Diabetes Program Services:
- One-on-one Appointments
- Retinal Eye Exams
- Diabetic Foot Exams
- Glucometer (blood sugar meter) Instructions
- Group Diabetes Classes
- Meal Planning for Weight Loss
- The Balancing Act: Understanding Diabetes
- Superfoods: Top 10
- M&M: Monitoring and Managment
- Nourishing Know How
- Steps to Feeling Better (exercise class)
- Mindful Eating
- Better Living Through Chemistry (medication education)
- Q&A: What's Up Doc?
- Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
- R&R: Reducing Risks
If You Have Diabetes, Take Steps Toward Better Health
Sharon Spratling, RD/Healthy Traditions SCIHP
The winter months can be a challenging time for many people to make choices to stay healthy. Poor weather, busy schedules, and winter ‘comfort foods’ can make it seem like you don’t have many choices when it comes to healthy eating and staying active. This time of the year can be especially difficult if you are living with a chronic disease such as diabetes.
Living with diabetes is not easy. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, sad, or angry. Managing diabetes means making healthy food choices; staying at a healthy weight; being active every day; working to keep your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure under control; and taking your medications as prescribed. But even if you know what to do to improve your health and manage your diabetes, figuring out how to do it and fitting it into your daily routine can be a big challenge.
The start of a new year is the perfect time to think about the lifestyle changes you want to make to be healthier. Making changes in how you care for your health is a matter of trying and learning. It’s about making a plan and taking small, but important steps to help you reach your goal.
Source: National Diabetes Education Program
The key to reaching your health resolutions – and keeping them up all year long – is to set a goal and make a step by step plan. So make your New Year’s Resolution and get help to keep it by seeing a diabetes educator in the Healthy Traditions diabetes program at Sonoma County Indian Health. Contact us for diabetes and diabetes prevention group classes and/or individual counseling at 521-4502.
- Think about what is important to you and your health.
- What changes are you willing and able to make?
- Decide what steps will help you reach your health goals.
- Choose one goal to work on first. Start this week. Pick one change you can start to make immediately.
- Don’t give up. It’s common to run into some problems along the way. If things don’t go as planned, think about other ways to reach your goal.
You have the power to live well with Healthy Traditions!