Divabetic – Page 115 – Wellness with a Wow

09/30/201710/12/2017

What’s Trending This Week At Divabetic

Check out the latest headlines in diabetes, diabetes self-management, healthy lifestyles and diva entertainment that we think you should know about this weekend.

FDA Approves First Blood Sugar Monitor without Finger Prick

Abbott’s new FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, approved Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration, uses a small sensor attached to the upper arm. Patients wave a reader device over it to see the current blood sugar level and changes over the past eight hours. READ MORE

Seattle-Caught Salmon Contains Cocaine, Antidepressants & Pain Relievers

Salmon is purported to be one of the healthiest foods due to its high omega-3 content, protein, and essential fatty acids, but if the fish is obtained from the Puget Sound, it is anything but healthy.

According to a recent study, up to 81 drugs and personal-care products were detected in the flesh of salmon caught in the Puget Sound. Some of the drugs include Prozac, Advil, Benadryl, Lipitor, and even cocaine. READ MORE

Non-nutritive Sweeteners Can Aid Weight Management in Diabetes

A scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association concluded that non-nutritive sweeteners, when used carefully, may aid in reducing total energy intake and assist with weight loss or weight control while providing beneficial effects on related metabolic parameters. READ MORE

FDA Approves New Fast-Acting Mealtime Insulin

Officials with the FDA have approved fast-acting insulin aspart (Fiasp, Novo Nordisk) for the treatment of adults with diabetes. Fiasp is a fast-acting mealtime insulin designed for individuals in need of improved overall glucose control. READ MORE

8 Powerful Women (including Jillian Michaels and Victoria Beckham) Who Have Opened Up About Their Struggles With PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects about 10 million women in the world. If you’re personally coping with PCOS, always remember that you are not alone. In fact, even some major celebrities with PCOS have used their platform to speak out about their struggles (and triumphs!) with the disorder, and cultivate awareness in our society. READ MORE

Music Spotlight: Kelsea Ballerini’s song, “Legends” is a mid-tempo ballad reflecting on a past love, though Ballerini also views the song as a message to her fans.

“I wrote it from the perspective of a breakup,” Ballerini told RSC. “Now I’m in such a different place in my life that, to me at least, it’s a love song about a love that you look back on that doesn’t even necessarily have to end. I hope my fans hear it as a letter to them but also they hear their own love story in it too.” READ MORE

Movie Spotlight: “Our Souls At Night” starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda As Neighbors With Benefits

“Our Souls at Night” chronicles the blossoming of a December-December romance between two neighbors in the fictional prairie town of Holt, Colo. It begins not with a spark of passion but with a sensible, if unusual, proposal. Addie Moore shows up at Louis Waters’s house and asks if he will sleep with her. Addie doesn’t mean she wants to have sex with Louis. She wants to slide under the covers next to him, turn off the bedside lamp and chat quietly until slumber arrives, simulating the easy marital intimacy that the two of them, both long widowed, have learned to live without. Louis, startled by the idea, agrees to think about it. READ MORE

09/28/201706/24/2020

‘What Scares You The Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite

We’re talking about ‘What Scares You the Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 PM, EST with musical inspiration from the chart-topping band, Old Dominion.

Does diabetes and/or it’s diabetes health-related complications scare you?

According to the members of Divabetic, Diabetes – What To Know, Diabetes Type 2 Group Support Facebook communities, people fear experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as: amputation, blindness and kidney disease.

Many of our members posted messages about their fears including:

“The questions I didn’t know to ask. You just don’t know what you don’t know” – Marie Jean

“Not being in control of my appetite and not being able to lose weight!” – Chrysta

“Having kids and passing diabetes on to them” – Mallory

“Not having a family that I can talk about this!”– Gaye

“Not knowing if the meds I’m taking are actually helping or creating more of a problem. My belly is super bloated from metformin with digestive issues all the time.” – Kristine

“There’s so much to fear, so much I don’t know, and so much to learn. I guess in hindsight, I don’t want diabetes to become my life.” – Stephanie

“My biggest fear is that I will never have it under control and it will over take my life causing harm to not only myself but my loved ones” – Karen

“My son died two years ago from diabetes health-related complications. He absolutely didn’t do anything to help himself. He lost his right leg and half his left foot. He was going blind and just totally gave up. I’m heartbroken that I lost him, but I watched him give up on himself. As diabetics, we have to fight every second we are alive to be as healthy as we can with this disease. Don’t fear, fight.” – Roberta

“I appreciate that there is a lot to be scared of. I had a few days of being afraid of all of these things when I was first diagnosed. But then I got a new mindset. I refuse to be afraid of it. I will fight it with everything I have for the rest of the days God gives me. And if it does eventually get me, well I will go down swinging. Life is too short and precious to be afraid. And there are so many good things we can do to fight it.” – Sam

How does fear of diabetes affect your life and your daily self-care, and more important, what do you do about it?

Small amounts of fear may energize you and get you to pay attention, but the threat has to seem manageable. If there’s nothing you can do, and the future looks too awful, you will tend to give up and try to enjoy the time you have left.

Of course, some fear of diabetes is justified. The complications of diabetes are truly ‘scary’ as our members indicated in several posts. So are the effects fear can have on your family and your finances.

Fears are stressful, and stress isn’t good for diabetes. Fear increases insulin resistance and blood pressure and interferes with the body’s natural healing systems. It makes it harder to enjoy life.

So what do we do about it? Tune in to October’s Diabetes Late Nite to get advice from our panel of experts including: Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Michele Summers Colon DPM, Dr. Lori Shemek PhD, CNC, Dr. Andrea Chisholm MD,OB-GYN, Ansley Dalbo (founder of Diabetes – What To Know), Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and Jackie Mernit Muhlstock.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from Old Dominion’s “Happy Endings” album courtesy of SONY Music.

The country band, Old Dominion’s success makes it hard to believe that its members were once just a group of individual songwriters trying to navigate Nashville’s music industry, playing tiny bars and hoping their songs would catch the right ears. They’ve quickly become of one ofNashville’s savviest songwriting collectives with their highly acclaimed new album Happy Endings.

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.”

TUNE IN: Diabetes Late Nite on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.

09/26/201710/12/2017

Diabetes Friendly Taco Tuesday Recipes with Chef Robert Lewis

Enjoying ‘Taco Tuesdays’ no longer has to compromise your diabetes health thanks to our friend, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’. He’s agreed to share a few of his favorite healthy fish taco recipes on our Divabetic blog to help celebrate the 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ available for free on demand at i-Tunes.

Our zany seaside caper takes place in New York City’s historic seashore, Coney Island. Chef Robert Lewis plays a retired lifeguard amputee name ‘Fast Freddy’ who still likes to swim in the ocean.

Don’t let diabetes dim your DAZZLE! Get in the spirt of our Coney Island caper and enjoy the first of several fish taco recipes, Grilled Fish Tacos.

Grilled Fish Tacos by Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’

What’s in it? (Ingredients)

1 lb Tilapia , cod or mahi mahi fillets

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic , minced

1 1/2 tsp of New Orleans style Blackened seasoning

6 corn or flour tortillas

1 large avocado , sliced

Sour cream , cotija cheese, hot sauce or salsa, for serving (optional)

Let’s put it together!

In a mixing bowl whisk together canola oil, lime juice, garlic, Blackened seasoning. Place fish into a gallon size resealable bag and pour marinade over fish. Seal bag (evenly coat fish with marinade) and allow to marinate in mixture only 20-30 minutes.

Preheat a grill or a pan on the stove to medium-high heat. Brush grill grates with oil and place fish on grill. Grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (cook time will vary based on thickness of fish). Transfer to a plate, break into pieces and serve in warmed taco shells with cabbage slaw, avocado slices and other optional toppings.

Slaw Recipe by Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’

What’s in it? (Ingredients)

1/2 small red cabbage , cored and sliced thin (8 oz)

1/4 cup cilantro , chopped

3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp canola oil

Let’s put it together!

Add cabbage, red onion and cilantro to a medium mixing bowl. Pour lime juice and canola oil over top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Enjoy!

In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he feared the worst for his own love of great food following his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes in 1998.

“I suspected that my days of good eating were over,” Lewis writes on his blog. “Yet, as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites. This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.

Today he’s a man on the go! is a man on the go. When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’! Read more about Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ in Diabetes Health Monitor magazine.

Listen to our 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast entitled ‘Gypsies, Tramps and Peas’.

Synopsis: Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy diabetes-friendly caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found sleeping with the fishes. What it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, an amorous amputee and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?

Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure. Healthy delicious recipes provided by Chef Robert Lewis and Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’.

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

09/23/2017

What’s Trending This Week At Divabetic

Check out the latest headlines in diabetes, diabetes self-management, healthy lifestyles and diva entertainment that we think you should know about this weekend.

After Chaos of the Earthquake, Clinics Give Stability to Patients with Diabetes

Gabi Allard, president of the Mexican Association of Diabetes, said that staffers spent the better part of Saturday afternoon moving around the city, particularly the south, collecting insulin to administer to diabetics who had either lost their homes in the widespread devastation, or who could not reenter them due to structural damage. READ MORE

Sugar Free Doesn’t Mean Carbohydrate Free!

The FDA states that foods labeled “sugar free” should also have a disclaimer that reads “not “low” or “reduced in” calories. Because some of us may think these foods are “diet foods” and overeat them. It is important that we know the truth behind sugar free products – that is, just because they are sugar free does not necessarily mean they are healthy or low-calorie. READ MORE

How to Take Care of Your Diabetes at the Football Game

Whether you go to a game and tailgate or watch from home with a table full of snacks, you might want to prepare a strategy for managing your diabetes in the midst of so many delicious and exciting distractions. Here are a few ways to make sure you have a great time and keep your diabetes from going out of bounds. READ MORE

Demi Lovato’s too Embarrassed to tell Snoop Dogg to Stop Smoking Weed at her House Party

The 25-year-old was expecting just a small gathering of friends so she was surprised when rappers including Snoop, French Montana, Ty Dolla $ign and Wiz Khalifa showed up. “I was like, ‘Wait a second. I just wanted to have a couple people over to hang out,'” she said. “And all of the sudden my house is filled with pot smoke everywhere… I was like, ‘No smoking inside, get out, get out!'” READ MORE

Don’t Let Diabetes Dim Your Dazzle! Make the Most of Your Diabetes Life!

Music Spotlight: Sam Smith’s new song, “Too Good at Goodbyes” A quintessentially piano ballad is the first sample of his upcoming second LP, which follows his multi-platinum 2014 debut, In the Lonely Hour. Enjoy!

Movie Spotlight: “Victoria & Abdul” starring Dame Judi Dench and Ali Fazal. Adapted by Lee Hall (“Billy Elliot,” “War Horse”) from a book by Shrabani Basu, director Stephen Frears’ film dramatizes a heretofore little-known episode from Victoria’s later years, when she formed a platonic but intimate relationship with Abdul Karim, an Indian Muslim clerk whom she had employed as her personal servant.

09/21/2017

Finding Forgiveness After Decades of Guilt by Gail Eisenberg

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic.

My college friend, Gail Eisenberg agreed to share the following excerpt from her forthcoming memoir on the Divabetic blog:

Visceral congestion, pending chemical examination.

Decades later, those five words on a mustard-yellow death certificate were the only explanation I’d had for my mother’s demise in May of 1980, when I was 14. The question remained: Had my mother killed herself? Without proof, I would allow myself to waver. I convinced myself that uncertainty was better than having to say goodbye. But about 10 years ago, as I approached 40 — the age Mom was when she died — I needed resolution. I was determined to ground myself in facts. I dialed New York City’s chief medical examiner to request a copy of her autopsy report.

Within two weeks, I held the legal-size pages folded tightly in thirds. As I read, I imagined my mother’s toe-tagged body draped in a crisp white sheet as it slid out from the metal chamber, the glint of the scalpel, the snap of latex gloves. The pages of the report included terms I didn’t understand, quantities I couldn’t comprehend, body parts I didn’t know existed. My mother described à la carte.

Then: Final cause of death: Acute propoxyphene and diazepam toxicity. Suicide.

My list of socially marginalized affiliations grew — motherless, gay, only child, suicide survivor. I thanked God I wasn’t left-handed. I felt sad, yet satisfied. Until I saw something on the document I’d somehow missed:

Notes found at scene to be brought to mortuary.

“Did Mom kill herself?” I’d asked my father many times over the years, wondering if he’d protected me from the truth at 14, hoping he’d tell me at 40.

“I don’t think Mama meant to do it that day,” he’d reply. “All the medications she was on caught up to her.”

READ MORE

Gail Eisenberg is a New York City-based freelance writer who is working on a memoir, from which this essay is adapted.

A common method of suicide attempt in people with diabetes includes uses of high doses of insulin or other medications to treat the disease.

How widespread is insulin suicide?

According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, an analysis of overdose-related calls to a poison center suggested that 95 percent of insulin overdoses were deliberate. READ MORE

We’re discussing ‘Diabetes & Suicide’ on Diabetes Late Nite podcast with guests, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Neva White DNP, CRNP, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Author Kim Boykin, the founder of thebetes.org, Marina Tsaplina and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN

If you’re thinking of suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is avaiable 24/7 across the U.S. Call the National Suicde Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255

09/20/2017

Overweight Dogs by Debby Kay

It is a well-documented fact that more people living in the USA are overweight than any other country. This also seems to be true for American dogs as well. Research has shown that being overweight not only causes dogs to suffer more frequently from joint disease and related problems but it also reduces their life span by up to 30%. Yet people for whatever reason continue to feed their dogs too much food.

In my 40+ years of dealing with people who overfeed their dogs I have noticed that most of them do not even recognize that their dogs are overweight. So how do you tell if you have a fat dog. The easiest way is to compare it a chart that Purina research has put out that shows what the differences in weights on dogs looks like. Even with this great chart many people still cannot tell fat from muscle. Muscle is lean and when a dog is in proper weight you can see the cuts in the muscle very distinctly. Fat will make a hard rounded appearance and a very obese dog will have sides that roll back and forth like Jello™ when they are trotting towards you. The ribs of the dog should be easy to feel with lean muscle over them just enough to cover but not hide them.

If you have determined however, that your dog is overweight here are a few tips to help you get those pounds off.

1. Cut the amount you are feeding in half for one week. If let’s say, you are giving 2 cups of dry food in the morning and the same in the evening, then cut back to 1 cup for each meal.

2. Snacks should be meat or raw veggies like carrots and nothing else.

3. Double the exercise and make sure this is aerobic exercise. For example, if you take the dog on a walk to park once a day, keep that but add in another session where you jog instead of walk. Or if your dog likes to swim, add in a session of 30 minutes of vigorous swimming.

4. If you don’t jog you can put your dog on a treadmill for 30-60 minutes a day. I have one just for dogs with a longer base but, if you do things slowly, your dog will adapt to a human treadmill no problem.

Once you get the weight off keep it off by regularly weighing your dog at the vets. They don’t charge for it and it will give you a good guide that those pounds are not creeping back on when you thought you have gotten them all off.

You might want to switch foods as the one you are feeding may have too many carbohydrates or grains in it. A good grain free, balanced food like Rachael Ray’s Nutrish Grain Free diets might just the ticket to keeping those pounds off.

Debby Kay has been a pioneer in scent detection work for over 40 years. Debby teaches Super Sniffer® workshops for amateur dog owners and professional trainers alike. She has set up several non profit organizations worldwide for Diabetes Alert Dogs and her Sweet Snoopers program is now in 22 countries around the world helping people manage this disease better through the use of trained alert dogs.

Debby is a founding officer and lifetime member of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, and a member of the Labrador Retriever Club Inc. She is a professional member of the Dog Writers Association of America, The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and the International Association of Canine Professionals.

DIVABETIC BOOK SHELF: ‘Walking with Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life’ by Eric O’Grey

Eric O’Grey was 150 pounds overweight, depressed, and sick. After a lifetime of failed diet attempts, and the onset of type 2 diabetes due to his weight, Eric went to a new doctor, who surprisingly prescribed a shelter dog. And that’s when Eric met Peety: an overweight, middle-aged, and forgotten dog who, like Eric, had seen better days. The two adopted each other and began an incredible journey together, forming a bond of unconditional love that forever changed their lives. Over the next year, just by going on walks, playing together, and eating plant-based foods, Eric lost 150 pounds, and Peety lost 25. As a result, Eric got off all oral medication, and became happy and healthy for the first time in his life-eventually reconnecting with and marrying his high school sweetheart. ‘Walking With Peety’ is for anyone who is ready to make a change in his or her life, and for everyone who knows the joy, love, and hope that dogs can bring. This is more than a tale of mutual rescue. This is an epic story of friendship and strength. ORDER NOW

Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Author Eric O’Grey on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

09/18/201709/18/2017

Stress of a Diabetic Diva by Eugenia Wells-Bassillio

As many of you may know I am a ‘PWD Type 1’ (person living with type 1 diabetes), I have been living type 1 diabetes since 2014. I have been a diabetic since 2005. Being a diabetic is hard since you must be on top of your disease at all times. You don’t get a day off. I always have to check my blood sugars and carry my diabetes kit with me at all times to make sure that I’m prepared for anything. For example, I carry test strips, meter, alcohol swabs, lancet device, lancets, insulin – fast acting. Insulin – long acting ( in case I don’t get back home in time for my afternoon dose or since I’m at work before my morning dose), pen needles, glucose for lows, snacks, ice pack for summer time in my purse before I head out the door.

Managing my diabetes also means dealing stress. Stress is probably the hardest thing for me to manage! There’s always something to stress out about in daily life. I mean how do you go through life stress free? Daily struggles are always there from family and kids to jobs and loads of bills that must be paid. The list goes on and on. I get stressed just thinking about ‘stress’, LOL.

On June 16, 2017, I was informed by my employer that my job of 8 years had been eliminated; this meant that I would lose my benefits on June 30^th. This rocked my world! What was I going to do? I needed my meds, supplies and lifesaving insulin. Over the next few weeks my husband and I sat down and tried to decide what to do. We had no choice except to put me on his health insurance. This meant that we’d lose a good chuck of his check since he works for a small company. But what else could we do? Talk about stress! My blood sugars during those weeks and the following months have been out of control. Some mornings I’ve woken up with sugars over 250 and I’ve had to take more insulin to correct. This is, of course, all due to stress.

People just don’t realize what a diabetic goes through. The highs/lows and everything in between are very tough on the body, spirit and family unit. I have tried to remain positive but it is very hard. I have been to two job interviews. I hope that one of them will pay off. In the meantime, I wake up every day and tell myself that I am priceless. That any employer will be glad to get me. When I leave the house I make sure to fix my hair and put on my makeup. I grab a different color of lipstick and tell myself that today I will be in control.

I guess I said all of this to just let someone out there struggling with depression, stress, uncontrolled sugars or whatever you are going through, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We all face different things and that diabetes is hard. But remember this, God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors! And believe me if you are diabetic, you are a warrior! Whatever seen or unseen battle you are fighting you are not alone.

Pick yourself up, straighten your crown, and stomp that runway called life.

*Editor’s Note: Eugenia Wells-Bassillio is the founder of the ‘Diabetic Divas Unite’ Facebook page. She also recently started working at Baptist Hospital in Oxford, MS

Share your experience living with diabetes on the Divabetic blog. E-mail Max Szadek at: mrdivabetic@gmail.com

Tune in to Divabetic’s 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ and learn how to manage your diabetes like a detective! LISTEN NOW

Don’t miss October’s Diabetes Late Nite with music by Old Dominion on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Andrea Chisholm, Dr. Michele Summers Colon, and Mama Rose Marie.

09/16/201705/21/2020

Sugar-Free Coconut Custard Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris

I blame MaryAnn, who whipped up endless coconut cream pies for Gilligan on TV, and the chorus of Rupert Holmes’ hit song, Escape (The Pina Colada song) for why I associate ‘coconuts’ with ‘beaches’. That’s probably why I reached out to my friend and colleague Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ for a dessert recipe featuring coconuts to help celebrate the debut of our 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. After all, the setting of this year’s mystery is the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, NY!!

When Stacey Harris was studying to become a pastry chef, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than give up her chosen profession, she began creating more diabetic-friendly desserts. By using blended flours and a combination of sugar and sugar substitutes, reducing milk carbohydrates, and eliminating trans fats, Stacey Harris has transformed more than 200 desserts into diabetic-friendly delights.

Here’s Stacey Harris’ fabulous Coney Island caper inspired recipe for you and your family to enjoy!

Sugar-Free Coconut Custard Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients:

2 c. milk, scalded
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. SPLENDA® Naturals
2 tsp. coconut extract
dash nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In large bowl, beat eggs, add SPLENDA® Naturals, coconut extract and nutmeg; blend in hot milk.

Pour into small casserole dish and bake for 1 hour.

Garnish:

Serve with whipped cream sprinkled with a little toasted coconut, a fresh orange slice or garnish of your choice and enjoy!

The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s cookbooks are filled with information on the definition, treatment, and prevention of diabetes and include complete nutritional information (calories, fat, cholesterol, sugars, and protein) for each recipe. She uses Splendar and presents other sugar-free alternatives for pancakes, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pies. Stacey Harris shares the sweet secrets of her simple-to-use formula that will convert most any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising taste or quality. Now ‘divabetics’ can enjoy Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Blueberry Tartlets, Cream Cheese Cupcakes, Coffee Bread Pudding, and hundreds of others. BUY NOW

“In The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris proves you can prepare and eat wonderful food and still stay well within the guidelines of food for a person with diabetes.”—Alan L. Rubin, M.D., author of Diabetes for Dummies and Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, We Are Diabetes organization founder, Asha Brown, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay MEd, DTR, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth, Mr. Divabetic in the seaside adventure, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’.

Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But this nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found sleeping with the fishes.

What it an accident or foul play?

Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling a sequined Real Estate Agent, ex-lifeguard Lothario and a voluptuous Dance Instructor, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?

Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends and a kooky crudite-obsessed fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers Summertime diabetes self-care tips.

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music. LISTEN NOW

09/14/201709/16/2017

Soara-Joye Ross Returns to Stage in ‘Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story

The fabulous Soara-Joye Ross doesn’t let diabetes dim her dazzle!

She’s living with type 1 diabetes and currently starring as R & B singer, LaVern Baker in the hit musical drama, ‘Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story’ at Bucks County Playhouse.

Delores ‘LaVern’ Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s? Her most successful records were “Tweedle Dee” (1955), “Jim Dandy” (1956), and “I Cried a Tear” (1958). She was among the first eight recipients of the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following Aretha Franklin in 1987.

Baker told the audience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “Regardless of how old you are when you get this, it’s still good, baby.”

LaVern Baker had a stroke in the early 1990’s, and complications from type 2 diabetes forced her to have her legs amputated in 1995. But she returned to performing in 1996 with an undiminished voice and an indomitable spirit.

“Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story” is being produced at the Playhouse by Robyn Goodman, Alexander Fraser, Stephen Kocis, Josh Fiedler in association with Sharon A. Carr and Caiola Productions.

This high energy musical uncovers the true story of Alan Freed — the Father of Rock and Roll. It’s the 1950s and a cocky young DJ discovers the music that all America wants to hear — except no radio station will play it. Pursued by the notorious J. Edgar Hoover for promoting this unwholesome genre, Alan perseveres — unearthing the sound of a new generation through pure guts, grit, and determination. Featuring original songs and classic tunes by legends like Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, this world premiere will have you rocking around the clock! BUY TICKETS

Recently Soara-Joye Ross started wearing an insulin pump that she named “Black Panther” after a stint performing in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of ‘Sister Act’. Soara-Joye says her insulin delivery device aka ‘the pump’ has been a godsend for her managing her diabetes especially with such a rigorous performance schedule.

“With the insulin pump I can suspend my insulin delivery which is extremely helpful if I’m constantly on stage like I was when I was performing as Deloris Van Cartier ( in the musical, ‘Sister Act’),” she says.

Enjoy this episode of Diabetes Late Nite with guest, Soara-Joye Ross and hear how she manages her type 1 diabetes like a diva! LISTEN NOW

MAKEOVER YOUR DIABETES! Are you curious about why amputations occur? Learn what you need to do if you do have a diabetic foot ulcer so that it heals and doesn’t progress to amputation from the Diabetes Council. READ MORE

09/05/2017

A Healthy ‘Taco Tuesday’ Recipe from Chef Robert Lewis

Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesdays?

All of sudden the day after Monday, Tuesday, doesn’t seem so bad. I think ‘tacos’ might be to blame for why Tuesdays have become a highpoint in our culinary week. This popular culinary trend, Taco Tuesdays, took off in Southern California and quickly spread to many big cities across the nation.Taco Tuesday is similar to Happy Hour in that restaurants vary in their participation, hours, and specials offered.

Taco Tuesdays can be part of a healthy diet plan, if done right.

I asked my friend, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ to share a few of his favorite healthy fish taco recipes on this blog. It’s all part of the preparations for our biggest podcast event of the year, Mister Divabetic Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

The wonderful Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ plays the character on ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’.

Since this year’s zany adventure takes place in New York City’s historic seashore, Coney Island we’re spotlighting seafood dishes.

Don’t let diabetes dim your DAZZLE! Get in the spirt and enjoy the first of several fish taco recipes,Garlic Rubbed Salmon Tacos, from The Happy Diabetic. It’s sure to win over your family and friends at your next party!

Garlic Rubbed Salmon Tacos by The Happy Diabetic

What’s in it?

1 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. chopped garlic

Fresh Cracked pepper

1 Tsp Splenda

1 lb. skinless salmon fillet

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 corn tortillas

1 very ripe avocado

Let’s put it together!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the garlic, Splenda and olive oil. Rub the salmon and let stand for 5 minutes.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until they are softened and heated through.

Heat a large pan with oil or cook on the grill. Cook the salmon over medium heat until nicely browned and just cooked through, about 3 -5 minutes per side.

Gently break each piece of salmon in half. Spread the mashed avocado on the warm tortillas and top with the salmon, cabbage, and Drizzle each taco with fresh lime serve.

Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ has made it his mission to not only to be an ambassador of positivity for himself and his family (which includes 3 children and 6 grandchildren) but to also create amazing things in the kitchen for people of all walks of life to enjoy.

In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he wasn’t going to let his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes get him down.

“When I started this personal journey as a type 2 in 1998, I determined right then and there that diabetes was not going to change my positive outlook on life! I have always looked for ways to bring joy to others,” says Chef Robert Lewis. “ As The Happy Diabetic, I work to bring hope as well as happy, healthy lifestyle strategies to people living with diabetes! Putting a positive spin on things will always help us get through the tough times together!”

Now The Happy Diabetic’s a man on a mission! When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’! Read more about Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ in Diabetes Health Monitor magazine.

What’s Trending: Thousands of Farmed Salmon Accidentally Released into Seas

Thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon were accidentally released into the waters between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands, and officials are asking people to catch as many as possible. Tribal fishers, concerned about native salmon populations, call the accident “a devastation.” READ MORE

Don’t Miss The Newest Mister Divabetic Mystery podcast entitled ‘Gypsies, Tramps and Peas’ on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST.

Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fishes. What it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Join the show! Get the full script for ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ and read along as our cast performs. Please e-mail: mrdvabetic@gmail.com