It’s a wrap!

Join us for our 2nd Annual Diabetes Awareness Walk and Health Fair!

How does it work? Run, Jog or Walk and Share! Share photos of your participation using the hashtag #UnitedWeWalkCMF on the day of the event.

Each year, the Clarissa Manuel Foundation sheds light on the health risks associated with high blood sugar levels and complications with Diabetes. In preparation for Diabetes Awareness Month ahead, CMF will host a Diabetes Walk and Health Fair. This event will be held Saturday, October 28th, 2023.

It will be packed with information, fitness tips and great opportunities to support the foundation’s growing programs. We will have raffles, stretch and meditation startups, drink and snack pit stops and fun for kids too!

Participants will have the opportunity to pledge donations and walk to represent family, team or the community. Fun for the entire family! All are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes or tutus.

The Clarissa Manuel Foundation Diabetes Walk and Health Fair is a  fundraiser for health initiative programs and events that are provided to the community. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the American  Diabetes Association. 

As many as half of all people over 65 in the United States have  pre-diabetes, and many people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are unaware  of their condition. Some diabetes risk factors can be controlled  by the lifestyle choices you make. These are called modifiable risk  factors. Those that you can’t change are non-modifiable risk factors.

Risk factors that increase your risk for developing pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes that can’t be changed are:

• Family history: Some factors that increase the risk of diabetes are inherited from our  parents or close biological relatives. If you have a blood relative with  diabetes, your risk for developing it is significantly increased. Share  your family health history with your doctor to find out what it may  mean for you.
• Race or ethnic background: If  you’re of African-American, Asian-American, Latino/Hispanic-American,  Native American or of Pacific-Islander descent, you have a greater  chance of developing diabetes.
• Age: The older  you are, the higher your risk for pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 2  diabetes generally occurs in middle-aged adults, most frequently after  age 40. But health care professionals are diagnosing more and more  children and adolescents with Type 2 diabetes.
• Gestational diabetes: If you developed diabetes during pregnancy, you are at increased risk of developing diabetes again later in life.

You  can — and should — do something about your modifiable risk factors. You  can reduce your risk for diabetes or delay its development by making  healthy changes: 

• Weight: Being overweight  or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes. Losing 5% to 10% of  your body weight—in addition to getting regular physical activity—can  significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Your risk  decreases even more as you lose more weight. For most people, a body  mass index calculator will provide a good target weight for your height.  Learn how to manage your weight. 
• Physical activity: Physical inactivity is a key modifiable risk factor for prediabetes and  Type 2 diabetes. Regular physical activity helps lower insulin  resistance. This means your body can use its own insulin more  effectively. Even a brisk 30-minute walk at least five days a week has  been shown to significantly reduce the risk of diabetes and heart  disease. For your overall cardiovascular health, aim for:     
  • At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity;
  • Or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination of the two);
  • And muscle-strengthening at least two days per week.