Uncategorized – Page 38

07/02/2022

Sugar-Free Banana Pudding Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

This past Wednesday night, we presented another diva-style diabetes wellness program with our friend, Stacey Harris, who is known as The Diabetic Pastry Chef.

I love the way Stacey experiments and encourages others to experiment with different flours and sugar substitutes in recipes. For example, Stacey will substitute one cup of sugar for a half cup of Splenda and a half cup of Whey Low D or replace white flour with a mixture of almond, soy, or bean flour in her recipes. Her approach corresponds to leading experts’ belief that a ‘one size fits all’ diet doesn’t exist for people living with diabetes. They recommend that we should develop our own personal nutrition plans for diabetes wellness. Read MORE.

Sugar-Free Banana Pudding Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients

1 pkg. Sugar-free Vanilla Wafers

1- 1-oz. box Sugar-free Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 cups Whole Milk, Almond milk, or a combination of the two

1-2 ripe Bananas

1 cup of Sugar-free Whipped Cream or Sugar-free Whipped Topping

Directions

Prepare pudding per package directions using the 2 cups milk, almond milk, or a combination of the two; set aside. Line a small casserole dish, parfait dish, or trifle bowl with a layer of vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of prepared vanilla pudding. Add a layer of sliced bananas, and spread the top with a full layer or dollop of whipped cream. Garnish as desired (toasted coconut, raspberries, lemon twists, or cherries.

Do You Know?

Cup for cup, whole fat milk contains fewer carbohydrates than low-fat or skim because more of its volume is made up of fat, which does not contain lactose. It also has slightly less protein.

Stacey Harris has a blog full of great recipes. Click HERE.

Personally, I feel the kitchen is a great place to stretch, your creativity. It’s been widely reported that baking has the benefit of enhancing creative expression – which has been found to have a strong connection with overall wellbeing. Lately, I have been having fun creating fruit platters to glamorize good health!

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to divas living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes about their favorite forms of exercise at NYC Summer Streets.

06/29/2022

Win A Splenda Gift Basket At Divabetic’s Baking Party

We’re giving away this fantastic Splenda Gift Basket to one lucky winner during our raffle on tonight’s free Divabetic Baking Party with Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom starting at 7 PM EST.

Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar, yet those little yellow packets have no effect on blood sugar according to leading registered dietitians

Don’t miss this fun, fabulous virtual program. Registration is open on Eventbrite until 2 PM

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

06/23/2022

Amazing Stroke Survivor Lucinda Williams

Seeing Lucinda Williams’ triumphant return to live performance after suffering a stroke was the one most magical and life-affirming surprises in my life.

I never expected, when I bought tickets to see Bonnie Raitt (Lucinda was the opening act for Bonnie’s show) at the Beacon Theater in New York for my friend’s birthday, that I would see a stroke survivor reclaim her life and play music again. I was blown away!

Lucinda Williams suffered a stroke in November 2020 due to a blood clot on the right side of her brain. Although she is not sure of the exact cause of her stroke, she assumes it was caused by stress.

“What happens is your brain gets all… the wires get all crossed and you have to retrain your brain basically, to tell your arm to do whatever it is you’re trying to do,” Williams told the Rolling Stone. “So that’s the biggest challenge.”

She didn’t suffer speech aphasia from the stroke but walks with a cane, is unable to play guitar, and continues to experience pain on her left side. During her performance, she told the crowd that she hopes to play the guitar for us the next time she returns to New York!

Lucinda’s courage, strength, and perseverance remind me of my good friend and colleague, Catherine Schuller.

Catherine suffered a stroke on the morning of Divabetic’s last ‘Makeover Your Diabetes’ outreach at the Riverside Church in New York. Three years earlier, I found my boss, Luther Vandross, after he suffered a stroke related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes. To say I was heartsick when Catherine’s husband called me with the news of Catherine’s stroke is an understatement. However, Catherine’s life force and subsequent recovery serve as a source of inspiration for the Divabetic community.

Since her stroke, Lucinda Williams has been writing music. “The main thing is I can still sing. I’m singing my ass off, so that hasn’t been affected,” Williams told the Rolling Stone. “Can’t keep me down for too long.”

06/18/202206/18/2022

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef was training to become a pastry chef at the Bidwell Culinary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than abandon her pursuits, she began experimenting with dessert recipes to make them healthier and diabetes-friendly.

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Pie Filling Ingredients

12-oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve Confectioner’s sugar substitute

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add the Swerve and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add the cream at low speed and once combined, turn the speed to high and continue beating until the mixture is thick but fluffy; set aside.

Strawberry Topping Ingredients

6 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 Tbsp. sugar-free strawberry jam

2 Tbsp. boiling water

Directions: Add the cream cheese filling to a 9 -10-inch sugar-free graham cracker pie crust and smooth. Arrange strawberries overlapping on top of cream cheese filling. Combine jam and boiling water and brush the top of the strawberries. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate.

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?

REGISTER NOW

06/16/2022

Mama’s Kitchen Table Enters UK Soul Chart Top 30!

I’m thrilled to announce a song I co-wrote, “Mama’s Kitchen Table” by Ivan Hampden Jr. featuring Paulette McWilliams, entered the UK Soul Chart Top 30 at #15.

Since its release on Mother’s Day, our song has defied all expectations. Paulette, Ivan, and I had no idea people would embrace this song with such enthusiasm. Honestly, our greatest hope was that maybe it would attain 1,000 plays on Spotify. So imagine our disbelief and joy when we found out it surpassed 10,000 plays on Spotify.

“Mama’s Kitchen Table” is about a woman’s desire to find a respectable man she can bring home to her mama’s kitchen table. The heart of the home. The place where her family gathers to mark milestones, celebrate accomplishments, and honor commitments —the one place in the world where she feels comfortable being her true, authentic self.

“Mama’s Kitchen” combines a hypnotizing voice with a retro instrumental bass to create an incredible musical recipe.

“Mama’s Kitchen Table” continues R & B legend Luther Vandross’s musical legacy by uniting his longtime backing vocalist, Paulette McWilliams, his songwriter, drummer, and studio engineer Ivan Hampden Jr. and his long-time assistant, Max Szadek. Luther’s longtime album cover designer, George Corsillo, also contributed the artwork for the single.

As the song continues to surprise us daily, I remember my boss, Luther Vandross. His sudden and devasting stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes impacted how I chose to live my life. I learned an important life lesson from his health tragedy; I don’t take tomorrow for granted. Since 2003, I try to stop and enjoy the moment at the moment rather than hold off for tomorrow. The emotions I am experiencing now are difficult to put into words. I’m surprised and overjoyed by our success. Never in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated co-writing lyrics to a song that would be on the UK Soul Chart!

06/14/2022

Mr. Divabetic Gets His Energy Up!

This photo was taken in 2012 when I worked on the amazing national nonprofit organization, Energy Up! Program promoting healthy attitudes in young women with my friend and mentor, High Voltage.

The mission of Energy Up! is to prevent childhood obesity. Energy Up! is the only health and wellness childhood obesity program built on the Energy Up! Addiction model with a published medical study.

At the time, I was also working full-time on Divabetic ‘s ongoing outreach programs and podcasts. It was an amazing moment in my life to be working on two programs to encourage women of all ages to stay healthy and upbeat about their wellness. High Voltage and I share a passion for glamorizing good health. She loves to add sparkle to her events just like I do!

Fast-forward to this year. High Voltage still continues to motivate and inspire me every step, every day in my personal wellness journey.

I’m thrilled to announce that High Voltage joins the cast of Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast entitled Tomorrow’s Not On The Menu, debuting in Fall. She is helping us raise awareness of the high amounts of added sugar in our diets. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day.

For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day or about 9 teaspoons. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars without singling out any particular types, such as high-fructose corn syrup.

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?

REGISTER NOW

06/06/2022

Mayor Adams’s $10 A Day Diet Dispels Common Myth About Healthy Eating

“There is a myth out there that states eating healthy is too expensive. You can take a bag of lentils which costs about $2.80. You can make lentil stew, lentil burger, you can make lentil pasta,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

He pledged to live on a $10 a day plant-based diet to dispel the myth that healthy diets are expensive.

Mayor Adams’s motivation to eat healthy seems to stem from his mother’s battle with type 2 diabetes health-related complications. It’s important to point out that mismanaged diabetes leads to complications, not diabetes alone.

In 2016, Mayor Adams witnessed his mother inject herself with insulin to manage her Type 2 diabetes.

He said, “Despite several years of being on this injection routine, the grimace on her face clearly showed that she had never gotten used to the sharp pain. When I left her home, I sat in my car and had a conversation with God. “I am not a doctor,” he added, “but I wish I could do something for my mother to address her diabetes.”

I grimace too when people beat up on insulin. Insulin is a miracle! Every day I am grateful to Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best for their discovery. So many wonderful people, including my brother, require insulin therapy to stay alive. Turning insulin into the enemy makes me nuts.

That said, I respect the Mayor’s initiative to dispel common misconceptions about healthy eating and to bring awareness to the healthy food deserts in New York City.

“We want you to show New Yorkers- not only what happens in the hospitals- but we want to show New Yorkers that you can have culturally sensitive food that is healthy. That is not what people have been shown,” said Mayor Adams.

While Mayor Adams has long claimed to be a vegan, the mayor did have to admit on Monday that he does eat fish. “I aspire to be plant-based 100% of the time. I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish.”

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘ADDED SUGAR’ on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from Sade.

Divabetic’s podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album 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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

06/02/2022

New Beauty Trend: Oat Milk Blondes

According to Allure magazine the latest hair color trend that will be everywhere this summer is… “oat milk blonde.”

What is Oat Milk Blonde?

Well, it isn’t super bright or not borderline brown. The color lands in between those two shades. Still confused?

It’s more of a lived-in blonde that has soft shades of brown mixed in. Some of our favorite oat milk blonde celebrities are Uma Thurman, and Elizabeth Olsen.

For those who would be more likely to drink oat milk rather than get it for hair color, oat milk is generally low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Oat milk contains only about 1.5 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein. With a creamy texture, oat milk generally has a mild flavor that goes well in coffee. Calories per cup of oat milk are comparable to skim cow’s milk at 90 per serving. Don’t forget even plain oat milk has about 4 grams of added sugar! It also contains more fiber than either cow’s milk or nut-based milk, but hold off on swapping a bowl of steel-cut oats for glass.

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘ADDED SUGAR’ on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from Sade.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

05/29/2022

Patriotic Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe by Splenda

Our friends at Splenda have been graciously donating Baking Kits for our free Baking Parties with the Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom.

Patriotic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe from Splenda

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil spread, room temperature

2 small eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Splenda® Monk Fruit Granulated Sweetener

1 cup almond flour

2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup stevia-sweetened semisweet chocolate chips

Red food coloring

Blue food coloring

Star sprinkles (optional)

Click HERE for the Full Recipe

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

05/25/2022

Patti LaBelle Inspires A New Attitude In Diabetes Outreach

Patti LaBelle‘s outspoken attitude about living well with type 2 diabetes at a Luther Vandross Tribute concert changed my life 20 years ago. She said, “diabetes doesn’t control me, I control my diabetes!”. Those words inspired me to coin the phrase ‘Divabetic’ (Divabetic.Org).

My former boss, Luther Vandross, never spoke openly about his type 2 diabetes beyond a prescription refill. At that moment, watching her on stage, I wished that I had the chance to talk about diabetes self-care with Luther prior to his stroke. Like everyone else, I thought he had his type 2 diabetes in the bag and didn’t need any support, or encouragement. When I found him on the floor after experiencing a stroke (related to mismanagement of type 2 diabetes) in April 2002, prior to the release of Dance With My Father, I deeply regretted my ignorance. To this day, I still wonder “what if?”

Patti LaBelle’s candidness or ‘new attitude’ about her diabetes health is probably the singular reason why I started a nonprofit organization. As hard as it might seem to ask for help, it’s worth it when you know there’s someone looking out for you. You deserve an entourage – a group of loving collaborators supporting you to live your best life!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.