I Loved Working With Cindy Mizelle and Nils Lofgren on Ain’t The Truth Enough Video

“Neal, Who?” I initially said when my friend, Cindy Mizelle, called to ask for my help on a video shoot for Nils Lofgren’s Ain’t The Truth Enough music video. My music taste runs from retro Disco and 80s R&B to house music and Euro-pop. When she called, I was probably listening to either the Emotions (Best Of My Love) or Aretha Franklin (Jump To It).
But what kind of idiot turns down working with the multi-talented, beautiful Cindy Mizelle??? She’s one of my favorite vocalists of all time. Cindy and I worked together with Luther Vandross. Cindy was one of Luther’s longtime backing vocalists on tour and his records. She used to do a step-out on the song, Going In Circles with Luther’s Songs Tour.

Cindy also lent her stunning vocals to my dance anthem, That Man Of Mine, in the 90s, co-written and produced by Keith Harrmeyer. Watching Cindy Mizelle do her thing in front of a microphone was life-changing. Within seconds, I witnessed her switch phrasing and tones to wrap her voice beautifully around the melody.

She has also worked with Whitney Houston, Steely Dan, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Ocean, and Dave Matthews Band.
I designed several sets of tour costumes for Dave’s Lovely Ladies (Tawatha Agee, Brenda White-King, and Cindy) in the 2000s. The picture above features costumes with reversible skirts to mix and match. My ideas seem heavy-handed today, especially pairing check prints, bold stripes, and vinyl ruffles. But the idea was to create bold statement pieces that they could pair with other clothing to create their looks.

I’m not the only person who loves and admires Cindy. Mariah Carey praises many singers in her new memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, but she’s particularly effusive about her. “To me, she was one of the absolute greatest,” writes Carey. “Cindy Mizelle was the background singer. She sang with the most gifted vocalists of all time — Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, and the Rolling Stones. She was a real singer’s singer. Cindy was that girl to me. I looked up to her so much.”

Of course, once I found out ‘Neal’ is Nils Lofgren, a rock legend, amazing songwriter, and virtuoso rock guitarist who has recorded and performed with Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band,  I roped master stylist and Hale Organic salon owner Joe Murray into helping on the video shoot.
It was fun for me to step away from diabetes outreach and jump back into styling and working in entertainment, too. I spent half my life pursuing my dreams of working in entertainment. I didn’t have a master plan, just a deep passion that happily carried me a long, long way.

For all his success, Nils Lofgren is a down-to-earth, caring, and kind person. Even though he was on the road touring with Bruce, he found time to drop me an email expressing his gratitude.
Mountains
Ain’t The Truth Enough appears on Nils Lofgren’s new album, Mountains. Nils said the album started out “as a form of therapy, but it very quickly grew beyond that” and that it was “so freeing to work without any restrictions,” calling it “some of the most inspired work” he has ever made. He wrote and recorded the album at his home in Arizona and enlisted a wonderful kaleidoscope of talent, including Ron Carter, Neil Young, and David Crosby.  This album is jammed with great melodies, glorious guitar playing, heartfelt lyrics, and catchy hooks that have this disco kid dancing around.
I’m happy to say I’m now a big Nils Lofgren fan and thrilled to participate in this project. Ringo Starr????? Unbelievable!!!
Don’t worry; I’m not giving up my day job working to glamorize good health for women and their loved ones living with diabetes.

Disordered Eating Warning Signs on Divabetic’s Podcast

Barbra Streisand‘s The Broadway Album inspires us to stage a scene between 2 friends, starring Asha Brown & Trisha Artman, to bring attention to the warning signs of a disordered eating behavior related to diabetes known as diabulimia on this podcast

The term “diabulimia” (ED-DMT1) refers to this life-threatening combination and the unhealthy practice of withholding insulin to manipulate or lose weight. People suffering from ED-DMT1 may exhibit eating disorder behaviors, or they may only manipulate their insulin and otherwise have normal eating patterns.

This risky practice can have catastrophic health consequences ranging from blindness and nerve disorders to kidney failure and diabetic ketoacidosis (an acidic buildup in the blood resulting from inadequate insulin levels).

Unfortunately, ED-DMT1  is vastly underdiagnosed. Therefore, the first step in treating this dangerous disorder is understanding the causes and symptoms.

In this scripted scene, two good friends are shopping for bridesmaid’s dresses. Their candid conversation highlights some common warning signs of disordered behaviors. A roundtable discussion immediately follows the scene to offer further insight and resources.

 

One of our actresses, Asha Brown, founded the fantastic nonprofit organization, We Are Diabetes (wearediabetes.org). We Are Diabetes is devoted to providing support, education, guidance, and hope to individuals living with type 1 diabetes who struggle with disordered eating behaviors. The other actress, Trisha Artman offers health coaching for people with type 1 diabetes through her company, Coach The Cure. With personal diabetes experience, compassion, and professionalism, Trisha nurtures trusting relationships—promoting healthy changes in an empowered environment.

Divabetic’s podcast guests are We Are Diabetes founder Asha Brown, Maximize Your Metabolism Co-Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren, Coach The Cure owner Trisha Artman, Dana B. Roseman, MPH, CDCES, RDN, American Heart Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Advocate Karen Dawson and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

In 1985, Barbra Streisand returned to her roots with her twenty-fourth album, The Broadway Album. This return to her theater roots was a massive success, both critically and commercially.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (‘Divabetic’). Also, get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines, and inspiration by joining our Divabetic Facebook page.

Quick Tips for The Picnic on Divabetic’s Zoom Program

Join us tonight, Tuesday, June 29, 2021 for Divabetic on Zoom at 7 PM, EST. Our free one-hour virtual program features ‘What To Wear When Nothing Fits for Summer’ presented by Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller and ‘How To Master The Menu at The Cookout’ presented by MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR.

Photo by Kate Hliznitsova on Unsplash

MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR’s quick tips for enjoying outdoor picnics without compromising your health include:

  • 3-4 servings of carb foods will be around 45-60 grams of carbohydrate. (This falls within the American Diabetes Association carb recommendations per meal.)
  • Use your carb servings on foods that you don’t get to eat as often.
  • Treat desserts like a snack by eating it 2-3 hours after the main meal.
  • Think about the face of a clock when eating pie or a round cake.  Instead of having a “15-minute” piece, have a “5-7 minute” piece.  This will give you the treat you desire while keeping you closer to your carb goals of less than 30 grams of carb for a snack
  • Get up and move, don’t just sit and eat.  Go for a walk, play games, have fun!

Tune in to the latest edition of Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast for a unique mix of music with diabetes information.

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, virtual diabetes support program with style.

REGISTER NOW- FREE REGISTRATION 

Divabetic Raises Awareness for Disordered Eating Behaviors on Podcast

We’d like to thank We Are Diabetes founder, Asha Brown and Coach The Cures Trisha Artman for helping to raise awareness for disordered eating behaviors related to diabetes on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast. These two advocates performed a short skit highlighting symptoms and common behaviors of disordered eating before a follow-up discussion with Integrated Diabetes Services‘ Dana B. Roseman, MPH, CDCES, RDN, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Below is the full script:

SOUND EFFECT: Street Sounds

Brittany (Asha): Thanks for coming with me to shop for Bridesmaid’s dresses. Glad you made it despite the traffic.

Jordan(Trisha): Sure, no problem.

Brittany: It’s so cool that Ashton’s letting us pick out our own dresses!

Jordan: I know, right? And we finally get to spend some time together. I never see you!

Brittany: Me too. Work is so crazy. I’m bummed I missed Ashton’s bridal shower. I heard about the cake!

Jordan: It was so much fun! Do you mean the Hummingbird cake from Magnolia’s?

Brittany: Yes, it sounded so good like everything else in there. I’m addicted to their chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting. I practically eat one every day.

Jordan: No way! If I ate cupcakes every day, I’d be as big as a whale.  How do you stay so thin?

Brittany: You’re kidding, right? I’m huge. Diabetes always gets in the way.

Jordan: What was that?

Britany: Never mind, let’s look for dresses.

Jordan: Didn’t you already show Ashton a dress last month?

Brittany: You mean the blush-colored Vera Wang? There’s extra fabric bunching around my waist now. I look pregnant in it.

Jordan: I don’t believe that! Your waist is so tiny. What are you doing?

Brittany: Oh, you know the same ole thing. Just a few more yoga classes.

Jordan: Why can’t that work for me? I go to spin class four times a week and still, I can’t seem to lose any weight. Hey Britt – let’s take before and after selfies to send to Ashton. C’mon, smile!

Brittany: No! I don’t like what I am wearing.

Jordan: Hey, are you okay? You look kind of pale.

Brittany: I’m fine. Let’s just sit down for a minute, okay?

Jordan: Should you check your blood sugars maybe?

Brittany: No, I checked before we met. I’m fine. Work is stressing me out.

Jordan: Look, there’s a Jamba Juice over there. Shouldn’t I get you something?

Brittany: No way! I can’t drink that. Their drinks are so fatting- just like milkshakes.

Jordan: Are you sure? Don’t you need to drink something?

Brittany: I’m okay, okay? I know how to handle this.

SOUND EFFECT: Street noise

Research suggests that eating disorders are probably more common among women with diabetes than women who do not have diabetes. However, those with type 1 are twice as likely to suffer from disordered eating patterns.

If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating behaviors please contact We Are Diabetes.

To hear Asha and Trisha’s performance and our follow-up discussion click on the link below:

Divabetic Explores Diabulimia on Diabetes Late Nite Podcast

Tune into Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast when we raise the curtain on awareness for diabulimia with musical inspiration from Barbra Streisand on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 6 – 7:30 PM. 

June’s podcast guests are: We Are Diabetes founder Asha Brown, Maximize Your Metabolism Co-Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren,  Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Dana B. Roseman, MPH, CDCES, RDN, Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Karen Dawson and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.

In 1985, Barbra Streisand returned to her roots with her twenty-fourth album, The Broadway Album that resulted in massive success, both critically and commercially. 

Barbra’s inspiring us to spotlight the issues and symptoms of diabulimia by staging a scene between two friends followed by a group discussion. Afterward, we will talk to one of our favorite NYC-based endocrinologists, Dr. Noel Maclaren, and his wife, Sunita Singh Maclaren, about their new book. Then actress and Know Diabetes By Heart ambassador and advocate Karen Dawson shares her experience suffering an eye stroke.

The happy healthcare host, Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek paraphrasing Ed Sullivan would like to say that, “We have a really big show tonight!”

We will be featuring music from Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album courtesy of SONY Music throughout the podcast.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (‘Divabetic’). Get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines, and inspiration by joining our Divabetic facebook page.

Click on LINK to listen live or on-demand at any time 

Can Brains Be Insulin Resistant?

“The higher the blood sugar, the high the brain sugar,” says Psychiatrist Georgia Ede MD. “If your blood sugar is going too high too often so is your brain sugar. But remember that your insulin will plateau at a certain point.”

A recent study out of BYU has linked lifestyle choice to Alzheimer’s disease. “Growing evidence that the brains in humans with Alzheimer’s disease are deficient in the use of glucose,” tweeted one of our friends, and colleagues, Dr. Lori Shemek PhD.

As the brain becomes more insulin resistant, it can’t take in glucose anymore. Brain insulin resistance is a common and early feature of Alzheimer’s disease, closely tied to cognitive decline and capable of promoting many biological abnormalities in the disorder.

“While swimming in a sea of glucose, your brain can literally starve to death,” says Psychiatrist Georgia Ede MD.

While not affecting neuronal glucose uptake, brain insulin resistance in AD is similar to muscle insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes (T2D). In both circumstances, insulin is much less able to activate a specific signaling pathway than is normally the case.

 

 

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Asha Brown, Maximize Your Metabolism Co-Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren, Trisha Artman, Dana B. Roseman, MPH, CDCES, RDN, Know Diabetes By Heart’s Karen Dawson and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.

In 1985, Barbra Streisand returned to her roots with the release of her twenty-fourth album, The Broadway Album. Having decided that Broadway musicals were no longer in the same league as some of the more commercial music dominating the charts in the early ‘70s, Streisand ended up taking an unforeseen fifteen-year break from Broadway and show tunes. This return to her “roots” was a shock to many, worrisome for some, but ultimately a massive success, both critically and commercially.

It’s almost time to raise the curtains again in New York City, says Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Broadway needs to come back, and we will move heaven and earth to bring Broadway back,” he said. New York City’s theaters have been shut down for more than a year, since Mar. 12, 2020.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (‘Divabetic’). Get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines and inspiration by joining our Divabetic facebook page.

Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album inspires Diabetes Late Nite Podcast In May!

We’re raising the curtain on important diabetes health-related topics such as diabulimia, stroke, and insulin resistance on this Broadway-themed podcast.

Are you ready to make a comeback!

Never in its 120 years has Broadway been dark this long. Producers are on Zoom calls every day, trying to figure out when and how their industry can reopen. What are you doing to manage your diabetes health?

There is no way to know your blood glucose levels without monitoring. You need to be able to see what it is you need to do and when you have time to do it. Being able to sync your “to-do” list with your appointments and daily diabetes-related tasks is the essence of creating a time sense and time planning.

Broadway employs 90,000 people and contributes over $2 billion a year to the city’s economy. But theater people and theatergoers can find a measure of comfort in the past. Broadway has faced several existential crises before and has always managed to claw its way back, often more vibrant than ever.

You can do it too!

Sometimes the best way to overcome an obstacle is to identify it. Think about what is keeping you from being active and/or cognizant of your self-care. Then google some of the American Diabetes Association’s solutions to the most common barriers. Is there a solution for you?

Learning effective time-management and diabetes self-management skills requires embracing new behaviors as well as utilizing your own unique strategies.

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include We Are Diabetes Asha Brown, Maximize Your Metabolism Co-Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren, Coach The Cure Trisha Artman, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.

 

In 1985, Barbra Streisand returned to her roots with the release of her twenty-fourth album, The Broadway AlbumHaving decided that Broadway musicals were no longer in the same league as some of the more commercial music dominating the charts in the early ‘70s, Streisand ended up taking an unforeseen fifteen-year break from Broadway and show tunes. This return to her “roots” was a shock to many, worrisome for some, but ultimately a massive success, both critically and commercially.

From the Putting It Together introduction right through the explosive Somewhere finale, this album is a sumptuous combination of the ultimate in voice, selected material, and arrangements. Standouts include Putting It Together, which kicks things off with laughter and lightness with some biting insights and undercurrents into the hopes and fears of this project, and the upbeat Something’s Coming.

It’s almost time to raise the curtains again in New York City, says Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Broadway needs to come back, and we will move heaven and earth to bring Broadway back,” he said. New York City’s theaters have been shut down for more than a year, since Mar. 12, 2020.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes  (‘Divabetic’). Get the latest in diva news, diabetes headlines, and inspiration by joining our Divabetic facebook page.

Why Luther Vandross Was The Catalyst for Frank Sinatra’s Duets Album

This success of Frank Sinatra’s highly acclaimed Duets album, released in 1993, would not have been possible without the remarkable vocal talents of Luther Vandross.

The Making of a Multi Platinum Album…

Billed as “The Recording Event of the Decade,” Duets brought together an array of global superstars including Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin, for an album of standards that featured many songs instantly associated with Ol’ Blues Eyes.

Music insiders referred to it as groundbreaking because it showcased Sinatra alongside his peers in the hitmaking royalty category.

Luther Vandross was reluctant to participate in the project when he was approached by the album’s producer, Phil Ramone. “Why do you want me, Phil? Frank Sinatra’s never heard of me.”

When Luther finally agreed, he requested the Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart classic “The Lady Is A Tramp.” This songwriting duet created it for their Broadway show, Babes in Arms, and it was sung by the show’s star Mitzi Green in 1939.

Sinatra performed the song in the movie version of the play in 1957 and it quickly became one of his signature songs.

Although Luther and Sinatra recorded their parts at Capitol Records Studio A in Los Angeles, a familiar studio for Sinatra, they did not sing together, nor did any of the others. The album was engineered with such utter precision, most listeners never knew that Sinatra hadn’t actually performed beside his duet partners.

Luther Vandross Was The Catalyst for The Album’s Creations

Luther and Sinatra’s song was the first to be brought to Sinatra for his approval. The entire project’s completion hung on whether Frank Sinatra liked what he heard.  The verdict was, “That’s wonderful,” and it’s Luther’s voice, not Sinatra’s, that kicks off the album. Pretty wonderful indeed!

https://youtu.be/1WdgZmwgfK8

Duets is a marvelous and nostalgic comeback from a singer who has been absent from the recording scene for many years,” reported The Christian Science Monitor.

Frank Sinatra’s Duets album is the only Sinatra album to date to achieve triple platinum certification. It is also the biggest worldwide selling duets album in history.

For Luther Vandross, it’s just another example of his musical genius. 

We’re celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

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, Nat Adderley Jr.,  Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music

Diabetes Podcast Week 2019

Divabetic is proud to participate in the 4th year of Diabetes Podcast Week (startingFebruary 10) in support of theSpare a Rose. Save A Rose’ campaign, to benefit Life for a Child.

Organizer Stacey Simms explains she got the idea after seeing an article about diabetes podcasts in the news site, Diabetes Mine in the summer of 2015.  “I had just launched Diabetes Connections and I didn’t realize how many other D-podcasts there were,” she explains. “I started thinking about what we could do together to help the greater community.”

Spare a Rose – Save a Child (PRNewsFoto/Partnering for Diabetes Change ()

The idea behind Spare a Rose, Save a Child is simple: buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and donate the value of that flower to children with diabetes. Donations go to Life for a Child, an International Diabetes Federation program which provides life-saving diabetes supplies, medication, and education that children in developing countries need to stay alive.

.For the first time, #DPodcast Week includes a Spanish-language podcast and one hosted by diabetes dads. The list also includes shows about sports, nutrition, general news and lots of great personal stories for people with diabetes. “There are new diabetes podcasts popping up all the time so I’m sure we’ve missed a few,” says Stacey Simms, who encourages other shows to reach out.

“I have so much respect and appreciation for everything that Stacey Simms does on behalf of the diabetes community,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. “My Diabetes Late Nite team is proud to particapte in #DPodcastWeek again this year! We’re encouraging all our listeners to take a page from Barbra Streisand‘s handbook and tell their significant others not to bring them flowers for Valentine’s Day but instead donate to a wonderful cause!”

Don’t miss February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast in support of the ‘Spare A Rose, Save A Child’ campaign on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.  We’re talking about ‘SELF ACCEPTANCE & DIABETES’ with musical inspiration from Country Superstar, Dolly Parton. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr.Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP,  Lisa R Young, PhD, RDN and more. Enjoy selected songs from Dolly Parton’s new album Dumplin’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.  TUNE IN