Category: Diva TalkRadio

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Debbie Allen’s Prediabetes Diagnosis Didn’t Surprise Her

Dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen admits she wasn’t surprised she was diagnosed with prediabetes, even though she’s been active throughout her life. 

“When I found out late, this past summer, it was not a surprise. I was kind of expecting that it might happen,” Debbie Allen told MadameNoire magazine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4afxSlp8K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Her father lived with type 2 diabetes and several of her family members died from complications of the same disease. “It’s in my DNA and it’s in my children’s DNA, so they need to know. I believe, again, that information is power,” she said. 

As a child, Allen’s father encouraged her to keep dancing to prevent her from developing type 2 diabetes. One of her biggest challenges in managing her prediabetes has been making herself her top priority.

“I’m so busy and I don’t think about myself. And that’s been my biggest problem. I’m always last on my list. I have two grandchildren now and my husband, my son, my daughter and I have all these beautiful young people that I’m mentoring.”

Debbie Allen also admits that she isn’t as active today as she once was, when she was dancing 7-8 hours a day. “I’m directing, administering, I’m looking at film. I’m teaching my live IG class. But my physical life has changed a bit because of my career.”

Debbie Allen has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness about the link between type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, Divabetic encourages you to talk to your health care professional about steps you can take to prevent it from becoming type 2 diabetes.

Could You Have Prediabetes? Take the Test Now

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 

 

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Don’t Let Diabetes Hinder Your Romance Advice

‘Diabetes & Intimacy’ Co-Author Janis Roszler, LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND answers our questions about how diabetes can impact our sex lives on February’s Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Diabetes can cause numerous problems in the bedroom, including erection challenges, reduced libido, vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, orgasm difficulties, and mood swings. If you experienced a diabetes-related weight gain or have marks on your skin from blood sugar checks, insulin pump infusion sets and/or injections, you may also feel uncomfortable having a sexual partner see you undressed.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reclaim your mojo and enjoy sexual activity again. Tune in for Janis’s advice on how to resolve 3 of the most common problems facing couples with diabetes in the bedroom.

Janis Roszler is a board certified sex therapist, licensed marriage and family therapist and award-winning diabetes educator.

 

One of Janis Roslzer’s Tips For Reclaiming Your Mojo

Janis recommends following the Mediterranean Diet. She  shared in an article for Modern Intimacy that research has shown that choosing foods according to this plan can reduce the risk of sexual complications in people with type 2 diabetes.

The Mediterranean Diet means eating lots of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains. Meals are built around these plant-based foods. Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs are also central to the Mediterranean Diet, as is seafood. In contrast, red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, refined grains, refined oils and other highly processed foods are avoided. 

Authors Janis Roszler and Donna Rice use humor, helpful examples, and insightful questions to present key topics about sexual health in an engaging, approachable way. ‘Intimacy & Diabetes’ is perfect for anyone (regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, or health status) looking to rekindle intimacy with their partner or be proactive about their sexual and emotional wellbeing. Intimacy & Diabetes is your key to a happy, healthy intimate life with diabetes.

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 

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Do Weight Loss Drugs Really Work?

We’re talking with pharmacist Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES about the effectiveness of various weight loss drugs marketed for people with type 2 diabetes on March’s Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Jessye Norman.

For the first time, a drug, semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk, has been shown so effective against obesity that people may avoid developing obesity health-related consequences reports The New York Times.

Many people with type 2 diabetes are already using semaglutide.

Three quarters (75%) of people who received semaglutide 2.4mg lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20%. No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss.

Up until now, the most effective weight loss treatment to help people lose 25 percent to 30 percent of body weight has been bariatric surgery.

READ MORE

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 

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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 Remembers Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson, from the Supremes,  who sang with Diana Ross on eternal hits like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,“ has died at age 76.

https://youtu.be/ZAWSiWtUK2s

“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supreme,” Gordy said in a statement. “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.,” Barry Gordy, Motown Records’ founder, expressed his sadness at the loss of a music luminary told Rolling Stone. “Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”

Mary Wilson began her career in Detroit in 1959 as a singer in a group called the Primettes that went on to become The Supremes, with members Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

Mary Wilson stayed in the public eye up until very recently, appearing on the TV Show Dancing With the Stars and releasing her fourth book, Supreme Glamour. 

Her publicist, Jay Schwartz, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone, but did not reveal a cause of death.

Luther Vandross loved the Supremes and their music! Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and the Supremes sit on his personal Mount Rushmore reported the New York Times. His twist was that he frequently emulated female singers with his voice – a synthesis of Franklin’s gospel fire, Dionne Warwick’s impeccable intonation and diction and Diana Ross’s yearning, which he then effortlessly glided from robust baritone to tremulous tenor.

 

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.

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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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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Assessing Continuous Glucose Monitors In Distinct Patient Populations

Three clinical trials are testing whether Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) can outperform traditional blood glucose monitoring for patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. The trials will assess CGM efficacy in distinct populations and provide a breadth of data to inform their use.

“These studies will hopefully help broaden CGM usage and indications currently approved by the FDA and U.S. insurance companies,” said Shichun Bao, M.D., Diabetes Technology Program Leader at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Bao is principal investigator on two of the trials. Jordan Wright, M.D., an instructor at Vanderbilt, is principal investigator on the third, an inpatient trial on which Bao serves as faculty advisor.

READ MORE

 

We’re talking about a ‘New Year, New You‘ attitude about living with diabetes with musical inspiration from Aaliyah on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Although Aaliyah died at the age of 22 and had a short music career due to her early passing, the singer’s music helped to redefine R&B, pop, and even hip-hop. And her legacy continues to live on. Her hard work ethic, creativity, and her sweet demeanor have inspired fans over the past two decades.

Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Therapeutics CEO and Co-Founder Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., (the maker of Pendulum Glucose Control), Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (search ‘Divabetic’).

Get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines and inspiration by joining our Divabetic facebook page.

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Divabetic’s Carb Kitty Game Videos

Divabetic‘s Carb Kitty game videos make carbohydrate counting fun!

Carbohydrate counting, or “carb counting,” can help you manage your blood glucose levels.

Foods that contain carbohydrates raise your blood glucose values. By monitoring the amount of carbohydrates you eat can help to better understand your blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates (“carbs”) can be counted 2 ways: by grams or by carb choices.

Remember: 1 carb choice = 15 grams of carbohydrate.

The golden rule of treating hypoglycemia know as ‘15–15 rule’—have 15 grams of carbohydrate to raise your blood sugar and check it after 15 minutes. If it’s still below 70 mg/dL, have another serving. Repeat these steps until your blood sugar is at least 70 mg/dL. Once your blood sugar is back to normal, eat a meal or snack to make sure it doesn’t lower again.

We’re talking about a ‘New Year, New You‘ attitude about living with diabetes with musical inspiration from Aaliyah on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Although Aaliyah died at the age of 22 and had a short music career due to her early passing, the singer’s music helped to redefine R&B, pop, and even hip-hop. And her legacy continues to live on. Her hard work ethic, creativity, and her sweet demeanor have inspired fans over the past two decades.

Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Therapeutics CEO and Co-Founder Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., (the maker of Pendulum Glucose Control), Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

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Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Podcast Inspired Aaliyah

We’re talking about a ‘New Year, New You‘ attitude about living with diabetes with musical inspiration from Aaliyah on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Although Aaliyah died at the age of 22 and had a short music career due to her early passing, the singer’s music helped to redefine R&B, pop, and even hip-hop. And her legacy continues to live on. Her hard work ethic, creativity, and her sweet demeanor have inspired fans over the past two decades.

January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Therapeutics CEO and Co-Founder Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., (the maker of Pendulum Glucose Control), Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks with Rachel Zinman about how yoga and meditation practices can help you to manage the mental health aspects of living with diabetes.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (search ‘Divabetic’).

Get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines and inspiration by joining our Divabetic facebook page.

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