in partnership with

Taught by Tara Schmidt, M.Ed., RDN, LD

Thriving with Diabetes, by Mayo Clinic

£149 £126.65 Sale
Level: Peer






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Level: Peer

Course overview

Take control of your health and manage diabetes type 2 with confidence.

Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, or you’re looking to improve your current management, this evidence-based programme in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, gives you the knowledge and practical tools to make meaningful, lasting changes.

Led by Tara Schmidt, M.Ed., RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic, you’ll learn how food affects your blood sugar, discover which choices support your health across all food groups, and master the diabetes plate method for building balanced meals your whole family can enjoy. You’ll understand how exercise improves insulin sensitivity, explore research-backed weight management strategies, and learn how to dine out while maintaining steady blood sugar control.

Through clear guidance and real patient experiences, you’ll build confidence in managing your condition—and may even reduce or eliminate your need for medication over time. The programme covers essential foundations including carbohydrate awareness, building a supportive environment, and preventing long-term complications.

This course meets you exactly where you are and equips you with sustainable strategies for living well with diabetes. Your health deserves this investment, and we’ll show you how to make changes that truly last.

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Lesson summary

Introduction
Begin your journey by understanding how personalised health insights can empower you to make meaningful, lasting changes. In this introduction, you'll meet the clinical experts behind the programme and discover how digital tools can help support your goals. You'll hear why conditions like prediabetes and type 2 diabetes can feel silent yet carry long-term risks—and how evidence-based guidance from Mayo Clinic specialists can help you take action before complications arise.
Understanding Your Diagnosis
Come to terms with your prediabetes or type 2 diabetes diagnosis whilst learning what you can control. This module explains the crucial difference between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, demystifying terms like blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c. Through moving personal stories, you'll understand that whilst a diagnosis can feel overwhelming, many lifestyle factors are within your power to change. Learn about modifiable risk factors including diet, exercise, and weight, and discover how even small changes can prevent progression to type 2 diabetes or potentially put it into remission. You'll understand the importance of monitoring your blood sugar and taking prescribed medications, whilst recognising that with the right tools and support, you can genuinely improve your health and reduce your risk of complications.
Carbohydrates Explained
Demystify carbohydrates and learn how to manage them effectively for better blood sugar control. This module explores the three types of carbohydrates,starches, dietary fibre, and sugars,explaining which foods contain them and how they affect your body differently. You'll discover that carbohydrates aren't the enemy; rather, it's about understanding portions, frequency, and choosing complex carbohydrates with fibre over ultra-processed options. Learn why sugary beverages should be avoided whilst whole fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains can be part of a healthy diet. Through practical food diary exercises, you'll identify which of your current choices support your health and which might need adjusting. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions whilst still enjoying a varied, satisfying diet.
Navigating Food Groups
Gain comprehensive knowledge of all six food groups and learn to make the healthiest choices from each. This module provides detailed guidance on fruits, non-starchy vegetables (which you can eat unlimited amounts of!), proteins, whole grains, dairy, and fats. You'll understand why fish and seafood should feature at least three times weekly, how to select lean protein sources, and why unsaturated fats are preferable to saturated and trans fats. Learn the difference between foods that provide nutrition versus those that offer mainly empty calories. Through reflective exercises comparing your current favourites with healthier alternatives, you'll discover practical ways to adapt portions, frequency, or preparation methods. This module empowers you to make choices that support your blood sugar management without feeling restricted.
Exercise and Diabetes
Discover exercise's powerful impact on blood sugar management and insulin sensitivity. This module explains how physical activity helps transfer glucose from your blood into your cells, making insulin work more efficiently. You'll learn that even light activities like walking or gardening improve blood sugar levels, whilst understanding the national guideline of 150 minutes weekly moderate exercise. Through inspiring real-life transformations and expert insights on exercise as disease prevention, you'll find motivation to start where you are,even if that's just five minutes daily. Learn about NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and how small movements throughout your day contribute to better health. With practical advice on overcoming barriers and finding activities you enjoy, you'll build confidence that exercise is achievable and essential for your diabetes management.
Balanced Meals and Timing
Master the diabetes plate method for perfectly balanced meals that support stable blood sugar. This module teaches you to divide your plate into sections,50% non-starchy vegetables, 25% lean protein, and 25% whole grains or starchy vegetables,creating meals the whole family can enjoy. You'll understand the crucial concept of carbohydrate consistency, learning why eating similar amounts of carbohydrates at each meal prevents peaks and valleys in blood sugar. Discover how combining fibre, protein, and healthy fats slows carbohydrate digestion, reducing glucose spikes. Learn practical strategies like eating vegetables first to slow digestion further, and understand why three meals 4-5 hours apart is preferable to constant grazing. This module transforms abstract nutrition advice into a simple visual framework you can use every day.
Weight Management with Diabetes
Understand the powerful connection between weight management and diabetes control. This module explains how even 5-10% weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity and potentially reduce medication needs. You'll learn that sustainable weight loss isn't about restrictive diets but about identifying and eliminating empty calories,those 300 calories daily from biscuits or fizzy drinks that add up over time. Discover the science behind self-monitoring as a predictor of success, learning how to track habits in ways that increase awareness without bringing shame. Through practical guidance on identifying eating triggers and behaviour chains, you'll understand what drives your food choices and how to make changes. Real patient stories illustrate that progress isn't linear, but persistence and knowledge are what lead to lasting transformation.
Eating Out with Diabetes
Learn to navigate restaurants, takeaways, and social eating whilst maintaining blood sugar control. This module introduces the FORK method,Frequency, Order, Request, and Know,giving you a practical framework for eating away from home. You'll discover how to decode menu descriptions, identify healthier preparation methods, and make requests for substitutions that improve your meal's nutritional profile. Learn strategies for pre-eating to avoid arriving starving, looking up menus in advance, and practising mindful eating even with takeaway. Understand how to balance special occasions with your health goals, adapting portions and making smart choices without feeling deprived. With techniques for managing social pressure and communicating your needs, you'll gain confidence to enjoy restaurants and celebrations whilst prioritising your health.
Building Your Support System
Discover the importance of support in managing diabetes and learn how to build your team. This module helps you identify what type of support works best for you,emotional, practical, or inspiring,and how to communicate your needs to others. You'll learn techniques like the "boundary sandwich" for setting limits whilst maintaining relationships, and understand how to involve family, friends, coworkers, and healthcare professionals in your journey. Through moving personal accounts, you'll see how others have navigated diagnosis, workplace challenges, and social situations. Learn why it's essential for employers to know about your diabetes, especially if taking insulin, and discover the value of connecting with others who share your condition. This final module emphasises that whilst lifestyle changes require effort, you don't have to face them alone,and that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

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meet the expert

Tara Schmidt, M.Ed., RDN, LD

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Why choose Learning with Experts?

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.
Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.
Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!
Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.
Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

  • Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
  • Downloadable lesson notes
  • Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
  • Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
  • Lifetime access to videos, notes and classroom

If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

  • Personalised assignment feedback and coaching from your expert tutor
  • Opportunity to interact with your expert tutor through a private messaging system
  • Certificate of completion.
What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.
When can I start my course and how long will it take?

You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.
How often can I speak with the Expert?

If you opt for the Expert version of your course, the time you have to interact with your tutor is limited to course length. You will have one week per lesson to chat to your tutor and to have your assignments marked, and during this period you can ask them as many questions as you would like.

To find out the length of each course, head to the product page and look at the Course outline to see how many lessons it contains. e.g. a four lesson course assumes that you will have completed the assignments within four weeks.

Your tutor interaction period will start as soon as you enter the classroom. If you find that you are struggling to complete the assignments in the allocated time or you wish to put this function on hold, just get in contact with one of the team via the support button and we will help you out.
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