Have you ever gotten a blood test back from your doctor and immediately thought: “Oh no. I have to go on a diet”?

Maybe your A1c went up, your doctor said you were prediabetic, or you already have diabetes and you’re worried that your eating habits aren’t “good enough.” Or maybe you’ve simply heard so much about blood sugar on social media that you’re now afraid of eating carbs, fruit, or – let’s be honest – anything remotely enjoyable.

And suddenly you’re standing at a fork in the road: Do I trust my body and continue with intuitive eating or do I go back on a restrictive diet because I need to get healthy?

I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to choose. You can care about your blood sugar and have food freedom. You can take your health seriously without becoming afraid of food.

And you absolutely do not need to cut out carbs to care for your blood sugar.

That’s exactly why I was so excited to have registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Kristie Messerli on the podcast. Kristie specializes in helping women understand and manage diabetes while still enjoying their favorite foods, including carbs and even going out with friends.

Let’s talk about what actually matters.

The Blood Sugar Conversation Doesn’t Have to Be About Weight Loss

One of the first questions I wanted to dig into with Kristie was whether someone can improve their blood sugar without dieting or trying to lose weight. This is such an important question because diet culture has trained us to think that health improvement and weight loss are basically the same thing. They’re not.

When you’re told you have prediabetes or diabetes, it’s easy to immediately think, “I need to lose weight,” and your brain goes straight into diet mode. You cut out carbs and sugar, eat less, track everything, and try to be “good.” 

But that’s not the only path to supporting your health.

And if the strategy you’re using to improve your health causes you to become completely obsessed with food, constantly restrict, and eventually rebound into overeating, we have to ask whether that approach is actually sustainable.

Your health deserves better than a plan you can only follow until you can’t stand it anymore.

Carbs Are Not the Villain

Let’s talk about the food group that seems to have become public enemy number one: Carbohydrates.

Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit, dessert – These foods have been blamed for practically everything. And if you’ve been diagnosed with blood sugar concerns, you may have been told – or told yourself – that you need to stay away from them.

But Kristie’s message is very clear: Carbs are not the villain we’ve made them out to be. In fact, you can manage diabetes while still eating your favorite foods, especially carbs.

This is such a different way of thinking about nutrition. Instead of asking, “How do I avoid carbs?” we can start asking, “How can I include carbs in a way that supports my health?” 

Food isn’t just a list of “good” and “bad” choices, and your health doesn’t require you to be afraid of the foods you enjoy.

What Happens When You Become Afraid of Food?

Intuitive eating isn’t about pretending nutrition doesn’t matter. It’s about removing the fear and rigidity so you can make informed choices without turning food into a moral issue.

This is the difference between “I can’t eat bread because carbs are bad,” and “Bread is a carb. How can I build a satisfying meal around it?”

That’s a completely different mindset because instead of avoiding the food or obsessing over whether you were “good”, you’re simply considering what your body needs.

The Blood Sugar Numbers You Should Actually Pay Attention To

Another important part of the conversation with Kristie is understanding the difference between worrying about blood sugar and actually monitoring your health.

This is where we need to get out of the wellness-culture mindset of obsessing over every possible “blood sugar spike.” It happens to so many of us because social media has made us felt like every bite of food needs to be analyzed.

• Did I eat fruit?
• Was my breakfast too high in carbs?
• Did I eat sugar?
• Should I buy a glucose monitor?
• Did my blood sugar spike?
• Is this food “safe?”

That kind of hypervigilance isn’t necessarily health. Sometimes it’s simply food obsession wearing a lab coat.

Instead of trying to micromanage every bite, work with your healthcare team to understand your actual health information and what it means for you.

What If Your A1c Goes Up?

This is one of the questions I specifically wanted to ask Kristie: What do you do if a client’s A1c has gone up from the last time it was checked? (I love this question because it gets us away from the all-or-nothing thinking that diet culture loves.)

An A1c changing doesn’t automatically mean you failed. It means something has changed and it’s time to look at the bigger picture.

Think of it as an opportunity to get curious. What has been happening with your eating patterns? What about your movement, stress, and sleep? Have you been taking your medications as prescribed? What about your overall health? What does your healthcare provider recommend?

Instead of immediately throwing yourself into another restrictive diet, you can look at the actual information and figure out what support your body needs.

That’s gentle nutrition and that’s very different from dieting.

You Can Honor Cravings AND Your Blood Sugar

Here’s another question I wanted to ask Kristie because I know so many women struggle with it: How do you balance honoring cravings with honoring blood sugar? 

This is where people often assume intuitive eating falls apart. They think if they honor their cravings, they’ll just eat cookies all day and destroy their blood sugar. But honoring a craving doesn’t mean you have to abandon nutrition and caring about nutrition doesn’t mean you have to ignore your cravings.

You can have both.

For example, maybe you really want something sweet. Instead of thinking you shouldn’t eat this, get curious. Are you hungry? Does this just sound delicious? Would you enjoy it more alongside a meal?

There’s no moral judgment involved. You’re simply gathering information and making a choice.

That’s what intuitive eating looks like in the real world.

The Underrated Habits That Matter

There’s a lot of flashy things going around on social media, claiming to help you achieve healthier blood sugar. Instead, consider this your sign to go back to the basics. Those underrated habits aren’t the sexy things that are trending on Instagram right now. But there’s a reason they’re so boring: they work.

• Eating balanced meals consistently.
• Moving your body.
• Paying attention to your medical care and taking medications when they’re prescribed.
• Getting enough sleep.
• Managing stress.

And doing those things consistently instead of chasing the next miracle hack.

Notice what isn’t on that list: Cut out carbs forever.

Medication Isn’t a Failure

So many people feel fear and shame around taking blood sugar medication, so let me say this loud and clear: Taking medication is not failing. If you take medication to manage a health condition, it doesn’t mean you didn’t “try hard enough” or ate the wrong foods.

 It means you’re taking care of your health. 

Think about it this way: We don’t shame people for needing glasses or taking blood-pressure medication…so why have we decided that needing medication for blood sugar is some kind of personal failure?

You are allowed to use the tools available to you, and you can work with your healthcare team to figure out what combination of nutrition, movement, medication, and other care makes sense for your individual situation.

Intuitive Eating and Diabetes Can Coexist

If you have diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, or concerns about your blood sugar, I want you to know that you don’t have to abandon everything you’ve been learning about intuitive eating.

You don’t have to choose between health and food freedom. You can still enjoy carbs and enjoy dessert while also caring about your blood sugar. 

Remember, nutrition doesn’t require fear, restriction, or obsession. It’s just another way of taking care of you.

Your Health Doesn’t Need You to Hate Yourself

If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, it makes sense that you might feel scared, but fear doesn’t have to be your nutrition strategy.

You don’t need to spend the rest of your life terrified of carbohydrates or analyze every banana. One food does not determine your health. Oh, and your diagnosis? Does not mean you have to go back on a diet. 

Instead, approach your health with curiosity. Learn what your bloodwork means, find qualified healthcare professionals to support you as you build sustainable habits. And remember, nutrition changes don’t have to become rigid rules. 

Because taking care of your health should never require you to hate yourself in the process.

In case nobody has told you today: You are enough already.

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Search for Ep.255 (Transcript): Diabetes, Pre-Diabetes, and Blood Sugar with Kristie Messerli

Looking for more support on your journey to food freedom and body acceptance?

– Check out my course, Non-Diet Academy
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