in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 11 ,2 02 1 | 18 How to manage your blood sugar if you have Type 2 diabetes November is Diabetes Awareness Month. To help shed some light on the practices required to help manage Type 2 diabetes, here are five ways people with this disease can keep their blood sugar level in check. 1. EXERCISE REGULARLY Regular exercise can help increase insulin sensitivity, which may improve your body's ability to use the available sugar in your bloodstream. Furthermore, when you exercise, your muscles use glucose for energy, thereby preventing it from accumulating in your body. 2. STAY HYDRATED Drinking plenty of water and sugar-free fluids can help you lower your blood sugar level by diluting the amount of glucose in your bloodstream. Staying hydrated also helps your kidneys flush any excess sugar out of your body. 3. EAT A HEALTHY DIET It's a good idea to limit your consumption of the kinds of food that can cause your blood sugar level to spike. Cutting back on carbohydrates, eating more lean protein and vegetables and adding more fibre to your diet can help stabilize your blood sugar level. 4. GET ENOUGH SLEEP Poor or insufficient sleep can negatively affect your blood sugar level in the short and long term. In fact, a lack of sleep causes your body to produce more cortisol, which can lead to increased insulin resistance and a higher blood sugar level. 5. MONITOR YOUR BLOOD SUGAR Regularly monitoring your blood sugar level is one of the best ways to take control of your Type 2 diabetes. It allows you to find out what impacts your blood sugar so you can effectively adjust your diet, exercise and medications. If you have any questions or concerns about monitoring your glucose level, contact your doctor for advice. November is DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATING ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS YMCAOFOAKVILLE.ORGAsk for John www.jmcconcrete.ca905-878-8595 J.M.CJ.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates 476 Kerr Street (just south of Speers Road) 905-845-2933 www.oakvilleappliance.com Another year, another State of the Town address by Oakville Mayor Rob Bur- ton. A number of challenges arose this year. The CO- VID-19 pandemic looms large, and Burton did focus heavily on the file. But the mayor also fo- cused on some less front-of- mind news that took place in the Town of Oakville. Here are some takeaways from the recent address. COVID-19 The mayor reaffirmed his fight to contain the pan- demic as well as his support toward vaccination. Late last September, a citizens group protested against the town's vaccine mandate for municipal workers. The same group also staged a "citizen's ar- rest" of the mayor a year ago in December. "Vaccines are lifesav- ers," Burton said in the spe- cial council meeting. "They help us stay alive. A hun- dred years ago, there was no vaccine for the Spanish Flu. The Spanish Flu killed an estimated 50,000 Canadians in a bit more than two years." "The COVID-19 death toll is 28,000 after almost 20 months in Canada. Now, the Spanish Flu killed an esti- mated 675,000 Americans. The COVID-19 death toll in the United States is already 725,000. Unfortunately, the United States is becoming a world leader in vaccine re- fusal after having started to be a world leader in helping to get vaccines made," he added. He told Oakvillians to be vigilant because "when we relax our vigilance, the vi- rus blooms." He capped off this por- tion of his speech on an opti- mistic note. He emphasized that Oakville toll has been "lighter than our neigh- bours. Lighter than Onta- rio's. Lighter than Cana- da's. And much lighter than it has been for our giant trading partner and neigh- bour to the south." THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PLANT Around this time last year, Ottawa and Queen's Park promised $590 million toward upgrading the Ford Motor Company plant for electric vehicles. The jewel in the town's crown was looking to the future, and Burton made sure to high- light this in his speech. "Thanks to an extraordi- nary act of cooperation at all levels of government, and an Alert Ford Canada management, 12 months ago our Ford plant got a new lease on life as an electric vehicle maker instead of be- ing shut down," Burton said. Burton characterized this as an economic success in the wake of the pandem- ic. THE ECONOMY The mayor painted a rosy economic picture of Oakville. "For a third year in a row, Oakville was named one of Canada's best locations to invest by Site Selection Magazine," he said. Halton region's unem- ployment rate in July sat at 8.1 per cent, down from a major spike around the same time the previous year. Halton's participation rate also increased by 1.3 percentage points to 67.9 per cent, putting it where it was before the pandemic. Burton said that invest- ments and new businesses in Oakville created "a thou- sand jobs. They supported our town's local economic recovery and future growth." GLEN ABBEY GOLF COURSE One of the more contro- versial moves during the 2021 year was the pausing of the Glen Abbey Golf Course redevelopment. Had the project gone through, the land of the golf course would have been repur- posed to build 3,000 homes. Town council called on the province to intervene on the project. Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clarke responded and se- cured a commitment from ClubLink Inc., the owner of the golf course, that they would not redevelop the land. The move was praised by Burton. But residents ex- pressed disappointment on social media due to the on- going housing crisis. "After an amazing letter writing campaign from our very engaged citizens, the Government of Ontario said it had decided there is a provincial interest in con- serving the heritage attri- butes of the Glen Abbey Golf Course." Mayor Burton ended the address by going back to the pandemic. He encouraged residents to get vaccinated and to "stay alert to stay alive. Follow public health guidelines ... let's have no more deaths and no more lockdowns." 4 TAKEAWAYS FROM STATE OF THE TOWN ADDRESS MAYOR ROB BURTON Mayor's Office photo MANSOOR TANWEER mtanweer@metroland.com NEWS TAKEAWAYS FROM THE MAYOR'S 15TH STATE OF THE TOWN ADDRESS