CDAR's Annual Loblaws Tour: Tasty - Healthy - Informative

For the past 3 years, the Ryerson chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association has partnered with Registered Dietitian Nema McGllynn to host a group tour of Loblaws grocery store. The tour showcases a diabetes friendly approach to diet and meal planning and has been an enjoyable experience for guests year after year. This year, CDAR's Annual Loblaws Tour was held in the last weeks of World Diabetes Month and was a fitting way to end a month filled with diabetes awareness and wellness related events. 

The event was led by Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Nema McGlynn. Guests were greeted by Nema and her dietetic intern, who lead them through an interactive tour on how to make healthy and diabetes friendly choices in the grocery store.  To start things off, Nema began with the produce section where she discussed choosing fruits and vegetables by using a Healthy Eating Plate, and then moved on to discussing starches and protein sources. Attendees also spent time in the cereal aisles where they discussed what to look for in cereals in order to make diabetes-friendly choices. The tour then proceeded to the dairy section, where attendees learned how to make nutritious choices with dairy products such as yogurt etc. Guests were also excited to be introduced to new products such as Skyr and to learn about different dairy options. Nema also focused on healthy and nutritious eating on a budget for students who were part of the tour. 

After an informative tour, attendees had the chance to try easy, quick and enjoyable recipes. Guests prepped and enjoyed salads with whole grains and greens, pumpkin parfaits for dessert and other delicious eats. The hands-on food preparation experience and a chance to sit and dig in was enjoyed by all. 

Jeroselle Bulanadi, a CDAR executive member who attended the tour says that this year was her third time attending CDAR's Loblaws Tour, which proved to be a very enjoyable experience for her. Jeroselle found it to be a great learning experience and has plans to try new food items introduced to her on the tour. Attendees living with diabetes found the tour to be especially informative and enjoyable. The event was also a great way for students to interact with an Registered Dietitian and a dietetic intern. 

CDAR's 2016 Loblaws Tour was a great success!  A big thank you goes out to Nema McGlynn for leading the tour and to all of the Ryerson community members and guests who attended!

CDAR MARKS WORLD DIABETES DAY WITH A SPECIAL JOINT EVENT

Every year, on November 14, individuals and organizations throughout the globe mark World Diabetes Day with events that are intended to raise awareness about living with diabetes, advocate for increased research, and to promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles. This year, the Canadian Diabetes Association at Ryerson (CDAR) was proud to commemorate World Diabetes Day by jointly hosting an event with Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services (R.A.S.S.), Ryerson’s Indigenous Students’ Association (ISA) and the School of Nutrition that focused on the impact that diabetes has had on Aboriginal communities in Canada.  Aboriginal cultural practices were observed, including a traditional smudging ceremony and the formation of a healing circle for our event.

The first featured speaker was Joanne Dallaire, Traditional Counselor and Elder at Ryerson University. She gave attendees a brief overview of the history of First Nations people in the country and highlighted various cultural values and dietary practices that have sustained their communities for generations. She spoke about how colonialism has disrupted Aboriginal Canadians’ connection to the land and undermined their cultural practices and linked this to the disproportionately high prevalence of diabetes that is seen in their communities today.

Kathleen Laforme, the Family Wellness Coordinator at the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI), also spoke and she emphasized the importance of diabetes screenings and the maintenance of healthy lifestyle and self-care practices, for both diabetes prevention and management.   We also heard from Spenta Mazkoori, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, who used a specially designed vest to provide us with a 3-D visualization of the inner organs to demonstrate how diabetes is manifested in the body.

The evening culminated with a community potluck where Ryerson community members were able to partake in traditional Aboriginal cuisine including elk, venison, wild rice and fried bannock. The event was a great success!  A big thank you goes out to our partners for the evening, the featured speakers and all of the Ryerson community members who came out to mark World Diabetes Day with us!

Attendees hear from registered dietitian Spenta Mazkoori

A 3-D demo of the physical impact of diabet    

Some of the great resources shared during the event    

Traditional Aboriginal fare     

Join CDAR for our Fall 2016 Loblaws Tours Led by Nema McGlynn, R.D., CDE

CDAR is excited to announce our upcoming Loblaws tour with Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Nema McGlynn!

Join us and learn how to make healthy & diabetic-friendly choices at the grocery store as well as great ideas for preparing nutritious meals and snacks!

The tour is also an excellent opportunity to network with in-store dietitians and dietetic interns.

This event will run over two dates:

21st November, 4-6 pm

28th November, 4-6 pm

Please click here to be re-directed to the event registration form (which includes payment and submission instructions).

Space is limited to 10 people per tour, so don't forget to RSVP on our ConnectRU page here!

       On November 14, please join the Canadian Diabetes Association at Ryerson (CDAR) for our annual World Diabetes Day event hosted in partnership with the School of Nutrition, Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services (R.A.S.S.), and the Indigenous Students’ Association.  This year, our featured speakers will be Kathleen Laforme, Family Wellness Coordinator at the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI) and Joanne Dallaire, Traditional Counselor and Elder at Ryerson University.

       Join us from 6 - 8 pm in POD250 to enjoy fun activities, diabetes-friendly snacks, free swag and useful tips for healthier living!