Diabetes Service: Food, Drink & Physical Activity Diary

Why Keeping a Diary Matters

Managing diabetes successfully hinges on three core pillars: nutrition, hydration, and physical activity. A diary helps you:

• Identify patterns in bloodglucose fluctuations.
• Track the impact of specific foods, drinks, and exercise.
• Communicate clearly with your diabetes team.
• Stay motivated by visualising progress over days and weeks.

Components of an Effective Diary

1. Food & Drink Log

Record every bite and sip, no matter how small. Include:

• Time of consumption.
• Portion size (use common measures: cups, teaspoons, grams).
• Carbohydrate estimate (either calculated or from nutrition labels).
• Any added fats, sauces, or seasonings that could affect blood sugar.

2. Physical Activity Record

Exercise influences insulin sensitivity. Capture:

• Date and start time.
• Type of activity (walking, cycling, resistance training, etc.).
• Duration (minutes).
• Intensity (light, moderate, vigorous) or heartrate range if known.

3. Blood Glucose Readings

Link your measurements to what you ate and did. Include:

• Time of test.
• Result (mg/dL or mmol/L).
• Context (before/after meal, before/after exercise, bedtime).

4. Medication / Insulin

Note any doses taken, timing, and any adjustments made because of food or activity.

5. Subjective Notes

How you felt, stress level, sleep quality, illness, or any unusual events. These can also shift glucose control.

Sample Diary Template

Feel free to customize columns to match your personal care plan.

Tips for Consistency

• Set reminders. Use phone alarms or a dedicated app to prompt entries.
• Keep it simple. Even a short note (apple, 15g carbs) is better than nothing.
• Use technology. Digital spreadsheets, mobile health apps, or printable PDFs can streamline data capture.
• Review weekly. Look for trends and discuss them with your diabetes educator.
• Be honest. Accuracy is more valuable than perfection.

How the Diabetes Service Can Help

Our multidisciplinary team offers:

• Oneonone dietitian sessions to finetune carbohydrate counting.
• Exercise physiologist advice on safe, effective activity plans.
• Remote monitoring tools that sync your diary data with our clinic portal.
• Education workshops covering label reading, portion control, and stress management.

Contact us to set up an initial appointment or to request a printable diary kit.

Start Your Diary Today

Fill out the fields below and click Save. You can copy the table into a document or print it for daily use.