Category: D-Stories

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Valentine’s Day Game Puzzle

This Valentine’s Day shower yourself with some self-love. Throw out every doubt in yourself, every negative thought and learn to love yourself.

Did you know that living with type 2 diabetes puts you at higher risk for heart disease and stroke? Talk to your doctor about your risk.

What To Ask Your Doctor

  1. What can I do to lower my risk for heart disease and stroke?
  2. Do any of my medications help me manage my risks for heart disease or other complications?
  3. Are there programs that can help me manage my condition? Can you give me a referral?
  4. How can I meet others going through my same experience?

Making Connections Game Puzzle 

Can you find the five words above that are connected to Valentine’s Day?  Each word starts with one of the choices from the left side column. It then continues with something from the middle column and then finishes with something from the right side column. Created by: Dani Raymond

 

Matters Of The Heart

We’re talking about matters of the heart related to diabetes with music from Celine Dion on this Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. The National Heart Association reports 65% of people with diabetes will die from some sort of heart disease or stroke. In general, the risk of heart disease death and stroke are more than twice as high in people with diabetes. However, by managing your risk factors, you may avoid or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Mila Clarke Buckley aka The Hangry Woman, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Belle Kruegger.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You album courtesy of SONY Music.

Love New Recipes?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Zoom on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST. Jill shares her favorite quinoa recipes with us!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

Puzzle answer: Romance, Sweetheart, February, Chocolate, and Bouquet

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Anyone Who Had A Heart (Should Know Their Blood Pressure)

Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is one of the keys to optimum health. But how many of us really know what it is or what the numbers actually mean?

Let Luther Vandross’s beautiful rendition of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s iconic song, “Anyone Who Had A Heart” with a little help from his friend Dionne Warwick inspire you to become more aware of your blood pressure.

https://youtu.be/AJwlCUTe9xg

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your bod

Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

A blood pressure reading is given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It has two numbers:

Top number (systolic pressure): The upper number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.

Bottom number (diastolic pressure):  The lower number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats.

You can have high blood pressure for years without any symptoms. Unmanaged high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

“Checking your blood pressure can help you and your doctor figure out if you need medications or that your medications are working.”  according to Joyce M. Oen-Hsiao, MD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation program and medical director of the cardiac telemetry unit at the Yale New Haven Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center, in an article on Verywell Health. 

Did you know that you can monitor your blood pressure in the comfort of your home instead of waiting until your next doctor’s visit?

Verywell Health rated the Omron Platinum Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor the Best Overall in its Blood Pressure Monitors annual review.

This easy-to-read and well-lit blood pressure monitor is validated by the American Heart Association for clinical accuracy and can accommodate multiple users—meaning you and your significant other can both use it. Its also totally wireless and has Bluetooth capabilities.

Omron Platinum Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitorr lists for $78.97 on Amazon

https://youtu.be/36Y22FHde34

Fun Fact: Dionne Warwick’s original recording of “Anyone Who Had A Heart” hit the Top Ten in the United States, Canada, Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium and Australia in 1964. According to published reports, Dionne Warwick nailed the tune in only one take!

 

Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE shares her favorite blood pressure monitors for home use on this episode of Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Mila Clarke Buckley aka The Hangry Woman, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Belle Kruegger. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You album courtesy of SONY Music.  We are proud to participate in Diabetes Podcast Week and support the Spare a Rose campaign to raise funds for Life For a Child.

 

 

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Divabetic Celebrates 16 Years Of Diabetes Outreach with Style

This year, Divabetic (Divabetic.Org) celebrates sixteen years of diabetes outreach with style!

Divabetic was inspired by the late R&B legend, Luther Vandross, and founded in 2005 by his long-time assistant, Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek.  Divabetic, a combination of the word “diabetic” with the letter “V” inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and a positive attitude associated with the great divas Luther loved, like Patti LaBelle.

In 2008, Phyllis Kornbluth shared  how her participation in Divabetic’s Support Group meeting at the McBurney YMCA changed her life for the better.

 

The mission of Divabetic is to transform lives by changing attitudes, boosting spirits, encouraging hope and motivation for those living with, affected by, or at risk of diabetes. Through innovative programs, outreach events, and online communities, Divabetic is a circle of care and support, providing a link between patients and their healthcare teams, translation of clinical speak, and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence.

Today, Divabetic continues to offer diabetes programming with style virtually on Zoom. Why not join us?  Isn’t it time you ‘Pass The Boa’ and share your diagnosis to diva story with others living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST on Zoom.

Jill Weisenberger is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week is a bestseller and can help you manage your weight and blood sugar at the same time, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers solutions to your everyday food and nutrition problems – no matter how busy you are, 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart gives you specific actions to take to improve your health right away, and her newest book Prediabetes: A Complete Guide featuring dozens of concrete steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.

REGISTER NOW

We strive to help others meet the challenges and opportunities of diabetes care and concerns with a Glam More, Fear Less philosophy so that no one has to struggle alone or in silence.

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Madonna And Jody Watley Inspired Us To Push Past Borderline Diabetes

‘Borderline diabetes’ is a throwback term describing impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance that’s older than Madonna’s song, Borderline, from the 80’s. 

Don’t be old school when talking about your diabetes health 

Recently the term ‘borderline diabetes’ has been replaced with the term ‘prediabetes’. 

Prediabetes is a condition that develops before a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It basically means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but they’re not quite high enough to be considered a sign of diabetes. You may not have a diabetes diagnosis but having prediabetes still puts you at increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke

Approximately 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 84% don’t know they have it.

What are the warning signs of prediabetes?

One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles. Other symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, excess hunger, fatigue and blurred vision. 

Remember, borderline diabetes, or prediabetes, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll develop type 2 diabetes. Take small steps to make any healthy changes to your diet or activity habits under the guidance of your healthcare team.

Jody Watley’s ninth solo album, The Makeover features a remake of Madonna’s Borderline.

“It was going to be a remix project. The project evolved and moved away from that, and that really came from doing live concerts, “ Jody Watley told NPR. “And I every now and again would do a cover of a favorite song of mine. And I did a series of shows in San Francisco called Songs in the Key of My Life.”

Let Jody Watley’s version of Madonna’s iconic song, Borderline push you past any hesitations to take this quick prediabetes risk test.

TAKE THE PREDIABETES RISK TEST

If your doctor is concerned you may have prediabetes, they’ll most likely give you a A1c(hbA1c) test. 

HbA1c is an indicator of your blood sugar patterns over the last two to three months, so it’s often a better overall picture than a single fasting blood sugar check. An HbA1c level between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates prediabetes.

“My message would be to never lose sight of who you really are. Because when all is said and done, you have to be able to look at yourself and remember and recognize that, you know, I am who I am,” said Jody Watley. 

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Luther Vandross’s Vocalists Remake Take You Out with COVID Safety Message

R & B Legend, Luther Vandross and his love songs are synonymous with Valentine’s Day and he had a long tradition of performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on that special day. The glamour and glitz of his stage productions was captured in his only live album, Live Radio City Music Hall 2003, recorded on Valentine’s weekend.

Enjoy this cautiously cheek-to-cheek twist on one of Luther’s iconic songs, “Take You Out” with a reminder to take the necessary precautions to stay safe.  we urge you and your loved ones to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. Wear a mask to protect yourself and others and stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from others who don’t live with you. Avoid crowds. The more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19.

Diabetes is known to be a risk factor for severe cases of COVID-19

Early studies have shown that about 25% of people who went to the hospital with severe COVID-19 infections had diabetes. Those with diabetes were more likely to have serious complications and to die from the virus.

Now new evidence suggests some people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 are developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes according to research published November 2020 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

More than one in 10 coronavirus patients  (14.4%) were newly diagnosed with diabetes after recovering from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the analysis of 3,711 patients across eight different studies.

On a personal note, this project is near and dear to my heart because several of my family members contracted COVID over the Christmas holiday. I am so grateful to the care, kindness and treatment that my family members received from the healthcare workers at Prisma Health Baptist Hospital in Columbia, SC. I was thrilled to lend a hand in helping Luther Vandross’s Former Vocalists & Band remake his iconic ‘Take You Out’ song with #COVID safety message.

CREDITS: “Take You Out” written by Warryn Campbell, Harold Lilly, and John Smith Lead Vocals: Keith Anthony Fluitt, Kevin Owens, Clayton Bryant Backing Vocals: Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Tawatha Agee, Alfa Anderson. Music: Ivan Hampden, Jr. Vocal Arrangements: Lisa Fischer Mixer: Aaron Whitby Luther Vandross Archival Footage: Fonzi Thornton for Thorn World Hats & Masks Images: Harlem Heaven’s Hat FANDROSS CEO: Seveda Williams Revised Lyrics: Max Szadek, Lisa Fischer Video Production: Max Szadek

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New Diabetes Cases Linked to COVID-19

New reporting indicates that some patients who’ve recovered from COVID-19 are developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes according to Insider.

In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers stated it was “plausible” that COVID-19’s effects on the body’s ability to metabolize glucose could either complicate existing insulin levels or create new issues, leading to the onset of diabetes.

Although some patients already had diabetes and were unaware of it until they were hospitalized for COVID-19, evidence also suggests that COVID-19 might be enough to worsen existing metabolic health issues into full-blown type 2 diabetes according to  Dr. Jose Aleman, assistant professor of endocrinology at NYU Langone Health reports Insider.

“Stressful conditions lead to elevated levels of regulatory hormones that raise blood sugar to aid the body in fighting whatever insult it’s facing, such as illness or injury,” Aleman told Insider. “For people with underlying conditions, that can be enough to kick them over the edge.”

Back in April 2020, doctors in Wuhan, China first reported a link between COVID-19 and elevated blood sugar levels.

More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it according to the Centers for Diabetes Control and Prevention.  More than 88 million US adults—over a third—have prediabetes, and more than 84% of them don’t know they have it.

Take The Prediabetes Risk Test – Take The Risk Test

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, virtual diabetes support event with style. Divabetic’s dynamic diabetes empowerment meeting features a Hat & Face Mask Fashion Show presented by  Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner Evetta Petty and a Diabetes Educational Group Activity and Discussion presented by Maryann Nicolay  MEd, NDTR on Thursday, February 4, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTRATION 

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Tony Bennett Battles Alzheimer’s Disease

Tony Bennett has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Susan, told AARP The Magazine.

According to his family, the 18 time GRAMMY winner is taking each day one note at time. Bennett’s greatest therapy is singing. He rehearses twice a week.

“He has devoted his whole life to the Great American songbook and now the songbook is saving him,” Susan Bennett told CBS This Morning.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease characterized by progressive memory loss that affects speech, understanding, and recognition of family and friends.

More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, including one in 10 people age 65 or older.

There’s research suggesting a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s, suggesting that people with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are at higher risk of eventually developing Alzheimer’s dementia or other dementias.

Alzheimer’s symptoms may initially include repeating questions, getting lost in a familiar place or misplacing things, and may eventually progress to hallucinations, angry outbursts, and the inability to recognize family and friends or communicate at all. Alzheimer’s has no cure.

Tony Bennett, first diagnosed in 2016, has so far been spared the disorientation and the episodes of terror, rage  and/or depression.

Susan Bennett said that he can still recognize family members, but the magazine reported that “mundane objects as familiar as a fork or a set of house keys can be utterly mysterious to him.”

His diagnosis hasn’t stopped him from performing. According to People Magazine the 94 year old singer has has concert dates scheduled for later this year, with the first in March.

“It kept him on his toes and also stimulated his brain in a significant way,” Bennett’s neurologist, Gayatri Devi told AARP The Magazine. “He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder.”

“He’s not the old Tony anymore,” his wife, Susan, said. “But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.”

Bennett’s family kept his secret for four years, but decided to break their silence now with the release of his new album. The disclosure is a way to remove some of the stigma associated with the incurable disease, they said.

“Being open about a diagnosis in such a public manner takes great courage and compassion,” said Beth Kallmyer, vice president for care and support with the Alzheimer’s Association.

Editor’s note: It has not been reported that Tony Bennett is living with diabetes.

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Jeffrey Osborne Shares Secrets to Good Health

“It’s hard for me to do these concerts and watch people walking in with canes who can hardly move,” said Jeffrey Osborne in an interview with Real Health. “People don’t realize that’s a result of their diet.”

The 72-year-old Grammy–nominated singer–songwriter,  and musician has watched several of his eleven siblings succumb to different chronic illnesses. “I have only one sister left,” he says. “I have three brothers still living; the others either died from cancer or suffered from clogged arteries.”

Jeffrey Osborne rose to fame as the drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/Soul group L.T.D in the 1970’s. Recently, he released his first album of original material in 15 years entitled Worth It All.

Back in mid-’70s, Jeffrey Osborne toyed with the idea of becoming a vegan. “But it wasn’t cool then, and there wasn’t as much research at that time or great products like there are now,” he says.

What Is A Vegan?

A vegan is a person who does not eat any food derived from animals and who typically does not use other animal products. Foods from animals that vegans do not eat include eggs, cheese, milk, and honey. Foods made from plants that vegans eat include: Fruits and vegetables. legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), nuts and seeds, breads, rice, and pasta, dairy alternatives (soy milk, coconut milk, and almond milk) and vegetable oils.

Vegan Diets & Diabetes

Studies have shown that those people who follow a low-fat vegan diet, avoiding meat and dairy, lower blood sugar levels very efficiently and lose weight reports Diabetes UK. Researchers have shown that people with diabetes who eat a vegan diet also lower their cholesterol and improve kidney functioning.

Jeffrey Osborne tried adapting a vegan diet again in 2017, on his 28-year-old son’s recommendation after their family watched the documentary, What The Health, about our nation’s health and how big business influences it.

“I did not know half of the things going on with the beef and poultry industries, and that just opened my eyes to so much, and that’s what started me.”

Now he and his family follow a plant-based diet. “It’s been incredible,” he says. “I feel so much better and have more energy, and I feel good. My bones and joints— everything—feels so good.”

“Worth It All finds Osborne picking up where he left off in the vein of new songs with 2003’s Music Is Life, remarkably displaying as much vocal agility and ease with range as ever atop a variety of urban-contemporary grooves and melodic R&B ballads that often reach back to harmonic and structural sensibilities of ‘80s soul while bearing a rhythmic foundation that adult-contemporary audiences came to appreciate during the early 2000s,” writes Justin Kantor for Soultracks.com.

READ MORE

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La, LADA Means You Love Yourself Enough To Take Action

Once again we’re attempting to build a bridge between music and diabetes health with this Divabetic blog post.

Several women in the Divabetic community have shared their stories of being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes when they actually have latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA).

It’s understandable because LADA shares symptoms that correlate with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In fact, LADA often masquerades as type 2 diabetes, given its adult onset and delayed need for insulin treatment. 

But imagine what it feels like to follow your doctor’s guidance word for word and still experience high blood sugars.

You may feel flustered and frustrated. You may feel like you’re spinning your wheels. You may just give up!

That’s why we’d like to urge you to  love yourself enough to take action.

It’s not easy to overcome feelings of anger and annoyance to advocate for one’s health especially if you don’t think your doctor is listening to you. This actually happened to Mila Clarke Buckley, who is known on social media as ‘The Hangry Woman‘.

“In 2016, at 26 years old, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. About a year into my diagnosis, I talked to someone who said my diagnosis didn’t sound right at all, that I should get the GAD65 test. I asked a couple of doctors, but they shrugged me off. On August 4, 2020. I found out that I have LADA – Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, ” she shared in a blog post.

February’s Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite guest, ‘The Hangry Woman’ shares how she managed to overcome a misdiagnosis to become a powerful diabetes advocate on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 6 PM, EST. Tune in to the conversation using the link below:

 

 

Let Mila Clarke Buckley inspire you to seek out a second opinion if you’re following your doctor’s guidance for managing type 2 diabetes but still experiencing with chronic high blood sugars. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of LADA is through a blood test that checks for antibodies against the insulin-making cells of the pancreas. Your doctor may also check for levels of a protein called C-peptide to get information on how much insulin your body is making.

We’re dedicating  ‘La La Means I Love You’ by the Delfonics to all the amazing divas living with LADA who advocated for their health.

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Why Luther Vandross Was The Catalyst for Frank Sinatra’s Duets Album

This success of Frank Sinatra’s highly acclaimed Duets album, released in 1993, would not have been possible without the remarkable vocal talents of Luther Vandross.

The Making of a Multi Platinum Album…

Billed as “The Recording Event of the Decade,” Duets brought together an array of global superstars including Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin, for an album of standards that featured many songs instantly associated with Ol’ Blues Eyes.

Music insiders referred to it as groundbreaking because it showcased Sinatra alongside his peers in the hitmaking royalty category.

Luther Vandross was reluctant to participate in the project when he was approached by the album’s producer, Phil Ramone. “Why do you want me, Phil? Frank Sinatra’s never heard of me.”

When Luther finally agreed, he requested the Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart classic “The Lady Is A Tramp.” This songwriting duet created it for their Broadway show, Babes in Arms, and it was sung by the show’s star Mitzi Green in 1939.

Sinatra performed the song in the movie version of the play in 1957 and it quickly became one of his signature songs.

Although Luther and Sinatra recorded their parts at Capitol Records Studio A in Los Angeles, a familiar studio for Sinatra, they did not sing together, nor did any of the others. The album was engineered with such utter precision, most listeners never knew that Sinatra hadn’t actually performed beside his duet partners.

Luther Vandross Was The Catalyst for The Album’s Creations

Luther and Sinatra’s song was the first to be brought to Sinatra for his approval. The entire project’s completion hung on whether Frank Sinatra liked what he heard.  The verdict was, “That’s wonderful,” and it’s Luther’s voice, not Sinatra’s, that kicks off the album. Pretty wonderful indeed!

https://youtu.be/1WdgZmwgfK8

“Duets is a marvelous and nostalgic comeback from a singer who has been absent from the recording scene for many years,” reported The Christian Science Monitor.

Frank Sinatra’s Duets album is the only Sinatra album to date to achieve triple platinum certification. It is also the biggest worldwide selling duets album in history.

For Luther Vandross, it’s just another example of his musical genius. 

We’re celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam..

Guests include Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown, Nat Adderley Jr.,  Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music

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