Robyn grew up in Box Hill, Victoria. Now 70 and living on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, she grew up in a family that valued learning, curiosity and health. Her parents were ahead of their time when it came to nutrition; in the 1960s, her Dad sat them all down at the kitchen table with an empty bowl and asked everyone how much sugar the family was really eating, then poured the same amount into the bowl. From teaspoons in tea to sprinkling it on fruit and old-fashioned white bread with banana and sugar on top - it was an eye-opening moment for them all! It left a lasting impression.

Robyn carried that curiosity into adulthood. She studied and honed her creative writing skills working in education marketing, and later became more interested in nutrition and complementary medicine. Although she has never been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, her GP advised her to watch her carbohydrate intake. What followed wasn’t a quest for weight loss, but something more meaningful: long-term metabolic health.

“As a university student, I had raging hayfever and thought, ‘there must be a cause’. I saw a naturopath and had great success addressing the root issue rather than just treating symptoms. That experience stayed with me.

“Over the years, I experimented with different ways of eating. I was interested in the Mediterranean diet and found it delicious, but nothing much changed. Later, when my son went gluten-free, and I started cooking differently, I realised I was probably sensitive to gluten myself. I lost 5 kg just from reducing it.

“Then my GP recommended lowering my carbs after some of my health markers started creeping up. Around that time, I heard Dr Peter Brukner on ABC Radio Melbourne and was impressed – a local expert talking real sense! I borrowed his book from the library, then bought it, then joined the Defeat Diabetes Program.

“But it wasn’t until I properly learnt about carbohydrates through Defeat Diabetes that I noticed bigger changes. 

“Very quickly after starting the program, I was sleeping better. My skin was better. My mood was better. I had late-onset eczema in my 60s, which I could never explain, and even that improved. 

“I did all the lessons and found them so helpful. When you understand the “why”, it becomes so much simpler to put the hard yards in and actually change your behaviour. I really value how the doctors in the program explain what blood tests actually mean. With GPs, it can be hit-and-miss, but now I finally feel like I truly understand what’s going on in my body.

“Planning has been another big shift. I used to wait until I’d run out of food and then go shopping hungry, which was always a disaster. Now I cook on Sundays and prep for the week. I freeze Veggie Muffins for breakfast, and the Cheesy Asparagus and Spinach Tart does dinner for two nights with a simple salad. In winter, I make the Broccoli Cheese Soup – the grandkids love that. I always encourage them to eat protein first. Cheese before berries!

“One of the most powerful things for me has been the psychological support. I printed out the “4 steps to food thoughts” and still refer to it. We live in what one expert called an “obesogenic society” – surrounded by foods that can harm our health. If they removed them all from supermarkets, they’d be very small places indeed! So we can’t expect the pharmaceutical industry to fix us. We have to take responsibility for our own health.

“My most recent HbA1c was 5.2%, and I’ve learned that I can tolerate a slightly higher amount of carbs if I’m careful, but the first thing that changes when I eat more carbs is my hunger. That awareness helps me stay within my own parameters. And if I do have a meal that’s off track, I love knowing that I can be back on track within 24 hours. It takes away the drama. It’s not failure. It’s just a reset.

“Defeat Diabetes feels like having your own personal cheerleader. I won’t get complacent. There are plenty of reasons in the world around me not to eat low carb, so I need support to stay healthy. Compared to the cost of medications, scans and doctor visits, it’s very reasonable value. What is your life worth? 

“I’m not perfect. I still have the occasional mess-up. But what I’ve noticed most is how your desire to eat rubbish gets very, very small. That is true freedom.  

“For me, Defeat Diabetes has been a game-changer. Not because I reversed diabetes. But because I strengthened my metabolic health before it became a problem.

“And that feels like a very wise investment indeed.”