The Luther Vandross: Never Too Much documentary spotlights many of his incredible performances, which will thrill fans.
However, the documentary also includes a cautionary message about the dangerous effects of weight cycling, known as ‘yo you dieting’ on your heart, that should not be ignored.
Regaining weight stresses your heart and blood vessels. A study showed that the more your weight goes up and down, the more you’re likely to have problems like angina, heart attack, and stroke. And the bigger the swings, the bigger the risk.
Dieting isn’t easy. Every ounce of weight gain and loss can toy with your mind, body and spirit. Seek professional help if you’re struggling with these issues.
Good things happen when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. For the Luther Vandross: Never Too Much Celebration in April, I challenged myself to design two wedding dresses out of unconventional materials.
One dress featured a cardboard corset and a newspaper skirt, while the other was crafted from bubble wrap, discarded foam FedEx envelopes, and a Dollar Store silver shelf liner.
My friend Verna served as my dress form, and Pam Lewis, head of Luther’s Wardrobe department, provided guidance via FaceTime. Despite facing frustration and a lack of expertise, I persevered and was rewarded when two amazing models, Amy and Alicia, agreed to wear my dresses at the show.
After the event, Amy wore the bubble wrap skirt to the Mermaid Parade, which was incredibly rewarding for me.
Witnessing my designs alongside numerous other creative outfits at the parade was inspiring. The Mermaid Parade is filled with artistry, creativity, and wonder.
Jennaire’s song, “Never Been Small,” is worth a listen for anyone who struggles with self-image, self-acceptance, or self-love—which means it’s for everyone!! I haven’t heard anyone address this topic (“I have never been small. I have never been thin.”) in lyrics before hearing it.
Hating yourself because of how you look can harm your health. More information is coming out about how dangerous weight cycling (yo-yo dieting) is for your overall health. Repeatedly losing and regaining weight as small as 5–10 pounds or as large as 50 pounds or more can cause fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, and other cardiovascular risk factors.
This topic is addressed in the Luther: Never Too Much documentary because of Luther’s public struggle with weight management.
During my tenure working for him, he lost and regained 100 pounds multiple times. For many years, he lost weight by strictly dieting. I introduced him to step aerobics, which initially proved helpful, but only briefly. There’s a lot more to it than just willpower. Jeannaire’s liberating song speaks to my heart.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic stops by the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way!
Last Thursday I attended a screening of the Luther: Never Too Much documentary at the TriBeca Film Festival. It’s taken me a few days to process the experience of not only seeing myself on a large screen (!) but also hearing myself discuss Luther’s stroke related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes.
Throughout the film you’re treated to a wonderful array of footage of Luther Vandross performing on stage from various tours. Plus, you hear Luther tell his story in his own words and voice.
Knowing and working for such an incredible artist and caring man was truly an honor. He changed my life. In 1995, he offered me a job in New York City as his full-time personal assistant. It’s a privilege to participate in the film and raise awareness of the tragic consequences of mismanaged type 2 diabetes.
Seeing the trauma I experienced on my face as I recalled the initial moments after Luther’s stroke made me realize how grateful I am to everyone who has supported, encouraged, and partnered with me on my various diabetes outreach efforts through my nonprofit organization, Divabetic.
I don’t feel I would have been as candid and vulnerable on screen in my interview had I not spent the last two decades helping others affected by, living with, and at risk of diabetes. “Keeping Your House A Home” by learning how to prevent diabetes health-related complications such as stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, and blindness has been my mission for the past 20 years, and it will continue to be.
If you see this documentary or love Luther’s music, you owe it to his legacy to educate and empower yourself about your health.
Summer is the season of outdoor concerts. It’s a great way to enjoy music, but excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin damage. Protect yourself from the sun with style!
Our friend Evetta Petty, the owner of Harlem Heaven’s Hats, puts pizzazz into sun protection with a unique collection of spray-painted sun hats featuring brightly colored fruits are fun, fun, fun!
By the way, Evetta Petty is off to the races—the UK’s Royal Ascot, one of the most famous in the world. She is the only American milliner represented at Ascot this year, and she’s the first Black milliner ever to have a hat selected for the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. Twelve milliners were chosen from all over the world. Her ‘Blue Note’ hat is simply FABULOUS!
Most skin cancers are preventable. Proactive approaches to sun protection are essential. Wearing protective clothing, seeking shade, and avoiding indoor tanning are great ways to have fun and protect yourself from the sun.
The American Academy of Dermatology suggests using at least an SPF 30, but higher is better. It is important to reapply every two hours, especially if out in the sun or in the water.
Another gorgeous morning in East Hampton, NY, is another reason to show my home state pride. When I was growing up in Rochester, my mother told me lilacs were the official New York State bush, but they weren’t designated as such until 2006.
Checking your blood sugar in the morning, known as fasting glucose, can help you assess your diabetes self-care plan. This measurement shows how well your body manages your blood sugar overnight. If you take insulin, a morning test can also help you determine how much to take before a meal.
In people with prediabetes or diabetes, morning blood sugar can remain high as the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or produces smaller amounts. This is known as the “dawn phenomenon.”
Some researchers believe the overnight release of certain hormones naturally increases insulin resistance. That causes blood sugar to rise. The hormones are called counter-regulatory hormones because they have an effect that opposes the effect of insulin. They include growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon, and epinephrine.
High blood sugar in the morning may be caused by:
Not getting enough insulin the night before.
Not getting the right dose of diabetes medicine the night before.
Eating a snack with carbohydrates in it at bedtime.
Talk to your healthcare collaborators if your blood sugar is consistently higher than it should be in the morning.
According to Greek mythology, Pan, the god of fields and forests, fell hopelessly in love with the nymph Syringa. After endless advances from Pan, Syringa turns herself into a lilac shrub to protect and disguise herself from him, proving once again how some guys don’t get the message.
Enjoy this decadent dessert recipe from our friends at Splenda. This recipe contains US Splenda Stevia Granulated Sweetener and Splenda Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Splenda offers a U.S.-grown stevia sweetener made with simple ingredients that can replace added sugar in all your favorite foods and drinks.
Splenda Sweetened Condensed Milk is a sweet and creamy ingredient with no added sugar and 35% fewer calories than leading brands. It can be used in fudge, pumpkin pie, and coffee recipes.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat together butter and Splenda Stevia Sweetener until smooth. Beat in egg until fully combined. Then, beat in yogurt and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients (the mixture may be dry), then fold in mashed banana.
Here’s a sneak peek at my Halloween 2024 displays: “Princess Frogs.” This year’s display explores whether a man is as willing as a woman to kiss a frog and whether a princess would prefer living as a frog over living as a princess.
In the modern version of the fairytale “The Frog Prince,” an evil witch transforms a prince into a frog. A princess breaks the spell by kissing the frog and transforming him into a prince.
In the past years, I have created Halloween displays about Central Park ghosts, the Van Der Voort Sisters, and Amy Winehouse.
I created the four Princess Frogs’ bodies using plastic water bottles and Coffeemate bottles, assorted Amazon boxes, the New York Times newspaper, paper towels and toilet paper rolls, foam (found in the garbage, and rolls and rolls of masking tape.
The faces are made from kid’s frog masks (bought online), cardboard from butter, soap, and foil boxes, and dollar-store Halloween plastic eyes (bought last year). I’m guilty of using every shortcut I can find for my displays. I made old-school paper mache using flour, water, and salt. My tip is to use brown packing paper, found in Amazon packages, rather than newspaper. It’s so much easier to work with and creates a smooth finish.
Many of our community members agree that thinking ahead and being prepared for unexpected issues related to your daily self-care is helpful. Before you leave your house, make sure you have the necessary supplies with you.
Talk to your healthcare collaborators about what fits your diabetes lifestyle. It could be a small snack, water bottle, glucose tablets, insulin, glucose monitor, or glucose gels.
Based on your lifestyle, your healthcare collaborators may recommend changes in your meal plan, activity level, or diabetes medicines to help you manage blood sugar swings.
Medical identification (cards, bracelets, or necklaces) can show others that you have diabetes and show whether you take diabetes medicine such as insulin. What’s in your bag?
We’re shooting our first full-length video for an artist in two weeks. It’s a new storytelling challenge that I have created for myself.
To prepare for the shoot, I’ve been watching many music videos. I’m taking a page from Barbie film director Greta Gerwig’s book (she studies films for inspiration) and using iconic music videos for inspiration and a clear way to communicate ideas in lighting, setting, and tone. I’ve been sharing my mood board with videos with my collaborators to begin a dialogue for creating our masterpiece.
I’m gravitating towards videos with strong storylines and outdoor scenes since my storyboard features several outdoor scenes and has a storyline.
My storyboard has several outdoor scenes, so I’ve been watching Jill Scott’s “Long Walk” video. The neverending camera shots, the camera’s flow and movement, and how they frame Jill Scott are incredible.
Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World” is another wonderful video. There’s no way we are recreating any of these multiple images on our tiny budget, but I enjoy watching it. It’s an entertaining and inventive concept.
Luther Vandross’s “Take You Out” video is beautifully shot with warm tones. Director Marcus Raboy’s clear, straightforward storyline of a couple unfolds perfectly with the music tempo and lyrics. You understand the couple’s cute first and second meetings and how the relationship builds without dialogue. I also love all the B-roll shots. The director uses shots of close-ups, and reaction shots are sprinkled throughout the video to keep your eye interested.
It occurs to me that music videos are silent movies. You must tell the story through a series of scenes without words. This winter, I went to the Film Forum to see several silent films by Charlie Chaplin.
Here’s one of my favorite scenes from “The Gold Rush.” Research shows it was the longest and most expensive comedy film produced then. The film contains many of Charlie Chaplin’s most celebrated comedy sequences, including eating his boot and dancing the dinner rolls.
Greta Gerwig’s big screen makeover and the related marketing blitz are making us revisit and reevaluate Barbie’s impact on our lives, including our sex lives. After all, if Barbie and Ken are confused about what to do at sleepovers, you might be too, especially if you’re dealing with sexual health issues related to diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in nearly all countries. People with diabetes experience sexual dysfunction more often than the general public.
Podcast guests: Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, RDN, LD/N, CDCES, FAND, and Donna Rice, MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, the co-authors of Divabetic’s new e-book, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love and Intimacy with Diabetes, available on Amazon.
