For someone with diabetes everyday is diabetes awareness day, but for those in the general population, who are pre-diabetic, or who want to avoid getting type 2 Diabetes, National Diabetes Month is filled with valuable events and information about eating healthy, staying healthy and lowering the risks of diabetes.
Judging by the full room at the VON Diabetes Education Centre on the second floor of the 101 Mall, many people want to find out more about diabetes and are listening intently to registered dieticians, Danielle Lawrence and Darquise on Nov. 1, the first day of Diabetes Awareness Month in Canada, people in Timmins are eager to learn about avoiding diabetes.
In addition to the open house at the VON Diabetes Education that was held on Wednesday Nov. 2, the VON will also host an information table on Wednesday Nov. 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Dailey’s Your Independent Grocery on Algonquin Boulevard East and Highway 655.
On Wednesday Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m., the VON will hold a grocery store tour to give people a guided tour on how to shop for healthy food and avoid unhealthy foods drenched in fats, sugars and carbohydrates.
In Timmins the rate of Diabetes is 14 per cent while in the rest of Ontario the rate is 10 per cent.
According to the Porcupine Health Unit, Timmins also has one of the highest smoking rates in Ontario
“The reason there is a higher rate of diabetes in Ontario is that Timmins also has a higher obesity rate and there is a higher rate of smoking than other parts of the province,” explained Joe-Anne Chaput, manager of the VON Diabetes Education Centre.
“Diabetes is also a major health factor for our First Nations communities (approximately 10 per cent of Timmins’ population),” Chaput pointed out. “And our sedentary life style and lack of exercise and physical activities also add up to Timmins having a higher than average rate for diabetes.”
For info on First Nations communities and diabetes, please click here
In a 2013 study on health in Canada, Timmins was listed as the fourth most unhealthy region in Canada based on rates of asthma, diabetes, obesity, smoking and cancers.
Chaput explained, Type 2 Diabetes comes with eating too much sugar (glucose) and carbohydrate that the body cannot convert into energy because insulin is not enough or insulin produced is not breaking down the glucose.
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Type 2 diabetes occurs when your pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or cannot use the insulin. Glucose (sugar) builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy.
Foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit produce glucose in the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood.
An individual can regulate the amount of blood sugar (glucose) levels by:
- Eating healthy meals and snacks
- Regular physical activity
- Monitoring your blood glucose (sugar) with glucose meter
- Lowering your body weight
- Taking insulin and other medications, if prescribed by your doctor
- Managing stress effectively
To learn more, please click here
Jo-Anne Chaput said healthier eating habits; increased exercising, limiting alcohol consumption, and the cessation of smoking reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Chaput also explained that someone who has acquired diabetes have 7 of 10 blood sugar ratio or higher, while those who are pre-diabetic have 6-6.9 blood sugar ratio.
Total abstinence of high carbohydrate foods is no longer encouraged. Danielle Lawrence for example said it’s all right to give your self a small treat once a week and over holidays like Halloween, Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving Day.
“We are allowed to giver ourselves a small treat every now and then," Lawrence said. “Especially around Christmas, have a cookie during the Christmas holidays.”
Darquise Leduc also has a strategy for situations where you are invited to party but are not sure if the host will give a healthy alternative to party classics such as chips, cookies and other sweets.
“What I do is I ask the host if it is ok for me to bring something to contribute to the party trays,” said Leduc. “I always bring a tray of cut vegetables that are ready to eat.”
It’s important to know your risks of acquiring diabetes. You can find out how to assess your risk of acquiring diabetes by visiting the following websites:
https://www.facebook.com/CDATimmins/
http://www.tnfc.ca/programs.html
http://www.porcupinehu.on.ca/en/your-health/nutrition/diabetes-prevention/
Or call or visit the VON Diabetes Education Centre, the 101 Mall – suite 139 (Second Floor) 38 Pine St, N. Timmins, Ontario. 705-267-8444 ext. 515
