Wendy, 67, from Aldershot, Queensland who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and was eating a block of chocolate as her go to choice of dinner meal, reveals how The Doctor’s Kitchen’s Diabetes First Program helped transform her life

Wendy, 67, who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes started the Diabetes First Program – Level 2 after hearing about the 12 week program from her health insurer, Phoenix Health Fund.

• Wendy said that it was the weekly encouraging and supportive check ins with the clinical team and nursing team which is what helped her health
• Wendy fundamentally changed her eating habits and learned how to eat properly again after she had been struggling with her eating habits and often devouring a block of chocolate as her choice of dinner meal
• She dropped 2.4% of body fat during the course of the 12 week program bringing her to a healthier level
• She lowered her visceral fat by 1 (from 9 to 8) which is the fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity surrounding vital organs like the stomach, liver and intestines
• She reduced her overall weight by 3.4kgs and now feels healthier than ever
• Her Dexcom continuous glucose monitor that she wore for the first month showed that she, on average, reduced her glucose levels from 7.9 to 5.6 and showed her exactly why cordial was no longer a staple in her household
• She enjoyed her diabetic friendly calorie controlled meals which were delivered by Lite n' Easy which taught her portion size and healthier food options

Wendy, an incredibly hardworking and devoted mother from Aldershot in Queensland, was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Wendy struggled miserably with eating properly with her eating habits spiralling out of control and taking their toll on her glucose levels. Wendy explained that she “would eat a block of chocolate for dinner, cakes or biscuits and really needed help.”

Pictured: Wendy, 67, an incredibly hardworking and devoted mother from Aldershot in Queensland who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes before she started the Diabetes First Program with The Doctor's Kitchen Australia and proudly supported by Phoenix Health Fund. 

 At a cross road, Wendy decided to contact her health fund Phoenix Health Fund hoping that they might be able to help her change her eating habits and her health. Wendy said that she knew her habits were “very bad for a diabetic and rang them on the off chance that they might have a program going”.

It was then that Wendy discovered that her health fund, Phoenix Health Fund, offers the Diabetes First Program – a program funded entirely for eligible members and provided by The Doctor’s Kitchen Australia. It is the first health fund in the country to offer and support its members in this way through a unique program of this kind.

Given Wendy’s condition – being a Type 2 diabetic managed with medication – she decided to find out more about the Level 2 program and give it a go.

12 weeks later, Wendy said that she feels “on top of the world”! Wendy’s results show that she lost 3.4kgs of overall weight, reduced her visceral fat by 1 to a healthier level and remarkably also dropped her body fat percentage by 2.4%. However, importantly, Wendy was able to see a reduction in her average glucose readings using the continuous glucose monitor to 5.6 (from 7.9 when she first started).  “I feel so much healthier and I am even sleeping better – I just can’t believe it, I am so wrapped”, Wendy exclaimed.

Pictured: As part of the Diabetes First Program, eligible members also receive a Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose monitor (CGM) which sends real-time glucose readings automatically to a compatible smart device. No finger sticks, no scanning and designed to make diabetes management more convenient.

The Doctor’s Kitchen Australia offers 3 levels of programs:

• Level 1: for individuals who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes;
• Level 2: for individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes without insulin;
• Level 3: for individuals diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes using insulin.

The level 2 program is suited for Australians who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (without insulin support). It is a unique plan of intervention with the unwavering support of Phoenix Health Fund and integrates clinical and medical practitioners with scaled nutritional support provided by Lite n Easy, real time continuous glucose monitoring provided by Dexcom and body composition testing for an intensive 12 week program to help provide real tools and practical support to individuals with this condition.

The Level 2 Program also includes support from an experienced and credentialled diabetes educator who discusses diabetes management, goals and action plans to overcoming barriers to self management and the importance of the annual cycle of care and complication prevention of foot care, eye health and kidney health.

Wendy’s journey on the Diabetes First Program – Level 2 began at the end of October 2024 with her welcome call with the wonderful nurse Georgie. While Wendy’s goals were to lose weight her primary and immediate goal was to eat better and feel healthier as she had been very much struggling with eating properly.

Following this welcome call, Wendy received her welcome pack which included: 

• body composition scales which she used each week for 12 weeks to record her vital biometrics including her muscle mass (kgs), body fat percentage, visceral fat percentage, biological age and basal metabolic rate (calories per day);
• A continuous glucose monitor which allowed her to monitor in real time her sugar levels and the impact of her diet and exercise on her levels.

Wendy then met with Dr Phillip Wuth via telehealth, and her measurements were recorded as follows:

When her measurements were compared to the Healthy Range Chart, it showed Wendy had:

• an average level of muscle (average level of muscle for age group is between 34-60kgs);
• a body fat percentage at the upper end of the healthy range (healthy level percentage for age group is between 24% - 36%).
• visceral fat rating at the upper end of the healthy range (healthy level rating is between 1 – 12).

At the beginning of the program her average glucose levels were recorded on the Dexcom continuous glucose monitor as 7.9 and her glycemic variability was recorded at 2.2. The lower the glycemic variability, the less risk that patients have for complications, diabetic neuropathy and cognitive impairment.

The Doctor then recommended that she begin on 1200 calories per day coupled with daily resistance training exercises to help her improve her overall health and lower the risk of disease progression. 

As part of the Level 2 Program, Wendy also received 4 weeks of diabetic friendly and nutritious calorie controlled meals at the calorie intake recommended to her from Lite n Easy. Wendy received 5 days of breakfast, lunch and dinner for the first two weeks, lunch and dinners on the third week and dinners only on the fourth week. This scaled nutritional support delivered by our meal partner, Lite n Easy, enables individuals to understand appropriate portion sizes and the types of food that can form part of a healthy diet while also encouraging positive lifestyle changes, Dr Wuth said.

Wendy said that her absolute favourite meal that she enjoyed while on the program was the Roast Pork and Vegetables dinner.

Pictured: Wendy’s winning dinner meal delivered by the Doctor’s Kitchen’s program partner Lite n Easy was the Roast Pork and Vegetables (375 calories per serve). This dish is served with tender slices of roast pork in a traditional rich gravy, topped with poached apples, served with roasted vegetables and a cauliflower & pea gratin.

Each week through the Level 2 Program, Wendy would check in with a member of the coordinated care team including a dietician, a credentialled diabetes educator, nurse or clinical team member. Each week Wendy would also measure herself using the body composition scales and enter them into the Doctor’s Weight & Health Tracker App and so she was able to track her progress from the beginning to the end. 

Pictured: The Doctor's Health & Weight Tracker App is designed to enable individuals to see their improvements and keep them accountable. 

Wendy said that this Program had the most motivating support that she had ever received. She shared her struggles of eating properly and said that from the beginning nurse Georgie asked her to write down everything that she was eating. “I had not done that for years and years and every little bit of encouragement and support – every inch of what I received from Georgie and the team – I put into practice and it worked – it really worked!”, Wendy explained.

 At week 12, Wendy shared her final measurements with the body composition scales with her Doctor which were as follows:

At the end of the program, Wendy was absolutely thrilled with her results. Not only was she able to lose 3.4kgs of overall weight as well as drop her body fat percentage by 2.4% but she said that she no longer feels tired during the day. “I don’t have to have a nap during the day like I was doing every day before – I feel really good”, Wendy said.

Pictured: The wonderful Wendy 12 weeks later on the Diabetes First Program feeling more fabulous than ever!

Studies show that a small reduction in body fat (5-10%) can have a clinically meaningful effect on diabetes management and can lower the risk of developing complications such as heart disease and stroke while improving glucose control.

When asked whether she felt this program was different to others that she had tried Wendy said that this was the best program that she had ever been on. “This is a really good program because it has taught me so much and I have learned so much especially what to eat,” she explained. “I wanted to lose a couple of kilos (which I was lucky enough to lose) but I’m not an exercise person and with the workout plan I was able to maintain my muscle and also lose visceral fat.”  “I really got what I actually wanted from this program,” Wendy exclaimed. 

When Wendy first began the program, her average glucose levels were recorded at 7.9. Over the time (30 days) that she wore the continuous glucose monitor and kept her calories at 1200 calories per day and performed the resistance training exercises (Wednesday 13 November 2024 – Thursday, 12 December 2024) she, on average, reduced her glucose levels and her average reading as at the last date was 5.6. Studies suggest that effective blood sugar management can reduce the risk of eye disease, kidney disease and nerve disease.

Wendy said that using the continuous glucose monitor and seeing in real time the impact of what she drank and ate on her sugar levels helped her make some immediate changes. “I bought a cordial because I don’t really like water and it tasted really good”. However, Wendy then realised that the continuous glucose monitor was showing that the cordial was spiking her sugar so she decided to give it away to a friend to stop herself from drinking it!

When Wendy was asked about whether she would recommend the Diabetes First Program she said, this program had changed her life. “I would recommend this program to everyone and I am so grateful to Phoenix Health Fund for giving me the support I really needed at this point in my life”.

Phoenix Health Fund is the first health Fund in Australia who provides support to eligible members to participate in the Diabetes First Program. Dr Phillip Wuth, Australian GP and Founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen Australia stated that “this partnership brings exponential opportunities for us to have a positive influence on the health and lifestyle of people in a very unique and preventative way through general practitioners using The Doctor’s Kitchen Diabetes First Program, to deliver better health to all Australians”. Phoenix Heath Fund’s support means that more people across the country will be able to now get access to this life changing program, to optimise and gain health, not just lose weight, Dr Wuth said.

If you are struggling to eat properly or managing Type 2 Diabetes, you can find out about The Diabetes First Program here.