Higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet to reduce glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)

This will be a 6 month translational style study with non-standard dietary advice given to the intervention group on only two occasions (baseline and 3 months) in the form of 2 x 30 min consultations with a nutritionist and take home information sheets. The dietary advice will be to omit all salty snacks, sweets, cake and biscuits, pies and pasties and replace them with 2-3 pieces fruit/day or low fat dairy (e.g. yoghurts). Breakfast of cereal/toast will be replaced on 2 mornings per week with lean meat (e.g. steak or fish) and eggs. Lunch will be lean meat/fish/cheese/egg salad on 3 days per week with no bread/biscuits. Dinner will be lean meat- steaks or casserole/lean beef/chicken/fish with unlimited green vegetables and pumpkin. Volunteers have the option of including small amounts of starchy carbohydrate in their main meal (rice/pasta/potato) for 1-2 meals per week. Weight loss may occur but is not a requirement or objective of the study. Results will be analysed taking into account any weight loss that occurs.