetes specialists help you create a personalized eating plan that fits your cultural preferences, lifestyle, and food preferences while effectively managing your blood sugar. The goal is finding an approach that you can maintain long-term and that supports both your diabetes management and your overall quality of life.
How BC Dietitians can help
Understand your diagnosis and manage blood sugar
- Explain what your specific type of diabetes means for you
- Clarify myths and misconceptions about diabetes management
- Help you understand blood sugar targets and monitoring
Enjoy your favourite foods while managing blood sugar
- Develop meal plans that fit your lifestyle, preferences, and cultural background
- Learn how to balance carbohydrates with your medication (if applicable)
- Develop skills for eating out and special occasions
Prevent further complications and support your lifestyle goals
- Address kidney health concerns and/or support heart health through nutrition (diabetes increases cardiovascular risk)
- Optimize nutrition for wound healing and immune function
- Help with weight management if needed
- Adjust eating plans for shift work, travel, or illness
- Support nutrition needs during life stages, like pregnancy (i.e. gestational diabetes)
- Adapt strategies as you age or your health needs change
Find your diabetes dietitian
Browse local dietitians with expertise in diabetes nutrition. Each profile includes their specific areas of focus, location, and booking information.
Frequently asked questions
Private practice dietitians are not covered by MSP. However, many extended health benefit plans and insurance providers will cover a portion or all of the services provided by a Registered Dietitian (RD). Please confirm with your plan provider your maximum yearly and visit allowance.
Registered dietitians are authorized medical practitioners recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency.
If you pay out of pocket for your dietitian services, you can claim these expenses as medical expense for tax credit purposes.
A doctor’s referral is not necessary to book in with a BC Dietitian. While a referral is not needed to start your journey with us, we do appreciate connecting with your healthcare provider to coordinate care and provide a holistic and comprehensive care plan.
Diabetes dietitians typically have clinical experience working in hospitals, diabetes clinics that treat patients with diagnosed diabetes.
These RDs will also partake in continuing education to stay current with the latest research, treatment guidelines, and best practices in diabetes nutrition.
A diabetes dietitian can help you with the following:
- learn why your body is not managing your blood sugar effectively and how to improve this for you specifically
- understand optimal eating times to stabilize your blood sugars
- understand how many grams of carbs, fiber and protein to aim for at a meal and snack
- understand food pairings that can help stabilize your blood sugars
- achieve and maintain healthy weight
- manage other comorbidities ie. high cholesterol, high blood pressure, PCOS
- reduce risks for other complications ie. heart diseases, heart failure, kidney disease, lower limb amputations
- avoid unnecessary food restrictions
We make it easy for your to find a specialized diabetes dietitian in BC.
Check out the dietitians listed on this page (or jump here), click on their profiles to read more about their qualifications, experience, and services.
Connect directly with your ADHD dietitian and get started!
Need help finding the right dietitian?
Not sure where to start? Our “match with a BC Dietitian” pathway can help you get matched to a dietitian based on your needs and preferences, check your insurance coverage, and book your first appointment with confidence.
Diabetes news and resources
Is Ozempic Actually The Best Way To Lose Weight
In the recent years, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus (oral semaglutide pill), Mounjaro / Zepbound (a dual agonist that mimics both hormones – GLP-1 and GIP) have rapidly gained popularity as prescription for weight loss. The global GLP-1 market is forecasted to exceed $100 billion
Does these Popular Supplements for Diabetes Actually Work?
Did you know that over 5 million people living in Canada are living with some form of diabetes? While there are various medications available to help manage diabetes and control blood sugars, more and more Canadians are exploring natural, holistic supplements to help manage their blood sugars. 25%
Learn the Different Types of PCOS from a PCOS Dietitian
If you are a woman with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), you know how hard it can be to manage the various symptoms—from acne and fertility issues to weight gain, fatigue, mood disturbances, and more. Figuring out what’s causing your PCOS symptoms and addressing them through diet is challenging—but it
One-Pot Easy Vegetarian Chili
I was invited to host a cooking class for UBC students in the Student Recovery Community (SRC). The SRC community is an inclusive peer-led space designed to support students who are in recovery or curious to explore their relationship with alcohol, drugs, eating disorders and/or addictive behaviors. One of the nutrition topics
Need help finding the right dietitian?