Day-to-day management of diabetes rests on four pillars. None of them is rocket science, but they need to fit your life — not someone else's.
Diet & Nutrition
Regular, balanced eating with attention to carbs. Half your plate vegetables, a quarter lean protein, a quarter wholegrain carbs.
Diet & NutritionExercise Tips
At least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Brisk walking is the easiest place to start; add resistance work twice a week.
Exercise TipsBlood Sugar Monitoring
HbA1c shows your 2–3 month average; fingerprick or CGM shows you right now. Know your personal targets.
Blood Sugar MonitoringMedication & Insulin
Metformin is the most common first-line drug for Type 2. Take medications as prescribed and tell your GP about side effects.
Medication & Insulin
Diet & nutrition
Eating well for diabetes is about pattern, not perfection. Build most meals around the plate model and choose wholegrains where you can.
- Half the plate non-starchy vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter wholegrain carbs.
- Watch sugary drinks — 600 mL of soft drink is roughly 60 g of sugar.
- Read the “per 100 g” column on NZ nutrition labels to compare products.
Exercise tips
Why activity is one of the best things you can do for Type 2 diabetes.
Build your NZ care team
None of this is medical advice — it is general information to help you have better conversations with your GP, nurse, dietitian and pharmacist.
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