From the
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ALL
WALES DIABETES PATIENTS REFERENCE GROUP |
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NEWSLETTER FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES |Issue
December 2020.
I hope that
you are all keeping well This year
has been a challenge for all of us who live with Diabetes during the Covid 19
Pandemic As
Christmas approaches, we are looking forward to spending some time with our Families,
perhaps for the first time in a while. It us remember
all those Healthcare Professionals who have worked tirelessly to look after
people who have developed Covid 19 and yet have continued to provide us with
our Diabetes Care in these challenging times. We have
received care in a very different way to what we have previously been used
to. We also
remember all those Social Care workers who provide care in Nursing and
Residential Homes and those who provide care in individuals homes. Carers who
look after family members on a daily basis all year round. I hope that
all Children with diabetes and their families have a Fun Christmas and Santa
brings them the things they have asked for. I would
like to wish you and your Families Seasons Greetings and hope that you all
have a Happy and Healthy New Year in 2021. Stay Safe Wendy Gane
MBE Chair AWDPRG |
Some diabetes
services have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is to
help you look after yourself during this time.
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Looking after
yourself Keep well by taking
your usual medication as prescribed, following a healthy diet and taking
regular exercise if you can, these are the most important things to do for
your health. Reduce your risk of
catching COVID-19 infection by following all the local rules, Frequent hand
washing, maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask. (see diabetes,
org.uk/coronavirus for guidance) Make sure you have a
FREE influenza (flu)vaccine This is really
important to protect you from Flu at a time when COVID-19 is also a health
risk. This cab be
arranged at your GP surgery. This is a time of
high stress and anxiety Resources to help
with this may be found at This
Food Factsheet is a public service of The British Dietetic Association
(BDA) intended for information only. It is
not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by
a dietitian. If you need to see a
dietitian, visit your GP for a referral or: www.freelancedietitians.org
for a private dietitian. To check your dietitian
is registered check www.hcpc-uk.org www.diabetespsychologymatters.com BAME T2 Community
Introduction BAME Helpline Wales is now
open: Mon - Fri 10:30am - 2:30pm Call 0300 2225720 Text 07537432416 |
Seeking Help Know when to call for
help and who to call. Both Primary care
services and secondary care services are open for those who need it and
changes have been made to make it safe to attend. Local Contact. Seek Help on this contact number if Your glucose levels
become persistently higher than usual You have frequent
or recurrent hypoglycaemia (glucose levels below 4mmol/l.) You are planning a pregnancy
or are Pregnant and are insure what
to do about your diabetes medication. Urgent Help required if you: are vomiting or unable to eat feel unwell become drowsy or breathless have abdominal pain have significant ketones Contact your GP,
NHS111 or in case of an emergency dial 999 |
This Food Factsheet is a public service of The
British Dietetic Association (BDA) intended for information only. It is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis
or dietary advice given by a dietitian. If you need to see a dietitian, visit your GP for a referral or:
www.freelancedietitians.org for a private dietitian. To check your dietitian
is registered check www.hcpc-uk.org
internet. Follow these steps to find the
internet pages.
Go to your internet homepage (Google
chrome, e- explorer, Microsoft edge, Safari)
Type the web address (exactly as
it is written) Press the "enter" key on your keyboard
REMEMBER, your local authority
is there to help you too
Examples include; access to food,
collecting medicines or
support from voluntary groups.
A
list of telephone numbers for local authorities is attached.
See the Welsh Government website at
gov. wales/help-vulnerable-local-authorities-
and-voluntary-groups.
Looking
after your eyes
Diabetes Eye Screening Wales (DESW)
is restarting.
If you have a concern about your vision,
please either contact your GP, your optician or your
local
eye emergency department.
This Food Factsheet is a public service of The
British Dietetic Association (BDA) intended for information only. It is not a substitute for proper medical
diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian. If you need to see a dietitian, visit your GP for a referral or:
www.freelancedietitians.org for a private dietitian. To check your dietitian
is registered check www.hcpc-uk.org
screening-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
Pocket Medic Films
Short films made in Wales by people
with diabetes and
their healthcare professionals. They help to support you with various
aspects of your diabetes.
This Food Factsheet is a public service of The
British Dietetic Association (BDA) intended for information only. It is not a substitute for proper medical
diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian. If you need to see a dietitian, visit your GP for a referral or:
www.freelancedietitians.org for a private dietitian. To check your dietitian
is registered check www.hcpc-uk.org
Type
1 Teenagers www.medic.video/cv-t1teen Type 2 Diabetes www.medic.video/cv-type2
Gestational Diabetes www.medic.video/cv-gest
This information is provided to update you
of policy on COVID-19 vaccination in the UK.
It
was announced on 2nd December that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
has been
approved and will be
being distributed across the UK as I write.
The
vaccine appears to be safe and well-tolerated, and there were no
clinically
concerning safety observations. The
data indicate high efficacy in all age
groups (16 years and over),
including encouraging results in older adults.
While
there is some evidence to indicate high levels of short-term
protection from a single dose of vaccine, a
two-dose vaccine schedule is currently advised
in accordance with regulatory approval.
Vaccine priority
groups: advice on 2 December 2020
It is not possible to provide the vaccine to
everyone at the same time so a priority list of groups
has been devised as set out below:
1 Residents in a care home for older adults and
their carers
2 All
those 80 years of age and over
Frontline health and social care workers
3 All those 75 years of age and
over
4 All those 70 years of age and over
Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals*
All
those 65 years of age and over
6 All
individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which
put them at higher risk of serious disease
and mortality
7
All those 60 years of age and
over
8 All those 55 years of age and over
9
All those 50 years of age and
over
·
This advice on
vaccination does not include pregnant women and those under the age of 16 years
(see above)
Other vaccines in development
Other COVID-19 vaccines are in
development, with some in late-stage trials.
When sufficient data on vaccine
safety and efficacy are available, these will be
Considered and the above details will
be updated.
At Christmas we’re often surrounded by masses of delicious food and drink. While there is no reason to feel guilty about enjoying yourself, it’s
worth remembering that, on average,
people gain from1-5lbs (1-2.5kg) over this holiday period. But don’t despair,
you can enjoy yourself and make healthier choices too
Try breakfast cereals,
porridge, wholegrain bread/rolls, English muffins, scones, malt loaf, fruit
bread and
bagels which are all good
sources of energy to help get you through a busy morning and they’re all low in
fat
too. Choose wholegrain
varieties whenever possible to ensure a good fibre intake to keep you feeling
full, so
you are less likely to
snack throughout the morning. Adding fruit will boost your 5-a-day target, why
not try
seasonal citrus fruit
like satsumas and clementines, or stewed or baked apples with fresh/dried
dates, figs
or cranberries. You could
add a small 150ml glass of fruit juice or a fresh fruit smoothie. Vegetables
such as
mushrooms or grilled
tomatoes are tasty on toast or in an omelets and baked beans also count as one
of
your 5-a-day! Fruit and
veg are a great source of both
vitamins and low-fat
yoghurt or milk (or non-dairy alternatives fortified with calcium e.g., soya or
coconut milk) on cereal, to make porridge or added to a smoothie will give you
calcium for strong teeth and bones.
Christmas meal
Starters Try smoked salmon, which is a good source
of omega-3 fatty acids, needed to keep your heart healthy; melon or vegetable
soup a further boost to your 5-a-daytarget.
Main course Turkey is low in fat and high in protein (helps
your body grow and repair) so enjoy it.
Most of the
fat is present in a cooked turkey will be found just under/ in the skin. Why
not take the skin off before you tuck in? A side of salmon is also a great
alternative to meat. If you are a vegetarian try a roasted vegetable medley with
added nuts, seeds, beans or pulses for protein.
All the trimmings:
Roast
potatoes Use
unsaturated vegetable oil like rapeseed or sunflower oil rather than goose fat
or
lard; try using a spray or brush
which spreads less fat further and roast on a non-stick
tray/foil. Cut the
potatoes into
large chunks, as these absorb less fat than smaller ones. Fill up on vegetables Aim to cover at least
a third of
your dinner plate with a variety of vegetables, such as unbuttered Brussels sprouts,
peas and carrots which are all rich sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre to
help protect against heart disease
and cancer.
Cook for the shortest length of time possible in the smallest amount of water
necessary, steam or microwave to keep all the nutrients in. As long as they are
not covered in butter or any other fatty spreads, all vegetables are low in calories
and fat and contribute to your 5-a-day.
Gravy,
stuffing and sauces Use a
chestnut and/or fruit-based stuffing and make bread sauce with low-fat milk.
When making gravy why not use the water from your cooked vegetables? If using
meat juices, let the Fat rise to the surface, then skim it off and use what’s
left behind.
Pigs
in blankets If you can’t
resist these, grill or roast alongside your meat instead of frying so you can
throw
away the
extra fat.
Dessert
Christmas pudding is packed with
fruit and quite low
in fat, so to
keep it this way, serve with low-fat custard
or crème
fraiche. You could also prepare a fresh fruit
salad and
serve with natural yoghurt. Homemade
mince-tarts
with filo pastry are just as tasty as mince
pies with
less pastry, so less fat!
Cheese and crackers
Cheese is
creamy so you won’t need butter and a stronger cheese means you can go for a
smaller portion. Lower-fat options include Edam, goats’ cheese, camembert or
Danish blue. Choose wholegrain crackers or oatcakes.
It’s usually all the little extras that
pile on the calories...Alcohol
Remember,
drinks have calories too. Why not alternate your alcoholic drinks with
non-alcoholic ones (remember if you are having fizzy drinks choose sugar free
or diet varieties), or even better, offer to drive and
don’t drink
alcohol. Try sparkling water with a few slices of seasonal fruit, or warm
through some unsweetened
apple juice
with spices for a non-alcoholic warm drink. Always have a jug of water on the
table at mealtimes.
Snacks With all the tasty snacks around at
Christmas it’s easy to over-indulge. So, if you can, keep tempting treats out of
sight and make sure you have healthy options to hand.
Above all enjoy yourself!
Don’t forget
that being active will help you work off those extra calories. Why not dance
the night away around the Christmas Tree and on Christmas day, wrap up warm and go for
a walk after lunch.
Summary Christmas is a wonderful time to eat,
drink and be
merry - following these tips will
help you have a good time without
overindulging. After your main meal, go for a brisk walk to
burn off the extra treats you couldn’t resist.
This Food Factsheet is a public service of The British
Dietetic Association (BDA) intended for information only. It is not a substitute
for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian. If you
need to see a dietitian, contact Diabetes Specialist Nurse or your GP for a referral.
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Chair
of the All-Wales Reference group Ms. Wendy Gane MBE Deputy Chair Mr Rob Lee Newsletter
Editor Mrs Yvonne Johns |
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