Five-Step Journey to Your Stress-Free Zone By Rachel Zinman

In my experience, stress is one of the biggest challenges in diabetes management – physical, mental and emotional stress. When the body goes into hyper drive and stimulates the fight or flight response, the relaxed part of our nervous system is supposed to kick in and produce calm. In our 21st century society that rarely happens. Instead we spend over 80% of our time in the stress response and 20% calming things down. How can we push the reset button? How can we stop the cycle of reacting to every single physical, mental and emotional upset?

Rachel Zinman Yoga for Diabetes

Meditate. 

Think of meditation as being the same as concentration. When you concentrate on something, your mind is engaged. Rather than identifying with difficult thoughts, emotions or even experiences, the mind is immersed in the task at hand. When you read, you have to be there, otherwise you miss the thread of the story. When you perform any detailed task, you can’t think about anything else. Herbert Benson, a researcher who studied what he coined the ‘Relaxation Response’ discovered that test subjects focussed on a specific repetitive task with the intention of letting go of the thoughts of the mind, experienced a parasympathetic (relaxed) nervous system response. Even more profound was the understanding that the thoughts didn’t need to disappear for the body to relax. Meditation is not ‘stopping’ your thoughts. It’s about drawing the attention away from the thoughts consistently enough so that the body mind complex can relax, rest and reset. 

When students tell me, they can’t meditate because they can’t stop thinking, I assure them that nobody can stop thinking. Thoughts are like a screensaver. They remind us that we are awake. Thoughts are labels for things. Without these labels we wouldn’t have any way to differentiate the forms in creation. Without thoughts we wouldn’t be able to get by in the world. Rather than trying to control our thoughts or what we think of our thoughts, let’s become aware of the one having the thoughts. Who is that? What is that?

The Yoga tradition calls the nature of Self ‘wholeness, peace, love’ or any other word you want to use to describe that which is indescribable.

When we are relaxed and happy, there are no words.

One thing we can do to support our nervous system is to spend time in nature. According to a recent study just 1.5 hours a week spent in a forest, by the sea, in a community garden, anywhere away from concrete and glass is enough to replenish your system. But what if in a stressful moment you can’t go forest bathing?

Then the 5-element meditation is the next best thing.

Imagining and experiencing the elements in your mind’s eye not only evokes the relaxation response, it tricks the mind into thinking it’s in nature. Which ultimately it is. Whether we are in an office building or in our house in the suburbs we are still in the creation. Have you ever tried to get out of creation? Like leave in a spaceship? Impossible. Even in the far outer reaches of space you are still in creation. 

The 5-element meditation evokes all the senses as well. Each sense is connected to an element.

Space is connected to the sense of hearing

Air is connected to the sense of touch

Fire is connected to the sense of sight

Water is connected to the sense of taste

Earth is connected to the sense of smell

As you are led through each sense and its corresponding element feel their interconnection.

To practice the meditation, you don’t need special clothes, or to be in a special place. You can be sitting in your car, lying in your bed, any comfortable position is fine. You can even use this practice to calm and centre yourself while you’re waiting for your blood sugar to come up after treating a hypo. I use this meditation whenever I need to be present to the moment. After the practice I always feel more ready and able to deal with whatever diabetes and life throws my way.

CLICK HERE to join me for the audio version of the Mediation on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast

The 5-element meditation

Find a comfortable seat and close your eyes

Become aware of your breath, notice the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. Notice whether the breath is cool or warm, notice the direction and force of the breath.

Become aware of the sounds around you – sounds of your breath, sounds in the room. After a few moments of listening reach and stretch your awareness to more distant sounds. Perhaps you can hear cars, birds, people talking. Keep reaching and stretching your awareness to the furthest sound. Noticing how sound travels through the medium of space. How space has no beginning or end. 

Become aware of the sensation of touch. Notice where your hands are touching your thighs or resting in your lap. Sense the clothing touching your skin, feel the air travelling across your skin. Notice the quality of air. Is it warm, cool, erratic or consistent? Notice the air going in and out of your nostrils. Sense all the different ways your body interacts with air. Notice how air is light, subtle and only experienced through the skin and the sense of touch.

Become aware of your closed eyes. Notice the light filtering through your closed eyelids. Keep your eyes closed and notice if you can see the colours and patterns there. In order to see we need light, the element of fire. But even with the eyes closed seeing continues. Think of all the forms we can see in our minds eye. Think about how we cannot imagine something we have no knowledge of. Fire is the element that enables us to see forms and differentiate forms either real or imagined.

Become aware of the taste on your tongue. You might also notice the saliva there. Take a swallow. Notice whether the taste is sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent or pungent. Notice where the taste sits on your tongue. Is it at the back? On the side? At the tip? In order to taste water must be present. Notice how the rhythm of your breath, the beating of your heart is governed by circulation of fluid through the system. 

Notice the smells around you. Can you smell one smell over another? In order to smell there has to be some gas rising from the earth or from something in the creation. The fragrance of a flower, the smell of pine needles, the spray from the ocean, the smell of a garden after rain. Try and take a moment to differentiate the smells. The element of earth also relates to our physical structure. Our bones, tissues and muscles.

Take a moment to focus on your position whether seated or lying down. Trace your mind from your sitting bones down to your feet. Wiggle your toes. Then moving from the feet up to the top of your head. Scan your whole body.

Notice how the body occupies the space – the space which is infinite, formless, empty and vast.

Come back to your breath. Notice what’s happening with your breath. Let the breath be exactly as it is.

Then slowly and when you are ready open your eyes and return to normal waking awareness.

Have a super wonderful day ☺

Yoga for Diabetes: How to Manage your Health with Yoga and Ayurveda

Rachel Zinman, is an internationally renowned yoga teacher and writer, was floored when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 42, despite her lifelong dedication to a healthy lifestyle which included a decades-long practice of yoga.   In ‘Yoga for Diabetes’, Rachel shares her personal journey and her hard-won wisdom gained from her own experience of yoga and diabetes.

Finally we have a book written by an accomplished yoga teacher with diabetes herself who points the way to regaining health and well-being for people of all ages and types of diabetes.

In Yoga for Diabetes, regardless of your current state of health, or type of diabetes, you can look forward to learning how to:

  • Reduce stress in minutes and thus improve your overall health index
  • Achieve healthier and more stable blood glucose levels
  • Find the secrets to adapting a yoga practice to suit your constitution and individual needs
  • Find deeper meaning in life and thus a holistic healing affecting multiple levels of your well-being
https://youtu.be/dtaHAgyC5b4
Yoga for Diabetes – Beginner Yoga Routine with Rachel Zinman

Body Positivity by Dr. Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDE

This debate about Jillian Michaels (the self-proclaimed “health expert”) and her negative remarks during an interview about Lizzo (rap singer) and her positive self-acceptance is not a new criticism. Jillian Michael’s question, “Why are we celebrating her body?” is not so surprising as she makes her living helping people to lose weight and get fit.  Lizzo, on the other hand, flaunts her curvaceous body size in her costumes when she performs on stage. Her song lyrics reinforce the idea that you can “feel good as hell” about yourself and celebrates how women should feel empowered.


The term body shaming describes the practice of making critical, potentially humiliating comments about a person’s body size or weight. This controversy about “fatness versus fitness” is not so black and white. Not every plus-sized person is unhealthy or has diabetes. Likewise, not every thin person has achieved their weight in a healthy manner, such as those with eating disorders.


How can you respond to body shaming? Try body positivity. It is the belief that all human beings should have a positive body image, while challenging the ways in which society represents and views the physical body. Body positivity advocates the acceptance of all bodies no matter the form, size, or appearance.
 

It’s human nature to experience hurt feelings when someone says something negative about you.  But the good news is there are a few things you can do to build up your confidence, feel better about yourself, and learn to move on:

1.    DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. Spend time with people who love you for who you are.

2.    DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEAUTIFUL. Get a haircut, treat yourself to a manicure, or wear your favorite outfit.

3.    DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. Love to run, sew, play chess, tell jokes, bake, juggle? We all have special talents, so find what you do well and do it often.4.    DO SOMETHING NICE FOR OTHERS. Pay it forward in the drive-through. Shovel a neighbor’s walk. Mail someone a handwritten note. Small kindnesses can make you feel happy, beautiful, and accomplished at the same time!

Dr. Beverly S. Adler, aka “Dr. Bev”, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator with a private practice in Baldwin, NY. She was honored in 2016 with the “Certified Diabetes Educator Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”

She is the author/editor of two diabetes self-help books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes.  She has published articles in print and online about diabetes management – always with the focus on emotional adjustment. Dr. Bev has been quoted in numerous magazines and contributed to a monthly diabetes advice column online. She is a frequent contributor to the Divabetic Diabetes Daily Wire, where she blogs about diabetes topics from the psychological perspective.

Dr. Bev has lived successfully with type 1 diabetes for 42 years. You can connect with her on her website www.AskDrBev.com and on Twitter @AskDrBev.

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas

We’re talking about how to minimize DRAMA in our DIABETES LIVES with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas on January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?

Every time you find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, you have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.

Guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Grandiose Stimmen: Maria Callas album courtesy of SONY Music.

LISTEN NOW

Will Eating Eggs Raise Your Cholesterol? with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

We asked Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND whether or not eggs will impact our cholesterol levels on January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast. (Click here for the full interview). Jill graciously share the  information below on this subject for our Divabetic blog readers:

Jill Weisenberger: The egg is one of those nutrient-dense foods that generates a lot of debate about its healthfulness. Because eggs are high in cholesterol, which has historically been linked to heart disease, the public has long been warned about eating too many eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolk. People with diabetes may have even greater concerns because their risk of developing heart disease is quite high.

Here are a few things about eggs.

Recently the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee stated that the evidence is not strong enough to conclude that cholesterol in foods raises blood cholesterol.

Some population studies have found that eating seven or more eggs weekly increases the risk of heart disease among people with diabetes. Not all studies find an association, however. I see a problem with population studies like these. The researchers cannot account for all of the variables in people’s diets. For example, on some plates, eggs keep company with wholesome fruit and whole-grain toast or oats. On other plates, eggs sit atop buttery biscuits and sausage gravy. Does the company eggs keep influence health? I would have to think so.

Researchers in Australia studied what happens when people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes eat two eggs daily for six days per week compared to those eating very few eggs. After three months, there were no differences in cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure or waist circumference. The study didn’t end after three months, so I’m looking forward to learning what the researchers find about these diets after a full year.

In a separate study, researchers compared an egg-based breakfast to an oatmeal-based breakfast among people with well-controlled type 2 diabetes. They measured blood sugar, cholesterol, body fat and more. They found no differences except that the egg group had lower markers of inflammation

READ MORE 

Jill Weisenberger’s comprehensive guide, ‘Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses’ will lead you through dozens of concrete steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle “reset,” this book will allow you to choose your own path to wellness, help you gain a greater sense of wellbeing, boost your confidence in your abilities to maintain a healthful lifestyle, and potentially even help you reverse prediabetes and avoid type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

BUY NOW

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND is a great resource for all things nutrition, food and diabetes. Whether she’s speaking, writing, chatting on social media, appearing on TV or working with individuals, her candid and energetic approach appeals to busy people, and her sound nutrition and fitness advice gets results. In fact, her appreciation for science and ability to translate science into actionable information earned her a place in US News & World Report’s 10 Dietitian’s You Need to Follow on Social Media.

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas

Listen to January’s Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas

Are you a ‘Drama Queen’? Every time you find yourself immersed in something that seems overwhelming, do feel like it’s an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better? Or do you act like the sky is falling? Guests include: Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.

LISTEN NOW

‘No Drama’ By Poet Lorraine Brooks

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l don’t want to yell or raise my voice

to let you know that its MY choice

l don’t want to be a drama queen.

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l don’t want to be mean or rude

or tell you l don’t want your food

l don’t want to be a drama queen

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

I don’t want to get in fights or brawls

l don’t want to blend in with the walls

l don’t want to be a drama queen

l don’t want to be a drama queen

I’d rather be something in between

l have my needs and preference

so treat me with some deference 

l don’t want to be a drama queen.

I’d like to be nice in thought and deeds

while still attending to my needs

And still be helpful, and in charge

when dealing with the world at large. 

I find that l can do these things

without the drama queens and kings

in fact l do much better than they,

when l remain above the fray. 

I don’t want to give a drama projection

I don’t want to deal with those who do. 

So if you’re leaning in that direction

Then l’ll just stay away from you!

I don’t want to be a drama queen.

Lorraine Brooks performs her poem, No Drama, on January’s Diabetes Late Nite with music from Maria Callas.

LISTEN NOW

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callas

Are you a ‘Drama Queen’? Every time you find yourself immersed in something that seems overwhelming, do feel like it’s an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better? Or do you act like the sky is falling? Guests include: Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.

LISTEN NOW

What Causes Hair Loss On Legs?

Diabetes can cause hair loss on the legs reports Medical News Today.

Hair loss on the legs is also known as anterolateral leg alopecia. This is because it is visible on the front (anterior) and sides (lateral) of the lower legs. Another name for it is peroneal alopecia.

Over time, diabetes-related damage to the blood vessels can result in peripheral artery disease (PAD). In PAD, a fatty deposit called plaque builds up in the blood vessels inside the legs. This interferes with blood flow and, consequently, hair growth.

READ MORE

The MrDivabetic Show – Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (
PMDD)

We’re talking about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) on this one hour of wellness with a wow podcast. 

PMDD is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that start about 7 to 10 days before a woman gets her monthly period.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that at least 85 percent of menstruating women have at least one PMS symptom as part of their monthly cycle. PMS is much more common than PMDD. 

Biologic, psychological, environmental, and social factors all seem to play a part in PMDD. It is important to note that PMDD is not the fault of the woman suffering from it or the result of a “weak” or unstable personality. It is also not something that is “all in the woman’s head.” 

Rather, PMDD is a medical illness that impacts only 3% to 8% of women. Fortunately, it can be treated by a health care professional with behavioral and pharmaceutical options.

Podcast Guests: Dr. Andrea Chisholm OBGYN, Peak 10 Skin founder Connie Elder, We Are Diabetes founder, Asha Brown, and Laura L. who are both living with type 1 diabetes. 

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from P.M. Dawn’s live album courtesy of SONY Music. 

LISTEN NOW

Divabetic Remembers Curtis Mayfield

The great singer-composer-producer Curtis Mayfield died from complications of type 2 diabetes on December 26, 1999, at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia. He was only 57 years old.  

Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield made his first recordings at the age 16 in 1958 as a member of the R & B group, The Impressions

In the 1960’s the group remained hot with 14 Top 10 hits featuring Curtis Mayfield as the lead singer, producer and writer. He began to address social issues such as civil rights, inner city poverty, and drug use through his music, a provocative step that turned him into a musical force for change in the Black community. Singer Mavis Staples said, “Curtis wrote some of the best message songs.”

In 1964 The Impressions had its biggest hit to date with the Mayfield song, “Keep on Pushing” and other “anthems” followed: “People Get Ready,” “We’re A Winner”; all hit songs but with a life away from the charts.

The Impressions

In 1968 he started Curtom Records. He was in control of his recording, song publishing and recording studio. 

His debut solo album from 1970, Curtis, contains some of his most outspoken songs, including “Move On Up,” “The Other Side of Town,” and the solemn masterpiece of self-critique: “We People Who Are Darker Than Blue.”

Shorty after he began adding his soul funk grooves to soundtracks. His  “Super Fly” album became an instant classic of 1970s soul and funk, a rare example of a soundtrack outselling the movie and, along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Movie work now took up much of Mayfield’s time – Gladys Knight and the Pips (the film “Claudine”), Aretha Franklin (“Sparkle”), Staple Singers (“Let’s Do It Again”), Mavis Staples (“A Piece of the Action”). “Short Eyes” had a 1977 hit for Mayfield himself.

In 1990 CurtisMayfield was paralyzed from the neck down when a light tower fell on him during an outdoor concert in Brooklyn. 

Curtis Mayfield

Returning home from the hospital, he faced the greatest challenge of his life — learning to live without a body. It forced him to give up all control. In addition, there was the pain. He suffered from phantom hands — an agonizing sensation he compared to thrusting his arms in a bucket of writhing snakes. Atrophy set upon his muscles, and his feet began to curve downward from lack of use. Diabetes became a serious problem too, and the fingers that once effused elegant guitar licks now served solely as pincushions, caked in dried blood and wrapped in bandages from constant blood-sugar tests. His right leg was amputated. On top of that, he suffered perennial urinary-tract infections as a result of his ever-present catheter.

His death was attributed to type 2 diabetes, but he suffered for nine years after that accident. And he actually produced one album in 1996 called “New World Order.” He recorded one line of a song at a time, lying on his back to allow his diaphragm to work and breath to get into his lungs.

Following his death, any number of tributes were mounted, accolades given. But the real tribute lay in the lasting power of the work he left behind, still being discovered and played by each new generation.

https://youtu.be/8USz7gb2RGQ

How I Lost Over 200 Pounds – Amazing Weight Loss Stories

November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guest, Vanessa Hunter lost over 200 pounds and has successfully maintained her incredible weight loss for over 10 years. The self-proclaimed ‘VIP of Diabetes’ shares her journey and advice for others interested in transforming their diabetes health exclusively with Divabetic:

Q: Describe your lifestyle before you began your weight loss journey? (Habits, work schedule, other priorities in your life, activity level, meals, etc.) 

Vanessa’s reply: Prior to losing weight I worked as a sales manager job for Verizon. I was an over achiever and commuted to a job with days that lasted 10-12 hours. I ate fast food and I didn’t have an exercise routine

Q: Have you tried to lose weight in the past? Please describe what stopped you. 

Vanessa’s reply: I had a serious food addiction and it prevented me from ever trying to lose weight. Combined with no desire to exercise, I had little to no hope of ever losing a pound. 

Vanessa Hunter

Q: What triggered this weigh loss? Did any celebrities inspire you?Vanessa’s reply: Waking up sick triggered my health transformation. It was apparent to many people that I represented an extreme health risk; I had all the signs of poor health. Oprah, Jennifer Hudson, Monique and Beyonce inspired me. Halli Berry who is living with diabetes inspired me too. 

Q: What were your initial thoughts when were you first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? 

Vanessa’s reply:  I had a 24-hour warning before I went to the ER for the big diagnosis in March 2010. When I woke up several days after admission, I was so grateful to be alive that my initial thoughts were – I’M NOT GOING TO LET FOOD KILL ME, I PROMISE

Q: How did or does your type 2 diabetes factor into your decision to lose weight? 

Vanessa’s reply: It played a major role in my desire to lose weight – I was under the impression that I could reverse my diabetes, so I went to the extreme to follow the rules, keep to the routine and find new activities to move my body. I lost 100 lbs. right before my co-workers’ eyes. 

Q: Describe some obstacles in your weight loss journey and tell us how you managed to overcome them.

Vanessa’s reply: Obstacle #1 – Learning how to eat:  the routine, the meal prep, the carb counting and more. I overcame this by doing research and reading everything I could find that related to my self-care journey.Obstacle #2 – Dealing with complications from diabetes. In my case it was gastro issues.I have yet to overcome the fact that my diet is limited, and fruits/veggies create sensitivity that leads to DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). 

Q: Share some tips that have worked for you to lose weight and 1-3 tips to maintain your weight loss ·        

Vanessa’s reply: Drink lots of water, Walk after each meal,  Meal Prep – better to be ready than to get ready!

Q: What advice would you give to someone who living with type 2 diabetes seeking to lose weight? 

Vanessa’s reply: My advice is to know the carb limit of your diet, keep to a routine and seek help when you hit the wall. 

Try Your Luck at Counting Carbs with Divabetic’s Carb Kitty Game

Q: The holiday season is just around the corner. What tools do you use to navigate the holidays and stay on track with your health? 

Vanessa’s reply: ‘Tis the season to be jolly. That means we get to be the life of the party, not eat the life out of the party! Stay on track, enjoy the company, make memories, and avoid the illness. 

Q: Tell us about the organization(s) you are involved in the diabetes community. What’s your goal? How did your October program go? What’s ahead? 

Vanessa’s reply: My group, VIP of Diabetes has collaborations with Retina Risk – an app designed to protect our vision. We also collaborate with GlucoseZone for exercises specifically for people living with diabetes. I am a guest panelist monthly, and the next seminar is 11/23, 10-12noon at Mt. Airy United Fellowship, 701 W Johnson St @ Walnut Lane Circle. I actively volunteer for both The American Heart and American Diabetes Associations in Philadelphia. My website is www.vipofdiabetes.org and please follow me on Instagram @ness4wellness, all questions, invites, comments can be sent to vipofdiabetes@gmail.com

Q: Where do you turn to for online support? 

Vanessa’s reply: Divabetic on Facebook of course. Online support provides daily inspiration, direction, answers questions, and lots more. Story: A client recently asked advice on meal plans and daily routines, due to an A1C over 11. Before our journey could begin, we needed to address the underlying reason for the spiral. Once identified the diet has been modified, and with a new outlook on exercise and compliance routines we are off to the makings of a successful wellness journey.

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Jennifer Hudson

We’re sharing amazing Weight Loss Journeys & Helpful Ways to overcome fears related to Hypoglycemia with guests: Vanessa Hunter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport PsyD, Dr. Stewart Harris, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Autumn Reed on Novembers’ Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Jennifer Hudson

LISTEN NOW

Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes – Scene 2

The Annual Gingerbread Man Cookie Jamboree benefiting the Central Park Zoo is in full swing. Dozens of revelers are even dressed up like Gingerbread Men watching the seals and sea lions feeding nearby.

Everyone’s declining Max’s kale hot cocoa. Admittedly the smell isn’t that appealing. Hopefully, our judges, who are approaching, will have a different opinion. 

Oh, my! What I thought was an over sized collar around Natasha’s neck is an actual python. Let’s hope Max is too busy pouring cocoa to notice the anaconda. Too late! ‘Diamonds’ hissed at Max and he jumped clear across the table

He just knocked over the ‘Queen of Cream’, Sweet Sally Buttercup as she was sipping his kale hot cocoa. Brave woman. Oh wait, she’s grabbing her throat – she’s convulsing on the ground. Sounds like she is moaning, ‘Diamonds’, Diamonds’. This is terrible. Oh, no! The blonde celebrity chef has stopped breathing.

Ambulance Wow! That was quick! The EMTs are lifting Sweet Sally Buttercup’s lifeless body onto a gurney, covering her with a sheet and rolling her to the waiting ambulance. But even this tragic event can’t prevent the Gingerbread Man Cookie Jamboree competition from continuing.

Tonya: Max, isn’t it ironic for a celebrity chef to drop dead at a cooking competition? I’ve got a hunch Sweet Sally’s death was meant to be humiliating.  Take off that silly spotted apron. You owe it to her, as one of her devoted fans, to solve this murder!

Max:  No-no-no! I don’t have time to get mixed up in another one of your crazy investigations. I’ve got to focus on winning.

Tonya: The other competitors are the least of your worries. If you don’t stop tampering with the evidence. People are already blaming her death on your kale hot cocoa

Max: That slimy snake bit her! I’m as innocent — as my mother!

Natasha: There she is! Officer arrest that woman with the leopard purse. She killed my sister!

Sally’s twin sister, Natasha ‘Knock-Out’ Buchanan rushes forward with several police officers. She waves a stack of letters in Mama Rose Marie’s face. 

Natasha: See for yourselves, Officer! Here’s the proof! She’s  a cold blooded killer!

Mama Rose Marie: Me? Oh dear. 

A quick scan of the letters in Natasha’s hand confirms they contain deranged descriptions of what will happen to the star of Chew TV’s show, Triple Buttercream, Sweet Sally Buttercup, if she doesn’t comply with the demands to send money.

Natasha: You can drop the ‘sweet old lady’ act. Officers, she sent these letters to my sister. Her signature is right here at the bottom.

Mama Rose Marie: Oh dear, that is my signature. 

Natasha: Lock her up! 

Max: Officers, Officers this is a terrible mistake! She’s not a killer!  She’s my Mama!

Natasha: Save your tears for the courtroom. She’s going to prison!

The police take Mama Rose Marie off in their squad car. I can’t help to wonder ‘is this true’? Is our sweet Mama Rose Marie a modern-day Ma Barker? Could she pen dozens of vengeful threats in such gory detail? They seem to be the work of a sick, twisted, demented Wacko.

Max: I wrote those letters. But they’re funding requests, not death threats. Honest. I signed my mom’s name at the bottom, hoping Sweet Sally couldn’t say ‘no’ to a sweet little old lady. I have to confess to the police before my mother’s mug shot ends up in the Post Office.

Tonya: I’ve got a better idea, Max. Let’s just solve Sweet Sally’s murder. Now, what ingredients did you put in that lethally laced cocoa?

Max: My kale hot cocoa is NOT deadly. I drank several cups and I’m fine.

Tonya: After you added in the Almond Milk? I read somewhere that almonds are poisonous. 

Max: There’s only one thing poisonous around here. Natasha’s pet viper!

Patricia: Max, pythons aren’t venomous but wild almonds contain cyanide.

Tonya: Ah ha! That’s it!

MaryAnn: No, no, no you can’t buy poisonous almonds in the United States. And domesticated sweet almonds used to make Almond Milk don’t contain cyanide. It had to be something else! 

Tonya: Whoever did it, had to be very accurate with the dosage. The amount of poison you need for one particular person might not be enough for someone else. 

Max: And where did you get that little tidbit, Tonya?

Tonya: Research – my newest book – “Motorhomes, Maps and Murders”. 

Patricia: Of course! The same principle applies for managing blood sugars. I tell my patients all the time: what works for one person may not work for someone else. Everyone’s different.

MaryAnn: The best way is to know how different foods will affect you is to check your blood sugars before you eat and then again two hours after you eat

Tonya: Whoever killed Sweet Sally Buttercup had to be knowledgeable in both math and science. 

MaryAnn: Or have a culinary background. 

Max: Using that logic, everyone here competing is a suspect — including my mother!

Tonya: In my book, “Scene of the Grind”, Roxy Bloom faced your same situation, Max. The only way she could clear the name of her beloved Aunt was to prove who did do it! Now, who else was close enough to tamper with the cocoa?

MaryAnn: The other two judges were standing next to Sweet Sally. 

Patricia: Maybe Max is right – Natasha’s snake is at fault. Sweet Sally was moaning ‘Diamonds’ as she was gasping for air.

Max: And I wouldn’t be surprised if Renata Whisk was involved. 

Agnes: Max!  Max! Come quick! She’s disappeared!

Max: Who? Renata? 

Agnes: No, ‘Diamonds’ is on the loose!

Enjoy Divabetic’s 6th Annual Mystery podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks and Max Szadek.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

LISTEN NOW



Love, Lies & Liquor by M. C. Beaton

 HomeUncategorized  Divabetic’s 6th Annual Mystery Podcast Debuts in September 2019

Divabetic’s 6th Annual Mystery Podcast Debuts in September 2019

Love, Lies and Liquor by M. C. Beaton is a terrific read! The story continues the tradition in M. C. Beaton’s beloved Agatha Raisin mystery series―now a hit TV show on public television.

Amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin is lonely. Busy as she is with her detective agency and the meetings of the Carsely Ladies’ Society, she still misses her ex-husband, James Lacey, so she welcomes his return to the cottage next door with her usual triumph of optimism over experience—especially when he invites her on holiday at a surprise location that was once very dear to him.

With visions of a romantic hideaway in Italy or the Pacific dancing in her head, Agatha goes off happily with James to…Snoth-on-Sea, in Sussex.

But trouble has a way of following Agatha even if romance does not: Just as she and James are preparing to flee to warmer climes, Geraldine Jankers is found dead on the beach―strangled with Agatha’s scarf. So much for Agatha’s holiday fantasies: Not only is it time to put her detective skills to work, but the police are not even sure that she’ll be allowed to leave town.

READ MORE

M. C. Beaton

M. C. Beaton believes the secret to her books’ popularity lies in its lack of political correctness. ‘Agatha (Raisin) swears, she drinks and she smokes,’ she says. ‘She wears these very high heels and fur coats and says things I wouldn’t say.

‘She has vulnerabilities about ageing and getting a moustache, which women sometimes think they’re the only ones to have experienced. And the stories show village life in the Cotswolds, which is a Britain people think is dead and gone.’

A second series of the television adaptation, starring Ashley Jensen as the chain-smoking, killer-heels-wearing sleuth, will be shown on Britain’s Sky network. The first eight-part series of the comedy drama was a hit when it aired in 2016. Its wit, sharp social observations and idyllic Cotswolds setting earned it the description by one reviewer as ‘Desperate Housewives crossed with Midsomer Murders’.

READ MORE

Divabetic’s 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes, will air on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 6 – 7 PM, EST. Tune in: https://bit.ly/2YGnyB8.

Mr. Divabetic’s culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the fictitiously decadent Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition at the Central Park Zoo. As if his dreadful combination of headless cookies and kale hot cocoa wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the culinary throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges. Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic needs a clue that’s guarded by a giant python.  

The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), Asha Brown, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones and Lorraine Brooks.  We will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

This story of diabetes mystery and intrigue provides proof that you don’t have to feel trapped in a diabetes life. You can make changes, even tiny incremental ones, and get into a life that feels just right for you.

TUNE IN

     

Darling Dumplin’ by Poet Lorraine Brooks

it’s hard in a world where looks are a prize
to value yourself if you’re not the right size.
For chubby young girls it’s especially true
And lots of the other kids will bully you.

If Mom calls you “Dumplin’”, and you hate that name,
It may be a reason you’re feeling ashamed.
Some people will tell you that you look OK,
But deep down inside there’s a price that you pay.

It’s sadness and lonely, and unworthiness
That causes you pain and gives you distress.
It’s being alone when the girls are all dating
And feeling ashamed because boys aren’t relating.

It’s trying to smile when you don’t feel alright.
It’s waiting for phone calls on Saturday night.
It’s hoping you’ll get all the cute boys’ attention,
But hearing the ridicule and condescension.

It’s when you decide for yourSELF that you’re fine,
That you can begin to turn water to wine.
It’s when YOU feel comfortable in your own skin
That you can begin on your journey to win.


No, it’s not easy, to want to conform
Or made to believe that you’re outside the norm.
But if you’re like Dumplin’, you’ll rise to your best
And you will decide you will not be suppressed.


Everyone’s different and all are worthwhile
And all of us have individual style.
So get out on that runway and strut all your stuff
Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not enough!


Skinny or chubby, plump or obese,
Accept what you’re given – that’s where you find peace.