So, what should I eat?

Most people with diabetes know that foods containing sugar will raise their glucose levels.

But many are surprised that starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals also cause blood-glucose levels to increase. When they are digested by the body they are all broken down into glucose, some of them faster than table sugar itself.

Like most people, I was brought up eating potatoes or rice with a main meal, but evidence shows that when eaten to excess they, along with processed meat, fizzy drinks and fruit juices are some of the biggest culprits for increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. All of them lead to a rapid increase in the level of glucose in the bloodstream, causing the pancreas to secrete more insulin and increasing the likelihood of fat accumulating in the liver.

In contrast, following a vegan, vegetarian or Mediterranean diet – rich in green vegetables and healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, and oily fish – reduces your risk of developing the condition.

Put simply, to try to reverse the changes in your body that have led to you developing type 2 diabetes, you must cut down on foods that raise glucose levels and increase your intake of the good stuff. So, for example, if you usually eat cereal for breakfast, swap it for eggs (poached, scrambled or boiled) or unsweetened Greek yogurt mixed with a handful of nuts, seeds or oats.

Ditch your lunchtime sandwich for soup (preferably home-made, but minus starchy veg such as potatoes or parsnips) or salad, and make sure your main meals contain only a small portion of starchy food, such as a couple of small, boiled potatoes, if at all. You can enjoy carb-heavy meals such as pizza or pasta now and again; just accept that your glucose level will rise sharply afterwards.

However, not all starch is the same and some, such as brown rice or wholemeal bread or pasta, are absorbed more slowly with less impact on blood glucose. Still, if you do eat them, make sure they take up less than a quarter of your plate.

Reducing carbohydrate intake is not only good for controlling bloodglucose levels, it will also reduce insulin production.

This is essential in reversing the metabolic changes that occur in type 2 diabetes.