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Nutrition

Intuitive Eating for Diabetes: Same Food, Different Blood Sugar

Intuitive eating for Diabetes and Prediabetes. It was the same quinoa salad. Same portion. Same time of day. Monday’s version left him feeling steady and energized two hours later. Wednesday’s version sent his blood sugar climbing in a way that took hours to settle. Same food. Same amount. Different result. His doctor’s response was to […]

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Education

Does Lack of Sleep Affect Blood Sugar Levels?

Does lack of sleep affect blood sugar levels? Before I answer, I want to tell you about someone I spoke to recently. She is insulin resistant. Has been told she has “stage 1 diabetes” — which is most likely prediabetes, just described in different language by a different doctor. She is doing her best — […]

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Nutrition

Does Alcohol Raise Blood Sugar? A Pharmacist Explains

Does drinking alcohol raise your blood sugar? It’s Saturday night. Springboks won. You’re at the braai with your mates, Castle Lager in hand. You’ve been good all week—walked after meals, skipped the late-night garage pie, even turned down the Woolworths croissants at the petrol station. Surely this one weekend reward won’t derail your prediabetes progress? […]

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Education Nutrition

Cortisol Sugar Cravings: Why Your Inner Critic Makes You Hungry

As a pharmacist in Cape Town, I’ve watched countless customers blame themselves for sugar cravings. But here’s what I’ve learned about cortisol sugar cravings: they aren’t about willpower – they’re about understanding how your stress hormones actually work. The Tuesday Afternoon Mystery Thabo approached my pharmacy counter looking frustrated. He’d been managing his prediabetes well […]

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Education

Does Stress Affect Blood Sugar? The Hidden Truth

As a pharmacist, I’ve dispensed thousands of diabetes medications. But the most important prescription I ever gave? Understanding how stress affects blood sugar faster than a slice of cake. The 3 AM Mystery That Changes Everything Nomsa stared at her glucose monitor in disbelief: 13.7 mmol/L at 3 AM. She’d done everything right. Perfect meal […]