Diabetes is a very serious disease. In Counties Manukau 27,000 people in Counties Manukau have been diagnosed with the condition. Diabetes can cause terrible health problems including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, ulcers and amputation. Type 2 Diabetes can often be prevented or the onset can be delayed.

The major cause of Type 2 Diabetes is being overweight.

There are many simple things that you and your family can do to help prevent, delay or manage Type 2 Diabetes in your family and community. These include eating right, getting more active, losing weight if you are already overweight. These are things that all the family can do.

It is also very important to have regular check ups if you have already been diagnosed with Diabetes.

Eat right

Eating healthy, well-balanced meals can help you maintain a better healthy weight and lower your blood sugar. Making small changes to what you eat and how you cook can help you and your family to have more energy and stay well. It can also stop you from developing health problems like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems, strokes and cancer.

A healthy diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grain foods, lean meat, fish 2 or 3 times a week, low fat dairy foods including milk, only small amounts of saturated fats such as animal fat and palm oil, and lots of water.

Fruit and Vegetables

Vegetables are important in your meal for all the family. The recommended servings of fruit and vegetables is five or more every day and as many different colours as possible.

Frozen or tinned vegetables are just as good as fresh vegetables from the shop. Fruit is also a healthy and tasty snack. Tinned fruit is a good option if you pour off the liquid.

If you can, have a go at growing your own fruit and vegetables at home or in a school or community garden. It will help provide great food for you and your family, and it can be great exercise.

Some Healthy Eating and Cooking Tips

Try to make some of these healthy eating and cooking tips part of the way you live everyday!

Whenever possible choose water as the drink of preference.

Avoid adding salt to foods and when you do, remember to use iodised salt.

Avoid energy-dense drinks and foods, such as carbonated soft drinks, takeaways  and confectionery.

Choose lean meats, trim the fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry.

Drain fat from cooked meats such as stews, casseroles, corned beef, mince and boil ups.

Limit sugar in cooking and reduce the serving sizes of sugary and dessert foods.

Swap saturated fats, such as butter, lard or ghee, and palm oil with margarine or good quality oils. Good quality oils include rice bran, canola or olive oil.

If you do use fats and oils when cooking, only use a small amount.

Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables from as many different colour groups as possible everyday. (The recommended number of fruit and vegetables each people should eat is five or more servings every day!)

 Simply changing to a different type of milk, like light blue or green top milk, is an easy way to reduce the fat in our daily diet.*

*Light blue or green top milk is not a suitable milk for children under two years.

Swapping 2 low fat cooking methods

Looking for ideas about healthy eating? Here are some great tips for cooking meat and reducing fat in our diet:

1. Trim the fat from meat before cooking.

2. If using tinned corned beef, heat the meat adn drain off the fat before cooking or serving.

3. Reduce the fat in boil ups in 3 steps: First trim the fat off meat before boiling, change the water before adding the vegetables, and then skim the fat off the top before reheating.

Swapping 2 water

Simply making water the drink of choice is an easy way to reduce the amount of sugar in our daily diet. Fizzy drink contains between 8-10 teaspoons of sugar per can and should only be consumed ocassionally. Diet drinks have fewer calories than the full sugar fizzy drinks but water is the best option.

Water takes better when its cold so try keeping a jug of water in the fridge and put a jug of water on the table during meal times. Adding a slice of orange or lemon to the water can give it a bit of flavour. And don't forget to fill a water bottle before leaving home - it's handy and will save you money.

Swapping 2 healthier portion sizes

Talk to your doctor, nurse or dietitian if you are overweight or have diabetes and require a meal plan that is right for you.

Keep Active

Exercise helps you lose weight, use insulin better, and lower blood sugar levels. Exercise can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Keeping active can be fun and free. It doesn't matter what you do: walk, run, skip, jump, swim, dance, bike, play games or work in the garden, as long as you're doing something that makes you sweat and puff, you're doing your body good.

Keeping active everyday is very important to help prevent health problems such as Type 2 Diabetes. It is recommended that an adult should do 30 minutes of physical activity, enough to work up a sweat, most days a week, more if you are overweight. It is recommended that children do 60 minutes of physical activity everyday.

Simple steps such as turning off the TV or computer and going for a walk or playing with family or friends and making physical activity part of your daily family life is is a start in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Try to build up to being active 30 minutes for adults and 60 minutes for children everyday.

Check out things which are happening in your community now. In Counties Manukau there is a great choice of parks, playgrounds and beaches.There are lots of local community groups activities you can take part in. Schools are often looking for people to help with Walking School Buses, many communities now have community gardening which you can become involved with. You can also talk to your local library, community centre, community advice bureau, church or local gym or school about more activities in your area.  

To find out about local community activities call 0800 ACTIVE (0800 228 483)  or visit  www.cmsport.co.nz.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY

When we eat more food than our bodies need, we put on weight. There are four simple 'swaps' we can make to avoid this and stay healthy:

low sugar options

low fat foods

smaller portions (servings)

being more active

Wondering where to get active in your area? Looking for ideas to get active with friends or family? Here are some tips to help you swap and win better health and well-being for you and those you care for:

parks and playgrounds

team sport

the local swimming pool

physically active entertainment

If you eat healthy food and get more active you’ll feel the difference. So make the swap to stop obesity and together we can stop it in Counties Manukau.

For more ideas and resources to help you swap to a healthier lifestyle, go to Links.

Don’t forget! Contact your local doctor or practice nurse if you have a medical condition that may impact your ability to make changes to your diet or physical activity.