Our Dining with Diabetes team is returning this fall with back-to-back educational sessions to help those with diabetes manage the disease.
Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and Wooster Community Hospital will offer the four-session DWD program from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Oct 2, 9, 16 and 23, in the hospital’s auditorium. The following week, we will be back in the auditorium for Take Charge of Your Diabetes During The Holidays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
DWD is a nutrition education program designed for people with diabetes or prediabetes and their family members or caregivers. WCH Registered Dietitian Rita Abboud is a veteran presenter for the program and always captivates her audience with her vast knowledge of diabetes management. Session topics are Living Well With Diabetes, Carbohydrates and Sweeteners, Fats and Sodium, and Vitamin, Minerals and Fiber - Putting It All Together.
Extension’s role in the program is to talk about healthy techniques in preparing DWD recipes at home.
Each session begins with a meal served and prepared by the hospital’s dietary department using DWD recipes. Participants take home those recipes along with educational materials relevant to the evening’s topic.
Goals are to learn relationship between diabetes, nutrition, exercise and self-management
The goal of this Extension program is for participants to learn about diabetes and the relationship to nutrition and physical activity and gain confidence in diabetes self-management.
Diabetes affects how the body uses glucose (sugar). It occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy. Without adequate insulin, glucose levels in the blood can become too high, leading to health complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, nerve damage, eye problems, and foot ulcers.
Discussions during DWD center around meal planning, carbohydrate-counting, label reading and portion control.
Preparing nutritious foods that taste good can be difficult at any time of the year and the holidays present special challenges for individuals with diabetes. During the Take Charge of Your Diabetes During the Holidays program, our DWD team will talk about how to prepare favorite holiday foods that are both nutritious and delicious and provide tips for managing your diabetes during the holidays.
Cost for the four-session program is $25 per person and $10 for a support person or caregiver. The holiday session is $10 per person.
To enroll in one or both programs, call the hospital at 330-263-8196 or register online at woosterhospital.org/dining-with-diabetes. Please register by Sept. 25 for the four-session class and by Oct. 25 for the holiday session.
These programs can help you make informed daily decisions and adapt to changes in your diabetes journey.
Laurie Sidle is an Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H program assistant and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or sidle.31@osu.edu
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.