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Resilience, gardening, and community coming together

This video posted to Facebook by the Community Resilience Network acknowledges the Takanini Gurdwara Sahib for making 2 hectares of land available for a new Community Garden.   This came about after in 2024  at community workshops there was shared a dream expressed for local gardens and learning to grow food. In the video site clearing and preparation was underway and Gardens4Health is one of the supporters who speaks on how important this is to the community. Thanks were expresse...

Do you want to support our efforts to prevent diabetes and its complications?

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa has been working in the community for over 30 years to reduce the incidence of diabetes, and diabetes complications, especially for those most at risk.   We run a range of programmes, carry out research, design resources, and advocate for improvements.  There is more information on what we do on our website here.To do the work we do, requires ongoing support from our community.   Examples of this include people stepping up to be trained to de...

"Know more and do more for diabetes at work"

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Diabetes Day (WDD) topic of 'workplaces' lines up with the mahi being done by our team in our Auckland wide workplaces programme.   Supporting workplaces to develop environments that make the better choice the easy one, and that encourage and promote behaviours that improve health and wellbeing, is important for all workers however as this WDD campaign notes, with many people with diabetes in the workforce, it's timely to recognise what...

Just Cook Healthy Aging and the Silverfit group

Congratulations to the Silverfit group in Otara who recently took part in the Just Cook Healthy Aging programme.  Over the course of four weeks they spent time learning, preparing and cooking health kai to support health while getting older. Lots of stories, experience and laughter was shared throughout the course too and our team had an AMAZING time. You are all inspiring, thank you to everyone!For more information about the course please contact Trish by emailing trish.harry@diabetesfound...

World Diabetes Day 2025 is coming up quickly

The time of the year is coming up where there are international and local efforts to raise the awareness of diabetes.   On 14 November this year it is IDF (International Diabetes Federation) World Diabetes Day and the focus is on diabetes in the workplace.   When you think about it, and look at the statistics, it's a topic well worth addressing.   According to the IDF seven out of ten people with diabetes are of working age.    More information available h...

Strawberry growing time!

At the recent garden workshop run at Epsom Community Library, there was described as being a "backyard was full of strawberry fun as tamariki and families joined us to learn how to grow their own strawberries at home".      Gardens4Health Team Leader Ali was there talking about where to get strawberry plants and how to prepare the garden bed and plant them properly.   It sounds like everyone had a great time, including the "little helpers" involved in who digging, layeri...

Board Of Trustees update

Fale Andrew Lesā, who has volunteered as a member of the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Board of Trustees for just over 4 years, starting in May 2021, has resigned with immediate effect. ...

Global Partnership Summit 2025

Diana along with other representatives from Aotearoa attended the Global Patient Partnership Summit:  Patient Powered Progress in Action in June in Kuala Lumpur.   She joined fifty  individuals from the advocacy community from across the region who met to share ideas on how to make meaningful changes to improve health outcomes by including patients and carers from the start. Amazing examples were shared of how partner organisations are demonstrating progress through powerful ...

Poster - Dietetics Students June 2025

It's always fantastic to work with the next generation of people studying for careers where they will be making a real difference to the health of kiwi's.  We had an excellent time with students Genelle and Cathrine from Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland who investigated what we do in the community and worked on our new healthy eating teaching resource.   Diana attended the poster showcase in June and saw their mahi successfully presented.  Great job!...

Healthy eating from a young age...more collaboration needed

Thanks to Matt Robinson of EATucation for an excellent planning session today in Otara.  Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa has worked for more than 20 years in schools across Tamaki Makaurau, mostly at secondary level, delivering the hands-on GetWize2Health programme to areas most in need.   We continue to update our well regarded, fully funded toolkit and train teachers in it's use, but it is only one part of a picture where there is massive space to fill.   Enter our newly ...

Different Dinners Activators project

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa is delighted to be working with the excellent people at Auckland Council offering training and support for a network of volunteer 'Different Dinners activators'.  Activators receive training and resources to run teaching sessions in their communities for whanau, friends and contacts, with the aim of encouraging the uptake of more plant based eating.We are getting some amazing reports back about the difference being made by the Activators who have been through th...

In the News: REPORT study

Stephen Forbes, journalist for NZ Doctor, attended the meeting held at Te Manukanuka O Hoturoa Marae on 29 May and has written a detailed article on the importance of this research.  He quotes lead investigator, Viliami Tutone, who is a nephrologist at Middlemore Hospital as saying treatment costs to the health system are as high as $2.1 billion annually, and expected to increase.   Dr John Baker, our Board Chair is one of the researchers and describes the need for prevention whic...

Productive first meeting for new Renal-diabetes research

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa was privileged to work with Aotearoa Clinical Trials to support this community based first meeting of the research team, participants and stakeholders for the REducing the PrOgression of diabetic kidney disease cluster Randomised Trial (REPORT) which received HRC funding in January 2025.   More information here.   Held at the beautiful venue of Te Manukanuka O Hoturoa Marae, with presentations from the research team, as well as a guest appear...

Update on status of NZNF Just Cook programmes

Well it's been a busy time since we had the news back in early May  that we were taking on the NZ Nutrition Foundation programmes, the very well received Just Cook Tika Tunu and Just Cook Healthy Aging.   Thanks to Diana and her husband Kevin for the trips across the bridge with car and trailer prepared for heavy lifting, and to team members from both organisations for all the hard mahi shifting boxes of papers and other important items as they transition from the old home on the ...

Gardens4Health Facilitator Tania is heading off to new challenges

For those who haven't heard yet, we reluctantly farewelled Tania who has been the Gardens4Health facilitator in West and North Auckland since 2022. We've gotten used to seeing Tania's smiling face turn up in different gardens, and the office, often bearing herbs and seedlings she's grown herself. Thank you Tania on behalf of our organisation, the Gardens4Health team you've been an integral part of, but also the Lifestyle team where you've been a much appreciated behind the scenes supporter. Most...

Congratulations Dr Brandon Orr-Walker on your Bob Smith lecture

The Bob Smith lecture is a coveted slot in the NZSSD timetable, and it was great to see it awarded to Dr Brandon Orr-Walker at the 2025 meeting in Kirikiriroa Hamilton.  Our mahi with Dr Orr-Walker goes back many years, and he has demonstrated over and over again his commitment to people with diabetes, both in South Auckland, but also round the country.    It was great to be reminded of many of the initiatives over the years that have come out of South Auckland, including "Lets Be...

NZSSD Conference 2025 - Kirikiriroa Hamilton

We had an excellent conference trip to Kirikiriroa Hamilton, thanks to the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Board of Trustees for supporting the trip away  and to NZSSD for help with travel costs.   For our small organisation we were very pleased to have 4 abstracts accepted and play our usual active part over the event.  See specific blog entries for detail of abstracts/posters/presentations, but in summary, Kate Smallman presented case studies on the newly closed Youth Bar...

Tips for Healthy Eating for Adults - NZNF 2025

Each generation has different needs in terms of living a 'healthy life'.   Below is an excellent summary put together by the expert team at the  NZ Nutrition Foundation and updated as at February 2022Good health means we can live to the full and reduce our risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease as we grow older. What we eat throughout life is important in achieving good health – here are some simple guidelines to help you.Eat a variety of foods every dayEating ...

Te Pou Whirinaki o Mate Huka

It was fantastic catching up with Rebekah Crosswell who has been working on her PhD and was at the 2025 NZSSD conference presenting on her latest mahi.   Have a look at the practical results from her and her team here   https://www.matehuka.info/...

Tips for Healthy Eating for Rangatahi, Young people - NZNF 2022

Teens and Rangatahi or young people, form another group where there are particular requirements to grow well and perform at the level needed in our challenging world.    Below is an excellent summary put together by the expert team at the  NZ Nutrition Foundation and updated as at February 2022.Young People covers a whole range of people from age 13-18, who are growing at different rates and times, involved in various levels of activity and who are of different heights and we...

Poster - NZSSD - Gardens4Health 15 years on

Gardens4Health started thanks to the Counties Manukau DHB back in 2009.   Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa (then Diabetes Projects Trust) took the project, with just two gardens back then, on and prepared it for rolling out across Tamaki Makaurau.   We have presented on the progress over the years at various conferences and seminars, and this time we went back to NZSSD to give a taster about what had changed in the intervening years.   Karen Pickering presented an e-pos...

Some tips about eating well for Healthy Ageing - NZNF 2022

Older adults are more likely to develop lifestyle conditions as they age, and have particular nutrition requirements over and above normal healthy eating recommendations to prevent health challenges such as diabetes and heart disease, while also ensuring being healthy enough to live well.   Below is an excellent summary put together by the expert team at the  NZ Nutrition Foundation updated as at June 2022.   Nutrition and physical activity continue to be impor...

Report on Gardens4Health Tāmaki Makaurau Harvest Festival 2025

A fantastic day had by all!   Gardens4Health leader Ali has put together this excellent summary report describing the amazing efforts by allThe Gardens4Health Tāmaki Makaurau Harvest Festival was a celebration of community māra kai in our network, and the people dedicated to growing delicious, nourishing food for their communities.This would not have been possible without the support of our hosts Communities Feeding Communities, or the team of volunteers that help...

Tips for healthy eating for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding - NZNF 2025

Our next generation deserve only the best in terms of having a great start, and nutrition even before conception makes a difference, not just to general health, but to the risk and development of conditions such as diabetes.   Below is an excellent summary put together by the expert team at the  NZ Nutrition Foundation and updated as at February 2025Good nutrition is especially important for women when they are thinking about getting pregnant, pregnant or breastfeeding. ...

FAQs - common questions the NZ Nutrition Foundation has been asked

Want to know what the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist is?  How do you become one? Where to get good help? Coffee and salt how much is ok?   What about dairy in your diet?    Some of these questions have been explored here in this FAQ page from the NZ Nutrition Foundation website.We (NZNF) are asked a wide range of questions on an equally wide range of topics from our members and the public. Below we have compiled a list of our more frequently ...