26 Jul Diabetes Awareness Week Wellness Day Success at TDHS

On Thursday 18^th July Timboon & District Healthcare Service celebrated Diabetes Week.

Twenty people came and were treated to a fun, informative morning.

Diabetes Week this year concentrated on the myths about diabetes, these include;

• Myth 1 – You can’t eat that if you have diabetes.
  • Fact – People with diabetes should eat a well-balanced diet and have the occasional treat – this is what is recommended for the general population
• Myth 2 – You can’t do sport if you have diabetes.
  • Fact – Sport and being active helps lower blood glucose levels and is definitely encouraged for people with diabetes, it just has to be managed. Being active also has many other health benefits so should always be encouraged.
• Myth 3 – You won’t make old age if you have diabetes.
  • Fact – If you have diabetes and it is managed well there is no reason why you won’t make old bones.
• Myth 4 – You can’t drive if you have diabetes.
  • Fact – If you manage your diabetes well there is no reason for you not to drive – however you should let Vic Roads know of your diagnosis.
• Myth 5 – Only overweight people get diabetes.
  • Fact – There are 3 types of diabetes including; type 1, type 2 and gestational. Weight is not a factor for a diagnosis of type 1 and gestational diabetes and is only a contributing factor to type 2.

Ingrid Rial, our diabetes educator, spoke on the above topic, this was followed by a cooking demonstration by our resident dietitian Diana D’Auria. Diana made a delicious healthy slice – it tasted so good you could swear it was junk food! Diana has a wealth of information on good food and how to enjoy it and stay healthy. Appointments to see Diana and Ingrid can be made through TDHS, please phone 5558 6000 (no referral necessary).

Then the day took a more relaxing turn with a presentation on aromatherapy by Petra from LeReve. The audience were treated to an informative aromatic presentation.

After relaxing with aromatherapy Tracey Heeps, our resident exercise guru, gave a presentation on the importance of activity when you have diabetes. She then followed this up with a basic Tai Chi sequence. Tracey runs exercise classes at TDHS for people of all fitness levels. Everyone is welcome – give TDHS a call and have a look at the timetable and pick out a group that suits you.

The morning was finished off with a meditation session by John from Willowglen. Everyone left feeling very rested and relaxed. John and his wife Maureen have regular meditation sessions on a Sunday night at Willowglen from 5-6pm. Phone 5595 9277 for more information.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires self-management. This can become tiresome over time and people with diabetes need to have coping strategies to cope with this extra stress. The TDHS diabetes day aimed to showcase some stress relieving strategies, these included; aromatherapy, exercise and meditation. All in all a great morning was had by everyone who attended.