Halifax dietitian brings fresh perspective to diabetes care

When Madison Lawrie joined Nova Scotia Health’s diabetes centres as a registered dietitian, she expected to spend her days focused on education around diet and carbohydrate counting. Instead, she’s playing a central role in a dynamic, multidisciplinary team that’s transforming how Nova Scotians live with the disease.

“I thought it would be mostly about healthy eating and understanding carbohydrates,” she says with a smile. “But it’s so much bigger than that. I support insulin adjustments, medication management and connecting patients to community programs and resources that make real change possible.” 

After graduating in 2022, Madison began her career in Wolfville before joining the Central Zone diabetes centres in April 2024. Since then, she’s become known for her approachable, evidence-based style and ability to translate complex topics into clear, practical guidance. Her work spans everything from glucose sensor setup and insulin pump support to one-on-one counselling that helps patients feel confident managing their condition day to day.

Madison recently shared her expertise as a featured speaker at the Nova West Diabetes Conference in the Annapolis Valley, presenting to 150 practitioners on “Hot Topics in Nutrition”. Her talk explored fad diets, myth-busting and emerging trends in patient care. The topics were framed through real questions from people living with diabetes.

Outside the diabetes centre, Madison runs a growing private practice and blog dedicated to women’s health and polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS - a condition that often overlaps with Type 2 diabetes in terms of insulin resistance and long-term management.

Madison also highlights the importance of updated resources, such as Diabetes Canada’s revised introductory handout, now titled “Getting Started: Healthy Eating and Diabetes,” which replaces outdated guidance with modern, flexible, evidence-based recommendations. The resource highlights protein and fibre’s role in blood sugar stability, supports flexible eating patterns and addresses fasting practices and reflects a growing shift toward individualized care.

Key changes in the new guidance include replacing “low-fat” advice with a focus on unsaturated fats like olive oil and nuts, removing automatic fruit and milk servings from the plate diagram and allowing patients to choose their carbohydrate targets. There’s now also a move away from three meals per day to eating every four to six hours to account for unique dietary patterns and schedules. And there’s additional emphasis on protein for blood sugar stability, which can be especially important for those using incretin therapies like Ozempic or Mounjaro. 

“People used to feel like coming to the clinic meant giving up joy,” Madison says. “Now, we focus on what matters most to our patients — finding balance, not perfection.” 

Her advice for newly diagnosed patients is “don’t fear carbs, prioritize protein and stay hydrated,” she says. “Managing diabetes doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about small, realistic habits that support your goals.”

The first Wednesday in November is Diabetes Educator Day, a chance to focus on and celebrate educators who are an important part of a diabetes team. Diabetes educators can be dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers or other healthcare professionals. To learn more, go to: Diabetes | Nova Scotia Health.

Photo of Madison Lawrie.