Black History Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges facing Black people in managing diabetes so we can work towards creating a healthcare system that is fair, equitable, and inclusive.
In 2019, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes, reports the Office of Monthly Health.
In 2018, African American adults were 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician, reports the Office of Monthly Health.
NIH Research reports a study stating that biological risk factors—including weight and fat around the abdomen—are primarily responsible for higher rates of diabetes for black Americans compared with white Americans. Sadly, the impacts of biased healthcare providers and lack of access to diabetes technology only add to the burden of staying on track with self-care.
It’s essential to recognize the contributions made by Black people to medicine, science, and research. Black History Month reminds us to celebrate and acknowledge their achievements. We can learn from their experiences and work towards a brighter future where everyone has equal opportunities and access to healthcare.
Let’s come together and challenge our systems to make changes that benefit everyone. Diabetes doesn’t discriminate, and neither should our healthcare system. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to create a world where everyone can access the care they need to manage and prevent diabetes.
Excerpts from Beyond Type 1’s Why Is Black History Month Important In The Diabetes Community? Written by Lala Jackson.
Divabetic is partnering with Diabetes Sisters on the first-ever survey on love and relationships for women with diabetes, called “Across All Life Stages of Diabetes.”
Your participation will make a real difference in understanding your unique experiences and struggles with diabetes and your friends, spouses, and partners. Please take a few moments on February 13th to share your thoughts and experiences by taking this unique survey.
Over the weekend, I read that the state of North Carolina is cutting off coverage of anti-obesity medications for state employees, citing soaring costs and a lack of agreement on pricing from drugmakers.
These anti-obesity injectable weight loss drugs are the rage from the Hollywood elite to shoppers at your neighborhood bodega.
Case in point: last year, at this time, I didn’t know anyone on these drugs. Last week, three friends told me they were either using or had taken the drugs. And all three knew countless other people using them.
These drugs work by making people feel fuller and eat less, with some side effects. Two of my friends admitted they suffered from diarrhea and stomach pain while using the drugs.
According to reports, patients who took the highest dose of Mounjaro, a diabetes drug from Eli Lilly Co. that’s in testing as an obesity treatment, lost an average of 50 pounds.
North Carolina’s decision affects a class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which treat diabetes and help with weight loss. Medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound have soared in popularity but are expensive and require long-term use.
According to Forbes, many more state-backed plans don’t cover GLP-1s for weight loss, but the ones that do are trying to limit rapidly increasing costs.
Connecticut introduced a trial lifestyle-management program for state employees seeking the drugs for weight-loss treatment in July after spending on the class rose 50% annually since 2020. Virginia tightened restrictions on which Medicaid enrollees can receive them for obesity.
When Ozempic is prescribed off-label for weight loss, it is often not covered by insurance. Why? Because the Affordable Care Act doesn’t mandate that health insurers cover obesity or overweight medications or surgeries.
Due to increasing costs, some health insurance companies and employers are also halting coverage of Ozempic, Wegovy, and GLP-1 drugs.
The private healthcare system Ascension stopped coverage on July 1, 2023, stating that weight loss and anti-obesity drugs will no longer be covered in its pharmacy benefit to its nearly 140,000 employees.
What does this mean to people taking the drug?
My friends using Ozempic and Mounjaro lost significant weight, but their insurance stopped covering the cost after six months. Without insurance, the average monthly price of Mounjaro is between $1,000 to $1,200, depending on the pharmacy. All three have gained back the weight they lost.
Routinely, when Ozempic is prescribed off-label for weight loss, insurance does not cover it. Why? Because the Affordable Care Act doesn’t mandate that health insurers cover obesity or overweight medications or surgeries.
If your health insurance no longer covers your prescription, is Noom or Weight Watchers a solution?
Although most of my friends think weight loss companies adding weight loss drugs to their arsenal is a cop-out, if you can no longer afford these drugs, these weight loss programs might help with weight loss maintenance.
Let’s start with Noom. For years, Noom has promoted itself as a psychological path to weight loss. Now, Noom believes adding these injectable drugs to your program makes the outcomes much better.
WeightWatchers members can also get weight loss drugs. The WeightWatchers telehealth clinic: a reworked version of Sequence’s telehealth services.
After Oprah appeared on the Red Carpet promoting The Color Purple, people speculated about her weight management. Oprah told People magazine that she’s using one of the weight loss drugs that are commercially known as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro.
Sadly, many one-time dieters see results from injectable weight loss drugs as far more reliable and easily obtained than from these habit-changing programs. But many of my friends who are desperately trying to lose weight feel taking these drugs is cheating. The weight loss industry has brainwashed them into believing weight loss is about willpower. I believe it’s about an individual’s body chemistry. Many people have a physical addiction to the fat, salt, and sugar formulas of popular foods. These people can’t stop at one potato chip; they eat the entire bag. Other people suffer from obsessive thoughts about food, which Rosie O’Donnell refers to as ‘food noise.’ In a recent interview, she spoke about how Mounjaro helped calm these thoughts in her head. I found her Plus SideZ podcast interview enlightening.
For many, these weight loss drugs are improving lives and health outcomes.
Novo Nordisk also offers a patient assistance program that provides Ozempic at no cost. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a total household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty line.
Ignoring high blood pressure can lead to serious health complications, as highlighted by the unfortunate story of Barry White.
He was twice admitted to the hospital after suffering from hypertension – once in 1995 and again in 1998. Before his passing in 2003, Barry White announced that he was on dialysis and searching for a kidney donor.
Over time, chronic high blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries around the kidneys, leading to kidney failure. The scary part is that many of us are unaware that we have high blood pressure because it often has no visible symptoms. Even those aware of their condition may not take the necessary steps to manage it properly.
It’s important to understand that high blood pressure puts a great deal of strain on the heart, and if left unaddressed, can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other serious medical issues. The good news is that by taking steps such as managing stress, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption, we can control our blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing complications.
So let’s prioritize our health and take action to manage our blood pressure before it’s too late.
Barry White’s unique vision delivered romantic soul music that seduced the world. Tell us how you feel about how love, intimacy and relationships affect your diabetes in our first-ever Love At All Stages Of Life Survey with Diabetes Sisters. We
Mr. Divabetic talks with international Yoga Teacher and Author Rachel Zinman, living with LADA diabetes, who shares a guided meditation, “The Mountain Meditation.”
The Mountain Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn, encourages us to seek inner stability and peace, even amid unpredictable change and chaos.
See if you can sit like the mountain, still and grounded through the changes of weather, time, and seasons, allowing day and night to come and go, accepting change, not resisting it.
This meditation is usually done in a sitting position, either on the floor or a chair.
Remember that taking time daily to meditate and connect with your inner self can greatly benefit your overall well-being and diabetes wellness. The Mountain Meditation is a great way to ground yourself and find stability, even amid chaos and uncertainty. Practicing this meditation regularly can help you to better navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease and resilience. So take a deep breath, find a comfortable seat, and allow yourself to be still like a mountain.
In her book, Yoga for Diabetes, Rachel Zinman shares her journey and the hard-won wisdom gained from her own experience of yoga and diabetes.
The Subway Bhaktis are musicians and yoga teachers Nyck Jeanes and Rachel Zinman based in Byron Bay, Australia.
We are excited to announce our partnership with Diabetes Sisters to conduct the first-ever Survey on LOVE for women with diabetes across all stages of life.
Relationships, including the ones we have with ourselves, play a crucial role in managing diabetes. From marriages to best friends, we hope to gain insight into the topics that matter the most to you and what kind of support and guidance you need, particularly if you’re dealing with sexual health issues.
It’s time for the voices of the approximately 15 million women in the United States who have diabetes, or about 1 in every 9 adult women, to be heard.
Managing diabetes can be challenging. Depending on what’s happening in your life, such as hormonal changes, how you manage your diabetes may need to change over time. Staying on track with your body, relationships, and attitude towards living with diabetes can be a daunting task.
We plan to release the survey on Galalantines Day, February 13, and publish our results on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024. Your participation can help us improve the quality of our care, support, and encouragement.
Enjoy our animated video playlist of Divabetic’s 10th Annual Mystery podcast, “Murder Plain As Vanilla”, streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.
If you love listening to our annual mystery podcast, you’re in for a treat. We animated every podcast scene this year, including our colorful characters and situations.
Animating our tenth annual mystery podcast is a beautiful way to celebrate a decade of our team’s work. Our team of educators, mystery writers, advocates, friends, and family step out of their comfort zone to become voice actors and perform in our podcasts. We appreciate their time, talent, and enthusiasm for this yearly project.
Animating this year’s mystery podcast was an eye-opening experience for Divabetic founder Max Szadek, who writes, produces, and directs these yearly podcasts.
“The animation brings out the entertaining approach to diabetes education,” says Max Szadek. “It also reinforces key messages in diabetes, self-care, nutrition, and health and wellness.”
Our mystery podcast isn’t only for mystery lovers. It’s a fun way to learn about diabetes and self-care. In between colorful characters, crazy adventures, and mysterious surroundings, we pack health and wellness tips that can help you take charge of your diabetes. We also encourage you to think like a detective the next time you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Search for clues, collect data, talk to witnesses, and bring your ideas to the authorities (healthcare collaborators) for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes isn’t a bad idea either.
Here’s a short synopsis of Divabetic’s 10 Annual Mystery podcast, “Murder Plan As Vanilla”: When Mr. Divabetic’s arch-nemesis baking sensation Renata Whisk calls, offering a chance to participate in the Visions of Vanilla baking competition, he can’t refuse. It’s an invitation to compete against culinary giants Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourment, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess and, most importantly, a chance to pay back his debt owed to his mother. But before Max’s hands touch flour, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar. As luck has it, Max is the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he enlists his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie.
But when another baker’s dead body is found near Max’s station, even his mother tastes a recipe for disaster. Now, armed with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and dispersing diabetes health information, Max has no choice but to solve the mystery or at least die trying.
Divabetic Mysteries: “Murder Plain As Vanilla” features Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, Leisa Chester Weir, and Amparo Peterkin. Written by Max Szadek and Wendy Radford. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Animated by Max Szadek
Enjoy all of Divabetic Mysteries Podcasts streaming on Blog TalkRadio, iTunes, and Spotify: “Pink Panther,” “Phantom of the Okra, “Suspect Boulevard,” “Gypsies, Tramps & Peas Swan Wake, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes”, “Kill Me Madam,” “A Christmas Peril”, “Tomorrow Is Not On the Menu.”
Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plain As Vanilla,” is streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.
Our mystery podcast is not just for mystery lovers. It’s an engaging way to learn about diabetes and self-care. Amidst colorful characters, thrilling adventures, and delightful settings, we offer health and wellness tips to help you take charge of your diabetes self-care. We also promote the idea of thinking like a detective when you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Look for clues, gather data, talk to witnesses (friends, co-workers, and family members ), and present your ideas to healthcare professionals for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes is also a great idea.
Here is a synopsis of Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plan As Vanilla.” Mr. Divabetic, a baking enthusiast, is invited by his archnemesis and baker, Renata Whisk, to participate in the world-renowned Visions of Vanilla baking competition. The competition will feature fabulous culinary giants such as Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourmet, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess.
Max, who owes his mother a debt, accepts the invitation. However, before Max can start baking, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar, Conrad Rivera. As luck would have it, Max was the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he seeks help from his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, former FBI Agent Pauline, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie.
Things take a turn for the worse when another baker is found dead near Max’s station, raising suspicions about his involvement in the murders. Even Max’s mother is at risk. Now, with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and providing diabetes health information, Max must solve the mystery or die trying.
Divabetic Mysteries: “Murder Plain As Vanilla” podcast features Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, and Amparo Peterkin, with script editing by Wendy Radford and produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
Enjoy all of Divabetic Mysteries Podcasts streaming on Blog TalkRadio, iTunes and Spotify: Pink Panther, Phantom of the Okra, Suspect Boulevard Gypsies, Tramps & Peas, Swan Wake. Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes, Kill Me Madam, A Christmas Peril, and Tomorrow Is Not On the Menu.
Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plain As Vanilla,” is streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.
Our mystery podcast is not just for mystery lovers. It’s an engaging way to learn about diabetes and self-care. Amidst colorful characters, thrilling adventures, and delightful settings, we offer health and wellness tips to help you take charge of your diabetes self-care. We also promote the idea of thinking like a detective when you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Look for clues, gather data, talk to witnesses (friends, co-workers, and family members ), and present your ideas to healthcare professionals for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes is also a great idea.
Here is a synopsis of Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plan As Vanilla.” Mr. Divabetic, a baking enthusiast, is invited by his archnemesis and baker, Renata Whisk, to participate in the world-renowned Visions of Vanilla baking competition. The competition will feature fabulous culinary giants such as Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourmet, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess.
Max, who owes his mother a debt, accepts the invitation. However, before Max can start baking, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar, Conrad Rivera. As luck would have it, Max was the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he seeks help from his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, former FBI Agent Pauline, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie.
Things take a turn for the worse when another baker is found dead near Max’s station, raising suspicions about his involvement in the murders. Even Max’s mother is at risk. Now, with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and providing diabetes health information, Max must solve the mystery or die trying.
Divabetic Mysteries: “Murder Plain As Vanilla” podcast features Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, and Amparo Peterkin, with script editing by Wendy Radford and produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
Enjoy this excerpt from Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plain As Vanilla,” streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.
Our mystery podcast is not just for mystery lovers. It’s an engaging way to learn about diabetes and self-care. Amidst colorful characters, thrilling adventures, and delightful settings, we offer health and wellness tips to help you take charge of your diabetes self-care. We also promote the idea of thinking like a detective when you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Look for clues, gather data, talk to witnesses (friends, co-workers, and family members ), and present your ideas to healthcare professionals for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes is also a great idea.
Here is a summary of Divabetic’s 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, “Murder Plan As Vanilla.” Mr. Divabetic, a baking enthusiast, is invited by his archnemesis and baker, Renata Whisk, to participate in the world-renowned Visions of Vanilla baking competition. The competition will feature fabulous culinary giants such as Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourmet, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess.
Max, who owes his mother a debt, accepts the invitation. However, before Max can start baking, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar, Conrad Rivera. As luck would have it, Max was the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he seeks help from his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, former FBI Agent Pauline, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie.
Things take a turn for the worse when another baker is found dead near Max’s station, raising suspicions about his involvement in the murders. Even Max’s mother is at risk. Now, with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and providing diabetes health information, Max must solve the mystery or die trying.
Divabetic Mysteries: “Murder Plain As Vanilla” podcast features Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, and Amparo Peterkin, with script editing by Wendy Radford and produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
