Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Dietitian in Oklahoma City
Personalized Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition Counseling for Better Blood Sugar Management
Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes and feel overwhelmed by what you’re supposed to eat?
Maybe your A1C is higher than you’d like. Maybe your doctor told you that you’re insulin resistant. Or perhaps you’ve had diabetes for years but still aren’t confident about how to build meals, manage carbohydrates, or control your blood sugar.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
At Life Nutrition, I provide personalized diabetes, pre-diabetes, and blood-sugar nutritional counseling. I will help you understand how nutrition, portions, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, physical activity, and lifestyle can work together to support your health and your individual goals.
You don’t need a perfect diet. You need a nutrition plan that makes sense for your body and your life.
Meet Your Oklahoma City Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Dietitian
I’m Erin Martin, RDN/LD, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the founder of Life Nutrition.
I’ve been a Registered Dietitian since 2009 and earned my Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University.
I became a dietitian because I wanted to help people become the healthiest version of themselves and help people prevent and manage disease through nutrition.
My approach to diabetes nutrition is personalized, practical, and sustainable.
You don’t have to completely eliminate carbohydrates. You don’t have to live on salads. And you don’t have to give up every food you enjoy.
Instead, we’ll work together to create an eating pattern that supports your blood sugar and overall health while still fitting your real life.
Diabetes Nutrition Counseling Can Help With
Life Nutrition provides nutrition counseling for individuals with:
- Prediabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes nutrition support
- Insulin resistance
- Elevated A1C
- Elevated fasting glucose
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes-related weight management
- Diabetes and high cholesterol
- Diabetes and high triglycerides
- Diabetes and fatty liver
- Diabetes and kidney disease
- Diabetes and GLP-1 medications
Your nutrition plan will be individualized based on your medical history, medications, laboratory values, food preferences, lifestyle, and goals.
Prediabetes Nutrition Counseling
If you’ve been told that you have prediabetes, this can be an important opportunity to make meaningful lifestyle changes.
You may be wondering:
There isn’t one diet that is right for everyone. We’ll look at your current eating habits and identify practical changes that may help support healthy blood sugar and metabolic health.
Depending on your individual needs, we may work on:
- Meal composition
- Carbohydrate portions
- Protein intake
- Fiber intake
- Weight management
- Physical activity
- Meal timing
- Snack choices
- Beverage choices
- Overall dietary quality
Type 2 Diabetes Nutrition
If you have type 2 diabetes, nutrition can be an important part of your overall diabetes management plan. Your personalized nutrition recommendations may focus on:
Carbohydrate awareness
You don’t necessarily need to eliminate carbohydrates.
Instead, you’ll learn how different carbohydrate-containing foods and portions can fit into your overall eating pattern.
Protein
We’ll determine an appropriate protein intake based on your health and nutritional needs.
Protein can help make meals more satisfying and can be especially important during weight loss.
Fiber
Fiber-rich foods can be an important part of a diabetes-friendly eating pattern.
We’ll help you determine an appropriate fiber goal and identify foods that fit your preferences and digestive tolerance.
Balanced meals
Rather than simply telling you what foods to avoid, we’ll teach you how to build balanced meals using foods you enjoy.
Weight management
If weight loss is an appropriate goal for you, we’ll develop a sustainable strategy that supports both weight management and metabolic health.
What Should You Eat If You Have Diabetes?
There isn’t a single “diabetes diet.” A healthy eating pattern can include a wide variety of foods. Depending on your individual needs, we may incorporate:
Protein-rich foods
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Eggs
- Lean beef
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Beans and lentils
- Tofu
- Other plant-based proteins
High-fiber carbohydrates
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Beans
- Lentils
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Whole grains
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Healthy fats
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Nut and seed butters
- Fatty fish
Fruits
Fruit doesn’t automatically need to be eliminated because you have diabetes.
We’ll look at portion size, the type of fruit, your overall carbohydrate intake, and how the fruit fits into your meal or snack.
Understanding Carbohydrates
One of the biggest sources of confusion for people with diabetes is carbohydrates. You may have heard:
That’s an oversimplification. Carbohydrates are found in many nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and dairy products.
The goal is to understand:
- Which foods contain carbohydrates
- How much carbohydrate you need
- Appropriate portions
- How to combine carbohydrates with protein and fiber
- How your individual blood glucose responds
Rather than fearing carbohydrates, we’ll help you learn how to use them strategically.
Diabetes and Weight Loss
If you have diabetes and want to lose weight, you don’t need to follow an extreme diet. We’ll create a sustainable approach based on your individual needs. Your plan may include:
- Personalized calorie recommendations
- Protein goals
- Fiber goals
- Portion guidance
- Meal planning
- Healthy snack ideas
- Eating-out strategies
- Craving-management strategies
- Physical activity support
- Body-composition goals
- Long-term weight maintenance
The goal isn’t simply to eat as little as possible. The goal is to improve your health while developing habits you can maintain.
Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is closely associated with type 2 diabetes and is also common in conditions such as PCOS and metabolic syndrome. Nutrition counseling may focus on:
- Balanced meals
- Adequate protein
- Fiber-rich foods
- Carbohydrate quality
- Appropriate portions
- Physical activity
- Weight management when appropriate
- Overall metabolic health
If insulin resistance is part of your health picture, we’ll help you understand how your eating pattern can support your individual goals.
Diabetes and GLP-1 Medications
Some people with diabetes or weight-management concerns are prescribed medications such as:
- Ozempic®
- Mounjaro®
- Wegovy®
- Zepbound®
If you’re taking a GLP-1 medication, nutrition counseling can help you make sure you’re still meeting your nutritional needs while your appetite is reduced. We can work on:
- Protein intake
- Fiber
- Hydration
- Balanced meals
- Muscle preservation
- Digestive comfort
- Nutrient-dense foods
- Sustainable weight management
Your prescribing healthcare professional manages your medication. Your dietitian can provide individualized nutrition support as part of your overall care.
Diabetes and High Cholesterol
Diabetes and cardiovascular health often overlap. If you have diabetes along with:
- High LDL cholesterol
- Low HDL cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- High blood pressure
your nutrition plan can address these concerns together rather than treating each one as a separate problem.
We’ll look at your overall eating pattern and identify practical changes that support your blood sugar and cardiovascular health.
Diabetes and Fatty Liver
Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, excess body weight, and fatty liver can occur together.
If you’ve been diagnosed with fatty liver or MASLD in addition to diabetes or prediabetes, we’ll develop nutrition recommendations that consider your metabolic health as a whole. Your plan may focus on:
- Weight management when appropriate
- Blood sugar management
- Fiber-rich foods
- Protein
- Overall dietary quality
- Healthy fats
- Limiting excessive added sugars
- Sustainable lifestyle changes
Diabetes and Kidney Disease
If you have diabetes and kidney disease, your nutrition needs may be more complex. Depending on your kidney function and laboratory values, your nutrition plan may need to consider:
- Protein
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Sodium
- Carbohydrates
- Fluid intake
Kidney nutrition should always be individualized. Your recommendations will depend on your kidney function, laboratory values, medications, and guidance from your healthcare team.
What to Expect at Your First Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes Nutrition Appointment
Your first appointment is about understanding you—not just your diagnosis. We’ll discuss:
1. Your health history
We’ll review relevant medical conditions, medications, laboratory information, and your nutrition concerns.
2. Your blood sugar
If you have recent laboratory information such as your:
- A1C
- Fasting glucose
- Fasting insulin
- Lipid panel
we can use that information to better understand your overall metabolic picture.
3. Your current eating habits
We’ll discuss your typical meals, snacks, beverages, portions, meal timing, and eating patterns.
4. Your lifestyle
We’ll consider:
- Work
- Family
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Stress
- Schedule
- Eating out
- Other factors that affect your ability to make changes
5. Your goals
Maybe your goal is to:
- Lower your A1C
- Improve blood sugar
- Lose weight
- Improve insulin resistance
- Improve cholesterol
- Improve energy
- Develop healthier eating habits
- Better understand carbohydrates
We’ll identify the goals that are most important to you.
What Your Personalized Diabetes Nutrition Plan May Include
Depending on your individual needs, your recommendations may include:
- Personalized meal planning
- Carbohydrate education
- Portion guidance
- Protein recommendations
- Fiber goals
- Grocery-shopping guidance
- Healthy snack ideas
- Restaurant strategies
- Blood-sugar-friendly meal ideas
- Weight-management strategies
- GLP-1 nutrition support
- Supplement review
- Nutrition label education
- Lifestyle and behavior-change strategies
You Don’t Have to Give Up Everything You Love
One of the most important parts of diabetes nutrition is finding a balance that you can maintain.
You don’t have to follow a perfect diet. We’ll work on what you can realistically do consistently.
When Should You See a Diabetes Dietitian?
Consider working with a dietitian if:
- You’ve recently been diagnosed with prediabetes
- You’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes
- Your A1C is increasing
- You’re struggling with blood sugar management
- You’re confused about carbohydrates
- You’re trying to lose weight
- You have insulin resistance
- You have PCOS and insulin resistance
- You’re taking a GLP-1 medication
- You have diabetes and high cholesterol
- You have diabetes and fatty liver
- You have diabetes and kidney disease
- You want professional guidance rather than another internet diet
Ready to Take Control of Your Nutrition?
A diabetes diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to live on a restrictive diet. With the right nutrition strategy, you can learn how to make informed food choices while still enjoying the foods you love.
At Life Nutrition, we’ll help you create a realistic, personalized approach to nutrition that supports your blood sugar, your health, and your goals.
Schedule a Diabetes Nutrition Counseling Appointment
Erin Martin, RDN/LD
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Life Nutrition
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
In-person and virtual nutrition counseling available.
Life Nutrition
Personalized nutrition. Practical changes. A healthier you.