‘Start where you are’ is excellent advice, but you first need to know exactly where that starting point is on your type 2 diabetes journey.

Establish your baseline

Establishing a baseline helps you track real improvements over time. Gather your most recent test results, or see your GP if they’re outdated.

• Fasting blood glucose
• HbA1c (your 3-month blood glucose average)
• Blood pressure
• Lipid panel (cholesterol)

Write these down on the DFN long-term medical data tracker and update them with future results. Share your progress with your healthcare practitioner at every visit.

There is also the DFN short-term health tracker that you can use to track changes in other areas of your health like sleep and mood, which can also be shared with your medical practitioner.

Assess insulin resistance and habits

Use these tools to calculate (and later recalculate) your insulin resistance level:

• The AUSDRISK assessment tool estimates your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next five years.
• The Mastering Diabetes PILAF checklist helps you assess your insulin resistance level. It is helpful to reassess your insulin resistance level throughout your journey.

Note: We advise against ideal body weight calculations because they ignore age, gender, ethnicity, life stage, and muscle density. Skip them entirely or use realistic, healthy weight ranges instead.

Next, check your current eating habits using the Traffic Light Guide. Track how many fruits and vegetables you’re eating daily.

The Daily Habit Checker also tracks movement and water intake—perfect for comparing against future progress.

Choose 2-3 sustainable changes with SMART goals

Don’t overhaul everything at once—too many changes can be overwhelming. Pick just a few habits you want to change and create using the SMART goals format (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Write them down and track progress. We can’t improve what we don’t measure. For example:

• Switch to plant-based milk in my morning oats this week
• Walk 10 minutes after dinner twice weekly
• Meal prep one dinner on Sunday to eat during the week

Enlist support from loved ones

Explain to family, housemates, friends, and loved ones why you’re making these diabetes health changes—for yourself, not them. Ask for support, not compliance.

• “Don’t eat takeaway in front of me if I’m not joining in”
• “Join me for coffee instead of wine, or a walk together”

They don’t need to change their habits, but their understanding makes your success easier.

The power of early removal

For the fastest, lasting results, eliminate the most harmful foods during your transition’s early stages. These directly worsen insulin resistance and diabetes complications. Reintroducing them risks undoing progress. For most with type 2 diabetes, keeping these foods out long-term yields the best health outcomes.

Focus on delicious foods you can enjoy

Countless satisfying options await—vibrant fruits, hearty potatoes, wholesome grains, and tasty plant-based dishes that stabilise blood sugar and protect your heart. Adding these nourishing foods builds momentum and is more productive than dwelling on restrictions.

Consistency compounds. Every meal becomes an opportunity to support your diabetes health. Your body will show the results through better blood glucose levels and test numbers.

Make meaningful change for diabetes health

Every step forward helps, but bigger shifts create greater improvements. For optimal type 2 diabetes control, embrace substantial changes toward a low-fat, whole food plant-based diet. Your plate priorities:

• Enjoy: Whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, low-fat plant foods
• Pause: Higher-fat plants (nuts, avocado, tofu), dried fruit
• Remove: Animal products (meat, dairy, eggs), oil, coconut milk, nut butters, ultra-processed foods (chips, biscuits, pastries, deep-fried items)