A dietitian will teach you about the best food choices, such as carbohydrate portions and types, so you can have optimal control of your blood sugar level and significantly reduce the risk of complications associated with poorly controlled diabetes. A dietitian can also tailor your eating plan to help manage any other conditions associated with diabetes, such as overweight, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

A diabetes educator will instruct you in the use of any medication or insulin therapy that may be required to control your blood sugar, including how to adjust these to prevent and treat high and low levels. A diabetes educator will also train you to measure your own blood glucose levels if required and help you understand your readings. They can also assess your risk of diabetes-related complications and assist in your annual cycle of care for preventing these complications.

Whether you're only using diet and exercise to manage blood glucose levels or if you are also using medication including insulin, a diabetes educator can give you all the necessary knowledge and skills for diabetes management. However, if you have poorly controlled diabetes or require insulin injections, you may be referred to an endocrinologist, who is a specialist doctor for diabetes care.