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06 July 2010

Diabetes Awareness Week 2010

Diabetes Australia-NSW will be spreading the message across the state about the link between diabetes and kidney disease this Diabetes Awareness Week from 11-17 July.

25 June 2010

Congratulations to Jimmy Little on success at APRA awards

Diabetes Australia-NSW would like to congratulate Jimmy Little after he was recognised on Monday for his achievements in music.

07 July 2010

New type 2 diabetes medication may help in type 1

A new medication for type 2 diabetes may also benefit those with type 1, reducing the rise in blood glucose levels following a meal and possibly lowering insulin needs.

29 June 2010

Insulin pump prevents night-time hypos

A special insulin pump which uses continuous glucose monitoring to predict hypoglycaemia and stop delivering insulin can help reduce the number of overnight hypos, according to a new study.

For General Practitioners & Allied Health Professionals

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Home > Diabetes Prevention > Weight management

Tips for the whole family

Healthy eating and physical activity are important for a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating strategies should involve the entire family. Children’s eating habits are influenced by their parents. It is important that parents set a good example.

Healthy eating tips
• Eat more fruit and vegetables
• Limit soft drinks, cordials and fruit juices and encourage water.
• Choose nutritious snacks such as low fat yoghurt and low fat/skim milk, fruit, sandwiches with lean fillings, raisin toast, raw salad vegetables, pikelets, crumpets, breakfast cereals and ice blocks.
• Eat a nutritious breakfast, which is low in saturated fat, high in fibre and moderate in sodium.
• Decrease fat intake by limiting takeaway food and high fat snacks, using low fat dairy products, modifying recipes and using low fat cooking methods.
• Try not to skip meals. Eat regular meals including 3 moderate size meals and 2-3 small snacks per day.
• Eat at the table and not while watching TV.
• Limit high kilojoule, less nutritious foods such as chocolate, potato chips, cakes, biscuits, takeaway food, and lollies.

Adapting Recipes
• By modifying your current recipes you can reduce the fat and salt content and increase the fibre content and make them more suitable for a healthy lifestyle.

Tips for healthier recipes:
• Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off any visible fat or skin before cooking.
• Choose low or no added salt products and limit added salt during cooking and at the table
• Replace cream and sour cream with low fat/ skim yoghurt, evaporated skim milk, ricotta cheese or skim milk.
• Replace butter with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarine.
• Use canola or olive oil instead of lard or shortening.
• Use low fat cooking methods – BBQ, dry fry, grill, steam and bake.

School Lunches
• Add plenty of fruit and vegetables eg. fresh fruit and canned fruit (in natural juices), raw vegetable and salad sandwiches.
• Limit high fat snacks foods such as muesli bars, chips, and chocolates.
• Provide a drink bottle of water in preference to cordials, soft drink or juices.

Physical activity
• Getting the whole family involved in physical activity is important. There are lots of benefits of participating in regular activity.

Help your kids be active by:
• Encouraging active play such as bike riding, ball games, walking and swimming.
• Encourage kids to get involved in new activities and sports that they have not tried before.
• Limiting the time spent on the computer and watching TV to a maximum of 2 hours per day.
• Be a good role model for your kids and be active yourself.

Be active as a family
• Getting the whole family to be active together. Go for bushwalks or bike rides as a family.
• Walk your kids to and from school or to friends houses.
• Find activities you enjoy as a whole family such as social tennis or backyard cricket.
• Get involved in community based fundraising walks as a family