Type 2 diabetes is not a disease to approach passively or alone. (Easier said than done, we know.) The good news is that there are a number of diabetes blogs and social media accounts that are packed with credible, informative, and inspiring advice. They can motivate you to stay on track with your health goals, whether that's lowering your A1C, overhauling your diet, losing weight, or something else.

Such support is especially important while COVID-19 remains prevalent. That’s because diabetes puts you at a higher risk of complications of the disease, as the American Diabetes Association has warned. Also, stress caused by the pandemic may affect your ability to manage your blood sugar. More than 400 people with relatively well controlled type 1 and type 2 diabetes participated in a Netherlands-based study published in January 2021 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, and those who reported having more difficulty controlling their blood sugar during the first two to three months of lockdown in spring 2020 also reported higher stress than the others.

Building virtual kinship with others who are living with diabetes may help with blood sugar management. According to a review of 47 studies published in March 2019 in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, participation in what’s called a diabetes online community (DOC), to which bloggers can belong, may increase the likelihood a person will develop diabetes-friendly habits, such as healthy eating, exercise, regular blood sugar checks, and taking insulin as prescribed. What’s more, participation was linked to a neutral or improved A1C.

Ready to jump in? We’ve rounded up some of the best type 2 diabetes blogs and accounts to check out in 2022. They'll help you feel more educated and connected — during the current pandemic and beyond.

1. Reversing T2D

The duo behind Reversing T2D combine nutrition and exercise advice to help people delay or reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes. Diana Licalzi is a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Boulder, Colorado, and Jose Tejero is an exercise physiologist and Ironman athlete who lives in Rockville, Maryland. Their blog contains tips and hacks for plant-based eating, staying physically active, and managing everyday tasks with the disease. “We each saw a crucial need for more education and care in the diabetes space, and knew we wanted to offer more than what is provided in the traditional healthcare system,” Licalzi explains. Together they’ve garnered more than 157,000 TikTok followers and 27,200 Instagram followers.

If you visit their blog, check out “The Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Blood Sugar & Type 2 Diabetes,” says Licalzi. “This post does a great job dissecting the latest research.” She also recommends “How Insulin Resistance Leads to Type 2 Diabetes.” “It explains the root cause of type 2 diabetes, and how insulin resistance develops and leads to the development of pre- and type 2 diabetes,” she explains. Their blog clearly favors a plant-based diet, which is incorporated into courses and programs that they sell elsewhere on their website. The American Diabetes Association says a plant-based diet is among several eating plans that can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes or help manage it, with others including low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets.

2. Type2Diabetes.com

People looking for content and conversations about type 2 diabetes will find both at this Health Union site. Type2Diabetes.com includes advice, testimonials, and guides posted by registered dietitians, patient advocates, diabetes educators, and people living with the condition. “Type2Diabetes.com also features an extensive library of diabetes-focused recipes to help community members manage the day-to-day challenges of diet and nutrition,” says Steven Wilson, a spokesperson for Health Union, which is based in Philadelphia. Try the One Pan Chicken Fajitas or Keto and Vegan Mini Cheesecakes — and note that the recipes typically yield enough servings for an entire family.

Type2Diabetes.com also has an online community with free registration for people to share their concerns and experiences with the disease. Recent posts focused on sleep apnea and poorly controlled blood sugar. Wilson says the platform serves up to 900,000 visitors each year.

3. Diabetes EveryDay

If you like watching videos to absorb advice and get tips, this site and companion YouTube channel will be right up your alley. Toby Smithson, RDN, CDCES, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has a knack for explaining complex topics in simple and cheerful ways. “Diabetes needs to be managed every day. That's where I came up with my brand Diabetes EveryDay. My videos and website are there — at no cost — for those day-to-day questions that arise while managing diabetes,” says Smithson. She has type 1 diabetes, but offers plenty of information that is relevant for those with the type 2 condition, such as the importance of fiber in your diet or how to keep sweets in your life without spiking your blood sugar.

Watch the videos on Diabetes EveryDay if you also want to see the transcripts, or go to her YouTube channel, which has nearly 4,000 subscribers, for a streamlined experience. She recommends checking out "Looking for Hidden Sugar" and "5 Basic Must-Do's for Managing Your Diabetes” first.

4. Diabetes Team

If you’re strictly interested in engaging with other people who have type 2 diabetes, this online community may be for you. A good launching point is Diabetes Team’s Resources page, where you can access several articles and guides for living with the disease and staying safe in the COVID-19 era.

Then when you are ready to jump in and share your experiences, advice, and emotional support, go to their homepage or download the app in the App Store or Google Play and sign up for free. (Just a heads-up: The site may keep you logged in after you have registered.) There, new articles are interspersed with member posts about everyday living, concerns about health, and messages of support. You can connect with others who have interests in common by adding them to your “team.” “More than 116,000 registered members rely on the Diabetes Team web and mobile apps for meaningful connection and trusted information,” says Michelle Cox, a spokesperson for the San Francisco parent company, My Health Teams.

5. DiaTribe Learn

“Making sense of diabetes” is the tagline for DiaTribe, an information hub chock-full of articles for anyone curious about developments in diabetes treatment, reviews of medication and products, recipes, and more. Each article promoted on the homepage is labeled for its relevance to a particular type of diabetes, and they have their own roundup of online platforms for people who live with its various forms. Recent posts relevant to type 2 diabetes include “Diabetes Isn’t Slowing This Drag Queen Down,” “Chronic Kidney Disease: The Hidden Complication” and “What Are My Choices for Metformin Alternatives?” There’s a lot in this site to explore, and it’s updated frequently, so count on spending plenty of time here browsing.

RELATED: 5 Ways to Lower Your A1C

6. Diabetes Strong

Ever wonder about the best workouts for improving insulin sensitivity? Or how about how to set realistic fitness goals with diabetes? That’s why Christel Oerum, a fitness guru living with type 1 diabetes made Diabetes Strong — a blog for all the gym rats out there who refuse to live in fear of rising glucose levels. Though the blog isn’t specifically written for people with type 2 diabetes, it does have relevant content, such as advice for handling the diarrhea that metformin can cause and a guide to sulfonylureas, a class of diabetes drugs. Its strength is covering all the health, fitness, and nutrition topics that anyone managing diabetes can benefit from, such as six lab tests that your doctor should order for you every year.

7. Diabetic Foodie

The Diabetic Foodie blog, which comes from the Diabetes Strong team, aims to show readers that “a diabetes diagnosis is not a dietary death sentence.” The founder, Shelby Kinnaird, another self-proclaimed foodie and person living with type 2 diabetes, created the blog to turn that mindset around. You’ll find a plethora of incredible recipes for dinners, side dishes, condiments, desserts, beverages, breads, and more.

Most of the meal recipes contain fewer than 400 calories per portion, with less than 45 grams of carbohydrates, and focus on providing lean proteins, nonstarchy vegetables, and healthy fats. There are special sections for paleo, vegan, and gluten-free eaters. Get inspired by the blog’s stunning pictures of popular dishes, such as Low-Carb Chicken Cacciatore, and tempting sweets like the gluten-free, keto-friendly brownies made with avocado.

8. Diabetes Self-Management

Acting as a go-to source for all things diabetes, the Diabetes Self-Management blog is more than just a place for personal stories and recipes (which it also has, by the way). Stop first at the News and Research section for timely information about the latest developments related to diabetes in the COVID-19 era. Then go to the type 2 diabetes section for relevant updates and advice. If you’re feeling peckish, check out the mouthwatering recipes, such as Greek Lemon Chicken and Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies. Finally, during these stressful times, peruse their advice for managing your mental wellness.

9. Wildly Fluctuating

Wildly Fluctuating is on a mission to raise diabetes awareness and debunk every misleading headline you’ve read online. Managed by Gretchen Becker, a health writer in Halifax, Vermont, with type 2 diabetes and the coauthor of The Four Corners Diet, Wildly Fluctuating reviews new developments such as emerging research about the newly identified fabkin hormone, which may be involved in the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. She also places them in context (“a lot more research needs to be done before fabkin wipes out diabetes”). What is most refreshing about the blog is her willingness to grapple openly with the daily frustrations of life with diabetes. How many times have we all thought to ourselves: “Life Is Unfair”?

10. The Decadent Diabetic

This foodcentric blog is written by a type 2 chef named Ward, who is determined to inspire others to embrace a “decadent” diabetes diet. When Ward learned he had type 2 diabetes, all those years working in family restaurants had only increased his passion to find delicious food for people living with the disease (thus the tagline: “Taking back my life and table”). On The Decadent Diabetic you can pore over blood-sugar-friendly recipes to your heart’s content. The homepage is packed with various resources, interspersing irreverent and inspiring celebrity quotes with yummy diabetes-friendly meals like Ward's Orange Loaf Cake With Chocolate Drizzle. Go to the archives page for prior posts.

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