Hello and thank you for visiting Whole Hearty Kitchen.
I’m Michelle, a passionate home cook to a vegetarian, gluten intolerant and type 1 diabetic. And I want to help you by sharing information and lots of easy, healthy and wholesome recipes that are carb counted and created to support diabetes management!
I am a mum to 2 teenagers, 1 fur baby and a wife to a very tolerant husband. We all live in Kent, in the UK and if you can’t find me in the kitchen or at my laptop then I will be out roaming the countryside with our beloved Schnauzer!
In my house alone I have to cater for a type 1 diabetic, vegetarian and gluten/wheat intolerant tummy, which let me tell you at times can be quite tricky. Even the dog gets in on the action by eating grain-free and having an exceptionally sensitive tum!
So I need easy, healthy, wholesome recipes that suit all of our dietary needs!
Why did I decide to start Whole Hearty Kitchen?
The idea for Whole Hearty Kitchen has been simmering away for several years. I love cooking and always wanted to share this in some way but could never really decide on how. Well, that was until the summer of 2020, after a sudden change in my family circumstances. My eldest daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and this really became the catalyst for me.
As a mother, I felt really lost and quite frankly useless. This ‘thing’ happened to us out of the blue and made food and cooking complicated and quite frankly a little scary. However, with time and a lot of reading, I started to understand more about type 1 diabetes and the integral role diet plays in supporting overall management. I came to the realisation that food was an area that made me feel like I could claw back some control and give my daughter another way to help manage this lifelong condition.
If you would like to read more about our journey and how food has helped us with diabetes management then take a look at these posts:
A TYPE 1 DIABETES DIAGNOSIS AND OUR JOURNEY SO FAR!
THE BENEFITS OF A WHOLE FOOD DIET AND DIABETES
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
For those that don’t know anything about type 1 diabetes (which was me not so long ago), it is when our pancreas stops being able to produce insulin.
Insulin is a hormone we need to allow the energy from carbohydrates (glucose) to be released from our blood cells and into our bodies. Without insulin, the glucose stays in our blood cells which is dangerous and causes lots of serious complications.
You can read more about WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES? here.
So in order to manage type 1 diabetes, we have to externally give insulin to allow the body to release the glucose from the carbohydrates eaten. And this is where carb counting comes in and understanding that not all carbs will respond or impact blood glucose in the same way.
What can you expect to find here at WHK………
I have found that food awareness, balance, whole foods, meal planning and home cooking can all play a role in helping to manage diabetes. But more importantly, it can help to make food less scary and enjoyable again!
This is why I created WHK. It’s a place where you can find lots of easy, healthy, wholesome recipes and information to help you make informed choices about the food you eat.
At WHK you can expect to find
1. Delicious Wholefood Recipes that are all carb counted.
Understanding the impact of carbs on your blood glucose is a key element in helping you to balance your diabetes management. We are all unique and so is the response from our bodies to the different foods we consume.
However, as a way to help, in every recipe I give you a little bit more information on:
- The key foods used in recipes,
- Our experiences of certain foods on blood glucose levels
- The carb count breakdown for every recipe (based on the ingredients I use and the carbohydrates we have to count for)
2. Low Carb and No Carb sweet treats
High sugar and highly processed food can be tricky to manage with type 1 diabetes. So instead I have learnt to make a few adjustments to my favourite recipes to make them mostly sugar free and have a lower carb count.
Head to my sweet treats section for lots of yummy carb counted inspiration!
3. Recipes by dietary need
I have also indexed all of my recipes by 6 main dietary needs that are covered here on WHK. This should help to make it easier for you to find what you need. These are:
4. the WHK Blog
I also have a blog which contains articles written by me that focus on many aspects of type 1 diabetes These include some of the things we have learnt along the way as well as lots of practical food-related posts. These posts share some of the changes we have made in the food we eat and how this has helped us to better manage blood glucose levels and improve our daughter’s overall time in range.
Ultimately this blog is about sharing tasty but simple recipes, tips and the odd ramblings from a parent to a type 1 teenager. The overall aim of the food I share here is generally to offer a wholefood alternative, that’s convenient and sometimes offers other options to support and help balance blood glucose management.
I really hope that you will find Whole Hearty Kitchen a helpful tool for your own journey in the kitchen too!
Michelle ?x
Contact Me
Thank you for visiting Whole Hearty Kitchen. It really means the world to me and I love it even more when you connect with me too. You can do this via social media, on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
You can also contact me by commenting on one of my recipes. I really enjoy knowing how the recipes turned out for you or any changes you may have made.
Alternatively, if you are interested in working with me, have a question, or just want to say hello, then you can also fill out this simple form.