New edition of Diabetes Aware Guide available online

The La Cala de Mijas Lions Club Diabetics Support Group has published the fourth edition of its popular Diabetes Aware Guide. The 48-page guide includes useful information about the importance of regular testing, recognising the symptoms and coping with diabetes, along with check lists, conversion tables for blood glucose monitoring, a glossary of words and phrases, and physiotherapy instructions for diabetics, among other subjects.

The publication, which can be downloaded from the organisation's Facebook page free of charge, also offers an insight into the benefits of healthy eating, regular physical exercise, maintaining a normal weight, and avoiding tobacco use, which all contribute to preventing type 2 diabetes or delay its onset.

There is also a section dedicated to the history of the Lions Club and the volunteer-run support group.

The group was founded in 2003 by Frank and Anne Bowles, whose aim was to create a forum where diabetics can meet in a friendly and supportive atmosphere with others who are living with the same issues.

The group organises social and fundraising events, along with bi-monthly meetings at Bar Tuta (La Cala de Mijas) on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month between 11am and 1pm.

The meetings are attended by medical professionals and volunteers who offer talks on various aspects of diabetes. The group's nurse is also on hand with a HbA1c machine, a rapid test kit that allows people to test whether they have sugar levels in a diabetic range.

The next meeting will take place on Monday 21 March.

For more information, call the helpline - 607 879 450.