What’s On Your Plate?: The Plate Poetry Project Depicts Emotional Eating & Diabetes

Fine Artist Susan McCaslin’s Plate Poetry Project will be on display at Mosaic Central Farm Market on Sunday, June 3, 2018 as part of Divabetic’s Diabetes Awareness Day outreach program.

What words do you bring to the table?

Emotions can influence what, when, and how much we eat. For example, you have probably heard that some people eat to cope with stress. Others eat to preoccupy themselves when they feel bored.

When you eat based on your emotions, it can hinder your diabetes wellness management. Often, situations that trigger certain negative emotions prompt eating.

If you have recently eaten and find yourself craving food again, do a quick emotional check. Do you want food because you are hungry—or to fill an emotional need?

Eating is such a central part of our lives that food becomes associated with almost everything we do. If we’re happy, sad, angry, celebrating, grieving, lonely, or bored, we eat. Emotions become connected with food.

Each Plate Poetry Project place setting (5 pieces) has a complete statement written on it depicting a conversation that someone had while eating.

Visitors are encouraged to interact with the table and take apart the place settings to read each statement.

The eight Plate Poetry Project statements are:

“She says I am always eating too much”

“Be happy and eat joyfully for good health”

” You always help me when I need it the most”

“Love is my drug of choice not food”

It hurts when you say I am too heavy”

“How dare you step on my dreams”

“He helps me face illness with lots of love”

“So tough when I hear you cry at night!”

The Plate Poetry Project is made possible thanks in part to the generous donation from Onieda. Oneida offers the largest selection of flatware and a great assortment of dinnerware, serveware, cookware, bakeware, and more.

An important component of diabetes self-management, but often unaddressed, is the topic of emotional well being.

If you are having a hard time, reach out for help. Involve family members and friends to help support your weight loss efforts. Support groups, therapy, and members of your health care team can also help.

Our Plate Poetry Project video series aims to assess the emotions associated with managing diabetes and the underlying reasons attributed to those emotions.

Divabetic presents Diabetes Awareness Day featuring a Dog Fashion Show, Health Screenings, Healthy Food Tours, Diabetes Alert Dog Demonstrations, Poetry Readings, Art Displays & More at Mosaic Central Farm Market in Fairfax, VA on Sunday, June 3, 2018, 9:30 AM – 2 PM.

RAIN OR SHINE: Here’s a complete listing of Diabetes Awareness Day Events & Activities at Mosaic Central Farm Market:

9:30 AM Lions Free Sight & Hearing Screenings for Adults & Children (until 12 PM): Lions Club District 24A Sight and Hearing Van will also offer a paper screening test for diabetes and blood pressure testing.

10 AM Healthy Food Tour of Mosaic Central Farm Market with Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator Nadine Young RD, CDE with Virginia Hospital Center: Learn how the season’s best fruits, vegetables and artisanal foods can fit into your meal plan. Visit different booths to pick up tips on preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as local dairy, grain and protein products so you can build your healthy plate.

10:30 AM Dog Fashion Show Registration & Rehearsal: Dogs of all breeds and sizes are welcome to compete on the red carpet for fabulous prize awards compliments of Mosaic Central Farm Market vendors. REGISTER NOW: https://goo.gl/forms/WWxkBrs7ugpfK38P2

10:45 AM Healthy Food Tour of Mosaic Central Farm Market with Dietitian Nadine Young RD, CDE with Virginia Hospital Center: Learn how the season’s best fruits, vegetables and artisanal foods can fit into your meal plan. Visit different booths to pick up tips on preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as local dairy, grain and protein products so you can build your healthy plate.

11:30 AM Dog Fashion Show: See the best dressed dogs pose on the Red Carpet at our 2^ndAnnual Dog Fashion Show. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic:

12 PM Diabetes Alert Dog Demonstration & Talk: Find out how dogs help people manage their blood sugar high’s and low’s, answer your questions and share resources for purchasing a diabetes alert dog and/or training your own pet. Presented by internationally known Scent Detection Dog Expert, Debby Kay and Health Educator, Kathy Gold RN, CDE

1 PM Plate Poetry Project & Workshop: What’s Eating You? Fine Artist Susan McCalsin’s Plate Poetry Project explores the conversations that people have with themselves while eating. Divabetic volunteers help adults and kids to express their mealtime thoughts and concern after reading aloud several of her poems.

Acoustic Blues Musician and songwriter, Rick Franklin will be performing throughout at Diabetes Awareness Day. Rick’s musical style of blues is known as the “Piedmont” style identified with such legendary players as Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller and William Moore along with players and friends like “Bowling Green” John Cephas, John Jackson, and Archie Edwards.

Stop by the Capital Jazz Fest featuring Luther Vandross’ longtime collaborator, renowned bassist, producer and songwriter Marcus Miller. Marcus Miller hosts the Late-Night Jam Session on Friday, June 1, 2018, 11:30 PM – 2 AM. The Capital Jazz Fest takes place at Merriweather Post Pavilion, located at 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Maryland. The venue is 28 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. and 18 miles southwest of Baltimore.

Founded in 2005, Divabetic promotes diabetes wellness. We take diabetes education out of the clinical setting and combine it with art, music, and fashion to broaden the appeal of diabetes outreach. Join us!