Reading Room – Page 6

11/08/202011/08/2020

3 Sure Fire Ways to Increase Your Sleep from Susan D’Addario

Did you know that restorative sleep is imperative to living healthier, happier and longer?

Certified Sleep Science Coach and owner of Back-To-Sleep Susan D’Addario‘s advice to help you enjoy consistent, improved sleep:

3 Sure Fire Ways to Increase Your Sleep Tips

Morning and Lunchtime

1). Get strong light exposure for 1 hour daily. Try to get 30 min in by 8:30am (or as close to that as possible), and repeat at lunchtime, (between noon-2:30pm). You can either go outside without sunglasses or use a light box and/or Re-Timer Light Therapy Glasses. If using a light box, make sure it is close to your face – approximately 12-16” away – and do not look directly into the light.

8PM

2). Dim all lighting. Dim all your devices sufficiently by making sure the backlight display is turned down as far as possible while still allowing you to see what’s on the monitor. Also, don’t forget to dim the ambient room lighting. Purchasing extension cords with built-in dimmers for lamps is a great way to go dim!

3). Block all blue light. While in your devices’ settings, also make a point to activate blue-light blocking filters. Moreover, consider wearing blue light blocking glasses with AMBER/ORANGE lenses until you get into bed and the lights are out. Should you awaken during the night to use the restroom, put these glasses back on and avoid looking directly into any light source.

Susan D’Addario shares sleep tips on Gotham Volleyball’s Home Life virtual outreach event on Facebook Live.

https://www.facebook.com/GothamVolleyball/videos/2650250065191834/

Susan D’Addario, CSSC, (Certified Sleep Science Coach), loves to help people to heal and feel better about themselves! For the past 24 years, she has worked as a licensed psychotherapist helping adults with life struggles getting in their way of growth, self-esteem and inner happiness.

Approximately 8 years ago, she opened her mental/emotional healing work to include the body. Susan is fascinated by the interactions amongst body, mind, spirit and well-being. This broader perspective came out of her own life experiences, explorations and passions into the worlds of wellness, nutrition and other holistic arenas. As part of this expansion, 2 years ago, Susan became a CSSC and created Back-To-Sleep!

For more great sleep information, and/or a 30-minute Breakthrough to a Great Night Sleep complimentary session, feel free to contact Certified Sleep Science Coach, Susan D’Addario, at susan@back-to-sleep.com.

11/03/2020

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 8

Narrator: With no time to spare before the competition’s official start, Max hurries below deck to retrieve his food processor.

SOUND EFFECT: footstep (man clopping)

Narrator: Making his way back to the deck, Max is ambushed by a woman who is blocking his path. It’s the stylish Millicent Merriweather. And she’s holding the stolen pearl handled pistol.

Millicent: Stop right there and hand over that box!

Max: This box? It’s just a kitchen appliance! Granted it has 8 speeds and reversible blades but still –

Millicent: I saw you handing cash to Britannia for that food processor in the parking lot after you left without buying anything. I searched Britannia’s trunk after I ran her over and the whales’ there weren’t there. The only place they can be is in that box.

Max: So that’s why Britannia put those Botox receipts in my pocket. She was warning me about you. They’re yours! You get Botox shots to numb your feet so you can wear sky high heels.

Millicent: It’s a small price to pay for how great my legs look in these Manolo Blahniks. Now this gun is going to eliminate another source of my pain.

Max: Wait! Those heels don’t have any scuff marks. If a robber had dragged you into the storeroom then there would at least be scuff marks or a broken heel.

Millicent: Yes, Captain Obvious, I faked the robbery to give me an alibi. Britannia Coffin betrayed me. I had no choice but to kill her. We planned this heist for months. She couldn’t pull it off alone in her condition. We agreed she would get the insurance money and I would sell the teeth to the highest bidder. I even had a buyer lined up but then she went behind my back and made a deal herself.

Max: That’s why you killed her?

Millicent: The retail business is dead thanks to Amazon. Those whales’ teeth were my ticket to a new life. After she came into my shop this morning and didn’t bring me the whales’ teeth like we’d agreed, I thought Britannia might be planning to double cross me. That’s when I called the buyer and found out she’d made a new deal with him and had cut me out. Then I remembered seeing her give you that box in the parking lot. I was heading over to her house to confront her when I saw her coming out of the Treasure Island Antique Shoppe. I just saw red!!! She was an easy target without her poles.

Max: You won’t get away with this. My friends are probably already looking for me.

Millicent: Open that box and give me what’s inside!

Max: Look! It’s only a food processor.

Millicent: I can’t see. Move your mangy stuffed parrot out of my way. Where are they?

Max: I swear I don’t know. I don’t have them. But why don’t you let me help you find them?

Millicent: Not unless they are at the bottom of the ocean. Let’s go, Jolly Roger!

Max: No, you don’t want to do this!

Millicent: You know too much! I’m going to make you walk the plank like in one of those old pirate movies. You’re already dressed for the part.

Max: You do know I can swim, right?

Millicent: Not with a bullet in you. Goodbye, Captain Bartholomew Maxwell!

SOUND EFFECT: gun shot and splash

Narrator: Max falls headfirst into the ocean with his food processor.

TO BE CONTINUED

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Kill Me Madam, cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

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 this free, fun Tea Party with special guests, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, Tessie’s Teas’ owner Rose Hall and Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner Evetta Petty on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTER – REGISTER NOW

10/31/2020

Sugar-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Type 2 diabetes doesn’t stop ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’, Stacey Harris from indulging her sweet tooth. She 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 traditional bakery items. From her tasty treats to her outlook on life, this pastry chef keeps things as sweet as can be as well as … sugar free!

The Diabetic Pastry Chef‘s Sugar-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

l large egg

1 cup dry sugar substitute of your choice

1 1/2 tsp molasses

2 tsps pure vanilla extract

1 medium zucchini, grated

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped; optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5″ bread loaf pan. It is advisable but not necessary to cut a piece of parchment to line the bottom of the pan for easy unmolding.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, except for the sugar substitute. Add nuts if using; set aside. In another medium bowl, combine and whisk the vegetable oil, egg, sugar substitute, molasses, and vanilla. Add the grated zucchini.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients and stir just until combined being careful not to over mix. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45 or 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out fairly clean.

Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their own lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. She also started her own online bakery that ships homemade treats all across the country. The most common thing she hears from customers is, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

Are you interested in learning how to bake with sugar substitutes? Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTER

10/30/202010/30/2020

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 6

Our team boards the Tall Ship Lynx for the Decadent Desserts on Deck Baking Competition. The Lynx was one of the first ships to defend America’s freedom by evading the British naval fleet.

After a moment of silence for Britannia Coffin the competition begins.

Even in a fog of ginger, cinnamon, and chocolate, Max stands out from the rest of the competitors. He’s wearing a pirate disguise – in fact, he’s the only one in a costume. Max starts his preparations in hope of fulfilling his ultimate dream of becoming the next Food Network star.

Max: Tonya! Stop calling me Davy Jones.

Tonya: For Pete’s Sakes, Max. Your outfit is scaring all the children!

Mama Rose Marie: Now, now, dear. It’s time to focus on your pie recipe. I’m so glad that Millicent convinced them not to cancel the competition.

Tonya: People are lining up to take selfies with Britannia’s Nordic poles! This competition is great!

Max: For once I agree with you, Tonya – It is great. I’m sure to win with the velvet smoothness of the key lime cashew filling, and the crunchy pecan pie crust – YUM!

Tonya: I wasn’t talking about your pie, Max. I meant this competition is helping us solve the murder. I’ve overheard several people talking about how much they hated Britannia. Now where do you think Loretta is on this boat?

Max: Stop bothering me. I need to pay attention to chopping these nuts. This knife is sharp.

Tonya: Where’s your snazzy food processor?

Max: I stashed it below the deck. I don’t want anyone to see it. They might put two and two together and link me to the murder.

Tonya: Avoidance behavior is only going to make matters worse, Max. You should use it. With any luck, the killer will come forward once they see it!

Mama Rose Marie: She has a point, dear.

Max: Neither one of you really believes in me or in my baking ability. You just wanted me to be a decoy to catch the killer.

Mama Rose Marie Now, son, I think the hot sun’s getting to you.

Max: Prove it. Say something nice about my baking.

Tonya: Umm, You always get the oven temperature right.

Max: And . . .?

Tonya: Uh, Max. Rose Marie, help me out here? That knife he’s pointing at me is really sharp.

Mama Rose Marie: You’re good at measuring ingredients, son. Really wonderful!

Max: Well … I’ve got some news for you two. My baking skills are ten times better than your detective skills. Otherwise, one of you would have realized by now that I wasn’t the last person to see Britannia Coffin alive.

Mama Rose Marie: What? How can you be sure?

Max: Britannia had her walking poles with her when she sold me the food processor. If I had been the last person to see her alive then why were they in Goldie’s umbrella stand? Obviously she met someone else. And whoever that person is, is the killer! Now, go bother someone else, let me focus on winning.

Patricia: (interrupting) Maa … I mean Bartholomew, one of the celebrity judges is Renata Whisk from last year’s Gingerbread Men competition. Doesn’t she hate you?

Max: How much more can I take?

MaryAnn: Right now, she is on the other side of the deck waving that police sketch of you around. She’s telling everyone about how your poisoned kale hot cocoa killed everyone’s favorite TV chef, Sweet Sally Buttercup!

Patricia: Max, that silly pirate costume won’t stop Renata from recognizing you!

Max: What should I do?

Tonya: Did you bring any extra pirate costumes for us?

Max: They’re over there in a bag. Why?

Tonya: We’re going to put them on and get off this boat now. We’ll hightail it to Britannia’s mansion before Renata can blow your cover and you’re arrested. Let’s go Captain Bartholomew!

TO BE CONTINUED

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

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?

FREE REGISTER – REGISTER NOW

10/29/202010/29/2020

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 5

Our team of amateur sleuths, Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle, MaryAnn Nicolay and Mr. Divabetic, heads to the Hawden House Museum to meet Loretta Hussey.

The beautiful Hawden House museum is housed in a Greek Revival mansion that was built by whaling merchant and silver retailer William Hawden. Its collection highlights the history of Nantucket through the whaling and trading industries. (Closed for the 2020 season. All Historic Property grounds and gardens are open to the public and accessible during daylight hours.)

Loretta: Hey you in the pirate costume. Put on this sandwich board to help us advertise admission.

Max: Me? Why?

Loretta: Aren’t you from the temp agency to help us sell tickets! All the whales’ teeth in our collection have been stolen. Tourists will stop coming when they find out our biggest attraction is gone!!

The first floor at the Hadwen House showcases the Nantucket Historical Association’s decorative arts. The very finest objects in the collection are on display in period rooms showcasing furniture, china and ceramics, textiles, and silver.

Tonya: Don’t you think your tourism will be more affected by Britannia Coffin’s murder?

Loretta: That woman! She’s always blamed me for what my great grandfather did.

Max: What did he do?

Loretta: According to Britannia he was responsible for the loss of her family’s whaleship Essex that left them penniless. I think she’s the one who stole the scrimshaw whales’ teeth. It makes perfect sense. They belonged to her!

Scrimshaw is the art of engraving images on ivory—whale teeth and bone and walrus tusks—a folk art practiced by men aboard whaleships during the nineteenth century. Sailors made scrimshaw in an amazing variety, including decorative objects, utilitarian devices, and jewelry. It is one of the earliest recognized American crafts and remains one of the most highly desired forms of folk art for collectors of Americana.

Max: Then why would she steal them?

Loretta: To collect the insurance money. She came in earlier today with some flimsy excuse about not liking how the whales’ teeth were displayed. She made me open the case so she could rearrange them. I’m sure she saw where I kept the keys.

Tonya: So why did you threaten her at The Kitchen Island store this morning? Didn’t you tell Britannia she would get what she deserved?

Loretta: Oh, that. I meant the baking competition. She was going to lose this time. That’s all.

Max: Really? After beating you ten times?

Loretta: Look, I’m not the only one happy that Britannia Coffin is dead. Goldie almost went bankrupt! She had so many legal bills from fighting that slip and fall scheme cooked up by Britannia and Peggy’s husband, Floyd.

Tonya: But wasn’t Britannia rich?

Loretta: Not anymore. Her last ditch efforts to save my family’s home from toppling into the Atlantic Ocean cost her a pretty penny.

Max: Peggy told us climate change was affecting the lobster business, but I didn’t realize it was also eroding the shoreline.

Loretta: It took my old neighbor’s house falling into the ocean for her to finally take action.

MaryAnn: She sounds like a lot of people living with diabetes. They put off managing their blood sugars until after they experience a serious health-related complication.

Loretta: Britannia’s problems were all her own fault! She just sat up in her house scheming and baking pie after pie after pie. Her sweet tooth led straight to her diabetes!

MaryAnn: That’s a myth! Eating too much sugar doesn’t cause diabetes. Diabetes is caused by something disrupting the body’s ability to turn the food you eat into energy.

Patricia: Couldn’t they move her house farther back from the cliff? To save it?

Loretta: Moving a large foundation like that is very expensive. It would cost millions of dollars!

Tonya: Aren’t those stolen whales’ teeth worth millions of dollars?

Loretta: They are insured for $5 million dollars to be exact. They are scrimshaw whales’ teeth intricately carved by the famous artist Frederick Myrick.

The Nantucket Historical Association‘s scrimshaw collection is considered one of the most important collections in the world. Highlights of the collection include some of the earliest and rarest sperm whale teeth, engraved by the most famous of all scrimshaw artists, Nantucketers Frederick Myrick and Edward Burdett.

Mama Rose Marie: Well, something as big and unique as that shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Loretta: Oh no, they are smaller than you think. Some are no larger than this dinner plate from our historical collection.

Max: You mean that’s not a dessert plate you’re holding? It’s so small.

Patricia: American dinner plates have gotten much larger over the years along just like portion sizes.

MaryAnn: Plate size and portion size go hand in hand. Using smaller plates is a great tactic for eating less!

Tonya: Alright, let’s get back to the robbery and the murder – are the whales’ teeth the only things missing?

Loretta: No, a pearl handled pistol was also taken. You certainly have a lot of questions.

Tonya: We’re helping the police piece together a timeline for the murder.

Loretta: I heard the police are looking for some strange guy who was in the parking lot. Apparently, he might be the killer! Hold on, let me get that police sketch.

Mama Rose Marie: Oh, Bartholomew, look at the time!! We have to get to the boat for the baking competition.

TO BE CONTINUED

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

RELATED DIABETES WELLNESS INFORMATION

The Diabetes Plate Method is an easy “formula” that helps you eat right with every bite. READ MORE

The plate method is a simple, visual way to make sure you get enough non-starchy vegetables and lean protein, and limit the amount of higher-carb food that has the greatest potential to spike your blood sugar. READ MORE

How to practice portion size. Your fist is roughly the size of a cup or a medium-size piece of fruit, such as an apple. When it comes to lean protein, the palm of your hand (without the fingers) equates to about 3 ounces of meat, seafood, or poultry. READ MORE

10/28/2020

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 4

Before Millicent Merriweather can get a good look at Max, our team dashes out the door and runs across the parking lot to the Treasure Island Antique Shoppe, where the owner, Goldie Highcastle, is busy sweeping up shards of broken porcelain from the floor.

SOUND EFFECT: store bells

Goldie: Ahoy Maties! Welcome to Treasure Island Antique Shoppe: the finest heirlooms from the Seven Seas, at rock bottom prices guaranteed. Hey, how about a sword to go with your outfit, Mr. Tall, Dark and Haggard?

Tonya: Actually, we’re here about the murder. Did you see what happened? Your store is awfully close to where they found Britannia Coffin’s body.

Goldie: I didn’t see a thing. But Britannia did come in here earlier. She brought me this box of sugar substitute as a peace offering. She said it spiked her blood sugars, I wonder if that’s true?

MaryAnn: Artificial sweeteners generally don’t raise blood sugars. But research shows that they can change gut bacteria with prolonged use. And that can lead to weight gain.

Goldie: Really? Why is that?

MaryAnn: Gut bacteria in your intestines digests foods and produces chemicals to help you feel full.

Patricia: Artificial sweeteners can also change your taste preferences over time increasing your desire for sweets. Lowering your stress levels and staying hydrated can help.

Goldie: But if I like something sweet. What else can I use instead of this sugar substitute?

MaryAnn: Try a plant-based sugar alternative like Stevia. Or for a little sweetness add cinnamon, especially in coffee.

Tonya: Can we get back to Britannia? Why was she here?

Goldie: Oh right, she brought in a box of things she wanted me to sell on consignment. Some of Loretta Hussey’s family antiques. I didn’t see anything I liked so she said she’d go home and come back with more.

Tonya: And what time did she come back?

Goldie: Sooner than I hoped for. All hell broke loose when she got back. Loretta Hussey was in here looking at my collection of cat o’ nine tales! I don’t know who she was planning to flog.

Mama Rose Marie: Oh, my!

Goldie: Britannia walked in smiling like a Cheshire cat. It’s as if she knew Loretta would be here. Britannia Coffin loved making Loretta’s life miserable.

Tonya: What happened?

Goldie: Well! When Loretta saw her father’s prized porcelain lobster claw was in the box of things Britannia had brought me to sell, she went berserk. She snatched it out of the box and started running for the door. Britannia tripped her with her poles and started whacking Loretta with them. But, one of her poles hit the lobster claw and shattered it into a million pieces. Loretta looked like she wanted to kill her.

Mama Rose Marie: That seems like an overreaction.

Goldie: The next thing I knew Britannia Coffin was dead.

Max: Wait, aren’t those Britannia’s walking poles in your umbrella stand? She left without them?

Goldie: Look, I had to stop her from breaking everything in the store. I wrestled them away from her.

SOUND EFFECT: Phone rings

Goldie: Excuse me. Hello, Treasure Island Antiques Shoppe where you’ll find the finest heirlooms from the Seven … Oh no! Loretta, that’s horrible!!! (to them) I can’t believe it! There’s been another robbery. Someone broke into the Hawden House Museum across the street!

TO BE CONTINUED

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

10/23/202010/23/2020

Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 2

The island of Nantucket is known for its cobblestone streets and weathered grey-shingled cottages, but the island also distinguished itself for being the only place in the United States that was effectively run by women.

With their husbands out to sea for up to four years at a time, the whaling wives ran a variety of businesses located in the area known as Petticoat Row.

Today Peggy’s Pie Shop is hosting an event for the contestants, and everyone, including Max and his pals, are eager to learn some tips that might improve their chances of winning.

Peggy: Our goal this morning is to achieve the perfect pie crust. Too much mixing or over baking can ruin your creation. Baking is all about precision.

Tonya: So is Murder.

Max: Keep your voice down. She might hear you.

Peggy: Is there a question in the back?

Max: Yes, how can I stop my key lime pie crust from getting soggy?

Peggy: Oh, that’s easy – you should use blind baking. Our Decadent Desserts on Deck reigning champion, Britannia Coffin, swears by it. Her award-winning pie crusts are never soggy.

Max: I’d better write this down. What is blind baking?

Peggy: Sometimes it’s called pre-baking, it’s the process of baking the pie crust without the filling. The trick is to line the bottom of the crust with pie weights, it will prevent the pastry from puffing up in the oven.

Tonya: Excuse me, what did you say the champion’s last name is again?

Peggy: Coffin. C-O-F-F-I-N.

Tonya: Holy Smokes, Max! I mean “Bartholomew.” This is your lucky day!

Peggy: Why’s that?

Tonya: “Bartholomew” here loves facing ‘STIFF’ competition!

Peggy: Sadly, Britannia’s not competing this year. But she has agreed to come, poles in tow, and crown our new champion.

Max: Oh, I think I met her! That sounds like the woman who sold me the food processor.

Peggy: I bet she loved your costume. She has a thing for Johnny Depp.

Max: Oh, no, I wasn’t wearing this when I met her. Why does she carry around ski poles?

Peggy: Actually, they are Nordic Walking poles. Britannia suffers from neuropathy due to her diabetes. She uses the poles to help her maintain her balance. Her constant pain makes her so irritable. She says it feels like she’s stepping on pins and needles when she walks.

Patricia: Chronic peripheral neuropathy is the most common diabetes health-related complication. High blood sugar levels cause damage to the nerves in the hands and feet.

MaryAnn: And it can affect every part of a person’s life; walking, sitting, and even sleeping.

Tonya: There must be something she can do.

MaryAnn: Well, believe it or not exercise can help.

Peggy: She’d laugh if you told her that. She barely leaves her home. Just standing is painful. That’s why she’s not competing this year. Are all of you competing?

Tonya: Oh no! We’re here to help Maa —- uh, “Bartholomew,” in case a dead body turns up. His baking is known for killing more than taste buds!

Peggy: Good heavens! (more shocked)

Max: Ignore her. She has a morbid sense of humor.

Peggy: We can use a few laughs. Everyone is shocked that Britannia is not defending her crown. Well, except for her arch rival, Loretta Hussey. She and her ten second-place ribbons are overjoyed!

Mama Rose Marie: Ten? Oh, that must be so frustrating to lose ten times to the same person.

Peggy: Their families have been feuding since Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world. Our yearly baking competition only fuels the fire.

Max: What about you? Are you entered?

Peggy: Ha! I’m a Professional baker. We are not allowed to compete. And anyway, I’ve got too many pie orders to fill. Right now, we really need the money. My husband Floyd’s lobster business is sinking fast and these weather conditions aren’t helping one bit.

Tonya: The storms must be really bad to scare away the lobsters.

Peggy: No, it’s the warming waters caused by climate change that are forcing our lobstermen out of business. Just like the petroleum industry destroyed whaling a century ago.

SOUND EFFECT: phone ring

Peggy: Hello? Peggy The Perky Pie Prin- Wait, wait, what? Oh No! That’s horrible! Britannia Coffin is dead! What do you mean she was the victim of a hit and run accident? In the Kitchen Island parking lot. Oh Dear! Now the whole competition is up in the air.

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

10/21/2020

Divabetic New Product Spotlight: Tessie’s Teas

Rose Hall is the founder of Tessie’s Teas, a company that pays homage to the wisdom passed down from her mother and celebrates her love of tea. She was our guest on October’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Q: You worked for 20-years as a mental health therapist and social worker. Tell us about that experience:

RH: I always felt that helping others in life’s most difficult situations is my calling. I worked in the department of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, the Bronx, with dual diagnosis clients, who had mental health diagnosis and drug dependency. Through the years, I also worked with teens and children with behavior issues and situations of neglect. I found out that is heartbreaking gut-wrenching work.

Q: What inspired you to start a new career as an entrepreneur after you retired?

RH: The positions I have held over 25 years have been overwhelmingly stressful, I was burnt out, I know my life’s purpose is to help people, but I needed to do it in a different way. I am an avid tea drinker who learned at an early age the benefits that can be derived from drinking herbs, spices, and roots.

Q: Tell about your mother, growing up in Jamaica, and the Caribbean tradition of tea drinking that inspired you to start Tessie’s Teas.

RH: We lived with my great grandmother who drank tea every day, all day it seemed. Any ailment, she had a tea for that. She would go out and pick some bushes and boil them and tell you to drink it down and you would be better that day or the next day depending on the symptoms. I watched her live a productive life well into her 90’s, and my grandfather drinking different teas daily lived to be 107. So, these personal experiences are the reason why I believe in drinking tea.

Q: Describe your teas – flavors, etc. and your two flagship all-natural teas with no additives, no preservatives, and no caffeine.

RH: We provide ginger rolled in honey with a little cane sugar to help with the crystallization process and have mint infused with raw cane sugar. Ginger and mint have many medicinal health benefits. They have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory, digestive, and anti-viral aids while helping to boost the immune system. Mint helps with weight loss because it’s a natural appetite suppressant. I find if I drink a cup of mint tea before I eat, I eat less and feel full faster. We have customers who report losing weight from drinking our mint tea. The teas are instant – just add water, stir and enjoy. There are no additives, no preservatives, and no caffeine and they are healthy, delicious, and convenient.

Q: You traveled to over 10 countries sourcing tea and gaining an understanding of the tea business. Tell us about your experience.

RH: My best adventure was in Sri Lanka, which border’s India. My driver came to pick me up around 5:00 am because it’s a long trip up the mountain to the tea gardens. On the way up we passed an elephant orphanage in a rock quarry and experienced a remarkable scene when one of the elephants tripped on a rock and fell. The other elephants walked over to the fallen one and got done on their knees, used their shoulders as a team to push him up until he was standing again. It was amazing, I thought to myself imagine if all humans did that for each other, what would this world be like?

Q: How can people purchase your teas?

RH: We have a website: www.tessiestea.com We’re also, on Etsy and Amazon.

We’re talking about the symptoms, causes and prevention of stroke with musical inspiration from Angela Bofill on this episode of Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the US. As many as 5 to 14 percent of stroke survivors have a second stroke within one year.

Angela Bofill suffered two strokes but neither stroke could take away her positive, humorous personality and her fighter spirit. After she lost the ability to sing, she returned to the stage for “The Angela Bofill Experience” in which she skillfully narrated her life story, while her band and other singers .

Podcast guests include Angela Bofill, Catherine Schuller, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Neva White DNP, CRNP- BC, CDE, and Rose Hall from Tessie’s Teas.

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?

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10/11/2020

Optimism & Resilience may guard Heart Health

Optimism, a sense of purpose and feeling in control are a recipe for better heart health among Black adults reports a new study according to the American Heart Association.

The study, published Wednesday in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, measured cardiovascular health based on the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7: smoking status, physical activity, diet, weight, and levels of blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure.

“We assumed that being both high on psychosocial resilience and living in a resilient neighborhood would be the most beneficial for cardiovascular health,” the study’s principal investigators, Tené T. Lewis, said. “Yet what we found was that psychosocial resilience demonstrated the most robust association regardless of the neighborhood resilience measure.”

“As a result of the heartbreaking consequences of COVID-19 and the inhumanity of George Floyd’s death, we are having a national conversation about the ways in which structural and interpersonal racism have shaped Black Americans’ lives and deaths,” Lewis said. “More studies like this are necessary to fully understand the factors that promote better health for Black Americans.”

The study was published alongside an editorial by Dr. Amber E. Johnson and Dr. Jared W. Magnani, assistant professors of medicine in cardiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

09/20/202009/20/2020

Divabetic Exclusive: Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes Interview

USA Today Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes stars in Divabetic’s newest Mystery Podcast, ‘Kill Me Madam’ available on demand with this LINK.

Tonya Kappes has written more than fifty Southern Cozy Mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and two of them have been selected as a Woman’s World Book Club pick. Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews.

We caught up with this busy best-selling author to ask her a few questions about her books and to learn more about her passion for diabetes advocacy.

Q: I don’t even know where to start with questions because you’re such a busy author. Why don’t you tell us about your Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery series.

Tonya Kappes (TK): I really wanted to create an older sleuth since most Cozy Mystery sleuths are in their 20’s. And…it’s easier to give the sleuth, Bernadette, some real life issues since she’s older and has seen more of the world than a 20 year old. With that said, I knew I could make the sleuthing a little more fun by her using her knowledge and her skills as a mail carrier to help sniff out the killer. Trust me…your mail carrier knows a lot of secrets you’d never want anyone to know. I knew that would be a great angle for a sleuth too.

Q: You mentioned on July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast that your involvement in Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcasts, over the past eight years, inspired your main character, beloved mail carrier, Bernadette Davis’s health issues. Can you explain?

TK: As you’ve been doing the mystery podcast and weaved information about diabetes self-care, I realized how I could easily inject real-life issues into Bernadette’s story. It makes her more relatable as an everyday person. For examples, I made her a widow with a not-so-great dead husband because relationships can be stressful and not always rosy behind closed doors. And what 50-something woman hasn’t gone through a socially awkward menopause moment? Bernadette’s moment might just be during a stakeout, but her health provides a shared connection of a genuine situation.

Q: Share a diabetes self-care tip you’ve learned from one of Divabetic’s past Mystery podcasts?

TK: My dad has diabetes with severe neuropathy. I’ve learned how much you need to take care of your feet, which leads to making sure your blood levels are good, which leads into your diet. These tips have made me more educated when I go to his doctor appointments with him and talk to his doctor. It’s made me a better advocate. In fact, he will tell you that now he’s feeling better than he has in twenty years. He’s had diabetes for twenty-seven years.

Q: You were known as a storyteller, but not as a writer or reader. How did you become a best-selling author?

TK: Gosh, that’s hard to answer. I like to think that my interactions with my readers and my gratitude for them has played a big role.

Q: What do you love about mysteries? Specifically, Cozy Mysteries?

TK: I love the small town, quirky characters, and the gossip that goes into solving the crimes.

Q: When did you realize that you’d actually made it as a writer?

TK: Have I?

You can find Tonya Kappes all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com.