Divabetic Mystery Phrase #23

Can you complete our Divabetic Mystery Phrase below?

Why Set Goals?

Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most of your diabetes life.

How to Set a Goal

Most experts advise to set S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals that motivate you and write them down to make them feel tangible. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and cross off each one as you work through them.

 S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are:

  • Specific: Ask yourself what you want to accomplish, how long it will take, and if the goal is ongoing.
  • Measurable: Decide how you’ll measure the goal. Maybe you’ll have a cholesterol blood test, an A1c test, or go by your weight.
  • Achievable: Be sure the goal is achievable. Brainstorm ways to track your progress.
  • Realistic: Unrealistic goals set you up for failure. Keep your goals sensible, and consider setting smaller goals along the way to help you reach the finish line.
  • Timed: Create a realistic timeline to reach your goals. Long-term goals take time, but if they take too long, you may lose motivation.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your diabetes wellness, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

 

Starting to Set Personal Goals

The American Diabetes Association recommends to start by setting a few smaller goals at a time and don’t try to do it all at once. It takes time to build new habits and break old ones. Here are some examples of goals that include these three elements:

Eating goal: Four days each week (How Often) I will eat an apple instead of ice cream as my evening snack (Realistic and Specific).

Physical activity goal: Five days each week (How Often) I will take a 30 minute walk during my lunch hour since I don’t really need the whole hour to eat (Realistic and Specific).

Goals like  “I will eat healthier.” and “I’ll move more.” are not specific enough.

Join us for Divabetic’s Free Virtual Outreach Event

 

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

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party on Zoom with best-selling Intimacy & Diabetes co-author, Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND on Thursday, July 16, 2020, 7 – 7:35 PM, EST. REGISTER NOW

Don’t Miss Divabetic’s 10th Year Podcasting Anniversary on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 6 PM, EST

Our Ninth Day of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Chef Robert Lewis

On the ninth day of Blue Christmas my true friend, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ sent to me an immersion blender to make cooking simple and easy.

Divabetic is celebrating a Blue Christmas to bring attention to the mental health issues related to living with diabetes.

You probably know better than we do how diabetes affects your holiday experience. You might feel the weight of diabetes more at this time, because you can’t let go and celebrate like everyone else. Or maybe you do let go and then beat yourself up over it.

That’s why we asked our panel of experts, friends and past Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests to spread some holiday cheer by sharing their favorite products to help keep you ‘happy and healthy’ all year long.

Chef Robert Lewis aka The Happy Diabetic’s pick: a sleek Cuisinart Smart Stick® 2 Speed Hand Blender. This gadget is available in five fab colors (yes, even hot pink!) to complement any kitchen, from funky to sophisticated. With a 200-watt motor, two speeds, and deep reach, you can make quick work of puréeing soup in a pot or frothing a pitcher hot chocolate. Make healthy breakfast smoothies fast, blending soft fruits with yogurt in seconds.

“Keeping things fun in the kitchen makes healthy cooking that much easier,” says Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’.   Chef Robert recommends getting a immersion blender to whip up smoothies, dressings, soups, and more! He adds, “this great kitchen gadget helps you to avoid the tricky cleanup that comes with using a traditional blender.”

Chef Robert Lewis, knows the holiday season can get very hectic, like the rest of us, but he still manages to make time for an appointment with a Registered Dietitian.

“You can take the guesswork out of meal planning by setting up a meeting with a Registered Dietitian  who is sensitive to the dietary needs of someone with diabetes,” says the Happy Diabetic.  “If you want to do more?? Take it a step further and set up a cooking class to give some hands on experience!”

In 1998 Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Much of what he heard in those early day was about the foods that were prohibited. Chef Robert Lewis suspected that his days of good eating were over, yet as he worked through his ups and downs, He came to realize that the selection of foods he could and should eat was vast and included many of his favorites. This motivated him to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.

Chef Robert Lewis is a nationally recognized author, public speaker and spokesperson for all people affected with diabetes. He travels the country speaking on the benefits of healthy eating not only for people affected with diabetes, but also for anyone who would like to eat and live a healthy lifestyle

For the past two years, Chef Robert Lewis has made our Diabetes Mystery podcasts shine! He’s played the devious personal manager, ’Nigel Lowenworthl’ in ‘Suspect Boulevard’ and most recently former lifeguard, Fast Freddy in this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. He truly brings out the best of each performance. I’m so grateful to Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ for helping us raise awareness for diabetes and educate people about diabetes self-care in a fun, new way.

On December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re celebrating a Blue Christmas. I chose this theme in December because ‘Blue’ is the color that I most closely associate with diabetes and I feel that the mental health issues related to diabetes are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing  which is understandable. However, I feel it is far more important to reach out to those coping with diabetes distress and burnout  and let them know they are not alone. Personally, I am also ‘blue’ this holiday season because it will be the first Christmas without my father, Stanley Szadek. My father passed away over the Thanskgiving Day weekend. He was a tremendous support to me throughout my life.  I will miss him dearly.  Please join us!

On December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re celebrating a Blue Christmas. I chose this theme in December because ‘Blue’ is the color that I most closely associate with diabetes and I feel that the mental health issues related to diabetes are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing which is understandable. However, I feel it is far more important to reach out to those coping with diabetes distress and burnout and let them know they are not alone.  Please join us!

TUNE IN! Don’t miss December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include ‘Walking With Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, High Voltage. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the new “Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” album courtesy of SONY Music. The album brings together Elvis Presley’s best-loved yuletide performances from “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (1957) and “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971) re-imagined with sublime and exquisite new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Our panel of experts, Divabetic community members and past Diabetes Late Nite guests will be sharing more Blue Christmas Gift suggestions on this blog for the next twelve days to help you enjoy the festive spirit of the season without compromising your diabetes health!

Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season.

You’re not alone.

While it’s true that sadness and/or depression at holiday time can be a reaction to the stresses and demands of the season, people with diabetes are more likely to be depressed than others states David Spero BSN, RN for Diabetes Self-Management.

Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.

The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.

If you think you might be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.

https://youtu.be/Uwfz5mMLSDM