Young adults with diabetes enjoy taste of India

Participants Estella Griffiths (left) and Laura Hawksworth (right) with Chef Richard Hughes (centre)

A cookery masterclass specifically designed for young adults with Type 1 Diabetes took place at The Assembly House last week.

The event, which was organised by the diabetes transition team from the Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, offered participants the chance to learn how to cook a complete Indian takeaway.

Sixteen young adults, between the ages of 17-24 took part in the event, which aimed to support the group in meeting others with T1 Diabetes in an informal environment, whilst building a resource of recipes suitable for effectively managing blood sugar levels.

The menu for the event included aubergine and tamarind curry along with Butter Chicken, homemade naan bread and onion bhajis.

Dr Charlotte Armah, NNUH Diabetes Transition Young Adult Coordinator and organiser of the event said: “By holding events such as this, we really want to engage younger people, enabling them to independently manage their diabetes as they progress into adult life.

“For our patients, the transition from paediatric to adult diabetes services is a really important milestone and we’re delighted to be able to offer these informal events which help us to maintain strong relationships with these patients throughout this crucial period.”

Dieticians from the hospital were also on hand to provide support in counting carbohydrates within the tasty Indian feast and advice on adjusting insulin accordingly.

Jon Fisher, 24, from Eccles, who attended the event, said: “We had a great time. It’s been really interesting learning the new recipes, I’m sure my family will be impressed. The fact we’ve already carb counted the meals is an added bonus.”

Richard Hughes, Head Chef at the Assembly House who provided the demonstration at the event, said: “We’ve had a fantastic evening and it’s been fascinating thinking about these recipes from the clinical perspective of counting carbohydrates. We’re delighted to have supported the event and hope that everyone who attended has had a great time and found the cookery session valuable for the future.”

Dr Frankie Swords, NNUH Chief of Division for Medicine and Consultant Endocrinologist said: “We’re proud of the range and quality of services we offer our diabetes patients at NNUH.

“We’re consistently looking at ways we can enhance patient experience and we hope that this exciting event will pave the way for a new programme of activities like this in the future.”

Notes to editors:

If you are aged 16-24, have Type 1 Diabetes and would be interested in learning more about the programme of events organised by the NNUH Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre, please contact charlotte.armah@nnuh.nhs.uk