Month: October 2019

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Doctor Dre’s Loss of Vision Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

Celebrated hip-hop-oriented entertainer and educator, Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown has recently lost  his vision from mismanagement of type 2 diabetes.

“My stubbornness put me where I’m at. Now my energy is going to change that,” Doctor Dre told the NYTimes. “We got young people, grown people, old, all having this. We can prevent this. We can cure this. I have an idea how to do it.”

 He spoke to WABC about complications stemming from his struggle with type 2 diabetes.

“I had my retinas reattached, so I didn’t go totally blind from the diabetes. In the reattachment, I have scar tissue behind my eyes, so when that kind of fluctuates, my vision comes back,” he said.

Long-term mismanaged diabetes can lead to high blood sugar levels that damage small blood vessels over time. This damage can lead to problems with a part of the eye called the retina. This can create blurred vision. In a person with diabetes, fluid can move into and out of the eye due to high blood sugar levels.

Dre has been fighting type 2 diabetes for years, which has caused him to also lose a toe, according to ABC.

“I have a foundation called the Doctor Dré V.I.C (Visually Impaired Can) Foundation.

From 1989 to 1995, he co-hosted “Yo! MTV Raps” with Ed Lover,  the tv show that did more than any other to make rap music and hip-hop culture global phenomena.

Diabetes-related retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in American adults and it affects over 1 in 4 of those living with diabetes, while 4% have severe cases of retinopathy. Diabetes-related macular edema is a swelling that can occur with retinopathy.

November has been declared by Prevent Blindness as Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month to educate the public on the effects of diabetes on vision, risk factors and treatment options. Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free resources dedicated to the education of diabetic eye disease at preventblindness.org/diabetes.

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Learn How Much Added Sugar is In Your Favorite Drinks on Halloween Streets

We’re taking Divabetic’s unique brand of Diabetes Outreach to the streets! With eye opening, hands on, Scary Sugary Drinks demonstrations about how much sugar is in popular drinks (fruit juice, iced teas, sodas, sports drinks) on NYC’s Halloween Streets.

Sugary drinks are responsible for almost half the added sugar consumed by American children, but many parents aren’t aware of how much sugar is in the drinks they serve their children.

Last year, nearly two-thirds of the $2.2 billion in beverages marketed to children contained added sweeteners, according to a report released last week by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut.

A 20-ounce bottle of soda could have the same amount of sugar as 16 chocolate mini doughnuts. You wouldn’t want your children to eat that much sugar. So why let them drink it? A large amount of added sugar can be hiding in drinks. That’s why it’s important to always check the back of the bottle. Read the list of ingredients and the nutrition facts label to see how much sugar is in your drink.

How To Figure Out The Added Sugar In Your Favorite Drink

If you drink the entire container, you’ll need to multiply the grams of sugar in one serving by the total number of servings in the container to calculate the total grams of sugar. Then, divide total grams of sugar by 4 to get the total number of teaspoons of added sugar in the drink.

Stop by, win fun prizes and enjoy #HINTWater samples.

Hint water contains only water and delicious fruit flavors. No sugar, no diet sweeteners, no calories. Whole30 approved. 

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1 in 4 Americans Ration Insulin

1 in 4 Americans have rationed insulin due to prohibitively expensive costs according to Beyond Type 1‘s helpful website.

If that’s you, you’re far from alone – and it’s not your fault. 

If you need insulin now!

If you are in emergency need of insulin right now, always go to the emergency room. The below resources address those struggling to afford monthly costs (CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST). 

Manufacturer Discount Programs

  • If you take Lilly insulin (Humalog, Basaglar): the Lilly Diabetes Solutions Call Center Helpline provides personalized assistance for finding your best cost option (as long as you take Lilly insulin). Call 833-808-1234 9am to 8pm ET Monday to Friday. If you have high-deductible health insurance or are uninsured, you may be eligible for Lilly insulin at 40% discounted through BlinkHealth but this is not available if you are insured through Medicaid or Medicare. Additionally, if you are uninsured or have Medicare Part D, and meet certain income parameters you may be eligible for free insulin through LillyCares.
  • If you take Novo Nordisk insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Levemir, Triseba): Patient Assistance Program provides free insulin to those who qualify, which is limited to those with no private insurance and who do not qualify for federal insurance programs and who are at or below 400% of the federal poverty level – with a few exceptions.

The nonprofit organization, Beyond Type 1,  offers these solutions if you need help getting insurance coverage (CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST).

If insurance is not an option through your employer or you are unemployed, head to Healthcare.gov. From there you can explore health insurance and assistance options based on your state, income, and specific circumstances.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has a publication called “Financial Help for Diabetes Care” explaining programs which may provide additional coverage for medical expenses for a person with diabetes. View online here.

Insure Kids Now! – Every state in the nation has a health insurance program for people under 18. This website is offered by the US Health and Human Services Department to help navigate getting insurance – or call 877-Kids-Now

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Music by Destiny’s Child on October’s Diabetes Late Nite

We’re talking about the skyrocketing cost of insulin on Diabetes Late Nite with T1International’s US Advocacy Manager, Allison Bailey, Mary Ann Hodorowicz RD, MBA, CDE, Jessica Clark and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and music from Destiny’s Child. 

LISTEN NOW 

Join the advocacy movement

Explore tools + actions you can take to get involved with access advocacy here. 

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Mr. Divabetic Raises Awareness for Diabetes at Columbus Day Parade

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic raises awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way at the Columbus Day Parade in New York, NY.

More than 35,000 marchers took part in the parade, which featured the giant head of Christopher Columbus mounted on a float. Onlookers waved Italian flags while police officers wore Italian-American sashes over their uniforms and music blasted from bagpipers and marching bands. “It’s one day of the year that we can be proud to be Italians,” one parade-goer said.

Mr. Divabetic plays his nutrition game, “Serve, Taste or Trash!” with New Yorkers along the parade route to hilarious results. In the game, you’re given three choices of fruits and vegetables. You must decide which one you’d serve, which one you’d taste and which one you’d trash. Before you decide to “trash” a veggie for good, why not try to eat it raw? Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren’t crazy about vegetables.

The flavors of raw veggies can be milder than those of cooked ones. And the texture is crispy, rather than mushy. Let Mr. Divabetic inspire you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Tune in to Divabetic’s free monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite hosted by Mr. Divabetic on blog talkradio.

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.oin Divabetic’s facebook page, follow Mr. Divabetic on Twitter and learn more about sponsorship opportunities and event details visit: www.divabetic.org

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his new food game, “Serve, Taste or Trash” at the fifth annual Summer Streets – NYC:

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Jennifer Hudson Helps Divabetic Celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month in November

We’re talking about ‘Weight Loss Journeys & Diabetes’ with musical inspiration from Jennifer Hudson on November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast in honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month. 

We’ve watched Jennifer Hudson soar to stardom as her powerhouse pipes have taken her from American Idol back in 2004 to coveted roles in film, theater and TV, including as a judge on The Voice. Throughout that journey, the singer has also had another major life change: She went from a size 16 to a size 6, dropping 80 pounds. The star followed poor dieting practices and finally chose to approach her weight loss in a healthy way after giving birth to her son, David.

While studies show most people who drop significant pounds regain the weight they lose, Jennifer Hudson has managed to keep her svelte figure for the past nine years. 

“I’m very careful and cautious of what I’m eating, so I just try to pace those meals throughout the day,” said Jennifer Hudson. 

Jennifer Hudson supports the Barbara Davis Center (BDC). BDC’s mission is to provide state-of the-art care to children and adults with type 1 diabetes and to teach patients how to prevent or delay complications. Their research is devoted to finding prevention, cure, and most effective treatment of diabetes and associated disorders. 

Guests include Vanessa Hunter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport PsyD, Dr. Stewart Harris, Patricia Addie-Gentle, and Autumn Reed. 

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.”

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Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe from Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day

Enoy this popular, low carb Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe from Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day presented at Central Farm Markets in Fairfax, VA. This recipe is adapted from the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Forecast Magazine.

A low-carb diet can help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates or carbs raise blood sugar levels more than other foods.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

6 large lettuce leaves, Boston or Bibb lettuce works well

4 oz. skinless chicken breast, grilled or poached, and finely chopped

2 tbsp Asian peanut sauce (recipe below)

1 carrot, julienned or grated

1 red pepper, diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Toss the chicken with the peanut sauce

Laying a piece of the lettuce on a plate. Top the lettuces with the chicken, peanut sauce, carrots, peppers, and scallions. Roll up the lettuce leaf and enjoy.

Makes: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 wrap 

Asian Peanut Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup  creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups reduced -sodium, low-fat chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar blend

2 tbsp  light (lower-sodium) soy sauce

2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes

Directions

Heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken broth, and mix until combined. 

Add in the remaining ingredients, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Use as sauce over cooked shrimp, scallops, chicken, turkey, or beef.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for the freezer for 3 months 

*this recipe contains gluten because of the soy sauce 

Watch Divabetic’s Thai Chicken Lettuce Cooking Demonstration at Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on Facebook Live Video

Have Fun Counting Carbs!
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Destiny’s Child on October’s Diabetes Late Nite Podcast

The ‘Year of The Diva’ continues on Divabetic’s free monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite with music from Destiny’s Child on Monday, October 7, 2019, 6 PM, EST.

We’re talking about the skyrocketing cost of insulin in the United States with T1International’s US Advocacy Manager, Allison Bailey, Mary Ann Hodorowicz RD, MBA, CDE, Jessica Clark, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE. 

According to Business Insider the list prices of common types of insulin have roughly tripled over the last decade, even though they’re the exact same products offered 10 years ago. READ MORE

Bills, Bills, Bills

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Destiny’s Child’s second studio album, ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’. Essence magazine referred to the album as a masterpiece of Black femininity, women empowerment, and honestly just a banger that still gives us nostalgic feels. Mega-hits off the album include “Say My Name,” “Bills, Bills, Bills,” and “Jumpin’, Jumpin’.” 

Say My Name

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot’.

TUNE IN

Jumpin’ Jumpin’
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