American Idol – Divabetic

04/13/2023

Ruben Studdard Looks Fantastic!

In a 2020 episode of the TV Show, Biggest Loser, former American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, 35, received some startling news about his health. Dr. Robert Huizenga diagnosed the singer with type 2 diabetes.

According to the show’s medical expert, Studdard’s insulin level, average blood sugar and instantaneous blood sugar levels were high across the board.

“I AM AFRAID,” the Velvet Teddy Bear replied. “I have seen a lot of lives cut short because of health issues.

It’s easy to assume he could be referring to Luther Vandross, who suffered a stroke at age 52 and died at age 54 due to the mismanagement of type 2 diabetes.

Luther had over fifty people supporting him with his music, but he chose to go it alone when managing his diabetes. One thing I have learned over the past twenty years is that for people with diabetes, a team approach to managing their health is ideal. From supportive healthcare collaborators to nonjudgmental co-workers, a team approach offers you the support you need when the daily grind of self-care burns you out.

Many people ignore or don’t treat their with type 2 diabetes, choosing to believe their diagnosis isn’t that serious. Too many doctors suggest losing weight is the easiest way to solve their problems. But what if it isn’t?

I watched my boss, Luther Vandross, struggle with his weight for over a decade. He lost and gained a hundred pounds multiple times while I worked for him. Whenever we thought he had found a way to maintain his weight loss, something would trigger weight gain.

Unfortunately, mismanaged type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating health consequences such as stroke, kidney failure, amputation, and blindness.

Research has shown that people who lack proper diabetes self-care education are more likely to be affected by complications of mismanaged diabetes. Diabetes is a complex and challenging disease that requires daily self-management decisions made by the person with diabetes. The emotional toll of living with diabetes can also take its toll on someone’s ability to manage their care.

Anxiety—feelings of worry, fear, or being on edge—is how your mind and body react to stress. People with diabetes are 20% more likely than those without diabetes to have anxiety at some point. Managing a long-term condition like diabetes is a source of anxiety for some. If you suffer from anxiety, please seek professional help. Talking to others about how you feel helps relieve some of the stress and overcome feeling overwhelmed.

Most of us take our health for granted. We leave our houses without eating. We sit for hours in a chair without getting up. We think we’re hungry when we’re thirsty. We don’t listen to our bodies. Sadly, most people don’t adopt health habits until diagnosed with a chronic condition.

Awareness of your blood sugar levels, what you eat, and when you eat can be exhausting. Many people push back on being aware of everything in their bodies.

“I’ve worked since I was 11-years-old to be a professional singer,” says Ruben Studdard. “That’s all I ever wanted to do.” He confessed to being on the show because he knows it’s time to focus on his health.

“I most definitely want to be around for a long time,” said Ruben Studdard. “This has really, like, given me a second chance.”

Divabetic remembers Luther Vandross (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) with this special podcast, Tribute to Luther Vandross, celebrating his career during the 1990’s. Luther Vandross was a musical master whose style influenced a generation of today’s vocalists. His distinctive brand of satin-smooth vocal magic moved international audiences and continues to touch people today.

The happy healthcare host, Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek, who worked with Vandross for more than 14 years, hosts this tribute podcast featuring Luther’s former vocalists Paulette McWilliams, Pat Lacy, Tawatha Agee, Cindy Mizelle, and Kevin Owens, band member Bryon Miller, Vandross family member, Seveda Williams, friends Darren Margo and David Jones, the Luther Vandross historian, Leon Petrossian and Luther super fan, Jane Goodman from Great Britain.

Throughout the podcast, we will play selected Luther Vandross songs that he recorded during the 1990’s courtesy of SONY Music.

Divabetic, the organization inspired by Luther’s diabetes journey, revisits the singer’s career in the decade of hair scrunchies, boy bands, grunge, and rave parties. This Luther tribute remembers the moments, the music and the man, and the motivation to ensure that no one struggles with diabetes alone or in silence. Keep ‘your house a home’ and learn how to prevent diabetes health-related complications from occurring. Visit: www.divabetic.org

10/09/201910/09/2019

Jennifer Hudson Helps Divabetic Celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month in November

We’re talking about ‘Weight Loss Journeys & Diabetes’ with musical inspiration from Jennifer Hudson on November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast in honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month.

We’ve watched Jennifer Hudson soar to stardom as her powerhouse pipes have taken her from American Idol back in 2004 to coveted roles in film, theater and TV, including as a judge on The Voice. Throughout that journey, the singer has also had another major life change: She went from a size 16 to a size 6, dropping 80 pounds. The star followed poor dieting practices and finally chose to approach her weight loss in a healthy way after giving birth to her son, David.

While studies show most people who drop significant pounds regain the weight they lose, Jennifer Hudson has managed to keep her svelte figure for the past nine years.

“I’m very careful and cautious of what I’m eating, so I just try to pace those meals throughout the day,” said Jennifer Hudson.

Jennifer Hudson supports the Barbara Davis Center (BDC). BDC’s mission is to provide state-of the-art care to children and adults with type 1 diabetes and to teach patients how to prevent or delay complications. Their research is devoted to finding prevention, cure, and most effective treatment of diabetes and associated disorders.

Guests include Vanessa Hunter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport PsyD, Dr. Stewart Harris, Patricia Addie-Gentle, and Autumn Reed.

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.”

07/23/201907/23/2019

Paula Abdul Falls but Snaps Back!

Paula Abdul took a tumble during her concert on stage at the Billboard Music Awards but we’re still ‘head over heels’ for the superstar.

The former “American Idol” judge also fell head-first into the crowd at the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, Mississippi as she sang her 1991 hit “The Promise of a New Day.”

“She did not seem hurt at the time of the fall and still finished like a champ,” the fan who posted the video told People. “She stated she was a dancer, and falls and drops she has gotten used to over the years.”

Paula Abdul wowed the crowd at the Billboard Awards 2019 and proved her age isn’t stopping her from performing at her best.

Paula’s dancers had her performing back flip in midair even though she suffers from chronic pain . She was injured as a 17-year-old cheerleader. In 2004, she was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which causes severe pain. Later, cortical integrative therapy was able to help manage the symptoms.

RSD/CRPS goes by many names: reflex sympathetic dystrophy, reflex neurovascular dystophy, complex regional pain syndrome, hand-foot atrophy, Sudeck’s atrophy, amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome, and causalgia (to name a few common ones).

So what is RSD/CRPS? To start, it is the most painful medical condition known to man at a 45/50 on the McGill Pain Scale. Because it is so painful and it is hard to find good doctors to treat this condition, CRPS has a grim nickname: the “suicide disease.” We lose too many RSD/CRPS warriors because the pain is just so unbearable. I personally have lost several friends to the disease, and I’m always fearing who will go next. Many people with RSD/CRPS have been to the deep dark place, where they just want to escape the pain, but not everyone climbs out of it.

Increased back pain has been reported in people with diabetes, but the cause is unknown. People with diabetes are more likely to report back and neck pain, according to a new study. However, it is not clear whether diabetes is the cause reports Diabetes.co.uk.

The study’s authors suggest looking at the impact of medications, such as insulin, which are known to affect blood flow and muscle mass, and may affect the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Phyllis Hyman

We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental Health Issues’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST.

R & B superstar Phyllis Hyman was a sensational singer-songwriter and actress. Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman sang with a life-affirming energy and emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists.

Unfortunately Phyllis Hyman committed suicide, leaving a suicide note behind in 1995. Part of the note read “I’m tired. I’m tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.” It has been reported that she suffered from bi-polar disorder and depression and had a history of substance abuse which involved alcohol and cocaine. Who knows what accomplishments she would have achieved if she had lived longer?

Podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Sleep, Insomnia, Stress’ Author Patricia Farrell PhD, Kristina Wolfe, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach with Patricia Addie-Gentle.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Phyllis Hyman’ album courtesy of SONY Music

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