Diabetes Expo one-stop shop dedicated to healthy living

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The Canadian Diabetes Association and title sponsor Pfizer Canada will host the province’s only Live Smart Diabetes Expo in Cornwallis Park in Annapolis County Saturday, May 24.

“When it comes to diabetes, knowledge is the best management,” said Lisa Matte, regional director of the Canadian Diabetes Association. “The more an individual learns about diabetes, the better equipped they are for the lifelong commitment to diabetes management.

“Unfortunately, we’re bombarded with so much information about our health these days that it’s hard to know what to believe. Information becomes overwhelming,” Matte added. “That’s why we’re hosting the Expo. This is where information crystallizes into knowledge and empowerment sets in.”

Registered dietitian and author Mary Sue Waisman is one of the keynote speakers who will offer advice on how to make delicious food that is full of flavour, conscious of cost, perfect on portion and fit for the family. Fueled by her desire to provide practical and ‘hands-on news you can use’, she’s known as a powerful speaker who inspires audiences.

The upcoming Expo, which is one of three this year in Atlantic Canada, will bring together products, resources, speakers and experts to show how Nova Scotians can help prevent and manage diabetes while improving their overall health. Topics range from healthy eating, stress management, physical activity to medication management.



Visitors can tour trade show

In addition to hearing an impressive line-up of speakers explain and demonstrate various ways to live a healthy and balanced life, visitors may also tour the trade show, where they can collect information and free samples from many different exhibitors ranging from nutrition and physical activity to supplies and diabetes management.

The Expo also offers the opportunity for individuals to get the facts from experts such as podiatrists, pharmacists, nutritionists and insurance providers as well as information on resources in the community.

“The Live Smart Diabetes Expo is our premier event of the year,” says Judith Swift, who is coordinator, programs and services, Annapolis Valley Canadian Diabetes Association. She says in the past it has been held in larger population centres like Halifax and Sydney.

“So having it come to the Valley is a real plus. We're very aware that the farther away from the city people live, the less access they may have to the kinds of specialists who can help them the most with their diabetes,” Swift says, and that's especially true in Southwest Nova.

“That's why we're bringing the experts to them. By having the Live Smart Diabetes Expo in Cornwallis, we're giving people a unique opportunity to get some of the tools they need to manage their diabetes and prevent complications without having to travel a long distance. This is going to be one-stop shopping for anyone looking for the best diabetes information.”



Ask the Experts, too

The Expo will feature a total of four plenary speakers talking about nutrition, heart health, good management and the challenges of staying motivated. There will also be a large trade show, noted Swift, with representatives from several of the major pharmaceutical companies and local businesses and a special feature, an Ask the Experts panel.

This is a place where people can chat one-on-one with a dietitian, a foot care specialist, a nurse, an optometrist, an exercise specialist or a pharmacist, and get answers to their specific diabetes questions.

The Cornwallis Expo takes place this Saturday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre. The cost of admission is $15. This Expo is one of 20 Live Smart Diabetes Expos being held across the country this spring.

“We’re also trying to arrange car-pooling for those who want to attend, but don't have a way to get there,” Swift said. “Anyone who needs a ride or can offer a ride to someone else can call me at 542-2870.

“The Live Smart Diabetes Expo is for anyone who has diabetes, looks after someone with diabetes, or wants to prevent diabetes in their family. Everyone will learn something they can use and it's a wonderful opportunity for people to take charge of their own self-care. It’s also a rare opportunity because an event this comprehensive will probably not be seen in the Valley again for quite a while. That's why we don't want anyone to miss it,” Swift said.

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Q. and A. with a keynote speaker

Psychologist Dr. Michael Vallis, who works at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre and is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University, is one of the keynote speakers this weekend. He has a special interest in diabetes.

1) How do you re-motivate people living with diabetes who've kind of fallen off the wagon?

This is the essence of diabetes self-care. Many of the self-care behaviours go against the grain and are hard to continue with. So it is common for people to drift.

They do so for good reasons. For instance, our brains are built to direct attention toward problems so we can solve them. So if we are doing okay with diabetes and something else comes along, it can take our attention away from diabetes.

Or our relationship with food is based more on emotion and socializing than nutrition and health. So it is natural for us to stray from our diet. Or we can motivate ourselves for short times, but often need a break to re-energize (diabetes doesn't take a break, though).

All this is to say that falling off the wagon is common. The trick is to get back on quickly and not to go too far off. You can help this by reminding yourself of the personal and meaningful reasons why you want to change (and the answer "my doctor wants me to" is neither personal nor of deep meaning).

Other questions to think about are: why do you want to be healthy? How hard are you willing to work to be healthy?

It is often useful to remind people about their general attitudes to life - raising children is hard but parents rarely give up and willingly put as much effort into it as is required. Why can't we do something similar with our health?

General attitudes in Nova Scotia sound like this: anything worth having is worth working for; an honest day's pay for an honest day's work; and, there is no such thing as a free ride.

We just need to apply these beliefs to diabetes self-care to find our way back to the wagon. This is much preferred to staying off the wagon until something bad happens with our diabetes.

2) How do you make self-discipline part of every routine?

This is an interesting question. If it is a routine, then you’re demonstrating self-discipline; so the question is best put as how do you make health behaviours routine. This includes setting goals well (SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely); shaping your behaviour (a success experience followed by a success experience followed by a success experience, etc.); controlling access to situations in which you are tempted to deviate; and reinforcing yourself for meeting SMART goals. So discipline is more in the technique than in raw willpower.

3) Do you have diabetes? If not, what got you involved in this health care issue?

I have diabetes in my family, but do not have diabetes myself. I have been working in diabetes since 1985 and am intrigued by the importance of psychological factors. I see diabetes as both a medical disease and behavioural challenge and think that good self-care leads to health, self-esteem and dignity, and brings the best out in people.



4) Are women better than men at self-care and control?

Women are not better than men at self-care and control. Both men and women are challenged. Women are generally more interested in their health and willing to seek help, so men often benefit from being encouraged to face their issues as seek help. Women often struggle to organize their lives to take time for themselves so they are aware of the need for self-care, but often run out of gas before they get to themselves.

The bottom line is we encourage people to find the motivation to care for themselves and then assess the personal barriers that make this hard. If you can overcome your personal barriers (regardless of age or gender) you will be more able to maintain your health.

I can make the following observation with regard to psychological issues in diabetes: the more work a person with diabetes willingly does, the higher their quality of life. The more work a person with diabetes unwillingly does, the lower their quality of life.

So one's attitude to their illness and self-care plays a major role in wellness. And, finally, attitudes can be changed (where there’s a will there’s a way).