The American Heart Association reports Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” describes a pattern or “habit loop” involving 3 elements: cue →, routine, → reward. Every behavior is a loop that follows those three elements.
Your brain can be trained to build habits. These three steps can help create habits that stick:
Cue: This is a reminder to act on your habit. It jogs your memory, prompting you to act in the same place, at the same time, every day.
Example: Leave your hand weights in a visible place so you can remind yourself of a habit of maintaining muscle tone in your arms.
Routine: To start with, choose a smaller, achievable version of your habit. Ensure it’s something you like so it’s easily repeatable. For example, start with a walk around the block rather than 20,000 steps daily.
I like creating a new playlist of my favorite disco songs weekly. By adding a new song to the list each week, I lengthen my workout and walk that much longer. For instance, Patti LaBelle’s ‘Think About You’ adds almost four and a half minutes to my workout. It doesn’t seem like drudgery, it feels like fun!
Reward: Positive emotions make habits stick. So have fun while you do your new activity, or associate it with a reward. Reserve time to watch your favorite TV binge-worthy show when you exercise.
ON SALE: Divabetic branded lip balm watermelon flavored (3 for $10.00 plus shipping and handling.)
Please take a minute to support our ‘glam more, fear less’ approach to diabetes outreach. For over 20 years, we have pioneered presenting traditional diabetes education in nonclincal ways. From monthly support meetings to national programs, we have made it our mission to empower women affected by, living with, and at risk of diabetes and their loved ones to achieve optimum health.
For more information, email: mrdivabetic@gmail.com
Do you want another suggestion to add to your playlist? Check out Change’s “Glow Of Love,” featuring vocals by Luther Vandross. This song is guaranteed to put some pep in your step!!
Divabetic (Divabetic.org) presents a month-long showcase celebrating 10 years of diabetes podcasting. Each of the featured podcasts spotlights our favorite guests, topics, poems, games and/or musical inspiration. Enjoy!
On Day 31, we’re spotlighting Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Maria Callasfrom January 2020. We’re talking about ways to help minimize the drama in our daily diabetes lives.
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.
Our monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their health care providers, a translator of clinical speak and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence
Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.
Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org
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.
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.
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.
