Learning all you can about diabetes may save your life—or at least improve your health significantly. Elder Options recently partnered with South Lake Hospital, Live Well Fitness Center in Clermont to offer a diabetes self-management, six-week workshop to the Lake County area. Liz Dalusio-Floyd was the instructor.

These workshops, offered on a rotational basis, are free to the public and provide valuable information for those recently diagnosed with diabetes, their caregivers, those who have been struggling with diabetes for a long time, or those who simply want to know more for prevention.

The workshop meets for more than two hours for six weeks. It improves attendees’ quality of life by providing support with practical ways to deal with your or a family member’s chronic condition, discover better nutrition and exercise, and learn how to discuss health issues with doctors and family.

During the workshop attendees learn to: manage symptoms, lessen frustration, eat healthy, fight fatigue, build confidence, monitor blood sugar and get more out of life! Each participant shared some of their “successes” during the six weeks. Carole Holden commented, ”I was on vacation, and instead of just lying around, I went swimming and hiking, kept my blood-sugar in range, and only picked up one pound!”

She attributed her success to steps she learned during the workshop. Another class member, Pat Shakir, says, “I was tired of dealing with high blood pressure, so I started looking for ways to cut my salt. I excluded pickles and brought my pressure down.” The workshop teaches participants to set goals and develop a step-by-step plan to improve their health and life. To do this they discuss stress management, relaxation techniques, and handling difficult emotions.

Students also learn to monitor blood sugar, prevent low blood sugar, exercise safely, and care for skin and feet. Dora Lynne Mcintosh attended the workshop and had nothing but praise for the experience.

”This class raised my thoughts and convictions to make a weekly action plan for [my husband] as well as myself,” Dora says. Her husband, Joe has stage-four prostate cancer and Parkinson’s disease and Dora is battling chronic diabetes.

“I am encouraged by [Liz’s] choice of words, ‘chronic conditions’ instead of ‘chronic diseases.’ Living with chronic conditions seems to be a mind change and is spurring me to want to develop better habits to exercise, eat healthy and manage medicines as needed,” she adds.

The Florida Department of Health in Lake County offers a free class called the National Diabetes Prevention Program, also in Clermont.

This is a 12-month program that consists of 16 weekly one-hour sessions followed by six monthly sessions that provide tools to eat healthy, be more active, and lose weight.

You may be at risk for TYPE 2 Diabetes if you:

Are overweight

Are 45 years or older

Have a family history of Type 2 diabetes

Are physically active fewer than three times per week

Had gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby that weighed more than nine pounds

Source: cdc.gov