Food for thought: Black people with type 2 diabetes encouraged to join free healthy living group tailored to their needs

Guy’s and St Thomas’ is calling on Black African and Black Caribbean people with type 2 diabetes to join a free healthy eating and exercise programme specially tailored to their needs.

The 7-week online HEAL-D programme gives people living in south London advice on managing their diabetes, and shares healthier ways of cooking traditional foods, based on recipes from local people.

The 2-hour weekly sessions over 7 weeks explore a range of topics including:

• understanding diabetes and blood glucose
• how to improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• tips for managing weight

Most classes also include a light to moderate exercise class with a physiotherapist. The sessions are currently available online on Monday evenings and Wednesday afternoons, and people can refer themselves or can be referred by a health professional such as a GP.

Ingrid Hamilton, a 59-year-old IT administrator from Tooting took part in HEAL-D in December 2024, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes the same year. Ingrid’s HbA1c levels have dropped from 72 to 47mmol/mol (a diabetes test to measure average blood glucose levels for the last two to three months). If you have diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol or below.

She said: “Most diabetic education is geared to people who eat salads and not the foods I would normally eat, so it’s not going to work for me. The minute I can go back to having a little bit of rice and peas, that’s what I’m going to do.

“But on this programme they don’t want you to give up the foods that you’re used to. They teach you portion size and sometimes it’s just a tweak in the way you cook things. Instead of frying it, put it in the oven. If I decide I want to do stewed chicken, the amount of oil that’s in the pan is minimal now, because I would add more water, just to get it started.

“The way I used to season food, I’d have a line of all my seasonings. I’d put a little bit of this one, a little bit of that one. But they’ve all got a bit of salt in. So they suggested pouring them all in one big container. You’ll use less seasoning, and therefore less salt. Now my plate is smaller too. Half of my plate is vegetables and salad, and a quarter of it is protein.

“I do a lot of walking now. When I’m working I try to make sure I take 2 breaks where I’ll go for a walk. I remember them saying you’ve got to walk at a pace so that you can’t speak but you can hum.

“Programmes like this are brilliant, they are so needed!”

Alexis Prince, senior specialist diabetes dietitian and educator, said: “The idea is to support people to make positive diet and lifestyle changes without feeling that they have to change their diet completely. It incorporates traditional foods, making the programme much more relevant and accessible.

“There’s also the peer support element. People share how they are getting on and what foods they like to eat. We get them to look in their cupboards to see how they can adapt cooking methods and recipes to make some tasty dishes they will enjoy.

“The physical activity focuses on realistic goal setting and being able to keep any changes they make over the 7 weeks of the programme going.

“We want people to feel empowered to take control of their health and make positive lifestyle changes that are going to benefit them long term, whilst also engaging with other people in the same boat who may be experiencing similar feelings.”

Ongoing research from the University of Leicester continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the HEAL-D programme across the UK.