Type 2 Together is well underway and up and running in 6 different areas in England. The groups are

meeting regularly and all are facilitated by one of our trained volunteers. But one of the most exciting

things about Type 2 Together is that each group is different, and take a variety of

approaches to sharing their experiences of living with type 2 diabetes.

Here we have set out some of the interesting things our groups get up to:

How does your Type 2 Together group work?

Volume 3 December 2015

Welcome to Diabetes UK’s new Type 2 Together Newsletter, giving you all

of the latest news and telling you everything you need to know about our

peer support groups

Christmas time is fast approaching - but it needn’t be a time of worry and stress about what to eat and what not to. The following tips should help you in your quest for a Food Wise Christmas!

You don’t’ need to throw away your old cookery books - you can adapt the recipes to reduce the fat or you could use sweeteners in recipes requiring sugar

Unlike duck or goose, turkey ticks the boxes for healthy eating - it’s low in fat and high in

protein. Try and avoid eating the skin or you will be adding in lots of fat & calories

Love Christmas pudding? Why not serve with low fat custard or crème fraiche. If cream or brandy butter is a must for you look for reduced fat versions and try and limit to a tablespoon.

Be mindful of all those extras: the endless supply of selection boxes and rounds of mince pies - there is no reason why you can’t enjoy, but be sensible about the amount you have

Many people enjoy the odd

tipple (or more!) at Christmas. Please remember alcohol does lower your blood sugars and can cause a hypo dependent upon what medication you are on. So remember not to drink on an empty stomach and preferably have with food

For more tips visit our website:

www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/food-and-diabetes/christmas-food-and-diabetes/

Staying well at Christmas

The Taking Control Campaign

Page 2 Type 2 Together News

Diabetes UK have recently launched their new Taking Control campaign. Managing diabetes day-to-day can be difficult. This is why it’s important people have the knowledge and skills to manage their diabetes so they can live well and avoid complications.

The Taking Control campaign wants to make sure that everyone is given the chance to learn about their diabetes. 9 out of 10 people who have been on a diabetes education course told us that they felt the courses improved their knowledge and

made them more confident about managing their diabetes.

Our aim is to increase the proportion of people with diabetes who are offered, and undertake diabetes education, so that they have the necessary skills and confidence to manage their diabetes well.

If you are having problems getting on a course, or want to know more about how you can support the campaign follow this link:

www.diabetes.org.uk/taking-control

Funding for the current project

allows us to continue until at least

March 2016. We are currently

working on proposals for how we

could continue beyond this, and

seek funding from NHS Clinical

Commissioning Groups if

possible.

Type 2 Together began last year

as a pilot project - to test whether

we can prove that peer support

can impact on people’s health

and self-management of

diabetes. The health

questionnaires we have been

collecting from you will help us to

do this through our evaluation.

Whatever the outcome of this

work may be, we are keen for

the Type 2 Together groups to

continue - and we will be working

with each group and your

facilitators to decide how

Diabetes UK can support this to

happen.

Meet a Type 2 Together group member

Page 3 Type 2 Together News

Haven’t completed ahealth questionnaire yet? You can complete it online here:

https://type2together.uk/

The Future for Type 2 Together

Volume 3 Page 4

Roast Turkey

Dudley Kate Woodhouse, Type 2 Together Educator Harpal Bains, Type 2 Together Co-ordinator

Tel: 07764 906 220

Alex Devereux, Type 2 Together Project Manager

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and East & North Hertfordshire Sarah Donald, Type 2 Together Educator Lesley McFarlane, Type 2 Together Co-ordinator

Tel: 07885 557 007

Mid-Essex and North-East Essex Corinne Maguire, Type 2 Together Educator Sarah Fowler, Type 2 Together Co-ordinator

Tel: 01376 505 245

Coventry & Rugby Louise Dodd, Type 2 Together Educator Harpal Bains, Type 2 Together Co-ordinator

Tel: 07764 906 220

Serves 10-12

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours + 30mins resting

Nutrition information: per serving

422Kcal, 0g carbohydrate, 17.9g fat

1 x 5kg turkey, defrosted if frozen

1 x lemon, quartered

1 x onion, unpeeled and quartered

2-3 x whole garlic cloves—unpeeled and crushed lightly

2 x bay leaves

Good sprig of fresh thyme

12 x thin rashers of streaky bacon

The Type 2 Together Team

Or email us at: Type2Together@diabetes.org.uk

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C / Gas 8. Cook your turkey at this temperature for the first 30 mins and then lower the oven temperature to 190°C / Gas 5.

2. Stuff the turkey's large cavity with the lemon onion

quarters, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.

3. Fill the neck end of the turkey with some of the stuffing

and put the rest in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish.

4. Put the turkey into a large roasting tin. Lay the bacon

across the turkey breast then cover it with foil.

5. Cook for about 3 hours, removing the foil for the last 30

minutes of cooking time so that the bacon and skin can brown.

6. Check the turkey is cooked then remove from the oven,

cover loosely with the foil and leave to one side to 'rest' for 30 minutes before carving.

The Type 2 Together Team would like to wish you all a very happy and restful Christmas period, and best wishes for the New Year!