We know many people in our Divabetic community don’t like to celebrate the holidays because they feel they may disrupt their diabetes care. But with a little pre-planning and guidance from your healthcare entourage you can still enjoy Easter related festivities without failing your diabetes.

From the annual Easter Egg Roll to eating iguana, turtle and the world’s largest rodent in Colombia, there are many different Easter traditions around the world to choose from!

Easter is the most important religious holiday in the Greek Orthodox calendar. Shops line their windows with brightly-coloured wrappings for Easter candles and chocolate eggs. Greek families sit down to a meal of whole roasted lamb or kid goat on Easter Sunday.

Germans like to decorate trees with hollowed-out, painted eggs for Easter. One elderly man has taken the art form to an extreme degree.

An old European tradition of tapping eggs together in a contest to see which is the strongest is enjoying a revival in Louisiana. The town of Marksville claims to host the oldest “egg-knocking” competition in the United States. Competitors pair up on the steps of the courthouse on Easter Sunday and knock the tips of two eggs together. If the egg cracks, its owner is out of the competition. The process continues until just one egg remains.

Instead of tucking into chocolate eggs, Colombians like to eat iguana, turtle and the world’s largest rodent for their traditional Easter dinner.

We say, whatever you and your loved ones may choose to do,  “Don’t let diabetes dim your dazzle!” 

We asked several experts, Cookbook Author, Holly Clegg, Wine & Spirits Expert Samantha Shaken Baker and diabetes advocate, author and model Doris Hobbs to share their favorite recipes, picks and fashions to encourage you to celebrate a Divabetic Easter in style without compromising your diabetes health.

With over 1 million cookbooks sold, Holly Clegg has become a culinary expert on easy, healthy and practical recipes through her nationally recognized best-selling trim & TERRIFIC® and her more health focused Eating Well cookbook series, including newly released 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY edition of Eating Well Through Cancer, (English, Spanish and Chinese editions), Eating Well to Fight Arthritis and Diabetic Cooking with the American Diabetes Association.  Clegg who attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School has appeared on Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, QVC, The 700 Club, USA Today, Cooking Light Magazine, Web MD, and Huff Post.  She has consulted for Walmart, Teflon, The Coca-Cola Company, and hospitals throughout the country. Here’s Holly’s suggestion on to make a simple, impressive way to dress up eggs for Easter:

Open Face Breakfast English Muffins Recipe from ‘Eating Well To Fight Arthritis’ cookbook by Holly Clegg. 

“These colorful Western omelet ingredients are piled on an English muffin and make this the ideal grab and go satisfying breakfast” says Holly.  Egg beaters may be substituted for the egg and egg white combination.

Makes 6 muffins

1/2 cup chopped Canadian bacon

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes

2 eggs

5 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

3 whole-wheat English muffins, halved

1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

1. In nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook Canadian bacon 2 minutes or until begins to brown.  Add onion and, green pepper sautéing until tender.  Add tomatoes, cook 1 minute.  Remove from pan, set aside.

2. In small bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites.  In same nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, scramble eggs.  Season to taste.  When eggs are almost done, stir in bacon onion mixture.

3. Meanwhile, toast muffin halves.  Divide egg mixture to top muffin halves.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Note:  The prepared muffins may be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave or in oven preheated at 350°F. about 5 minutes or until well heated.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories143 kcal, Calories from Fat 25%, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 71 mg, Sodium 391 mg, Carbohydrates 15 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Total Sugars 4 g, Protein 12 g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 ½ lean meat

“Glamour is the feeling of beauty, with an undertone of femininity, while looking like a lady, for all occasions,” Luxury Spokesmodel, Diabetes Advocate, Contributing Style Editor & Published Writer, Doris Hobbs explains. “Glamour is an illusion, a form of mystery revealing a fragile state that changes with time. Glamour, from my perspective, is defined as recreation from all facets of our lives. Perhaps the best way to describe it is with a ravishing red lipstick, a sensual hourglass silhouette, and style inspiration from such mavens as Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, and Jayne Mansfield.”

Vintage brooches are colorful,  eye-catching sparkle and for a small investment, you get a big return style wise!

Did you know back in the day women wore  “Scatter pins”,  a matching set of two or more pins that were grouped together on a blouse or sweater?

If you love vintage brooches,  there is no need to  curb your enthusiasm because you think you wouldn’t get a chance to wear all the ones you find.  There are plenty of ways to show them off!

DIVABETIC TIP: While alcohol can make blood sugar drop too low, certain beverages (such as beer or sugary mixers) can cause a blood sugar spike. What’s more, consuming more than one or two drinks can cloud your thinking and affect other food choices you make that day, which can also affect glucose levels.

What’s brunch without a little bubbly?

We asked Samantha Shanken Baker, who helps presents memorable food and wine events like the Annual Harlem Eat Up! to suggest a great tasting champagne for under $50. Samantha’s pick is G.H. Mumm Brut Champagne Cordon (retail $45) featuring a delightful notes of flavor—dried apricot, candied orange peel, nut and smoke. This very harmonious dry Champagne is still elegant and light-weight. The rich, toasty note lingers on the vibrant finish. Oh la-la!

DIVABETIC TIP: Heavy black pumps paired with lightweight white dresses can be an odd combination. If you wear a white dress in the spring , better options include natural toned or white sandals. If you choose to wear white in fall and winter, brown shoes still look better than black (and for sticklers to the rules, white shoes should be avoided after Labor Day). HOW TO WEAR WHITE

Why not enjoy a Coco Mimosa?

I love serving my guests mimosas at Brunch. The name of one of the characters. “Coco Mimosa”,  from our upcoming Diabetes Mystery titled “Gypsies, Tramps & Peas” inspired this new tropical twist to a mimosa. It’s as easy as pie! Just splash some coconut flavored light rum over fresh orange juice and champagne.

DIVABETIC TIP: The weather is warming up and the cherry blossoms are in bloom – looks like spring has finally sprung! It’s the perfect season to jump start a walking program. It’s easy, safe, and inexpensive. It’s also relaxing and at the same time invigorating, requires little athletic skill, and does not call for club membership or special equipment other than sturdy, comfortable shoes. And it is fun and natural — good for your mind and self-esteem. LEARN MORE

Let a new walking shoe get you in the groove!

We love these striped spring flat mesh casual walking shoes (pictured above)! They’re breathable slip ons and reasonably inexpensive.  BUY

According to the Who What Wear website florals are a big trend for Spring 2017. Sound familiar? Well, this time around, the scale, fabrication and mood is more exaggerated than ever! Designers are encouraging you to be in full bloom from head to toe—shoes included. From double doses of Rococo-style jacquard florals with ruffles and raw hems at Marques’Almeida to subdued, blousy ’70s bouquets at Chloé and neon carnations at Balenciaga, there is nothing standard about these arrangements. No ditsy prints here in this S/S 17 version of the fashion trend, thanks.

Mildly Mexican Breakfast Bake Recipe from ‘Eating Well To Fight Arthritis’ cookbook by Holly Clegg

“Eat with color and you know you are eating healthy! This overnight sensation with bright colors and flavors will wake up those morning taste-buds!” says Holly.

Makes 8 (1-cup) servings

8 ounces ground breakfast turkey sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped

2 cups baby spinach

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (4-ounce) can green chilies

4 eggs

6 egg whites

2 cups fat-free half-and-half

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese

5 (8-inch) 98% fat-free flour tortillas, cut into quarters

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1. Coat 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In large nonstick skillet, cook and crumble sausage until starts to brown. Add onion and bell pepper, cooking until sausage is done and vegetables tender. Add spinach, garlic and green chilies; cooking until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.

3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, half-and-half, chili powder, cumin and cheese.

4. Spoon one-third of sausage mixture in baking dish. Top with one-third tortilla quarters and one-third cheese and green onions. Repeat layers, ending with green onion. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole and refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat oven 350°F. If using glass baking dish, place in cold oven and bake 50-60 minutes or until bubbly, golden brown and knife inserted into custard comes out clean.

Nutrients

Calories  309, Calories from Fat 35%, Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 151mg, Sodium 751mg, Carbohydrates  29 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Total Sugars 7 g, Protein 23 g, Dietary Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat-free milk, 1 vegetable

DIVABETIC TIP: Want to get more for your money? Buying fruit and vegetables in season often helps! Prices usually come down when a fruit or vegetable is in season. In addition, the quality of the produce (taste, texture, freshness, etc.) is at its best. When you buy produce that is out of season (for example, buying berries in the winter), you are likely buying food that has been shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles. It is usually more expensive, less environmentally-friendly, and the quality not as good.

 LISTEN NOW: Cook Book Author Holly Clegg podcast interview. With over 1 million books sold, Holly reigns supreme when it comes to helping today’s busy person cook everyday meals that are fast and fit into an overall healthy lifestyle.  Known as the “Queen of Quick,” Holly’s recipes are time, user and pantry-friendly. LINK 

What’s trending in Diabetes Wellness for Spring? Here are three recent diabetes and health & wellness headlines that caught our eye!

Is there a link between climate change and diabetes? Researchers are looking at whether climate change might be linked to another public health concern: Type 2 diabetes.

An amazing app that helps you improve your A1C! One Drop | Mobile provides real-time and historical blood glucose data and analytics to subscribers and their healthcare providers, allowing both to see relationships between specific health behaviors and health outcomes.

Mama June’s Incredible Body Transformation After Weight Loss Surgery! On WE tv’s Mama June: From Not to Hot the reality star lost over 300 pounds and spent upwards of $75,000 to have gastric sleeve surgery, breast augmentation and skin removal surgery on her “turkey neck,” “bat wings” and stomach — where a combined total 9 lbs. of skin was removed.