Join Us for Divabetic’s Luther Listening Party On Zoom
Join other Quiet Storm Fans for this fun listening party on Zoom featuring some of your favorite artists on Saturday, January 22, 2022, 3- 4:30 PM, EST
. Leon Petrossian plays favorites from his immense vinyl record collection with industry music insiders and historian’s commentary.
We will be featuring music from the first record by the group, Luther, on Cotillion records.
Cotillion, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, signed Luther Vandross as part of the group, including fellow vocalists Anthony Hinton, Christine Wiltshire, G. Diane Sumler, and Theresa V. Reed. It’s interesting that Luther Vandross wrote and produced every track on the album. Songs include “I’ll Get Along Fine,” “Second Time Around,” “Everybody Rejoice,” and “Funky Music (Is a Part of Me).”
Hear for yourself how the Luther album serves as the blueprint for establishing Luther Vandross as the premier balladeer of his generation.
Quiet Storm is a radio format and genre of contemporary R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style.
Quiet Storm Fans is part of diabetes nonprofit, Divabetic’s ongoing outreach efforts. Our aim is to help music fans at risk, living with, and affected by diabetes prevent diabetes health-related complications such as stroke.
Visit us at: Divabetic.Org
Let Christina Aguilera Inspire You To Feel LIBERATED
We’re talking about feeling LIBERATED from the initial struggles, setbacks, and obstacles in diabetes self-care with musical inspiration from Christina Aguilera on this Divabetic podcast.
Do you treat setbacks as failures? Too many of us seem to forget this and try to assign blame when things go wrong. A better approach is to look at setbacks as challenges and learning opportunities in your self-care routine.
August’s musical inspiration, Christina Aguilera finds her way back to herself and her passion on her first album, “Liberation” in six years.
https://youtu.be/0Zb4P3WWKs0
“Liberation” showcases a creatively renewed Aguilera, but don’t call it a comeback: “I feel like a brand new artist,” she says.
Leaning mostly toward R&B and hip-hop, genres that have always informed her style, Aguilera’s new album isn’t about being progressive or chasing a trend — she’s not interested in any of that, she says — but instead it’s about showcasing an artist reborn after losing her footing.
Guests include Former Soloist Ballerina with the New York City Ballet & Author (‘Sugarless Plum’) Zippora Karz, We Are Diabetes founder Asha Brown, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Mama Rose Marie.
Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from Christina Aguilera’s ‘Liberation’ album courtesy of SONY Music.
Divabetic’s podcast is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.”
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 Valentines-themed Baking Party on Zoom with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST.
During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Valentine’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in your favorite recipes.
Over 150 people registered for our recent Divabetic Baking Parties on Zoom so don’t miss out!
A Bowl Of Oatmeal Sparks A Best-Selling Author’s Writing Career
Last night on Zoom, Best-Selling Author Viola Shipman revealed how choosing to eat a bowl of oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast instead of Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries sparked her healthy lifestyle revolution and writing career. Viola went on to say how a few small steps like forgoing sugary cereals, walking around the block, and waking up early to write led to significant changes in her life over time.
Healthy eating and daily walks motivated her enough to stop thinking about what could happen negatively (“I can’t write,” “No one will publish my book”) if she became an author. Pushing these doubts aside resulted in more time actually to write. Her walking ultimately turned into running. Viola said her runs helped her creatively figure out plots and characters.
Today, Viola Shipman is 80 pounds lighter and a best-selling author! So the question is, what’s stopping you from having that first bowl of oatmeal? It just might lead you to live your best life.
By the way, I am paraphrasing her conversation, but you can visit her Facebook page to hear this inspiring story in her words. I was so captivated and motivated by his story that I just wanted to write it from my heart.
Viola Shipman is the pen name of WADE ROUSE. He is the internationally bestselling author of nine books. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction.
Wade’s novels include The Charm Bracelet, a 2017 Michigan Notable Book of the Year; The Hope Chest; and The Recipe Box.
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 Valentines-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.
During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Valentine’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in your favorite recipes.
Divabetic Remembers “By The Time I Get to Phoenix” Song
The classic heartwrenching song “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” has many musical renditions that have run the gamut from country and pop to rhythm and blues and jazz.
The song tells the tale of a man who finally decides to leave his lover once and for all, after leaving her so many times before.
The song, written by a young writer for Motown, Jimmy Webb, was inspired by Jimmy’s real-life breakup with his high school sweetheart, Susan Horton. Susan caused Jimmy considerable heartache when she beat a hasty retreat to Lake Tahoe and later married another man.
Webb did not intend the song to be geographically literal. “A guy approached me one night after a concert […], and he showed me how it was impossible for me to drive from Los Angeles to Phoenix and then how far it was to Albuquerque,” Jimmy Webb said. “In short, he told me, ‘This song is impossible.’ And so it is. It’s a kind of fantasy about something I wish I would have done, and it sort of takes place in a twilight zone of reality.”
Jimmy Webb’s Motown bosses were puzzled because there wasn’t a chorus. So the song lingered without being recorded until singer-songwriter Johnny Rivers recorded it on his own label in 1965. Unfortunately, Johnny didn’t release it as a single. Instead, he recommended it to a producer friend working with a young singer-guitarist named Glen Campell. Glen Campbell released “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” in 1967 and made it a hit. The song reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and topped RPM’s Canada Country Tracks. It also won two awards at the 10th Annual Grammys: Best Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance.
Isaac Hayes’s iconic version of the song, included on the album Hot Buttered Soul, runs for 18 minutes and 40 seconds and recounts the events before the actual road trip. His radical reinvention of a country-pop hit opened the door for Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield’s expanded musical approaches.
Isaac Hayes said his introduction came about when he first performed the song in front of an audience. ” I figured I’d better do something,” he told writer Gerri Hirshey as reported by the Financial Times. “They knew they were going to think I was crazy to be doing a song by a white pop singer, so I figured I’d explain. And started talking …”
Between 1970 and 1990, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was named the third-most performed song.
Over three decades later, Campbell’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” was inducted into the Hall of Fame during the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Join us for Divabetic’s first podcast of the year featuring Rachel Zinman, Arthur Aston, and Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDCES on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.
Our musical inspiration, R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who was not living with diabetes, overcame many obstacles and continued to sing after a car crash in 1982 that left him in a wheelchair.
Before the crash, Mr. Pendergrass’s explosive, raw voice earned turned him into an international star and sex symbol. His masculinity, passion, and the joys and sorrow of romance were featured in songs such as Close the Door, Love T.K.O, and other hits that have since become classics.
Teddy’s longtime collaborator Kenny Gamble said, “He had a tremendous career ahead of him, and the accident sort of got in the way of many of those plans.”
Mr. Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down – still able to sing but without his signature power. The image of the masculine, virile lover was replaced with one that drew sympathy.
But instead of becoming bitter or depressed, Teddy Pendergrass created a new identity – that as a role model, Mr. Gamble said.
“He never showed me that he was angry at all about his accident,” Mr. Gamble said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “In fact, he was very courageous.”
After extensive physical therapy, he resumed his recording career. He had Top 10 rhythm and blues hits and gold albums into the ’90s.
We hope Teddy Pendergrass helps inspire you to focus on the positive in the face of challenges related to managing your diabetes.
Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music by Teddy Pendergrass courtesy of SONY Music.
Divabetic Remembers Barry White
Barry White gave us romantic moments with a unique music score with his deep booming bass. Unfortunately, he lost his long battle with kidney disease brought on by high blood pressure at age 58.
Our kidneys play a key role in keeping our blood pressure in a healthy range. The kidneys help filter wastes and extra fluids from blood, and they use a lot of blood vessels to do so. When the blood vessels become damaged, the nephrons that filter your blood don’t receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to function well. This is why high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is the second leading cause of kidney failure.
Diseased kidneys are less able to help regulate blood pressure. As a result, blood pressure increases. If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), high blood pressure makes it more likely that your kidney disease will get worse and you will have heart problems.
Still, the music Barry White created over 30 years will permanently set the stage for lovers of all ages in many parts of the world.
Barry White had his first number one on the music charts in 1974 with Love’s Theme by The Love Unlimited Orchestra. Love’s Theme was initially intended to be an overture for the girl group, also named Love Unlimited’s’ debut album titled Under the Influence of Love Unlimited. But as it turned out, the Orchestra became more popular than the singers.
As the Love Unlimited album producer, Barry White subsequently made his debut as a performer. He introduced his “pillow talk” vocals in Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love with Love Unlimited.
The success of the song led to his solo album as a singer. So after being a songwriter, producer, arranger since he was 17 and a singer since he was eight, Barry finally had his own hit. The song was I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little Bit More Baby. He would alternate crooning and speaking seductive, yearning lyrics in his distinctive bass against the lush background melodies set to disco beats.
Barry White won two Grammys in 2000 as Best Male and Best Traditional R&B Performance for Staying Power in the album of the same title.
Don’t miss Divabetic’s first podcast of the year featuring Rachel Zinman, Arthur Aston, and Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDCES on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.
Our musical inspiration, R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who was not living with diabetes, overcame many obstacles and continued to sing after a car crash in 1982 that left him in a wheelchair.
Before the crash, Mr. Pendergrass’s explosive, raw voice earned turned him into an international star and sex symbol. His masculinity, passion, and the joys and sorrow of romance were featured in songs such as Close the Door, Love T.K.O, and other hits that have since become classics.
Teddy’s longtime collaborator Kenny Gamble said, “He had a tremendous career ahead of him, and the accident sort of got in the way of many of those plans.”
Mr. Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down – still able to sing but without his signature power. The image of the masculine, virile lover was replaced with one that drew sympathy.
But instead of becoming bitter or depressed, Teddy Pendergrass created a new identity – that as a role model, Mr. Gamble said.
“He never showed me that he was angry at all about his accident,” Mr. Gamble said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “In fact, he was very courageous.”
After extensive physical therapy, he resumed his recording career. He had Top 10 rhythm and blues hits and gold albums into the ’90s.
We hope Teddy Pendergrass helps inspire you to focus on the positive in the face of challenges related to managing your diabetes.
Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music by Teddy Pendergrass courtesy of SONY Music.
Don’t Miss Divabetic’s Baking Party with The Diabetic Pastry Chef
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 Valentines-themed Baking Party on Zoom with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST.
During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Valentine’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in your favorite recipes.
Over 150 people registered for our recent Divabetic Baking Parties on Zoom so don’t miss out!
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris, known as The Diabetic Pastry Chef, taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.
“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in a How 2 Type 2 article.
She adds, ”To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”
Join us for Divabetic’s first podcast of the year featuring Rachel Zinman, Arthur Aston, and Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDCES on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 6 PM, EST.
Our musical inspiration, R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who was not living with diabetes, overcame many obstacles and continued to sing after a car crash in 1982 that left him in a wheelchair.
Before the crash, Teddy Pendergrass’s explosive, raw voice earned turned him into an international star and sex symbol. His masculinity, passion, and the joys and sorrow of romance were featured in songs such as Close the Door, Love T.K.O, and other hits that have since become classics.
Teddy’s longtime collaborator Kenny Gamble said, “He had a tremendous career ahead of him, and the accident sort of got in the way of many of those plans.”
Mr. Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down – still able to sing but without his signature power. The image of the masculine, virile lover was replaced with one that drew sympathy.
But instead of becoming bitter or depressed, Teddy Pendergrass created a new identity – that as a role model, Mr. Gamble said.
“He never showed me that he was angry at all about his accident,” Mr. Gamble said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “In fact, he was very courageous.”
After extensive physical therapy, he resumed his recording career. He had Top 10 rhythm and blues hits and gold albums into the ’90s.
We hope Teddy Pendergrass helps inspire you to focus on the positive in the face of challenges related to managing your diabetes.
Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music by Teddy Pendergrass courtesy of SONY Music.
Rachel Zinman Says She’s On A Balancing Beam, Not A Tightrope Managing Her Blood Sugars
“Usually, my first thought in the morning is what’s my blood sugar?” says our friend Rachel Zinman, who has been living with type 1 diabetes for thirteen years. After that, the Yoga For Diabetes author tells herself, “I have to get up, get my meter and check my blood sugar levels.”
Before she adopted diabetes psychologist Mark Heyman CDCES’s “diabetes might be challenging, but I’ve got this” motto, Rachel viewed the numbers on her meter as judgments. Now, she sees her morning blood sugar levels more or less as just numbers. As a result, she doesn’t take them so personally.
“Working with my diabetes educator taught me to manage my diabetes in terms of a balance beam rather than a tightrope,” she admits.
Now, Rachel shifts her mindset when she experiences high or low blood sugars. “I don’t think I will fall off a tightrope. I’ve learned I’ve got room to change things and open up my range like I’m on a balance beam. That has really changed how I feel. I feel better. I feel like I have a lot more freedom with food and insulin.”
She confesses she’s blown away that she can enjoy her favorite breakfast food, avocado toast with normal blood sugars!
Rachel shares a guided meditation on January’s Divabetic podcast scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2022, with music by Teddy Pendergrass, as part of our New Year’s tradition to help center listeners’ minds, bodies, and souls.
Click HERE to read the three things that help Rachel Zinman start her day with a positive mind frame.
Luther Vandross, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes & Stroke
Yesterday I was interviewed about my experience finding my boss, Luther Vandross after he suffered a stroke in his apartment in 2003.
My memories of that day are still crystal clear. My experience fuels my passion for helping others at risk, affected by and living with diabetes, to ‘keep their house a home,’ specifically by learning how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication.
My learning curve about stroke prevention was dramatic, and I don’t wish that to be the case for anyone else.
Two minutes after Luther, who was lying on a gurney, was wheeled into emergency, the doctor came out to tell me that Luther’s stroke could be prevented. I was dumbfounded. Up until that moment, I didn’t know the link between stroke and mismanaged diabetes. I use ‘mismanaged diabetes’ because well-managed diabetes is the leading cause of nothing. In Luther’s case, he was not managing his type 2 diabetes when he suffered a stroke. Instead, numerous people and media like to solely blame his weight for the stroke. They never mention noncompliance as a risk factor too.
I assume Luther must have felt the sense of overwhelming failure after regaining 125 + pounds. Understandably, he might have avoided taking his diabetes medications, seeking out his healthcare providers, and asking for help from others. As a result, he was alone in his battle. I think that was a mistake.
Luther Vandross, at age 52, suffered a stroke on April 16, 2003. But, unfortunately, his healthy story is not unique. He suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and his weight seesawed between 180 and 320 pounds. Even the term ‘yo yo’ dieting seems a bit naive to me. Personally, I feel Luther suffered from disordered eating behavior. Most of us don’t take time to think about our eating habits like what, when, and why they eat.
Signs and symptoms of disordered eating may include, but are not limited to:
- Frequent dieting, anxiety associated with specific foods, or meal skipping
- Chronic weight fluctuations
- Rigid rituals and routines surrounding food and exercise
- Feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating
- Preoccupation with food, weight, and body image that negatively impacts the quality of life
- A feeling of loss of control around food, including compulsive eating habits
- Using exercise, food restriction, fasting, or purging to “make up for bad foods” consumed
Disordered eating behaviors are treatable with the right resources and help. But many people who suffer from disordered eating patterns either minimize or do not fully realize the impact it has on their mental and physical health. Luther liked to joke about his eating behaviors and weight. Specifically, I feel Luther suffered from binge eating.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterward; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating. It is the most common eating disorder in the United States.
Sadly, Luther and I never discussed his type 2 diabetes beyond the need to refill a prescription. I didn’t even know he had hypertension. So do I regret that I wasn’t more involved in his diabetes self-care? Absolutely! But it seems only Cher is capable of turning back time. So my time left on earth is dedicated to sharing my experience to inspire others.
We did discuss his weight. He asked me how I managed my weight. I told him that I exercised. When he said that he didn’t exercise, I suggested that he try step aerobics. Up until that point, Luther relied on liquid diets to maintain his weight loss. Ultimately, Luther liked step aerobics so much that we traveled on tour with a step aerobics instructor.
Unfortunately, his all-or-nothing approach to diet and exercise did not help. He could not practice moderation. I don’t think he is alone in that regard. My friend, High Voltage, abstains from added sugar because she believes her body reacts to added sugar like it’s a drug. She often compares the experience of sugar cravings to cocaine addiction. High Voltage can’t have one teaspoon of sugar and stop. Unfortunately, moderation is not the cure for everyone. Sadly, we choose to beat ourselves up and others for lacking the willpower to stop eating certain foods when the real culprit could be brain chemistry.
During the interview, I was asked if Luther experienced love. Unfortunately, I think he was lacking in self-love.
“If I’m emotionally distraught, then eating is my coping mechanism,” Luther Vandross told Britain’s Q magazine in 1991. “For what ails me, it seems to be the only thing that takes the edge off the pain.”
Strokes, the third-leading cause of death for all racial and ethnic groups, killed 18,884 African-Americans in 1999.
Also, in 1999, 11,927 African-Americans died from diabetes, the sixth-leading cause of death for African-Americans.
Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast guests include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers.
By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.
For Luther Vandross’ fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.
Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.
Sugar-Free Linzer Torte Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef
The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris, demonstrated how to make her fabulous Sugar-Free Linzer Tortes at last night’s Divabetic Baking Party. Stacey has mastered the art of substituting sugar substitutes and flours in traditional favorites without compromising taste or texture.
Stacey says, ”To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”
The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their own lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. The most common thing she hears from customers is, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”
Sugar-Free Linzer Tortes Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef
Ingredients
10 tbsp. butter softened
1/3 cup dry sugar substitute
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup ground almonds or almond flour
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 raw egg yolks
2 hardboiled egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (12.75-oz.) jar sugar-free raspberry jam
1 egg white, beaten
sliced almonds for topping
Directions
In a mixing bowl with a mixer at medium speed, combine butter and sugar substitute until fluffy. Add flour, ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, raw egg yolks, boiled egg yolks, and vanilla. Continue to mix until well combined. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces. Roll out 1 piece, and fit it into a greased 8×8-in. pan or springform pan. Spread jam over the dough with a spatula.
Roll out and cut strips with the remaining dough to make a lattice top to cover jam. Brush with egg white and sprinkle almonds on top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until torte is a pale golden color. Cut into squares to serve.
The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares the sweet secrets of her simple-to-use formula that will convert most any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising taste or quality in her book. Now people living with can enjoy Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Blueberry Tartlets, Cream Cheese Cupcakes, Coffee Bread Pudding, and hundreds of others.
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 for our next free, fun Virtual Valentines-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.