Supporting Someone with a New Diagnosis
Hello!
I work in a small office, there are 4 of us. We are quite close as far as people you work with go. Just to clarify in advance, this absolutely is someone who would want this type of support and interaction.
One of my employees has struggled with their health for a while. I would never ask questions, but they volunteer stuff sometimes and I try to be supportive. This person loves treats and surprises, and over the 5 years we have worked together I have frequently brought them things when I come in (favorite fruit, drinks, coffee, baked goods, juice, candy). Today, they let me know they just found out they had type 2 diabetes and they specifically mentioned they were sad that they wouldn't be able to have the treats I bring in.
Obviously I can ask them what they want, but they really enjoy the surprises and I don't want to take that away from them! I'm looking for suggestions. They don't even know what type of things they are interested in, as they're saying they're going to have to completely change their diet. I'm interested in suggestions of T2D friendly things they might like to try. That would be mostly caffeinated beverages and premade snacks you can buy at the store, although I do occasionally bake as well. There are of course obvious things but I'm sure there are also niche things that people discover.
I'm also open to anything an employer could do to be supportive in this situation. In the past, they have asked for support in lifestyle changes which I have happily accommodated but I'm sure there are more. For example, they spoke about being concerned that sitting at a desk all day could be contributing to their issues and we found some more active tasks that could be done if they felt up for it.