Table 5.

Core and booster diet curriculum components.

Session	Topics
Week 1	Introduction to the program; information about insulin, diet, and type 2 diabetes; overview of previous research on very low-carbohydrate diets for adults with type 2 diabetes; what to eat on a very low-carbohydrate diet; how to count net (nonfiber) grams of carbohydrates; sample shopping list; example breakfast and snacks; how to deal with potential side effects of the diet; encouragement to change breakfasts and snacks to be very low-carbohydrate.
Week 2	The history of using a very low-carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes; very low-carbohydrate lunch suggestions; ideas for eating at restaurants; suggestions for planning ahead; list of low-carbohydrate vegetables; encouragement to clear noncompliant foods out of their pantries; suggestion to add very low-carbohydrate lunches to their already very low-carbohydrate breakfasts and snacks.
Week 3	Overview of the increase in type 2 diabetes over time; very low-carbohydrate dinner suggestions; encouragement to pick out recipes from cookbooks and online resources; suggestion to keep a favorite foods diary in order to track very low-carbohydrate foods they enjoy; information about non-nutritive sweeteners and sugar alcohols; suggestion to add very low-carbohydrate dinners.
Week 4	The meaning of and how to measure blood ketone levels; how to deal with potential side effects of being in nutritional ketosis; inspirational stories from others trying this approach to help manage their type 2 diabetes.
Week 5	Discussion of participants’ perception of testing for ketones over the previous week; discussion about types of fat and encouragement to add fat to their diet; types of lower carbohydrate fruits; the benefits of sleep and information about sleep hygiene.
Week 6	Ways to break through a weight-loss plateau; encouragement to increase food variety; information about alcohol.
Week 7	Very low-carbohydrate travel suggestions; fast food options; snack ideas; problem-solving tips for eating on the meal plan.
Week 8	Coping with peer pressure to not comply with the meal plan; suggestions for very low-carbohydrate party and holiday food; encouragement to safely add in physical activity; information about coping with physical challenges related to physical activity.
Week 9	Reminders of the diet basics; suggestion to pay attention to food sensitivities; information about cholesterol types and health risk; description of the health impact of sugar consumption; reminders for how to order very low-carbohydrate meals at restaurants.
Week 10	Discussion of example restaurant menus; self-assessment of their dietary adherence (technical, psychological, or external struggles).
Week 11	Information about changes in hunger and flavor when following a very low-carbohydrate diet; partnered sharing of the program so far.
Week 12	Ways to recover from slips and stick to their program-related goals; reminders of tricky dietary issues.
Week 16 (Maintenance)	Success story of a physician treating his own and others’ type 2 diabetes using a very low-carbohydrate diet; how to access recorded presentations given by physicians about using a very low-carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes (freely available online); information about how a very low-carbohydrate diet has been used to help other health conditions.
Week 20 (Maintenance)	How fruits and vegetables have changed over time; information about online support groups; how to cope with being under the weather/ill and following a very low-carbohydrate meal plan.
Week 24 (Maintenance)	Case studies of several long-term adherents to a very low-carbohydrate diet; description of research on the long-term impact of a very low-carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes; suggestions for fine-tuning the diet to potentially reduce red and processed meat consumption; encouragement to stick with the program.