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Diabetes education at CMH
At Columbia Memorial Hospital, our diabetes education program, which has been
recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), offers group classes
that are taught by a registered dietitian and a registered nurse. Our in-depth
program has been ADA-recognized for more than 15 years and provides you with
a high-quality education experience. You will gain the latest knowledge and skills
needed to successfully manage your diabetes. Upcoming activities include:
Group classes
offered monthly in four 2-hour sessions.
These ADA-recognized group classes require a physician’s
referral and have a charge.
Diabetes support groups
at no charge. Join us for the
following classes:
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April 25 at 2 p.m.: Gardening & Gourmets with Melissa
Morris, RD
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May 22 at 6 p.m.: Diabetes and Heart Disease with Diana
Rinkevich, MD, cardiologist
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June 14 at 10 a.m.: Diabetes Foot Assessments with Jan Anderson, RN, and Gloria
VanDeHey, RN.
To register for classes, get more information or join our mailing list to
receive fliers for all upcoming events, call us at
503-338-4012.
A registered dietitian can help
you create a healthy meal plan.
For more information or to find a
physician, visit CMH on the web at
www.columbiamemorial.org
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Have
diabetes,
will travel
Whenever you travel, your dia-
betes goes with you. For a better
chance of a getaway that results
in good memories only:
Plan ahead.
See your doctor
for a checkup four to six weeks
before your trip. You want to be
sure that your diabetes is well
controlled before you depart.
Get it in writing.
Ask your
doctor for a prescription for any
diabetes medicines you take
and a letter explaining how you
manage your diabetes. Carry
both at all times on your trip.
Be safe, not sorry.
Pack
twice the amount of diabetes
medicine and supplies that you
normally need.
Don’t risk a lost suitcase.
Are you flying? Pack all of your
medicine and supplies in carry-
on luggage.
Do some homework.
Also if
you’re flying, find out how long
your flight will be and whether
meals will be served. Even
if meals are available, bring
enough food to cover delays or
unexpected schedule changes.
Source: CMH Diabetes Education Program
will help you learn how to use your
results to make decisions about your
diet, physical activity and any diabe-
tes medications you take.
Beyond blood sugar
As important as it is to control
your blood sugar, it’s also essential
to keep your blood pressure and
cholesterol levels in check. This extra
effort helps protect you against heart
disease, the No. 1 killer of people
with diabetes in the U.S.
High blood pressure is defined
differently when you have diabetes.
It starts at 130/80 mm Hg, a lower
threshold
than for most
people.
As for cho-
lesterol, you
should keep
LDL choles-
terol (the bad
kind) below 100 mg/dL of blood.
Levels of HDL cholesterol (the good
kind) should be over 40 in men and
above 50 mg/dL in women.
Exercise is absolutely key to man-
aging your blood sugar, blood pres-
sure and cholesterol. Your ultimate
goal should be 30 to 60 minutes of
physical activity on most days of the
week. But if you haven’t been active
lately, start with only a little exercise
and build up gradually. Brisk walk-
ing is generally a great way to move
more. Still, ask your doctor what’s
safe for you.
Chances are you’ll also need a
meal plan, which a registered dieti-
tian can help you create. Like any
healthy way of eating, your plan will
focus on foods that are low in fat
(especially saturated and trans fat),
moderate in salt and sugar, and high
in fiber.
Keys to a
healthy eat-
ing plan are
to have meals
and snacks
regularly and
to eat about
the same
amount of food at each meal or
snack.
You can also stay on top of diabe-
tes by:
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Dropping pounds.
It’s likely
that you developed type 2 diabe-
tes, at least in part, because you
were overweight. Losing those extra
pounds will make your blood sugar
easier to control.
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Stopping smoking.
If you light up,
ask your doctor for help quitting.
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Taking any medicine your doctor
advises exactly as directed.
Do so
even if you feel fine.
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Speaking up.
Ask your doctor
how else you can help protect your
health, such as by checking your feet
daily for any red spots, cuts or sores.
Sources: American Diabetes Association; National Diabetes Education
Program
Our in-depth
program has been
ADA-recognized for
more than 15 years.
www . columbiamemorial . org
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