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Glen Morris Diabetes Association
Preventative Approach
New Initiatives to Avoid, Reduce, and Manage Diabetes
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The Canadian Diabetes Association and member associations across Canada have and continue to understand the value of funding diabetes research. It is such a crucial step in providing these advances and each year the Canadian Diabetes Association funds Canada’s most renowned scientists and clinicians in their quest for new and innovative developments in the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes all of which every study and researcher remain the same – to improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes and to find a cure.
As result of the Canadian Diabetes National Conference held in February 2014, local Diabetes Associations have been challenged by the National Association to take back to their respective Board of Directors, the need to plan and budget for new initiatives that can help to reduce the continuing increase of diabetes. The new initiatives getting all the attention at the conference were those that focused on the preventative approach to help avoid, reduce and manage diabetes.
Emerging Research
The scope of diabetes research in Canada has been immense. The pioneering research funded by the CDA has contributed to key advances in mapping and understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of the disease. As a result, some new initiatives have been tailored to address this research addressing what we eat and how nutrition can play a key role in avoiding and in managing diabetes.

One of the emerging research studies conducted in Toronto, by Dr. Donna Koller, is that there is a real need to share information with children about their diabetes in order to start, at a young age, facilitating self-care. She says, “Research has shown that there was a lack of general knowledge and misconceptions about diabetes”CITATION Kol13 p 136-145 l 1033 (Koller, 2013, pp. 136-145).
The real importance of the research is that of self-care. If we expect to make any real strides in combating diabetes, then we need to engage children and adolescents. What was promising in her research is that the majority of children were keen to participate in discussions regarding their plans for self-care.
North American Research
Dr. Ronald Sigal, Faculty of Medicine in Calgary, has conducted research which supports that starting with resistance exercise before aerobic exercise might help to maintain safe blood glucose levels during workouts with those who have Type 1 diabetes. The research team consisted of Dr. Jane Yardley, Ph.D. Studies – University of Ottawa, under the supervision of Dr. Glen Kenny from the University of Ottawa and Dr. Ronald Sigal. Dr. Yarley’s research has focused on providing more evidence that supports the combination of resistance and aerobic exercising as a benefit two blood glucose control. Sigal summarizes by stating the following, “The improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness with aerobic training may be a better predictor of changes in HbA1c than improvements in strength”CITATION Bou11 p 93-102 l 1033 (Boule, 2011, pp. 93-102).
Conventional nutritional information has given way to new approaches focusing more on metabolic and aging processes that are associated with glucose, lipids, and proteins. Better known as Glycation End-Products (AGEs) managing diabetes through what we eat can have a tremendous impact on fighting diabetes and avoiding it, to begin with. One of the key research findings in reducing AGEs in how we eat states that ‘marinating with acids such as lemon juice and vinegar decreases the pH1 and tenderizes and increases the flavor of foods” CITATION Dia12 l 1033 (Diabetologia, 2012).
Further evidence of a new approach to nutrition comes from research across the border in the USA. Emerging research also supports that the last fifteen to twenty years of advice in following a low-fat diet has been ineffective and that following a lower glycemic approach to nutrition will have better results in maintaining healthy glycemic levels. Wheeler, Dunbar and Jaacks, et al., in their research are convincing in their position that the low-fat diet needs to be replaced by embracing a lower glycemic approach to nutrition. The summary review of findings stated the following, “From our review, we found that several different eating patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, show promise for achieving glycemic control. There was, however, not one particular eating pattern with definitive evidence as being better than the others. This leaves health care providers the opportunity to work with individuals to adopt eating patterns honoring their own culture, food preferences, and food availability while still achieving glycemic control” CITATION Whe10 l 1033 (Conference on Diabetes, 2010).
New Program Initiatives
As a result of recent research studies in Canada and the USA, the Canadian Diabetes Association has introduced new program initiatives for member associations to roll out to their respective communities. These initiatives focus on children, nutrition, and Exercise and have encouraged us to use the research results to help establish these new initiatives and build them into current and future budget planning.
There is no doubt that conventional thinking about what we eat has taken us down the wrong path. To dramatically improve Canadian’s healthy lifestyles, the Canadian Diabetes Association and members associations across Canada must take a lead role by increasing our educational material and in designing and implementing various programs and special event interests that will generate greater results in managing and controlling and stamping out diabetes in future generations.
With mounting evidence through research and a stronger focus on prevention rather than a cure, Diabetes Associations need to take a call for action to help educate our citizens on how to avoid, reduce and maintain diabetes. To this end, it is recommended the Glen Morris Diabetes Association build into the upcoming proposed budget process a number of the national diabetes initiatives that were promoted at the conference.
Nutrition is one of the key thrusts of the new initiatives. It is proposed that we partner with the agricultural area surrounding us and provide opportunities for freshly grown crops at affordable prices. Involving kids in healthy cooking classes, a family foodie cooking challenge with celebrity chefs being involved are just some of the new activities that the Glen Morris Diabetes Association needs to budget and plan for this coming year. Staff will be putting together as part of the overall proposed operating budget process funding for some of the initiatives that are believed to be good ones to start with. The Board can expect to see the details of this as we get into the budget process.

References
Boule, N. K. (2011). Diabetologia: A Study. 93-102: Springer-Verlag Press.
Koller, D. K. (2013). Pediatric Perspectives on Diabetes Self-Care: The Process of Achieving Acceptance. Qualitative Health Research, 136 – 145.
(2010, August 17). Conference on Diabetes. (L. Wheeler, Interviewer)
Diabetologia. (2012, November 24). Retrieved from Diabetes Today: http://www.diabetes¬_today.edu

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DIABETES RESEARCH
Since Banting and Best’s discovery of insulin in Toronto in 1921, the scope of diabetes research in Canada has been vast. The innovative research funded by Diabetes Canada has contributed to key advances in mapping and understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of the disease. Although the topics of Canadian researchers are varied and unique, the objective of every study remains the same – to find a cure and improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes.
Timeline
Discovery of Insulin1921
World War II Begins1939
End of Cold War1989