Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 12, 1 December 2004 — Take control of your diabetes ... Just do it! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Take control of your diabetes ... Just do it!

Aloha mai kākou. The holiday season is in high gear with Thanksgiving pau and Christmas and Santa Claus on their way. With many activities about, it is easy to forget about the importance of keeping healthy during this busy season. The constant talk about the shortage of the flu shot is of great eoneem. So, for those over 65, especially our kūpuna and those with chronic illnesses, get one as soon as possible. However, in particular I want to remind those of us with diabetes that it is important for us to stay in control of our diabetes during the holidays. Managing diabetes throughout the year is something that ean be quite challenging, but even more so during the holiday season because of all the celebrations and gatherings. One way to deal with diabetes is to provide your body with nutritious and wholesome foods. With a healthy diet, especially one that adheres to the food pyramid, you will find yourself eating healthier

and managing your diabetes with ease. If you are not familiar with the food pyramid, eheek out the American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org for more information. Exercise is another way to manage your diabetes. Weight loss alone is not a cure for diabetes but it will definitely make a difference in your blood sugar numbers as well as your overall appearance. How mueh exercise as well as the type of exercise all depends on the individual, so JUST DO IT! However, always eheek with your physician before taking on an exercise regime. I often ask myself, of all the different tools needed to control diabetes available, what are they and how do I access them? So, "A Better Understanding of Diabetes" is one of my goals for 2005: For starters, I want to remind my fellow diabetics that in February 2005, "Taking Control of Your Diabetes" will be conducting their annual "TCOYD" conference here in Hawai'i. These conferences are

the best, and if you are a diabetic you should get yourself to the next conference on Feb. 12, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Hawai'i Convention Center in Honolulu and Feb. 13, 2005, noon- 5 p.m. at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort in Līhu'e, Kaua'i. The conference fees are nominal, but the information gained, as well as the materials received, are tremendous. Stay tuned for more information about specifics in future articles. I envision having several miniconferences for our Hawaiian eommunities so that we ean reach those who have diabetes as well as those who don't know that they have diabetes. There certainly have been previous diabetes conferences out there, but I would like to continue to reach out to as many Hawaiians with diabetes as possible and give them the opportunity to learn more about controlling their disease. Indeed, there are many different tools to manage this colossal disease that is killing our people. So how ean such a goal heeome a

reality? Well, one way is for you in the reading audience to email me at dantec@oha.org and tell me simply that you want OHA to make a difference for diabetics. I will do my share of lobbying the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help make that difference. I intend to reach out to the puhlie and private sectors; especially those who work with Hawaiians, and have OHA get involved and join as a full partner toward making this goal a reality. So, let's take control of diabetes, okay? Righton! So if there is a Santa Claus, please hear my Christmas wish! Now, here's wishing you and your 'ohana a healthy Mele Kalikimaka! As always, my staff and I invite your comments on the above or any other concerns within our purview. My OHA access numbers are: phone, 594-1854; fax, 5940210; and e-mail address, dantec@oha.org. A hui hou, mālama pono. ■

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Dante Keala Carpenter Trustee, O'ahu