Alpha Gamma Delta’s current philanthropic focus is diabetes. Educate yourself and find out how you can become actively involved in its prevention and cure. 

What is Diabetes?
The food we eat acts as energy fuel for our system. Once digested, the food is turned into sugars or glucose. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies to produce energy. When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or can not use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. Symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, excessive thirst; unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, feeling very tired much of the time, very dry skin, sores that are slow to heal and more infections than usual.

Controlling Diabetes
While some will need the use of insulin or oral agents (prescribed by a physician), many will be able to utilize healthy habits to control their diabetes.

1. Weight Control—Attain and maintain the body weight recommended by your physician or Registered Dietitian.
2. Nutrition—Eat a well-balanced diet, limiting saturated and animal sources of fat as much as possible.
3. Exercise—A regular program should be done at least three to four times a week
4. Smoking—Smoking is a significant risk factor. Quitting can improve your overall health.

Pacesetters—Mall-Walking Program
Exercise has many health benefits for persons with diabetes. Along with improving blood sugar control and reducing insulin requirements, exercise also improves heart, blood vessel and lung function.

Alpha Gamma Delta, the Center for Disease Control and the National Diabetes Education Program have partnered to create and implement a mall-walking program called Pacesetters in local communities, which encourages people of all ages to exercise.