Sprightly Betty Bevan is refusing to let age or diabetes get in the way of living a happy and healthy life... and has the dance moves to prove it!
Betty, 93, of Preston, goes dancing twice a week and taken steps to change her diet to help keep her type 2 diabetes under control, and now she’s offering pearls of wisdom to other patients.
The great grandma found out she had diabetes during a routine check-up with her GP in December. Determined to learn more about the condition and how she could manage it, she attended the full day Desmond Education Programme.
The programme is for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This programme is delivered by the diabetes specialist team at NHS Central Lancashire from the Minerva Health Centre in Deepdale, Preston.
Betty said: “I found it interesting and enjoyed listening to the experiences of other people living with diabetes. The day was fun and educational and there was a wide range of people there from a 30-year-old to me.
“I do eat healthily and regularly as my family grow their own vegetables and salads, but I have now cut down on my sugar intake and reduced the amount of fat I eat by stopping having butter – except on my crackers and scones!”
Betty keeps active by dancing twice a week for two hours at a time at the Becketts Centre and Galloway Hall, Preston. Her favourite dances are the Glenroy foxtrot and the Grasmere waltz.
Susan Latham, NHS Central Lancashire diabetic specialist nurse, said: “Betty’s lifestyle was encouraging to other members of the group who keenly listened to her different life experiences. Betty now expertly self manages her diabetes.”
Betty, a widow, has a son, a grandson and four great grandchildren.
Her motto in life is: “We only have one life and my secret to a healthy happy one is – keep close to your family, keep active and socialise.”
The Desmond Education Programme is designed to help people manage their type 2 diabetes by providing advice around healthy food choices, activity and how to prevent long term complications. To learn more visit the DESMOND website at www.DESMOND-project.org.uk or contact the DESMOND office for NHS Central Lancashire on 01772 777620 or DESMOND@centrallancashire.nhs.uk.
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