How Alochol Effects on Blood Sugars & Blood Pressure

February’s musical inspiration Dean Martin was a loveable drunk with dark good looks, hilarious one-liners, and an ever-present rocks glass.  

Like a walking, talking advertisement for ‘happy hour,’ Dean Martin is inspiring a discussion about the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels and blood pressure on Divabetic’s February podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 6 PM, EST. 

Although his family has denied his alcohol consumption, his on-stage demeanor was just the opposite. He was a one-man cocktail party, and all of the United States was invited to join in the fun. And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did. But, of course, those words might not be any more accurate than today during these unprecedented times. 

A new survey suggests that since the COVID outbreak in the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 Americans have been consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol.

“Heavy drinking” was defined as having had two heavy drinking days in a single week at least twice in the previous 30 days. A “heavy drinking day” was defined as four or more drinks containing alcohol for women and five or more drinks containing alcohol for men.

Alcohol consumption rose among adults over age 30 by 14% during the pandemic, with a 41% increase in women heavily drinking, according to a September 2020 RAND Corporation study. The strain continues to take a toll on those already coping with addictions, spiking relapse, and overdose rates.

While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar levels to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar levels reports WebMD.

Alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than 3 drinks at a time can temporarily raise your blood pressure. But repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases

February’s musical inspiration Dean Martin was a loveable drunk with dark good looks, hilarious one-liners, and an ever-present rocks glass.

Like a walking, talking advertisement for ‘happy hour,’ Dean Martin is inspiring a discussion about the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels and blood pressure on Divabetic’s February podcast.

Although his family has denied his alcohol consumption, his on-stage demeanor was just the opposite. He was a one-man cocktail party, and all of the United States was invited to join in the fun. And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did. But, of course, those words might not be any more accurate than today during these unprecedented times.

A new survey suggests that since the COVID outbreak in the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 Americans have been consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol.

“Heavy drinking” was defined as having had two heavy drinking days in a single week at least twice in the previous 30 days. A “heavy drinking day” was defined as four or more drinks containing alcohol for women and five or more drinks containing alcohol for men.

Alcohol consumption rose among adults over age 30 by 14% during the pandemic, with a 41% increase in women heavily drinking, according to a September 2020 RAND Corporation study. The strain continues to take a toll on those already coping with addictions, spiking relapse, and overdose rates.

While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar levels to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar levels reports WebMD.

Alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than 3 drinks at a time can temporarily raise your blood pressure. But repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases.

 

We’re talking about 50 years with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, and the Spare A Rose campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin. February podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.

Prince Inspires Divabetic’s Podcast in March 2022

We’re talking about the power of language used in diabetes care with musical inspiration from Prince on Divabetic’s podcast scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 6 PM, EST. 

Words have the power to elevate or tear down someone’s perception of themselves and their diabetes health.

For decades, much of the language around diabetes has been focused on adverse outcomes and laden with judgment and blame without considering individual needs, beliefs, and choices.

On the other hand, encouraging and collaborative messages can enhance health outcomes. 

In 1992, Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable, infamous “Love Symbol.” He wrote: “It’s all about thinking in new ways, tuning in 2 a new free-quency.” It derives from a combination of the symbols for both males and females. 

He adopted the symbol as a tool for contract negotiations with his record label. According to Rolling Stone, Warner Bros. wanted Prince to slow down the pace of releasing new music for fear of flooding the market. Unwilling to consent to their request, Prince actually increased his rate. 

The Love Symbol meant so much to him that he continued to use it long after changing his stage name back to Prince when his contract with Warner Bros. finally expired. 

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Prince & The New Power Generation’s Love Symbol album courtesy of SONY Music. 

 

Don’t Let Diabetes Kill Romance Podcast

Mr. Divabetic explores issues of love, intimacy, and diabetes on this special one-hour podcast. Guests include Best-Selling Author Lisa Eugene, Jennifer Martsolf from Trigg Laboratories (the makers of Wet Lubricants), and board-certified sex therapist, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist Dr. Janis Roszler MS, RD, LD/N, CDCES, FAND (2008-2009 Diabetes Educator of the Year (AADE).
 
If you or your partner is experiencing sexual health issues or difficulties, you may find it helpful to meet with a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, marriage counselor, or sex therapist.
 
These professionals can help you learn how to reduce stress and change behaviors and attitudes, particularly when impotence is caused by stress or other mental health issues.
Quick Tip: With diabetes, it’s best to avoid lubes containing glycerine because they can promote yeast infections (vaginitis). 

Don’t Miss February’s Divabetic Podcast With Music From Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra helps us mark the hundredth year anniversary of the first person receiving insulin on Divabetic’s February podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6 PM, EST.

In January 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from diabetes in a Toronto hospital, receive an injection of insulin and was literally brought back to life.

By 1923, insulin had become widely available, saving countless lives around the world, and Frederick Banting and J.J. R. Macleod, the two scientists who began preparations for the first insulin treatment to be administered to a human, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. To this day, it’s still the quickest that a Nobel Prize was awarded following the discovery of a medical breakthrough.

Frank Sinatra was an American singer and motion-picture actor and one of the most sought-after performers in the entertainment industry.

He is responsible for bringing jazz out of itself and into popular music and making it stick. Instead of being the singer with the band, he made himself into an instrumentalist—of the voice.

Many considered Frank Sinatra to have been the greatest American singer of 20th-century popular music.

Podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from The Voice Of Frank Sinatra courtesy of SONY Music.

Don’t Miss Divabetic’s January 2022 Podcast Tonight at 6 PM!

Tonight, on Divabetic’s free monthly podcast we feature music from Teddy Pendergrass‘s second album. Join me and my guests: Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES,  Build Jake’s Place Executive Director Arthur Anston, and Yoga For Diabetes Author and Founder Rachel Zinman starting at 6 PM, EST.
Teddy Pendergrass’s second album, “Life Is a Song Worth Singing” was an artistic, commercial, and creative triumph. It positioned him as a sex symbol and showcased his versatility and robust voice to an even greater range.
Teddy Pendergrass fought to educate people about how to treat people in wheelchairs with respect and raise awareness for the simple fact that disability doesn’t mean inability.
This year, Divabetic is championing compassion. Self-compassion is about turning towards difficult and painful feelings and taking action to ease pain and suffering, rather than ignoring it or judging ourselves.
In 1982 Teddy Pendergrass crashed his Rolls-Royce, suffering a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. His life was transformed in an instant. He went from giving sold-out concerts in Europe one week to lying in a hospital bed. He admitted it was devastating.

However, twenty-five years after the accident, he said in an interview that he was grateful for what happened and what didn’t happen in his life. He founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, which aids people with spinal-cord injuries. He spoke out on the issues facing people with spinal cord injuries with the determination that marked his aggressive, full-throated vocal style.
We believe in YOU and your abilities to live your best life.

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

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

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 KarzWe 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!

REGISTER NOW 

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.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

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.