For the past five years, I have been teaching a feeding program with diabetes here in Coshocton County. Coshocton Regional Medical Center (CRMC) and the Coshocton Public Health District are key partners in many of these programs. Since 2019, more than 120 people have attended diabetes education classes.
Nearly a quarter of adults in our county over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with diabetes. In a recent survey, more than half of these adults rated their health as fair or poor. The Meals with Diabetes Program is a cornerstone program at Ohio State University Extension because it addresses a very real need in our community.
What do you do if a loved one in your life has been diagnosed with diabetes but has no interest in changing their lifestyle? Or at least it seems to you that they don’t want to change. First of all, know that you are not alone. And know that this is a common reaction for people who are told they have diabetes.
Eating with diabetes isn’t just for diabetics. This is about supporting people’s lives, including husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends and anyone else who can encourage their loved ones to best manage their diabetes. Even if people with diabetes don’t want to attend these classes, we encourage them to do so. This is a support network to encourage you.
If you’re responsible for cooking meals or doing grocery shopping for your family, these classes can give you new ideas. Each week, we’ll try new recipes for main dishes, vegetable side dishes, and desserts. Meals will be prepared by CRMC staff for the first and last classes. During the second and third periods of class, we prepare meals together.
Each class has three components. The first is to learn how to prepare meals that best meet a diabetic’s needs. The second thing is to eat together. These meals can be enjoyed by everyone, with and without diabetes. The final part of the evening is a lesson on some aspects of properly managing diabetes. Although our primary focus is on nutrition, we also promote staying connected with the entire healthcare team.
OSU Extension has a fact sheet titled Communication Strategies to Support Families with Diabetes. Maybe you want to have a tough conversation with a loved one, but you don’t know how to start. Or maybe the nagging and lecturing you feel isn’t yielding the results you expected, so you’re ready to try something new.
Diabetics can sometimes feel like their family members are the diet police watching their every bite. Some people with diabetes may feel thwarted by indifferent family members who indulge in unhealthy nutritional choices. In these classes on eating with diabetes, he focuses on the balance between the two extremes. Rather than eliminating foods from your meal plan, learn about portion sizes and low-carb options.
The next Eating with Diabetes series will be held on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., April 3-24, with two classes at the CRMC and two classes at the Three Rivers Fire Department Community Room. The cost is $20, or $10 for additional support personnel. I will be teaching the class with Leslie Mayle, Registered Dietitian at CRMC. Paid registration required by March 25th. go.osu.edu/coshoctondwd.
Today I would like to introduce these words of Lao Tzu. “If you don’t change direction, you might end up where you’re going.”
emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Educator and can be reached at 740-622-2265.