Sharing a snack with your dog is a fun way to connect with them, and, when you choose the right foods, can be a healthy way to supplement their diet. But, some human foods are dangerous for dogs and can cause illness and even death if they ingest them.
So what can dogs eat and what can dogs not eat off your plate? CyberPet has constructed a thorough list of over 50 human foods you might offer to your pet.
Divabetic’s new outreach program, Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day, celebrates the positive changes both animals and people can make to affect each other’s heart health at Central Farm Markets in Falls Church, Virginia in September 2020. Stay tuned for details!
Sex and Diabetes: For Him and For Herco-author Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND answers our questions about intimacy and diabetes on February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
Romantic relationships play an important role in our everyday lives. When diabetes enters the picture, it can complicate and strain even the most loving and open relationships. If you have diabetes, you may be looking for guidance on this sensitive subject – Janis Roszler and Donna Rice’s Sex and Diabetes is here to give help and advice where you need it. Don’t let diabetes hinder the romance; Sex and Diabetes can help you discover how to rekindle the intimacy with your partner.
We’re talking about ‘ROMANCE & DIABETES’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from Camila Cabello on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST.
After releasing three studio albums from 2015 to 2017 as part of Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello made her solo album debut in 2018, then this second album, Romance released in 2019 — and even she can feel the difference in the song-making process.
I feel like this time around, I really got to bond with the people that I was collaborating with because I wasn’t trying to impress anyone anymore.
Having diabetes affects much more than a person’s diet. It can impact every aspect of their life, including their sexual health.
When a person has diabetes, their body cannot use insulin properly, and this can lead to high blood sugar levels. Over time, these can lead to complications such as nerve damage and cardiovascular problems. Both have implications for sexual health in men and women.</p>
Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Hyvelle Ferguson Davis shares her 14-year diabetes health journey which includes stroke, heart attack, surgeries and setbacks on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST on blogtalkradio. TUNE IN
Hyvelle Ferguson Davis
Hyvelle was diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant with her son Ethan. The disease caught her totally off guard. “It was surreal to me,” she said. She wanted a healthy child, so diligently followed her doctor’s orders.
But not long after giving birth, she reverted to her old ways, “eating whatever I wanted to eat, thinking my meds would make up for what I ate,” she said. “I’d been checking my blood three times a day. But after having him, I didn’t. I ate anything and everything: chicken wings, red velvet cake. There was nothing I wasn’t eating.”
She kept thinking diabetes was an old person’s disease. Then, in 2014, she had a stroke. Every two minutes, an adult with diabetes in the U.S. is hospitalized for a stroke.
The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, along with industry leaders, have proudly launched the groundbreaking collaborative initiative Know Diabetes by Heart™ to reduce cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks and strokes in people living with type 2 diabetes.
How To Minimize Your Heart Risk
Prepare for your visit.Ask questions. Write them down ahead of time if you need to.
Be honest. Have candid conversations about your daily habits and lifestyle. This will help you work with your healthcare team to implement changes that are realistic for you.
Take notes. Make note of consistent symptoms, questions about your medications, and any changes in your lifestyle. These can be helpful for your next check-up. Also, take notes during your clinic visits. This can help you remember things, particularly if there are changes in your care plan.
We’re talking about ‘ROMANCE & DIABETES’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from Camila Cabello on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
After releasing three studio albums from 2015 to 2017 as part of Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello made her solo album debut in 2018, then this second album, Romance released in 2019 — and even she can feel the difference in the song-making process.
“I feel like this time around, I really got to bond with the people that I was collaborating with because I wasn’t trying to impress anyone anymore.”
Having diabetes affects much more than a person’s diet. It can impact every aspect of their life, including their sexual health.
When a person has diabetes, their body cannot use insulin properly, and this can lead to high blood sugar levels. Over time, these can lead to complications such as nerve damage and cardiovascular problems. Both have implications for sexual health in men and women.
Hip hop legend Doctor Dre, known for being the co-host of “Yo! MTV Raps”, has lost his vision due to complications from type 2 diabetes. He’s helping us to honor Luther Vandross’s legacy by sharing his story on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
Since his diagnosis in 2007, the famed DJ launched the Visually Impaired Can Foundation that aims to provide resources for those with vision obstacles. “Basically I’ve been going through a whole different resurgence of my life,” he said. “I stopped at one point, and now I’m doing this and through the blessings of the late great Dick Gregory and some people he’s known I’ve worked through different holistic doctors out there to change what goes in my body and actually work with trying to do the best. We can treat diabetes.”
Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam.
Guests include Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown, Michelle Cobbs-Hardy, Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, Luther Vandross Historian Leon Petrossian, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album,‘The Night I Fell In Love’courtesy of SONY Music.
Discussing the eight tracks on The Night I Fell in Love, Luther Vandross says, “Yeah, that’s a good album. There was something magical about the way everyone responded to it, which to this day I can’t account for.”
FANDROSS: The Night I Fell In Love with Luther Live Concert
Join fellow Luther Vandross fans for an evening of music, memories, and magic at the third annual FANDROSS concert. Luther’s former bandmates, vocalists and special guests will to perform your favorite Luther songs under the musical direction of Nat Adderley, Jr. This incredible night will have audiences remembering the magic of his brilliant voice.
In my experience, stress is one of the biggest challenges in diabetes management – physical, mental and emotional stress. When the body goes into hyper drive and stimulates the fight or flight response, the relaxed part of our nervous system is supposed to kick in and produce calm. In our 21st century society that rarely happens. Instead we spend over 80% of our time in the stress response and 20% calming things down. How can we push the reset button? How can we stop the cycle of reacting to every single physical, mental and emotional upset?
Think of meditation as being the same as concentration. When you concentrate on something, your mind is engaged. Rather than identifying with difficult thoughts, emotions or even experiences, the mind is immersed in the task at hand. When you read, you have to be there, otherwise you miss the thread of the story. When you perform any detailed task, you can’t think about anything else. Herbert Benson, a researcher who studied what he coined the ‘Relaxation Response’ discovered that test subjects focussed on a specific repetitive task with the intention of letting go of the thoughts of the mind, experienced a parasympathetic (relaxed) nervous system response. Even more profound was the understanding that the thoughts didn’t need to disappear for the body to relax. Meditation is not ‘stopping’ your thoughts. It’s about drawing the attention away from the thoughts consistently enough so that the body mind complex can relax, rest and reset.
When students tell me, they can’t meditate because they can’t stop thinking, I assure them that nobody can stop thinking. Thoughts are like a screensaver. They remind us that we are awake. Thoughts are labels for things. Without these labels we wouldn’t have any way to differentiate the forms in creation. Without thoughts we wouldn’t be able to get by in the world. Rather than trying to control our thoughts or what we think of our thoughts, let’s become aware of the one having the thoughts. Who is that? What is that?
The Yoga tradition calls the nature of Self ‘wholeness, peace, love’ or any other word you want to use to describe that which is indescribable.
When we are relaxed and happy, there are no words.
One thing we can do to support our nervous system is to spend time in nature. According to a recent study just 1.5 hours a week spent in a forest, by the sea, in a community garden, anywhere away from concrete and glass is enough to replenish your system. But what if in a stressful moment you can’t go forest bathing?
Then the 5-element meditation is the next best thing.
Imagining and experiencing the elements in your mind’s eye not only evokes the relaxation response, it tricks the mind into thinking it’s in nature. Which ultimately it is. Whether we are in an office building or in our house in the suburbs we are still in the creation. Have you ever tried to get out of creation? Like leave in a spaceship? Impossible. Even in the far outer reaches of space you are still in creation.
The 5-element meditation evokes all the senses as well. Each sense is connected to an element.
Space is connected to the sense of hearing
Air is connected to the sense of touch
Fire is connected to the sense of sight
Water is connected to the sense of taste
Earth is connected to the sense of smell
As you are led through each sense and its corresponding element feel their interconnection.
To practice the meditation, you don’t need special clothes, or to be in a special place. You can be sitting in your car, lying in your bed, any comfortable position is fine. You can even use this practice to calm and centre yourself while you’re waiting for your blood sugar to come up after treating a hypo. I use this meditation whenever I need to be present to the moment. After the practice I always feel more ready and able to deal with whatever diabetes and life throws my way.
CLICK HERE to join me for the audio version of the Mediation on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast
The 5-element meditation
Find a comfortable seat and close your eyes
Become aware of your breath, notice the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. Notice whether the breath is cool or warm, notice the direction and force of the breath.
Become aware of the sounds around you – sounds of your breath, sounds in the room. After a few moments of listening reach and stretch your awareness to more distant sounds. Perhaps you can hear cars, birds, people talking. Keep reaching and stretching your awareness to the furthest sound. Noticing how sound travels through the medium of space. How space has no beginning or end.
Become aware of the sensation of touch. Notice where your hands are touching your thighs or resting in your lap. Sense the clothing touching your skin, feel the air travelling across your skin. Notice the quality of air. Is it warm, cool, erratic or consistent? Notice the air going in and out of your nostrils. Sense all the different ways your body interacts with air. Notice how air is light, subtle and only experienced through the skin and the sense of touch.
Become aware of your closed eyes. Notice the light filtering through your closed eyelids. Keep your eyes closed and notice if you can see the colours and patterns there. In order to see we need light, the element of fire. But even with the eyes closed seeing continues. Think of all the forms we can see in our minds eye. Think about how we cannot imagine something we have no knowledge of. Fire is the element that enables us to see forms and differentiate forms either real or imagined.
Become aware of the taste on your tongue. You might also notice the saliva there. Take a swallow. Notice whether the taste is sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent or pungent. Notice where the taste sits on your tongue. Is it at the back? On the side? At the tip? In order to taste water must be present. Notice how the rhythm of your breath, the beating of your heart is governed by circulation of fluid through the system.
Notice the smells around you. Can you smell one smell over another? In order to smell there has to be some gas rising from the earth or from something in the creation. The fragrance of a flower, the smell of pine needles, the spray from the ocean, the smell of a garden after rain. Try and take a moment to differentiate the smells. The element of earth also relates to our physical structure. Our bones, tissues and muscles.
Take a moment to focus on your position whether seated or lying down. Trace your mind from your sitting bones down to your feet. Wiggle your toes. Then moving from the feet up to the top of your head. Scan your whole body.
Notice how the body occupies the space – the space which is infinite, formless, empty and vast.
Come back to your breath. Notice what’s happening with your breath. Let the breath be exactly as it is.
Then slowly and when you are ready open your eyes and return to normal waking awareness.
Rachel Zinman, is an internationally renowned yoga teacher and writer, was floored when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 42, despite her lifelong dedication to a healthy lifestyle which included a decades-long practice of yoga. In ‘Yoga for Diabetes’, Rachel shares her personal journey and her hard-won wisdom gained from her own experience of yoga and diabetes.
Finally we have a book written by an accomplished yoga teacher with diabetes herself who points the way to regaining health and well-being for people of all ages and types of diabetes.
In Yoga for Diabetes, regardless of your current state of health, or type of diabetes, you can look forward to learning how to:
Reduce stress in minutes and thus improve your overall health index
Achieve healthier and more stable blood glucose levels
Find the secrets to adapting a yoga practice to suit your constitution and individual needs
Find deeper meaning in life and thus a holistic healing affecting multiple levels of your well-being
https://youtu.be/dtaHAgyC5b4
Yoga for Diabetes – Beginner Yoga Routine with Rachel Zinman
Insulin is a lifeline for many people living with diabetes, yet its cost has nearly doubled over the last five years.
Harry Smith introduces TODAY viewers to Trump’s friend, Fossil Fuel Billlionaire Harold Hamm, who’s out to change a situation he calls “unconscionable.
“I believe that breakthroughs in diabetes will occur in the lab and we want to foster an environment where the best and brightest are exploring all pathways to a cure at the HHDC,” said Harold Hamm.
Interesting Fact: On January 23rd, 1923, Federick Banting and Charles Best were awarded the American patents for insulin which they sold to the University of Toronto for $1.00 each.
Harold Hamm Diabetes Center (HHDC) is committed to curing diabetes and ending the diabetes pandemic in the 21st century. It is among the world’s largest and most comprehensive institutions of its kind, integrating top-flight academic research with clinical care and disease prevention. The center oversees the world’s top research prize in the diabetes field. It has facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as well as affiliated sites across the state, including partnerships with Native American communities. An innovative range of services includes support groups, cooking classes, lifestyle-intervention programs, and a summer camp for children and teens.
What Can You Do To Help Fight Soaring Insulin Prices?
Join your local T1International Chapter. Never done advocacy before? Many of T1International Chapter members were in the same position before starting. Your T1International Chapter will provide the support you need to get going. They can help you with a group of like-minded people fighting for the same things, as well as resources, tips on reaching out to legislators, and more!
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure himself, Rob Taub, 63, changed his lifestyle and lost more than 60 pounds with encouragement from his doctor. Rob shares how important the right doctor is in motivating you to face your diabetes challenges head on on January’s Diabetes Late Nite.
Rob Taub is a national volunteer ambassador for Know Diabetes by Heart, a collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association to raise awareness between the link between type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke and empower people living with diabetes to reduce their risk. Rob has enjoyed an eclectic career television, radio, journalism and real estate. He has interviewed everyone from pop stars to presidents and has written for People Magazine, Newsmax, SI/Cauldron, The Huffington Post and Thrive Global. Rob’s work has encompassed everything from scripted comedies to World Wrestling Entertainment, and his distinctive voice can be heard in commercials and movies, including the Coen Brothers Miller’s Crossing and Barton Fink. He is known for playing the role of weatherman Russell Carlton on The Onion News Network and has made more than 300 appearances as a political and sports pundit on television. Follow him on Twitter @robmtaub or at www.RobTaub.com.
We’re talking about how to minimize DRAMA in our DIABETES LIVES with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas on January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.
If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?
Every time you find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, you have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.
This debate about Jillian Michaels (the self-proclaimed “health expert”) and her negative remarks during an interview about Lizzo (rap singer) and her positive self-acceptance is not a new criticism. Jillian Michael’s question, “Why are we celebrating her body?” is not so surprising as she makes her living helping people to lose weight and get fit. Lizzo, on the other hand, flaunts her curvaceous body size in her costumes when she performs on stage. Her song lyrics reinforce the idea that you can “feel good as hell” about yourself and celebrates how women should feel empowered.
The term body shaming describes the practice of making critical, potentially humiliating comments about a person’s body size or weight. This controversy about “fatness versus fitness” is not so black and white. Not every plus-sized person is unhealthy or has diabetes. Likewise, not every thin person has achieved their weight in a healthy manner, such as those with eating disorders.
How can you respond to body shaming? Try body positivity. It is the belief that all human beings should have a positive body image, while challenging the ways in which society represents and views the physical body. Body positivity advocates the acceptance of all bodies no matter the form, size, or appearance.
It’s human nature to experience hurt feelings when someone says something negative about you. But the good news is there are a few things you can do to build up your confidence, feel better about yourself, and learn to move on:
1. DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. Spend time with people who love you for who you are.
2. DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEAUTIFUL. Get a haircut, treat yourself to a manicure, or wear your favorite outfit.
3. DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. Love to run, sew, play chess, tell jokes, bake, juggle? We all have special talents, so find what you do well and do it often.4. DO SOMETHING NICE FOR OTHERS. Pay it forward in the drive-through. Shovel a neighbor’s walk. Mail someone a handwritten note. Small kindnesses can make you feel happy, beautiful, and accomplished at the same time!
Dr. Beverly S. Adler, aka “Dr. Bev”, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator with a private practice in Baldwin, NY. She was honored in 2016 with the “Certified Diabetes Educator Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”
She is the author/editor of two diabetes self-help books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. She has published articles in print and online about diabetes management – always with the focus on emotional adjustment. Dr. Bev has been quoted in numerous magazines and contributed to a monthly diabetes advice column online. She is a frequent contributor to the Divabetic Diabetes Daily Wire, where she blogs about diabetes topics from the psychological perspective.
Dr. Bev has lived successfully with type 1 diabetes for 42 years. You can connect with her on her website www.AskDrBev.com and on Twitter @AskDrBev.
We’re talking about how to minimize DRAMA in our DIABETES LIVES with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas on January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.
If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?
Every time you find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, you have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.
Guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.
According to the Oxford dictionary, pride is “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” And they give the example, “he takes great pride in his appearance”
Let’s face it – being overweight is not a trait that is “widely admired” in our culture. Nor is it considered an “achievement”. Quite the contrary, we tend to believe that excess weight is often the result of a lack of pride in one’s appearance. How, then, can we also preach that you should be proud of yourself no matter what you weigh? How can someone find a sense of pride, if that pride, by definition, is attached to some (undefined) achievement, or the admiration of others? How many people can say that they are admired for being overweight? Or that gaining 50 pounds is seen as a wonderful achievement?
And what about the issue of “health”? Pride aside, we also firmly believe that excess weight puts us at higher risk of developing a number of preventable conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, back and knee pain, etc etc. And of course there is ample evidence that this is true, and everyone knows or has heard it. We can’t escape the messages from magazine ads and articles, pamphlets in the doctor’s office, the parade of tv shows showing the various horrors (physical and otherwise) of being fat. So, it is assumed that if someone is overweight, on some level they are knowingly putting themselves at higher risk. And how can you be proud of yourself under those circumstances? l believe therein lies the problem. How can l have pride in myself, my looks, my body, my size…when l “know” how dangerous and risky it is to be carrying extra weight?
I am an older woman of color, who has struggled with weight since childhood. I have also had type 1 diabetes for almost 40 years. Type 1 is the type that most people get early in life (aka juvenile diabetes), but l was not diagnosed until l was almost 30. I admit l am a “micromanager” when it comes to diabetes, and l think it has paid off, because just yesterday my endocrinologist told me that l am doing very well, with no sign of any complications. l am still overweight, but she has also told me that weight loss is NOT part of my treatment plan. She is more concerned that we protect my kidneys and my heart, by keeping my A1c at a safe level, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol. I have to admit that l was surprised when she first told me that, because l, like everyone else, bought into the idea that if l wasn’t actively losing weight, or at least trying to, that l wasn’t “doing well”, or that l “wasn’t motivated”. I always thought that l should hang my head when the topic of weight was raised, and be prepared for “the lecture” about how l needed to do more or do better. Was l counting my carbs right? Was l measuring? Was l trying to use the stairs instead of the elevator? Was l prepared for the pejorative face that many health professionals make when they listen to your “excuses” about your size?
As l sat in the waiting room, every magazine on the table had some headline article on the cover declaring “Lose 10 Pounds in A Week”; “Miracle Diet Helps Curb Your Appetite”; “Slim Down the Easy Way”; “How l Lost 100 Pounds and Gained a Husband”. I went back to reading a novel on my Kindle as l waited to be seen. Looking around the waiting room, l began to start comparing myself to everyone else, even though l have no idea what issues they are dealing with, or where they are on their journey. And what’s worse, l’m sure they are also looking at and judging ME.
And then, l thought of the ultimate paradox…we are told that we should love and be proud of our bodies, no matter what size they are and what they look like. How is that even possible, given so much opinion to the contrary? Even as l wait to see my endocrinologist, my pride is challenged by the messages in her very office. Although she herself tells me not to concern myself with my weight! She says that l am doing well and my health is good.
Frankly, l’m tired of the whole conversation. l’m tired of being made to feel somehow inadequate. l’m tired of being seen as lazy, or unmotivated. l’m tired of comparing myself to others. l’m tired of the labels. l’m tired of trying to explain the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and how my pancreas simply does not work, and my having diabetes is not a result of my poor eating habits. l’m tired of women judging other women. l’m tired of men asking me what l think about women judging other women. And then here comes Jillian Michaels. Why should l care what she says about Lizzo? Why should Lizzo care? Who are these people, anyway? (l literally did not know who either of them was until l was asked to write this.)
Well, they’re the same people who are sitting in my doctor’s waiting room, and working in my doctor’s office, and standing in line next to me in the supermarket, looking in my cart to see if l’m buying “fattening” foods. These people are everywhere and guess what? They have a right to think whatever they choose to think. But can we please stop making it a big deal? Believe what you want. Do what you think is best for you. Make your decisions based on your trusted sources. As the Oxford dictionary says, take pride in your appearance. Your hair, your skin, your clothes. l think the only way to combat this sort of conversation is to stop having it.
Am l proud of myself? Yes. l have had diabetes for well over half of my life. And no complications. l worked over 40 years, until l reached retirement age, and never took a leave because of illness. I earned a master’s degree summa cum laude, while working full time and caring for 3 elderly relatives. l live in a beautiful new home, drive a sexy convertible, and maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Plus, l have a part-time counseling practice that provides extra income, and hopefully helps people improve their coping skills. Am l proud of me? Hell yes. And l have learned to live by an important concept: what you think of me is none of my business. You’re entitled to your opinion, but it does not concern me one bit. Nor does it require a response. Are you listening Jillian?
Lorraine Brooks wrote this blog post. She shares her poetry on Divabetic’s monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite. Lorraine Brooks takes an earthy, often wildly comic and unembarrassed look at life’s frailties; from natural disasters to lusty encounters in her book, Riding the Wave. Her words denote a simple bravery of style.
We’re talking about how to minimize the drama in our diabetes lives with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas on January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.
Maria Callas changed the way we listen to opera—and charged the ambition of the singers who followed her. Her ability to interpret a wide variety of different roles truly set her apart, establishing her as a phenomenon, an operatic diva. She was able to fully exploit the dramatic strength of her low vocal range as much as the high and bright notes of her high range.
Opera takes any type of dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Symptoms and situations related to diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly. But how do you react to them? Are you ‘drama queen’?
If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?
Every time we find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, we have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.
Guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.
It seems as though every January, no matter what else is happening in the world of greater significance (hello Australia, hello impeachment, hello Iran…???) if a celebrity loses weight or gains weight or is a fat, happy person, there is no peace for the plump. The internet is abuzz…. Did Adele lose too much weight too quickly, did Lizzo get fatter and Jillian Michaels get snarkier about Lizzo’s weight “problem?”
As one of the first plus size models in the early 80’s, I’m known for having carved a curve out in the industry and become plus royalty. I can’t lie, I wish I was born with the thin gene, but I’ve long given up beating myself into an unnecessary place of body bashing and self-bullying. I’ve made peace with my abilities and learned to dress for the size (and shape) that I am. And I’ve become a role model in the meantime. I don’t claim, “Come on girls get as big as you want, we have clothes for ya…” I try to be a better eater, not a perfect eater and move and groove with the rhythm of my life’s purpose. And being a member of Divabetic has helped me fulfill my desire to tamper my message in a world of finger wagging and blame/shame games. I have a balance in my meal program… and I don’t binge and purge, or starve and sate myself. I live in the means and watch my numbers. It’s called mindfulness….
All these accusations and admonishments, where do they come from? Why do we need examples of who is getting it right, and what does that even mean? It all stems from the fact that we live in a completely image and size obsessed world and have been since the photograph and camera was invented. (Well, maybe Eve said to Adam, “Does this leaf make me look fat?”) It all comes down to that little aperture, the shutter that should make you shutter, that moment in time captured and frozen for all to gaze upon like some reverse narcissistic trip. The invention of the camera started it all, then airbrushing and lighting and photo retouching came about (long before photoshop there still was retouching). But the one invention, the fitness expert, the guru, the admonishing diet industry has worked its way into our self-doubt and self-loathing, finding a way to lower our self-esteem and compare ourselves to others even more. And like gawkers at a car crash site, we are curiosity seekers wanting to see the transformation or the cat fight that ensues from the comments, criticism and backlash that spirals out of control. Going viral is almost a rite of passage, like it hasn’t mastered the art of breaking through and causing a riot if it hasn’t been posted, pounced on or passed on. It’s a giant train wreck on social media these days. Sometimes what’s trending is so vapid and yawn-inducing that you wonder when people are going to get real lives and start living off their smart phones. I think the fact that we can make comments and they are uncensored to the point of being downright demonic, mean spirited, snarky and border on bullying, really tests one’s capacity of finding inner peace and tuning out the noise. No matter if we are not particularly obsessed with the person losing weight, it’s as if everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and express their opinion. There is a vast assortment of gurus and trainers who want us to “give ‘em twenty” – and have you PAY them for it and fan the flames that capitalize on the debate that ensues!!!
I just was called on yesterday by Cindy Hsu of CBS News and asked to come out and make a comment on Adele’s 50 pound weight loss. It’s like she wanted me to say something like, “Well we lost another one.” But Cindy is great because she and I analyze what does this mean societally and she calls on me for that wisdom. Somehow every celebrity succumbs to the industry’s obsessive pressures to lose weight. It wasn’t Twiggy who glamorized the gaunt look, it was Wallis Simpson who claimed, “you can never be too thin or too rich” Now that seems to be something at least we all would somewhat agree on. Except if one has become rich by being too fat.
Enter Lizzo…she would never be Lizzo unless she was a beautiful, talented, songstress who is sort of the more zaftig, musical equivalent of the sassy, quick witted, and lighthearted Tiffany Haddish. They are the epitome of the African American woman who is allowed to be voluptuous and almost garish in her garb. Fishnets, short shorts, body con dresses, hips and butt twerking for the masses. And that flute. Lordy, lordy….she is a in your face, this is me, take it or leave it (we’ll take it) and her song is infectious and anthematic. Just like Gwen Stefani with her “ain’t no holler back girl song,” this Lizzo music is annoyingly memorable and sing songy, too. And Lizzo’s lyrics are empowering and rap clever. (“I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch”)….
Enter today’s latest news cycle war….Lizzo vs. Jillian….Jillian Michaels who is a taut and toned, somewhat judgmental, ex -coach of The Biggest Loser, whip cracker, and a fitness expert who makes her living from getting people completely reinvented and molded into shape is criticized for fat shaming. The fat shaming label is being kind to what she used to do to people’s egos on that show. Jillian has somewhat mellowed now that she is not trying for Loser rating gains. I don’t think she was shaming her. She was merely pointing to the facts, and the facts don’t lie. She is large enough that she may be developing a metabolic syndrome. Our bodies are just giant chemical reactors and we eat foods that produce too much glucose, that gets stored as fat and we become pre-diabetic if not diabetic because we are insulin resistant. She never criticized her beauty or talent. Everyone wants her to just focus on how talented she is. But that’s not Jillian’s brand. She is using Lizzo as much as Lizzo is using her. Battle of the brands. I am okay the way I am, get out of my face Lizzo to Jillian who wants to highlight the dangers of obesity. I know that she is citing the facts, and it has nothing to do with the fact that they are directed at Lizzo. Take Lizzo out of the equation and level them on anyone who is overweight for any period of time. Everyone heard judgment from Jillian. I heard facts. Lizzo is young enough that she has a few good years of werking the twerk left before she may have knee problems, or back problems or become pre-diabetic. She shied away from Instagram and she was a vegetarian and a vegan for seven years and she has an Instagram account called @LizzoBeEating. It came her food reviews and morphed into music. I don’t know what her food regimen is, but she has a bold style and no one tells her what to do these days I am guessing. She can’t eat before she performs because she feels sluggish but as she says, after I perform, “It’s going DOWN!” I love both these messages and think the operative word again goes back to BALANCE. It really is that simple. Stay outta the comment section or the viral spiral and live YOUR best life. As the liberated Lizzo says in Truth Hurts, “I put the sing in single” and “Don’t text me tell it straight to my face.”
Catherine Schuller
This Divabetic blog post was written by Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller. Catherine Schuller is one of the plus size industry’s pioneers to know. Former Ford model, consumer advocate, promoter, marketer, editor, image consultant (Certified by AICI), author, and entrepreneur (owner of Catherine Schuller Enterprises, (Emerging Visions Enterprises and CurveStyle: Reshaping Fashion) as a Plus Size spokesperson and diabetes advocate she has changed attitudes about living well with diabetes for thousands of people. In partnership with HiTechMODA, Catherine presents the best and most talented emerging designers in an unparalleled runway style during New York Fashion Week!
