Category: Diva TalkRadio

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Lizzo Speaks Our Kind Of Language On Divabetic’s March Podcast with Music From Prince

Have you ever thought about the language we use when talking and writing about overweight and obesity and people living with obesity?

If the rash of criticism directed at superstar Lizzo is any indication, we have a long way to go before society embraces and supports people of different proportions and sizes.

We’re tackling this topic and more on Divabetic’s upcoming podcast scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2022, with guests Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES, and Poet Lorraine Brooks. We will be featuring music from Prince and the New Power Generation’s Love Symbol album courtesy of SONY Music.  Please join us! 

We love Lizzo‘s attitude about herself and her music. She has no patience for fat-shaming and neither do we! Her body-positive, self-love anthems are part of our workout playlist.

I feel like [being] fat is the worst thing people can say about me at this point,” Lizzo shared on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show. “This is the biggest insecurity. It’s like, ‘How dare a pop star be fat?’ I had to own that.” She added, “I feel like other people who were put on that pedestal, or who become pop stars, probably have other insecurities or have other flaws, but they can hide it behind a veneer of being sexy and being marketable.”

Unfortunately, it’s all too common to see and hear obesity talked about negatively, which risks reinforcing stereotypes, simplifying the causes of obesity, and contributing to weight stigma. Currently, obesity is commonly described in the media and society with negative images of people living with obesity and weight stigmas.

“There’s still so many people who suffer from being marginalized systemically,” she says. “Meanwhile, there’s a plus-size Black girl at the Grammys. But plus-size Black women are still not getting the treatment they deserve in hospitals and from doctors and at work.”

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“I Sought Out As Much Information And Support As I Could”: Della Reese

When I found out I had Type 2 diabetes, I was upset because I knew nothing about the condition and had nothing to fight it with,” said “Touched By An Angel” actress and music legend Della Reese. “So I sought out as much information and support as I could,” the entertainer explained. “I talked to my doctor about an aggressive diabetes management plan that included daily exercise and smaller portions.

Before landing the role as Tess on “Touched by an Angel,” Reese was an accomplished singer who rose to national fame in 1957 with her song, “And That Reminds Me.” She had several other hits, including “Not One Minute More,” “And Now,” “Don’t You Know?” and “The Most Beautiful Words.”

When she made the move to television, Reese saw success in parts on series including “The Love Boat,” “MacGyver” and “The Young and the Restless.” She also had her own television variety hour called “Della” and was the first black woman to co-host “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” She went on to play Tess in “Touched by an Angel’s” 1994 debut and continued through the end of the series in 2003.

“I’m proof that you can take control of your life. You can be stronger than diabetes,” she added. “I lost 20 pounds and lowered my blood sugar from between 275 and 300 to between 67 and 110.”
According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. If you experience mental confusion, nausea, or dizziness, proceed to the emergency room. Please be proactive and talk to your doctor if you’re worried about any symptoms of high blood sugar.
Click HERE to convert your blood sugar levels to an A1C using the American Diabetes Association’s Conversion Calculator.
Della Reese passed away in 2017. She was 86.

 

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

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Divabetic Mysteries: A Great Way To Learn About Diabetes!

Divabetic Mysteries are podcasts that use a cozy mystery format to educate people about diabetes and diabetes self-care. Our goal is to encourage people with diabetes to act like detectives. When unexpected issues related to your diabetes health occur, search for clues, take notes, consult with your healthcare team and work together to solve problems.

Hopefully, the intrigue and deception will draw you in and challenge you to see if you can figure out the puzzle before it’s revealed.  Our stories always end on a positive note to wrap the story up with an important life lesson and bow. Invariably, Mr. Divabetic’s dreams of becoming the Next Food Network Star remain intact thanks to the encouragement of his friends and mother long enough for another misadventure.

We hope you feel like you’ve just spent time with some good friends by the time you reach the end of the podcast. Our team enjoys rehearsing and performing these podcasts for you annually. Thank you for listening!

Our ‘A Christmas Peril’ podcast was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.

Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford. Special thanks to the Houdeshell family, and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Video by Joe Hackney from Pixabay.

In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons that they teach.

 

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Meet Chandra: An Avid Baker Living With Type 2 Diabetes Who Lost 70 Pounds

Divabetic Baking Party prize winner Chandra, living well with type 2 diabetes, is an avid baker and home cook who has lost over 70 pounds.

She is constantly looking for new ways to enjoy my favorite foods with lower carb swaps.

Read how Chandra manages to enjoy life to the fullest without feeling deprived.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I immediately sought out information on nutrition after my diagnosis. Since then, I have managed my diabetes by counting carbs, walking, and adhering to my medications.

The thing that inspired me to lose weight was my family. At the time, having a 4-year-old inspired me to make small changes that make a big difference. More than anything, I want to live a long healthy life and spend it with my family!

A big help was the advice I received from my nutritionist after my type 2 diabetes diagnosis. She said to keep things simple and focus on one thing – counting carbs when getting started. So my weight loss was slow and steady, about 10-12 pounds per year.

My nutritionist also encouraged me to keep a food journal, so I calculated the carbs in everything. I think I drove everyone crazy around me. I always wrote these down in a spiral notebook. Eventually, I got pretty proficient.

I try to follow the recommendations she gave me:
1. If you are hungry, eat.
2. Our brains need carbs, so don’t eliminate carbs completely.
3. Eat 30-45 carbs per meal, 15 carbs for a snack (for women) men are 45-60. If you want to lose weight, stick to the lower end.
4. Get moving. I started walking 10 min a day, then I graduated up to about 45 min. I also recently joined a Pilates club for weekly flow classes.
5. Have regular checkups on A1C- I have had to make a few adjustments.
6. I participate in a wellness coaching program, Newtopia. They have been really helpful in keeping me setting goals and checking in. For example, I weigh myself daily with a smart scale linked to apple health. That is shared with my wellness coach, and it keeps me accountable. He also helps to keep my spirits lifted during challenging days.

A few years ago I read the book The Clean 20 by Dr. Ian Smith. My husband and I followed that plan for 30 days. We liked it and continued doing that for probably another 3 or 4 months. We found out what meals we liked and added those to our routine.

Even though I have lost  70 pounds, my blood sugars have continued upwards. Recently my doctors adjusted my medications. Now I take a combination of Metformin, Januvia, and Jardiance.

Just this week, I started wearing a Dexcom g6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). At first, I was super nervous about it. But I really like it. I can just look at my phone to see my sugar numbers. So far, so good on my new treatment plan.

I really enjoyed the Divabetic Baking Party On Zoom.  Funny note though, I went out to buy the Pillsbury Sugar-Free Cake Mix and Frosting and was surprised that it had MORE carbs than the regular boxed mix! So, that’s a no-go for me. Instead, I’ll use the regular mix and just do smaller portions!

Recently I started to count my saturated fat grams. The new plan is to try to keep under 25 g per day. I really enjoy cream in my coffee and butter on my toast. Those are two of my favorite things, so we’ll see how that goes!!! I am a work in progress!!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

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Divabetic Supports Word Obesity Day on March 4, 2022

I witnessed how SHAME and BLAME associated with SIZE can break a person’s spirit can cause harm. Divabetic is proud to support World Obesity Day on March 4, 2022. The goal of World Obesity Day is to stimulate and support practical actions that will help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight and reverse the global obesity crisis

My former boss, Luther Vandross‘s weight struggles seemed to sour each and every career success.

In April 2003, I found my boss, Luther Vandross, on his apartment floor after he suffered a stroke. I knew Luther was living with type 2 diabetes but never discussed it past refilling his medications. Looking back, I think that was a mistake. I feel the frustration, anger surrounding his size lit the match that sparked the mismanagement of his type 2 diabetes which lead to his devastating stroke and early death at the age of 54.
Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast talks about Luther’s ongoing weight issues and his history of yo-yo dieting.  By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio for a photoshoot for his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he lost a considerable amount of weight. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain his weight loss when he went on tour to support the album. Radio DJ’s often commented on whether or not ‘Big Luther’ sounded better than ‘Thin Luther’. His weight struggles were a topic of public opinion.  Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

For the past 19 years, I have dedicated myself to being a diabetes advocate. I founded the diabetes nonprofit, Divabetic (the ‘V’ stands for Vandross) at Divabetic.Org.  We aim to inspire others living with, at-risk, and affected by diabetes ‘keep their house a home’ by learning how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke. Managing diabetes is not easy. It’s a daily grind that relies on a team effort. Luther had about fifty people on tour supporting him with his music. Still, he chose to go it alone when managing his diabetes. I will be forever haunted by the experience of finding such a strong, kind, powerful, immensely talented man taken down by the mismanagement of diabetes.
Luther
This picture was taken at the auction we held after Luther’s passing in 2005. Looking back, I was shellshocked from Luther’s unexpected stroke and passing. It was devastating. So many of his fans blamed me as well as everyone who worked for Luther for his death. They thought we should have been able to intervene and prevent his stroke from happening. At the time, I didn’t realize that the mismanagement of diabetes could strike down one of the most powerful men I knew. My lingering regret has fueled my passion for diabetes advocacy. Please ‘keep your house a home’ and take time to learn how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke.
Please visit Divabetic.Org and/or like Divabetic on Facebook. Your support keeps Luther’s memory and music alive!

This wonderful advocate, Patty Nece, JD, talks about her experiences with being stereotyped and shamed because of her weight during an important medical appointment.

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Divabetic Inspiration: Charlie Wilson

Charlie Wilson

The pandemic has taken a toll on us in so many ways. The stress, anxiety, and financial challenges can lead us to feel isolated and lonely and can have adverse effects on our diabetes wellness. Unfortunately, millions are turning to substances to help them cope.  One particular concern is the rising rate of opioid addiction and related deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. Overdoses have also spiked since the onset of the pandemic.

If you need some inspiration to stay on track with your diabetes self-care goals, look no further than R & B legend, Charlie Wilson. He’s not living with diabetes but his remarkable true story of overcoming addiction serves as a powerful testament to the human spirit.

“I hope my own endurance, even during these uncertain times, will be an inspiration for others to have faith and stay hopeful,” says Charlie Wilson told PEOPLE magazine. “This is a season which too shall pass.”

Singer, songwriter, and the former lead vocalist of the Gap Band, Charlie Wilson has been clean and sober for the past two decades. Currently, on tour, he talks openly on stage about his long descent into cocaine, alcohol, and crack cocaine addiction. He ended up homeless, for several years, on the streets of Los Angeles.

“I had sunk so low that people said: ‘He’s done. He’s not coming back. He’s going to end up dead.’ And I started believing it myself,” Wilson said on tour.

He credits his faith, his wife, Mahin, and his cousin, Shirley — a former addict who inspired him to enter rehab — for turning his life around.

As a solo artist Charlie Wilson has been nominated for 13 Grammy awards and 11 NAACP Image Awards (including two wins), received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award and was a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005. In 2009 and 2020, he was named Billboard magazine’s No. 1 Adult R&B Artist, and his song “There Goes My Baby” was named the No. 1 Urban Adult Song for 2009 in Billboard Magazine.

“An addiction is an addiction,” Wilson said. “It can overpower you, (no) matter what lifestyle you have. I’m glad I’m still alive to be able to testify to people.”

Music legend Smokey Robinson teamed up with Charlie Wilson on last year’s Mother’s Day anthem, “On All Of My Love”.

“Working with Smokey fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine,” Charlie Wilson told PEOPLE magazine.

We’re celebrating Mother’s Day in a big way at Divabetic. Join us for our upcoming Baking Party on Zoom in April.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

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Meet Divabetic Prize Winner: Sandra Living With Type 1 Diabetes

Our recent Divabetic Baking Party’s Peak 10 Skin giveaway winner, Sandra is a tech-savvy diva who relies on several diabetes self-care tools to live her best life!

“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2006”, says Sandra. “After 6 years of injections, I was put on an insulin pump and then later got a Continuous Glucose Monitor.”

Many people with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps. Insulin pumps work by delivering a basal, or set, rate of insulin through a tube called a cannula.

The insulin pump is attached to a thin plastic tube (an infusion set) with a cannula (like a needle but soft) at the end of which insulin passes. This cannula is inserted under the skin, usually on the abdomen. The cannula is changed every two days. Your doctor works with you to determine the amount of insulin needed each day. Insulin pumps can also deliver an insulin bolus.

A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a wearable sensor that automatically measures glucose levels 24 hours a day. A thin, disposable needle called a sensor stays under your skin. The sensor is removed and changed every few days. Glucose readings are provided at specific intervals, every five minutes or so. It also shows how your glucose levels are trending in the form of a trend arrow. You can tell if your glucose level is rising or dropping and treat yourself accordingly. 

“My current pump communicates with the CGM and automatically adjusts my insulin when my glucose readings are out of range, she adds.  

“Thank goodness for technology! It has made my diabetes easier to manage, and I can be more discreet. (no more finger sticks or insulin syringes!).”

Since Sandra participated in our Baking Party, we asked her about her sweet tooth. 

” I still watch what I eat (I read the nutrition label for everything I eat) and take the dog for walks twice a day (4 miles total), but I do NOT deprive myself of dessert.”

We love her attitude!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

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Celebrate Self-Love with Divabetic on Valentine’s Day

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing this special performance by our friend pianist Rohan DeSilva of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune.

We’d like to encourage you to make time for yourself and your diabetes health. You cannot do everything for everyone else and nothing for yourself. Making time for yourself and your diabetes health is an act of self-love. Learning to accept a diabetes diagnosis isn’t easy either. It takes time, patience, and support. For many people, acceptance starts with loving themselves enough to treat themselves with tending loving care. How do you practice self-love as someone living with diabetes? Do you tell yourself I love you? Do you smile when you look in the mirror?

People high in self-love nourish themselves daily through healthy activities, like walks, meditation, sleep, intimacy, and healthy social interactions. When you genuinely love yourself, you create a mindset of acceptance.

Claude Debussy started writing the piano piece Clair de Lune in 1890 when he was just 28, but it wasn’t published for another 15 years! The title means ‘Moonlight’ and the piece is actually part of the four-movement work Suite Bergamasque.

Pianist Rohan DeSilva graciously agreed to record this piece while on tour with violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Among Rohan De Silva’s awards is the best accompanist special prize at the ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He performed at the White House in 2007 for President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth, and in 2012 with Itzhak Perlman for President Barak Obama and Shimon Peres. He has also appeared on television on The Tonight Show with Midori; and on radio stations WQXR, WNYC, and WNCN, as well as the Berlin Radio, Japan’s NHK, and CNN’s Showbiz Today, Millenium Grammy’s 2000. De Silva has recorded on the DGG, CBS/Sony Classical, Collins Classics, and BMG labels. Rohan De Silva holds BM and MM degrees from Juilliard where he studied piano with Martin Canin and chamber music with Felix Galimir.

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Diagnosis To Diva Stories: My Type 1 Diagnosis Was A Scene From A Fellini Movie

Hearing you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes can be difficult. And painful. Still, February’s Divabetic podcast guest, Fran Carpentier, describes her experience like a scene from a Fellini movie. 

The Brooklyn-born media maven was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age fourteen. Fran remembers the weeks before her diagnosis, “having rapid weight loss, unquenchable thirst, and exhaustion. it was bad.”Although her type 1 diabetes diagnosis was life-changing, Fran admits that her Italian mother, Stella, provided some much-needed yet unintended comic relief in the doctor’s office. “Naturally, I was scared and very nervous,” Fran recalls. “However, when the doctor uttered the diagnosis—’Frances has diabetes‘— my mother fainted and collapsed onto the floor.  Her sister, my Aunt Elizabeth, and I had to pick her up. We kept fanning my mom while Dr. Handelsman—a renowned diabetologist of the time—attempted to reassure her about my diagnosis. First, he tried to calm down my mother by telling her that I was fortunate to be diagnosed when I was and not forty years earlier. He went on to explain that the reason I was ‘lucky’ was because today we had insulin; a few decades earlier, I’d be dead. When my mother heard the word ‘dead,’ she collapsed and fainted again.”

The doctor pulled Fran aside and said, “I usually put a newly diagnosed child with juvenile diabetes [which is what type 1 was called in those days] in the hospital for a week.” Back in 1969, which is when Fran was diagnosed, hospitalization for diabetes was pretty typical. Dr. Handelsman continued, “But I can tell that, if I put you in the hospital, I would need at least two beds—one for you, and one for your mother.” 

The good doctor added, “So, instead of sending you to the hospital, my nurse will teach you how to give yourself insulin injections, then I’m going to send you home. Come back tomorrow and we’ll teach you more about how your daily life will be from now on.” 

The Carpentier family’s theatrics continued after they got home from the doctor’s office. “That same evening, my mother’s ten sisters came over to our house to ‘mourn’ me,” says Fran. “To this day, I blame their reaction on the ignorance and fear that was associated with diabetes then. Sadly, a lot of ignorance and fear are still prevalent today.”

If all that extra drama seems almost too much to handle, then you don’t know Fran, who went on to explain, “Later on in bed that first night, I told myself that God must have sent diabetes to me for a reason. Somehow, that outlook served to motivate me in managing my diabetes for the past fifty years.”

She adds, “I think I had enough of a sense of self to not be ashamed of my condition. I spent a lot of time in the early days allaying my parents’ fears.”

For the past fifty years, Fran Carpentier has been an outspoken diabetes advocate, a passionate fundraiser, and a Divabetic inspiration in her personal and professional life. 

For close to three decades, Fran worked as the Senior Editor at Parade, the national Sunday newspaper magazine that, during her tenure, reached more than 70 million readers every week. Fran had the opportunity to meet celebrities, best-selling authors, thought leaders, leading doctors, and top scientists in diabetes. “As a journalist, I had direct access that got me in front of as many diabetes experts as possible. Then, every November, I would oversee an article on diabetes in the Sunday issue. Our goal was to share with our millions of readers what was new in diabetes and where everyone—including people living with diabetes, their families, their friends, their co-workers—could find hope.” 

In 2006, I met Fran Carpentier for the first time when she attended Divabetic Makeover Your Diabetes national outreach program at Gotham Hall in New York City. At the time, she was still working for Parade. She remembers attending our ‘Glam More, Fear Less’ style event offering one-on-one diabetes education with free makeover services as “the fun and fabulous.” In addition, she says, “The men and women at the Divabetic program had really great energy.”

Hear more of Fran’s funny and fascinating memories of living with type 1 diabetes on Divabetic’s February podcast. 

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Sugarfree Cake Truffles, Go Red & Big Prize Giveaways at Divabetic’s Baking Party

We hope you had a fabulous time at Divabetic’s Baking Party on Zoom. If you couldn’t join us, here’s what you missed:

During the program, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrated how to make Sugarfree Cake Truffles (recipe coming soon). Stacey also shared her favorite sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. Surprisingly, Stacey prefers to use different sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. For example, Splenda is her ‘go-to’ sweetener for fruit pies.

Diabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller shared “50 Shades of Red, Okay 5 Shades of Red” for Valentine’s Day. Since there seems to be a new shade of red coming out every day, Catherine created these tips for you to find the perfect shade of red for your skin tone:

 If you have fair skin with cool undertones, mid-tone reds like cherry, ruby, scarlet, and apple would add some warmth and won’t appear harsh against your skin. 

If you’re fair skin with naturally red hair, cool, brighter colors like candy red will showcase your beautiful red hair in the best way!  

A deeper, luscious, darker hue is perfect for warmer skin tones if you have a medium-light skin tone. Think the shade of blood. That rich hue will compliment your skin tone the best.

If you have a golden skin tone, you can really rock various shades from a deep, vivid red such as ruby to a vampy red like a jam.

Suppose you’re a woman with medium skin and have yellow undertones and tan skin with warm undertones. In that case, the orange-ish reds like candy red or other hues with a tiny bit of tangerine will look dynamic on you. If you’re a brunette, don’t be afraid to wear this shade of red. Some women think that brown and orange don’t look good together, but this color pairs amazingly well with brown hair. 

If you have dark skin with warm undertones, then reds like ruby cherry and lipstick will provide a gorgeous contrast to your darker skin.

If you have dark skin with cool undertones, you can pretty much wear any color. Still, a berry would look incredibly flattering against the skin.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosted a Cake Pop Quiz testing people’s Baking IQs throughout the night. Our Peak 10 Skin Save My Soles Rescue Cream winners included Sandra T. from Las Vegas, NV, Geneva P. from Brooklyn, NY, Elizabeth R from Guelph, Canada, Nancy S. from Marlboro, NJ, and Chandra S. from Blacklick, OH.  

Our Grand Prize winner, Anita from Buffalo, won gifts from Splenda, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Peak 10 Skin, Harlem’s Heaven, and Walden Farms. 

This year, the ‘V’ in Divabetic stands for ‘VIRTUAL’!! We’ve got more fabulous outreach programs and podcasts to help boost your ability to manage your self-care available than ever before! Also, stay tuned for details about our next Divabetic Baking Party to celebrate Mother’s Day. 

We’re talking about 50 years of living well with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, sexual wellness, and the Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti and was later nicknamed “The King of Cool.” His big break while performing as a duo with comedian Jerry Lewis, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later in life at the age of 71.

Guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, Lynne Steger, and Sex Therapist Janis Roszler PhD, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.

 

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