November Is Diabetes Month in Nanaimo

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Why is the Bastion so blue?  

November has been proclaimed Diabetes Month in the City of Nanaimo. To acknowledge Diabetes Month a blue light will be projected on our local landmark for the month of November.

According to Health Canada, “diabetes is a lifelong condition where either your body does not produce enough insulin, or the body cannot use the insulin it produces. The body needs insulin in order to change the sugar from food into energy. If your body does not have insulin or cannot use it properly, the result is a high blood sugar (glucose) level.

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, where the body makes little or no insulin; Type 2, where the body makes insulin but cannot use it properly and Gestational diabetes, where the body does not properly use insulin during pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in Canada with more than 60,000 new cases yearly. Nine out of ten people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or postponed by making healthy lifestyle choices”.

Prevention starts with being physically active, eating well, losing excess weight and reducing your stress. Mayor John Ruttan feels “Celebrating Diabetes month is a natural fit of the City of Nanaimo, we have unbelievable recreation programs, facilities, parks and trails to assist people in choosing to live a healthier lifestyle”.

For more information on diabetes, go to the Canadian Diabetes Association at: www.diabetes.ca .