Diabetes Fair Provides Advice And Information
Healthy eating choices and other information were made available from grocers like Fareway during Saturday’s Diabetes Fair.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – What is diabetes, and how can it best be managed?
Those questions and more were explored at the second-ever Diabetes Fair hosted by the Oskaloosa Lion’s Club inside of Penn Central Mall.
Debbie Doty with the Oskaloosa Lions Club spoke with Oskaloosa News about the fair, and the importance of keeping up to date with the latest about the disease.
“There’s always advances in diabetes care,” Doty said.
She hoped that people would come out and learn more about the latest treatments and information on diabetes.
Doty, who talks about her 20 year battle with diabetes, talked about learning more about zucchini noodles at the previous fair. “I thought zucchini noodles would be gross.”
“I liked them, so now I use zucchini noodles at home,” added Doty. “It’s nice to try different things, and maybe you’ll find something that you liked that you didn’t realize you like.”
Doty also hoped that people would come out to learn more because she explained that 50% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed. “There are so many bad things that can happen to your body when you have those high glucose levels.”
So we want people to come and learn about diabetes and pre-diabetes. “There are a lot of people in the world that are pre-diabetic. If they learn to control their blood sugars, learn to control their diet, they can treat that before they become a full-fledged [diabetic] by just taking on a diabetic diet and putting in more activity in their life. That can change things.
Mark your calendars now for next year, when the Diabetes Fair will be on November 14, 2020, which is World Diabetes Day.
Susan Stearns with Oskaloosa Fareway was on hand, giving interested participants samples of healthy eating options, and providing information on healthy food options available at the store. “Most of the people at our store can help you find what you need to be eating.”
“We’ve always been striving to keep our customers healthy,” added Stearns of the effort the grocer takes to make the shopping experience as easy as possible.
Levi Tarbell with the Mahaska County YMCA, spoke about the importance of fitness in a healthy lifestyle. “Healthy, active lifestyle revolves around movement, and staying active.”
“We’re here to promote just some of the classes we offer and the variety of activity that can be performed at the Y,” added Tarbell.
To better understand their fitness level, things like being able to get through your daily functions without pain or minimal pain? Are you able to not lose your breath going upstairs?
Those kinds of indicators help Tarbell, in turn help you get a direction to take with their fitness needs.
Tarbell said in closing, “I think individuals would be surprised at how beneficial taking a Silver Sneakers class, a beginner’s basics class can be. Just partaking in daily exercise at the Y environment where other people are trying to achieve the same goals, how healthy it is for not just the physicality, but the heart and the soul and the mind.”
