October 4 – For the past month, a group of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) on-campus employees have been making the most of their day by learning new ways of managing their diabetes.
The employees participate in the weekly Live Well, Eat Well, Be Active with Diabetes (LEAD) virtual educational sessions.
The program is administered by the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) and Pathways to Total You Wellness committee.
“The LEAD curriculum is a self-care management program that teaches participants how to manage diabetes by integrating overall diabetes management, healthful food choices, modifying recipes, physical activity, and healthcare,” Extension Program Specialist Jennifer Garza, Ph.D., said.
In addition to the virtual sessions, participants are simultaneously provided education on using the LEAD mobile app. The app tracks medication, physician information, physical activity (calories, water intake, and steps), vital signs (A1C levels, blood pressure, body temperature), and nutrition. That information can be shared with the user’s healthcare providers.
“The LEAD mobile app works in tandem to provide participants with digital support in self-care management of diabetes,” Garza said. She added the response to the curriculum and app from employees has been positive.
In last week’s session, participants learned how to modify recipes. To round out the lesson, nutrition interns conducted a food demonstration to teach participants to make pumpkin pie parfaits. Senior interns even discussed the modifications to make diabetic-friendly desserts for the upcoming holiday season.
The series will this week, focusing on physical activity, requiring participants to step out of their chairs and get moving in their offices.