Author: Mr. Divabetic

Max Szadek, aka Mr. Divabetic, is the executive director of Divabetic, LLC.
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The Quiet Storm, Diabetes & Nocturnal Hypoglycemia

Ever since last week’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast I’ve been listening nonstop to Luther’s ballads and several other of the ‘Quiet Storm’ radio favorites. Songs like Anita Baker’s  ‘Sweet Love’ , Meli‘sa Morgan’s ‘Do Me Baby’ and Luther’s ‘Dance with My Father’ are inspiring me to discuss the health risks related diabetes ‘after dark’.

 Dead in Bed Syndrome (DIB) describes the sudden unexplained deaths of young people with type 1 diabetes. The syndrome is characterized as when someone with insulin dependent  diabetes has gone to bed seemingly perfectly fine and has been found dead in an undisturbed bed.

Clinical reports strongly suggest that nocturnal hypoglycemia (which also occurs in people living with type 2 diabetes)  is a likely prerequisite of the event, but that the death is sudden and probably caused by cardiac arrhythmia.

Nocturnal hypoglycemia is a low blood sugar that occurs overnight while you are asleep. It is common to sleep through a low blood sugar when it occurs during sleep.

You many be asking why doesn’t the person experiencing nocturnal hypoglycemia wake up?

There reason may be the phenomenon of hypoglycemic unawareness, which is defined as a hypoglycemic episode without warning symptoms of the decreasing blood glucose level.  Most often, this is quite asymptomatic and the person does not wake up with hypoglycemic symptoms. Often the glucose value returns to normal or even high in the morning (so called  Somogyi  phenomenon) so this pattern is difficult to discover without taking nighttime tests every now and then

What can cause Nocturnal Hypoglycemia?

One cause could be taking the wrong type of insulin before going to bed. For example, if a large dose of bedtime insulin (not uncommon in puberty/prepuberty) is replaced with a similar dose of regular or rapid-acting insulin, this will lower the blood glucose considerably and could presumably trigger a severe hypoglycemic reaction which in turn could be further complicated by cardiac arrhythmia.

What can be done to avoid this from happening?

Checking your blood sugars before going to bed. Discuss with your health care provider a safe blood glucose target for bedtime. Many people feel comfortable if their blood glucose is at least 100 mg/dL before going to sleep.

If you use pen injectors, make sure the pen for your bedtime insulin looks and feels quite different from the one you use for daytime meal doses (not just another color that may be difficult to observe in the dark). If you use syringes and vials, store daytime and bedtime insulin in different places. When mixing insulin, be extra careful not to take the often higher bedtime dose of the wrong type.

If you like to exercise at night make sure to check your blood sugars before going to bed. Remember to decrease the bedtime dose after more strenuous exercise, especially if you do not exercise regularly.

If you have problems with nighttime hypoglycemia, ask your diabetes team for a continuous glucose monitoring device that may help you to detect nighttime glycemia patterns and help adjusting your insulin doses to avoid this.

Did you know that both legendary New York City disc jockey Vaughn Harper and Luther Vandross suffered strokes related to type 2 diabetes?  Vaughn Harper was referred to as the architect of the Quiet Storm and Luther’s ‘House Is Not A Home’ was part of his blueprint by design.

The ‘Quiet Storm’, characterized by an enticing mix of unabashedly romantic songs, often fused with jazzy overtones, mellow dynamics, slow tempos, and relaxed rhythms.

We’re celebrating Luther Vandross, his musical legacy and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as stroke) on this Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

In the years since Luther’s passing, one constant has remained to define his life and musical success: the voice. Like any great singer of the past 100 years, Luther Vandross’ voice and distinct singing style led to not only monumental success, but an instant recognition when you hear him singing–through your stereo, car radio, on TV or in a movie. Coupled with that voice was Luther’s unique ability to write and sing about love and the shared emotions we all feel in that search for and enjoyment of love. Through his songs, for the last two generations Luther Vandross became a staple in the most joyous moments of people’s lives.

Featured guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Luther percussionist Steve Kroon, Luther vocalists Tawatha Agee and Pat Lacy, Luther historian Leon Petrossian, members of ‘The Luther Re-Lives Experience’, friends and fans.

Throughout the  podcast we will be featuring selected songs from the album entitled ‘Luther Vandross’ courtesy of SONY Music.

LISTEN NOW

 

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Kenneth Jay Lane’s ‘Fake’ Jewels Inspire Look into ‘Fake’ Sugar Health Headlines

The recent death of Kenneth Jay Lane, famed costume jewelry designer whose ‘fake’ diamond designs were worn by legends such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Babe Paley and Diana Vreeland, inspires us to examine the recent AND alarming health headlines related to ‘fake’ sugars.

He was a champion for attainable luxury, making it acceptable and even chic to wear costume pieces. 

“Kenneth Jay Lane is a nonconformist who changed the perception of the establishment toward costume jewelry. He even got the Duchess of Windsor and a host of British royals to wear costume jewelry — unheard of at the time,” says British filmmaker Gisele Roman wrote, produced and directed the new documentary about Kenneth Jay Lane’s life entitled, Fabulously Fake: The Real Life of Kenneth Jay Lane, “His designs still define the modern era, and he continues to work at 85!”

Actress Joan Collins was once stopped at customs with her KJL jewels and even the customs official couldn’t stop complimenting her about the baubles. “I was going through customs in Mexico — I keep all my jewelry in a box — and the customs man saw it and said, ‘Let me open it. Let me see it.’ He looked at it and I said, ‘Can we go into a private room? Because I don’t want people to see it,’ even though it wasn’t real,” says Collins. “We went into the private room, and the customs man is picking it up and said, ‘Very nice, these earrings very good.’ Finally, I said, ‘It’s not real, you know. It’s not diamonds and gold and rubies; it’s faux jewelry. And finally he closed it and said ‘You have very nice stuff here!’”

Fashion Designer Carolina Herrera, said there was a robbery during a friend’s dinner party in Caracas, Venezuela, and the KJL gems were the only concern. “We were at the home of a friend of mine who has a lot of jewels, and during dinner the butler came to say there’d been a burglary in the house, and they were very concerned about it because it had been upstairs. Her only reaction was ‘Oh, gosh! I hope they didn’t take any of my Kenny Lanes!’”

Kenneth Jay Lane was honored with numerous awards for his jewelry designs, including a special Coty Award in 1966, the Harper’s Bazaar International award in 1967, and the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1968.

In 1996, Kenneth Jay Lane released a memoir titled Faking It, which detailed his life and career as a famous faux jewelry maker.

Kenneth Jay Lane’s love of fake jewels inspires us to discuss two health headlines related to ‘fake’ sugar.

The first one is the alarming findings of a linking diet drinks (made with fake sugar) to dementia published in the study in the journal Stroke.

“One can a day of artificially sweetened drink are nearly three times as likely to have a stroke or develop dementia.”

Before you overreact to this alarming headline let’s examine some possible reasons why an increased stroke risk was associated with diet drinks and not sugary drinks. One is what is called “reverse causality”. People who come to realize that they are ill and have a high risk of a stroke then switch their behavior by choosing diet drinks long after sugary drinks have helped cause the problem.

When it came to dementia, the link with diet drinks that new study’s researchers saw disappeared once they took some elements of the health of the people in the study into account. “When the researchers accounted for other risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as risk genes, diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol levels and weight, this significant association was lost, suggesting that these drinks are not the whole story,” said Dr Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The researchers point to it themselves: “We are unable to determine whether artificially sweetened soft drink intake increased the risk of incident dementia through diabetes mellitus or whether people with diabetes mellitus were simply more likely to consume diet beverages,” they write. But they call for more research and others will support them in that.

The second ‘fake’ sugar headline reports that artificial sweeteners may be associated with long-term weight gain and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Let’s face it, the health effects of artificial sweeteners are necessary because so many people use them. Another study published earlier this year found that a quarter of U.S. children and 41 percent of adults reported consuming them, most of them once per day. Even more people may be consuming them unwittingly in products such as granola bars or yogurt.

“We were really interested in the everyday person who is consuming these products not to lose weight, but because they think it’s the healthier choice, for many years on end,” says Meghan Azad, lead author of the review and a research scientist at the University of Manitoba. While more research needs to be done, from what we know now, “there is no clear benefit for weight loss, and there’s a potential association with increased weight gain, diabetes and other negative cardiovascular outcomes,” says Azad.

Both of the study linked to the ‘fake’ sugar headlines have their pluses and limitations. Randomized trials are typically shorter term and don’t include as many people because of the cost and effort involved.

They also may not reflect how people behave in the real world. Observational studies can track far more people for a much longer period, and they better reflect how people actually live. But the links they find between habits and health issues are associations, not direct evidence of cause and effect.

All that to say, that more research on ‘fake’ sugar is necessary given the widespread and increasing use of artificial sweeteners.

Tune in to our Luther Vandross Tribute podcast to learn more about the link between diabetes and stroke.

Luther Vandross died at age 54, two years after suffering a stroke related to his type 2 diabetes.

African-American men have a significantly higher risk of stroke, and death caused by stroke, than white males, according to the American Stroke Association. In 2002, the latest year for which data are available, the stroke-mortality rate for black men was 82 per 100,000 population, while the stroke mortality for white men was 54 per 100,000. Likewise mortality is higher in black women, at 72 per 100,000 population, versus white women, who die from stroke at a rate of 53 per 100,000.

Black men and women generally have more stroke risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, according to George Howard, Dr. P.H., who chairs the department of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. He is an authority on the demographics of stroke.

In the years since Luther’s passing, one constant has remained to define his life and musical success: the voice. Like any great singer of the past 100 years, Luther Vandross’ voice and distinct singing style led to not only monumental success, but an instant recognition when you hear him singing–through your stereo, car radio, on TV or in a movie. Coupled with that voice was Luther’s unique ability to write and sing about love and the shared emotions we all feel in that search for and enjoyment of love. Through his songs, for the last two generations Luther Vandross became a staple in the most joyous moments of people’s lives.

Luther’s style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning, with songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions and gentle pillow talk rather than explicit sexuality.

“I’m more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it,” said Luther. “You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can’t think of a a poetic way to say it.”

Featured guests on our Luther Tribute podcast include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Tawatha Agee, Steve Kroon, Seveda Williams, Pat Lacy, Luther historian Leon Petrossian, members of ‘The Luther Vandross Experience’, friends and fans.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring selected songs from the album entitled ‘Luther Vandross’ courtesy of SONY Music.

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Don’t miss our Luther Vandross Tribute podcast

We’re honored to celebrate Luther Vandross, his musical legacy and raise awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as stroke) on this Luther Vandross Tribute podcast scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

Luther Vandross died at age 54, two years after suffering a stroke related to his type 2 diabetes.

African-American men have a significantly higher risk of stroke, and death caused by stroke, than white males, according to the American Stroke Association. In 2002, the latest year for which data are available, the stroke-mortality rate for black men was 82 per 100,000 population, while the stroke mortality for white men was 54 per 100,000. Likewise mortality is higher in black women, at 72 per 100,000 population, versus white women, who die from stroke at a rate of 53 per 100,000.

Black men and women generally have more stroke risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, according to George Howard, Dr. P.H., who chairs the department of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. He is an authority on the demographics of stroke.

In the years since Luther’s passing, one constant has remained to define his life and musical success: the voice. Like any great singer of the past 100 years, Luther Vandross’ voice and distinct singing style led to not only monumental success, but an instant recognition when you hear him singing–through your stereo, car radio, on TV or in a movie. Coupled with that voice was Luther’s unique ability to write and sing about love and the shared emotions we all feel in that search for and enjoyment of love. Through his songs, for the last two generations Luther Vandross became a staple in the most joyous moments of people’s lives.

Luther’s style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning, with songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions and gentle pillow talk rather than explicit sexuality.

“I’m more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it,” said Luther. “You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can’t think of a a poetic way to say it.”

Featured guests on our Luther Tribute podcast include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Tawatha Agee, Steve Kroon, Seveda Williams, Pat Lacy, Luther historian Leon Petrossian, members of ‘The Luther Vandross Experience’, friends and fans.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring selected songs from the album entitled ‘Luther Vandross’ courtesy of SONY Music.

“One of the qualities that makes this album so good is the not merely the fact that Luther took so much time between his last studio album I Know but that he also took stock in his musical pros and cons,” writes Andre S. Grindle on Amazon.  “The uptempo tunes on this album are some of the very finest,and funkiest he ever made and could easily work for lovers of a more 70’s sound and the music of today:again classic R&B flavors through contemporary means. “Grown Thangs”,”Say It Now”,”How Do I Tell You” and the bassy bottomed “Let’s Make Tonight The Night” bring out all the best qualities Vandross is truely capable of-offering up the kind of danceable songs Vandross threw down back in the Never Too Much days. There’s also a bit more of an edge to the musical production of these songs,a mildly darker tone that takes any possible silken softness from the surface of the songs.”

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Author Mary Kay Andrews Joins the D Minus Club

Missed opportunities in movies and books for raising awareness for diabetes really annoy me. The only thing worse in my opinion is perpetuating a diabetes misconception which happens to be the case in The New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrew’s novel, ‘Spring Fever’. 

The author describes the book as “… delicious new escapist novel about small towns, old flames, and deep secrets” on her website.

Sadly, I feel she drops the ball on educating people about diabetes in ‘Spring Fever’ like she did previously in her novel, ‘The Weekenders’.

Although diabetes doesn’t play a prominent role in ‘Spring Fever’, she still manages to play down the significance of diabetes. The line in question: “… And I lose my health care, Annajane. I have sugar diabetes….” Really? ‘Sugar Diabetes’!!!! It’s 2017 not 1957. Okay, some  people may still use phrases like ‘a touch of sugar’ to describe diabetes but is it really necessary to use these types of references in books and fan the flames of ignorance?  I don’t think so. After twelve years of working as a diabetes advocate I have come to realize that one of the biggest mistakes someone with diabetes and their loved ones can make is to think that this disease is not serious.

I know personally that diabetes really can destroy your life, wreck havoc on your relationships and steal your dignity.  I experienced it first hand when my former boss, Luther Vandross suffered a stroke related to type 2 diabetes in 2003. At the time I had no idea that diabetes could be so devestating. The fact that Luther could not perform some of the most basic life functions after his stroke without assistance was heartbreaking. The fact that diabetes silenced his voice is unforgettable. But the fact that a growing number of Luther fans are experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as stroke, amputation, blindness and kidney failure is unforgivable.

Diabetes is a serious matter. When a Best-Selling Author with more than eleven New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese chooses to perpetuate ignorance about diabetes and diabetes self-care in her books I get upset. It seems to me that she managed to do enough medical research during the writing process to learn that certain medications can affect the effectiveness of birth control, didn’t she? So why can’t she do the same for diabetes?

On the flip side I appreciate how “Spring Fever’ helps readers gain a deeper understanding one of the ‘taboo’ topics related to health. Specifically, erectile dysfunction and the toll it can take on your relationship(s).

It’s interesting to note that researchers analyzed 6.2 million health insurance claims for men who received an ED diagnosis, and discovered that only 25 percent filled a prescription for treatment during the 12-month study period. Whatever the reason for avoiding treatment, the consequence is undisputed: “Sexual health is an important aspect of the quality of a man’s life—and men live longer when they are sexually active,” says Dr. McVary. “This is a medical disease that warrants treatment.”

On July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast I discussed this topic with Janis Rozsler MSFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND who is a Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Janis Rozler is also the author of  two wonderful books, ’Sex And Diabetes’ (ADA, 2007), and ‘The Secrets and Loving with Diabetes’  (Surrey Books, 2004). You can hear my interview by clicking on  THE LINK. 

I would gladly welcome the author, Mary Kay Andrews as a guest on an upcoming Diabetes Late Nite podcast to explain why she chooses to misinform her readers about diabetes. (Divabetic.org)

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Christie Brinkley Launches Skinny Champagne

Model and Actress Christie Brinkley has just launched her own wine label featuring Skinny Champagne – – Bellisima Zero Sugar ( a sugar-free organic Brut) along with Bellissima Sparkling Rosé (a sparkling pink wine with hints of strawberry and grapefruit) and Bellissima Brut (a dry Prosecco).  All come from the Treviso-Veneto wine region in Italy. The label art is a colorful play on Botticelli’s classic painting, The Birth of Venus.

The 62-year old entrepreneur has long had a fondness for sparkling wine. She claims she drinks the stuff like it’s vitamin water: “Doctor’s orders: three glasses of Champagne a day! So I’m on it!” she said to The Coveteur. No surprise, then to find that her prosecco, called Bellissima (which means “most beautiful”), is organic.

“To be able to have a prosecco that doesn’t have the villain sugar in it is really exciting,”  Brinkley to Hamptons maagazine. “If you’re dieting and you still want to have that little glass to celebrate with friends, then you have my Zero, and you’ll love the flavor and you’ll love the little giggly thing that you get.”

How did Christie Brinkley make a Zero Sugar prosecco?

By leaving our organic Glera grapes in autoclave for seven months, Christie Brinkley’s wine makers achieve a fresh sparkling wine with zero sugars or artificial flavors. Her website states that the taste is perfectly balanced and pleasantly acidic, it is velvety and dry, with hints of white flowers and grapefruit.

Brut champagnes can contain up to 12 grams of sugar per glass according to an article published in the Telegraph.  The article continues to state that drier styles have become fashionable lately, partly due to hype over their low calorie content. A small 100-125ml glass of brut champagne typically contains around 100 calories, but a properly dry version has nearer 60 calories, hence its nickname ‘diet champagne’.

Christie Brinkley’s one simple food philosophy is to eat as many colorful foods in a day as possible. If it’s vibrant and colorful, it should be on your plate. She eats plenty of vegetables and sticks to bright greens, oranges, purples, and reds, and has been eating this way since she was 12.

“I believe that celebrating what we are grateful for with family, friends and Prosecco contributes to a healthy, happy and sweetly beautiful life,” Christie Brinkley told  PEOPLE of the sparkling new venture.

Drinking & Diabetes: Do They Mix?

While moderate amounts of alcohol can cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level — sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels. If you are in doubt about whether drinking alcohol is safe for you, check with your doctor.

TUNE IN to our Diabetes Roundtable podcast inspired by Hoda and Kathie Lee to learn about how alcohol impacts your diabetes.

Here’s Christie’s Bellissima Bellini Recipe

4 oz. organic Bellissima Prosecco DOC Brut or Zero Sugar Sparkling Wine

2 oz. pureed peaches

White peach slice

Step 1: Pour the peach puree into a Prosecco flute. Step 2: Fill said flute with Bellissima. Step 3: Experience Bellissima bliss.

As she says, “Dream big Bellissima dreams, and may they all come true!”

Divabetic (divabetic.org) was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.

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The Hot Seat on Diabetes Late Nite

This July we’re celebrating Divabetic’s Seventh Anniversary of podcasting! Currently there are over 150 free diabetes podcasts in our archives available on demand at i-Tunes, blogtalkradio.com and Divabetic.org
To mark this new milestone Mr. Divabetic put each of his guests in the ‘hot seat’ during July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music from Cyndi Lauper.
Susan Weiner RD, MS, CDE, CDN, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE , Megrette Fletcher M.Ed., R.D., CDE and Janis Roszler MSFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND tackled a wide range of topics in the ‘hot seat’ including What to do if You’re Afraid of Eating Carbs, Why Language is Important for People with Diabetes, What’s Going on with the Senate’s Healthcare Bill and What to say to your Partner if you’re Not in the Mood for Sex. TUNE IN to hear their answers to these questions and much, much more!
 
We’d like to thank you for tuning in to Divabetic podcast for the past seven years. Our goal is to  help empower you to ‘GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS’ about living with diabetes and to  encourage you to ‘KEEP YOUR HOUSE A HOME’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication (such as stroke) from occurring.
We also wish to thank SONY Music for helping up keep our diabetes education in step with Luther Vandross’ musical legacy, and  Dr. Greenfield’s Foot, Hand & Body Creams, Cabot Cheese and Nu Naturals for providing giveaways to our guests.
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Lorraine Brooks: “Four Freedoms We Should Always Fight For” Art Exhibition

We’re excited to announce that our Diabetes Late Nite’s Poet in Residence, Lorraine Brooks will be displaying her artwork in her first Solo Art Exhibition starting this weekend in Brooklyn, NY.

She’s not only an amazing poet, she’s also an amazing artist!

Having been trained at New York City’s prestigious High School of Art and Design, Lorraine has always been interested in the graphic arts. Her photography has been featured in Gold Dust Magazine, and Odyssey Journal, and in her own book of poetry, Riding the Wave.

The stippling method (also known as pointillism), in which a series of dots is placed strategically in patterns to form an image, is currently Lorraine’s technique of choice for the pen-and-ink portraits she has recently produced. When viewed from close up, the dots appear random – however when viewed at a distance they form a distinct pattern of lights and shadows, creating the details of the subject.

“Lorraine’s one of the most talented people I know. Her poems featured monthly on our podcasts have inspired so many people living with, affected by and at risk of diabetes,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. ” I have no doubt that her first art exhibition will showcase another side of her amazing talent. I’m looking forward to celebrating her and her accomplishments!”

Currently Lorraine is working on a series of “freedom portraits”, illustrating her interpretation of the concepts of The Four Freedoms, as articulated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. These will be part of her Solo Exhibition here in the Island to Island Brewery taproom.

Opening Ceremony

Date: July 8th 2017
Time: 6PM – 8PM
Location: Island to Island Brewery, 642 Rogers Ave Brooklyn Ny 11226 between Clarkson and Parkside Avenues

Free Tasting

We share monthly tastings of local craft distilled spirits made here in Brooklyn or greater New York.
Join us for this month’s art opening and tasting.
Event RSVP Here ⇢

Then come taste and learn about New York distilled spirits made with organic grains from upstate New York and 11 different botanicals, made entirely in house from fermentation to bottle, can be enjoyed simply over ice or in any of the various traditional cocktails.

While enjoying the tasting browse the taproom’s latest Solo Art Exhibition by Lorraine Brooks entitled: “Four Freedoms We Should Always Fight For”. Lorraine will be available during the night for questions comments and sales of art work.

Tasting and Art Show are free and open to the public!

Check out #galleryat642rogers in IG to see past shows.

LISTEN: Enjoy this episode of Diabetes Late Nite featuring music from Maxwell courtesy of SONY Music. Guests include singer Alfa Anderson, Diabetic Macular Edema patient Maryanne Kass, Artist Bryce Chisholm, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

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Star Spangled Sugar-Free Strawberry Tart by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

For the past twelve years at our Divabetic live events, on our podcasts and inner blog we’ve been promoting  a ‘New Attitude’ about living with diabetes to help you ‘Keep Your House A Home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring.  Now we’re sharing our decade’s worth of our ‘diva brand of diabetes outreach’ advice, recipes and games with you so that you won’t have to avoid the holidays like the Fourth of July in order to take charge of our diabetes.

Typical July weather is hot, hot, hot! If you’re living with diabetes make sure you stay hydrated. Dehydration, or the loss of body fluids, can happen on these very hot summer days whether you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, dehydration also can occur when blood glucose is not under control. When blood glucose is elevated, this can lead to an increase in the body’s excretion of urine.

“People with chronic diseases like diabetes as well as people taking certain medications, including heart disease medications and diuretics, which are often used to treat complications of diabetes, are at increased risk of experiencing difficulties in the heat, even though they may not be aware of it,” says Catherine Carver, M.S., A.N.P., C.D.E, Director of Educational Services at Joslin Clinic. 

How do you know if you are properly hydrated?
  1. Try this skin test. First, use two fingers to grab a roll of skin on the back of your hand (between where your watch sits and where your fingers start), advises Higgins. …
  2. Check your urine. If you’re well-hydrated your urine will be mostly clear with a tinge of yellow, Higgins explains.
Tart with strawberries and whipped cream decorated with mint leaves

Our good friend, Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ who loves to bake shares this delicious dessert recipe featuring one of our favorite fruit, strawberries!!!

Sugar-Free Strawberry Tart by the Diabetic Pastry Chef 

1- 8 or 9″ baked pie shell

Filling

1-8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve sugar-free confectioner’s sugar or other equivalent

Strawberry Topping

1/2 cup Marzetti sugar-free strawberry glaze

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

mint leaves for decoration

whipped cream, optional

Beat together the cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar substitute. Spread in bottom of baked pie shell.

Gently combine the strawberry glaze with the fresh strawberries, and arrange on top of the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until set approximately one hour. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ loves to bake! While she was attending cooking school she began creating  diabetic-friendly recipes for breads, cakes and other desserts by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes READ MORE

DIVABETIC TIP: If you have diabetes, the key to maintaining your blood sugar is to use portion control. Thanks to the low-carbohydrate density of strawberries, you can safely enjoy a 1¼-cup serving. The diabetic exchange for blueberries is 3/4 cup.

When it comes to reducing your risk for diabetes, knowledge is key. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about type 2 diabetes! (Answer at bottom of post) 

DIVABETIC TIP:  Watch for Signs of Heat Exhaustion, especially if you are working or exercising outdoors. People with diabetes and other chronic diseases like heart disease are more susceptible to overheating. Symptoms include: feeling dizzy or fainting; sweating excessively; muscle cramps; skin that is cold or clammy; headaches; rapid heartbeat and/or nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, move to a cooler environment, drink fluids like water, juice or sports drinks (based on your healthcare provider’s instructions) and seek medical attention.

HOT TOPIC: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is troubled by the proposed changes to Medicaid and the negative impact of these changes on low-income Americans, who are disproportionately affected by diabetes. In states that expanded their Medicaid programs, more individuals are being screened for diabetes than non-expansion states. Cuts to Medicaid would leave the most vulnerable individuals with or at risk for diabetes without the health coverage they need to be diagnosed and treated for the disease as early as possible.

As currently drafted, the Association cannot support this legislation. It falls far short of the minimum standards for replacing the important safeguards and coverage provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which the Association has outlined. We urge all Senators to vote no on this bill and to work toward meaningful legislation that will protect access to affordable and adequate health care coverage for people with diabetes. READ MORE

ANSWER: Men are more likely than women to have undiagnosed diabetes. One of the big reasons is that men are less likely to go to their doctor regularly. One out of every four people with diabetes doesn’t know it, and a simple blood test can determine if you’re at risk for the disease or already have it. READ MORE

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Star Spangled Divabetic Fourth of July Celebration

For the past twelve years at our Divabetic live events, on our podcasts and inner blog we’ve been promoting  a ‘New Attitude’ about living with diabetes to help you ‘Keep Your House A Home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring.  Now we’re sharing our decade’s worth of our ‘diva brand of diabetes outreach’ advice, games and entertaining ideas with you so that you won’t have to avoid the holidays like the Fourth of July in order to take charge of our diabetes.

For people with diabetes, the heat and humidity of summer can be particularly hazardous, reports Anahad O’Connor for the New York Times.

One of the complications of diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, is an impaired ability to adjust to rises in temperature, which can cause dangerous increases in body temperature during the summer. The underlying problem, nerve damage, occurs in 60 to 70 percent of Americans with diabetes; it can affect nearly every organ in the body, including sweat glands. When nerve damage keeps the sweat glands from working properly, the body fails to cool down as the mercury rises. READ MORE

What’s more ‘American’ than football? Well, how would you tackle type 2 diabetes is if you’re a professional player?  You might start seeing red (and not white and blue!) if your team’s management decided to let you go because of your diagnosis.

The New England Patriots released Kyle Love two months after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — despite the fact he’d made 24 starts at defensive tackle the previous two seasons. Three teams later, Love has found a new home on the Carolina Panthers’ strong front seven, but New England’s decision still provides some motivation.

“Every day I think about it. It eats me up,” Love told Sporting News. “You do so much and you put so much work on the field. That somebody could just release you based off a physical problem that’s not going to stop you from playing football, it really grinds my gears.”

Staying ‘big’ in order to play his position may have contributed to some bad eating habits admits Love. For example, even now, there’s still the occasional trip to Burger King, and not always the “perfect meal.” More often, he tries to use the wisdom he has gained while dealing with the illness.

“My thought process was, ‘I’m an athlete, I work out every day, there’s no way I can get diabetes or high blood pressure because I sweat so much and burn so many calories.’ But if it’s determined to happen, it can happen.

When it comes to reducing your risk for diabetes, knowledge is key. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about type 2 diabetes! (Answer at bottom of post) 

DIVABETIC QUICK TIP: During the hot summer months, you want to make sure you protect your diabetes supplies and equipment.  Heat can have negative impacts on your oral medication, insulin, blood glucose meter, and test strips. For example,  you don’t want to keep your meter in your car since cars can get extremely hot.  Always keep it in a cool dry place. READ MORE

Fresh ideas for Fourth of July Entertaining

ENTERTAINING TIP #1: Put together a flag-inspired cheese plate featuring red raspberries, strawberry and blueberries.

ENTERTAINING TIP #2: Quench your thirst with Fruit Water! Just put frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries in glass beverage. Avoid any fruit that’s bruised or overly ripe, or herbs that don’t look fresh.Use thin slices or small cubes because the flavor will infuse more quickly.Add the fruit, herbs, spices or whatever you want to use into a bottle of cool water.  

ENTERTAINING TIP #3: Star Spangled Fruit Salad with cookie cutter watermelon stars – Simple to make and perfect for a Summer night!

Check out these ‘Hotter than July’ Topics in Diabetes 

HOT TOPIC #1: A small but growing group of people without diabetes are wearing Continuous Glucose Monitors to track what goes on in their own bodies.

“I’ve been trying to learn why some days I feel fantastic, and other days I don’t. I had a cinnamon roll recently and my blood glucose doubled in 60 minutes,” says Tabb Firchau, an entrepreneur living in Seattle, who bought his CGM off eBay for about $300. “The monitor helps you understand the costs of the decisions you are making.” READ MORE

HOT TOPIC #2:Broccoli compound could be helpful to diabetes according to a new study published in  Science Translational Medicine.   Apparently a compound called “sulforaphane,” that occurs in broccoli and other vegetables, has the ability to lower the liver’s production of glucose. “There are strong indications that this can become a valuable supplement to existing medication,” Dr Rosengren predicted. “Sulforaphane can reach the patients faster than a medication, and it is also an interesting concept from a diabetes perspective where diet is central.” READ MORE   

HOT TOPIC #3:U.S. Air Pollution still kills thousands every year, even at the levels allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new study. “We are now providing bullet-proof evidence that we are breathing harmful air,” says Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who led the study. “Our air is contaminated.”

Dominici and her colleagues set out to do the most comprehensive study to date assessing the toll that air pollution takes on American lives. READ MORE

HOT TOPIC #4:Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) have introduced the Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act of 2017 to help curb America’s diabetes epidemic. This bill will allow Medicare coverage of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) services for people with prediabetes and other risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes.

“People at risk of Type 2 diabetes, including the many with prediabetes, need support to avoid developing this disease,” Congresswoman DeGette said.  “Older adults served by Medicare are disproportionately affected by prediabetes and diabetes itself. It just makes sense to ensure that seniors on Medicare who face these risks have coverage for MNT services.” READ MORE

HOT TOPIC #5 : Flip Flops or Not! The type of shoes you wear when you have diabetes is important! “There are shoes which can help prevent or delay the onset of foot ulceration in diabetes. There are also shoes which can cause or help accelerate the development of foot ulceration,” says  Stephen Ogedengbe, MD, a researcher at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City, Nigeria for WebMD. What to do? Wear shoes you can easily adjust. They should have laces, Velcro, or buckles. Do not wear shoes with pointed or open toes, such as high heels, flip-flops, or sandals. READ MORE

Diabetes Roundtable ‘Super Stars & Stripes’ themed podcast featuring the Divabetic Charlie’s Angels of Diabetes Outreach, Mama Rose Marie, celebrity makeup artist Turner Harte and real diva, Morelia of Nashville, TN.  Plus, we’re dining out with a dietitian at Subway in a menu review of healthy food choices and gather ringside for a Food Aisle Face-off between watermelon and corn-on-the-cob.  Tune in and call in to get inspired, to give a shout-out or to play Divabetic’s Diabetes Numerology game.  LISTEN NOW

ANSWER: True. If you’ve ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure, this could contribute to your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Make sure to talk to your doctor about your risk level if you have high blood pressure.

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Are You Afraid to Eat Carbs? on July’s Diabetes Late Nite

Have you completely sworn off carbs since being diagnosed with diabetes?

This angst is easy to understand when every day we are bombarded with health messages to limit, restrict, avoid, and feel guilty for eating carbohydrates. However, these negative food and eating messages are harmful and do not align with my nonjudgment view of food.

Megrette Fletcher M.Ed., R.D., CDE is a registered dietitian, diabetes educator, and Mindful Eating expert  joins us on our 7th Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 to discuss this ‘hot topic’ suggested by one of our loyal listeners.

Over the past few decades carbohydrates have become demonized. But the truth of the matter is that ‘Carbs are friends, not foes’!

“Motivating (my) clients with fear is not only ineffective, but can lead to misinformation, misunderstanding, and toxic emotions such as blame, shame, and depression,” says Megrette.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are a macronutrient found in foods like grains, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, squashes, corn, fruit, vegetables, dairy, legumes/beans, and foods like bread, pasta, sweets, and more. While vegetables DO have carbohydrates, some nutritionists don’t consider them a carb source because they feel the energy you use to digest them counters any carbs you would get from them.

Carbs often come packaged with fiber and sometimes protein, like in legumes, dairy, or starchy vegetables. In the body, carbohydrates break down to sugars like glucose, fructose, or galactose (the simplest sugars). Don’t be scared of the “S” word (sugar) – this is simply the way the body digests and processes carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates give us the energy we need to live our diabetes lives. If chosen carefully, carbohydrates can deliver a number of health benefits and also help people maintain their weight.

One of the reasons for why carbs get such a bad rap is because the extra sugar available from the glucose formation gets stored in muscles, the liver, or other parts of your body, later getting converted into fat if the body doesn’t need it for energy. However, that’s on you, not the carbs. If you keep moving and require your body to use up that energy, the sugar from carbohydrates won’t get stored as fat.

TUNE IN:  Join us for our Seventh Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Cyndi Lauper on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 6 PM, EST. Special guests included Susan Weiner RD, MS, CDE, CDN , Megrette Fletcher MEd, RD, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Mama Rose Marie. Throughout this podcast we will be playing selected songs from the Essential Collection of Cyndi Lauper courtesy of SONY Music.

https://youtu.be/ww2kTYaZIMk

 

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