For a while, I stepped away from blogging. Losing my husband changed everything, and with that loss, I lost my mojo too. Cooking, which had always been a joy, suddenly felt empty when it was just for one. On top of that, being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes brought its own challenges. It’s been a difficult learning curve to understand how to eat well and look after myself.   Whilst cooking for myself and blogging felt hard, I found real comfort in teaching, as being in a classroom surrounded by people gave me a sense of connection and purpose. It’s taken time, but I’m slowly finding my way back and rediscovering that spark again. i hope that you will also encourage me once you see my recipes.

These days, I start my day  with a protein-rich smoothie.  This helps to stabilise my blood sugar as I try and balance protein, fibre, and healthy fats.  For me this is the key is to avoid big sugar spikes while still keeping it satisfying and tasty.  I like using this blender for making the smoothie.

Here’s a simple, reliable recipe use:

INGREDIENTS

For the Base: 200–250 ml unsweetened hi protein soya milk (you can use any unsweetened milk)
For the protein: 1 scoop unsweetened protein powder (whey or plant-based). I like the salted caramel flavour.
For the healthy fats: I use a tablespoon of mixture of seeds which also include chia seeds.
Low sugar fruit: I use a handful of frozen berries ((blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
For the Fibre: 1 tablespoon of oats
Handful of nuts too if you have some.  I used Almonds

This combination works as the protein and fat slow down the glucose absorption. The fibre prevents spikes and keeps me feeling full for a lot longer. The low GI frozen fruits gives it flavour.

Practical tip (often overlooked)

• Even a “perfect” smoothie can spike blood sugar if you drink it too quickly.
• Sip your smoothie slowly, and if possible pair with something to chew like some nuts.

Things to be strict about

• Skip bananas, mangoes, dates (even though “natural,” they spike sugar quickly)
• No fruit juice or honey
• Keep fruit portions small—even berries
• Don’t used flavoured yogurts or flavoured milk

METHOD

• First add the milk into a blender jug.
• Add all the ingredients mentioned above.
• Blend the mixture until it’s smooth.
• If the smoothie is too thick, you can add some more milk to it.
• Relax and enjoy your protein rich smoothie.

Look out for more diabetic friendly recipes in future posts.