I’ve spent most of my life with the label of “plus”,
The truth is that labels aren’t good for any of us.
Let’s labels shelves, and file cabinet drawers,
And signs on the ladies and mens bathroom doors.
A label is good if I need to explore
Where your office is located on the 5th floor.
And I need a label when I’m shopping for food
To know if tomatoes are pureed or stewed.
But don’t label me and my body, I ask,
And don’t make me wear this invisible mask…
Put labels on envelopes with return address,
Or telling me which one is lettuce, and which watercress.
Because in the end, I’m the same as you are,
And labels work better on bottles and jars.
But even if I am not your cup of tea
Don’t put labels on people…and please, not on me
Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek and poet Lorraine Brooks revisit her groundbreaking poem “Beauty & The Beach,” which premiered over thirteen years ago on Divabetic’s Roundtable podcast. The poem was inspired by Esther Williams and resonated deeply with podcast listeners and Diabetic blog readers. Since then, there have been numerous requests to have Lorraine share the poem again on subsequent podcasts or repost her words on the blog.
During this Divabetic podcast short take, Lorraine shares how her opinions about her body and wearing a swimsuit have changed over the past decade, but her feelings about her diabetes diagnosis have not. She emphasizes the time, effort, and care she has put into her diabetes management, which has helped her remain free of diabetes-related complications. The discussion also touches on how negative self-talk can hinder us from living life to the fullest. Lorraine has agreed to revisit the theme of the beach and swimwear at our request and has written a new poem, “Summer Skin,” for an upcoming podcast about the 42nd Annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.
Although “Summer Skin” is not a cheerful poem about exposing more skin during the summer, we are still honored to share it with the audience. We hope you know our community welcomes you to share your thoughts, feelings, apprehensions, struggles, and successes regarding living with diabetes.
When you have diabetes, high blood sugars over time can lead to structural changes in the eye’s lens, accelerating the development of cataracts.
You may not notice cataracts since symptoms can be minor until clouding affects the center of the eye, then cataracts can progress rapidly. Other causes of cataracts:
Family history
Eye injury
Eye surgery
Repeated eye injections
Spending a lot of time in the sun without UV sunglasses
Using certain medications, such as corticosteroids
Know the Symptoms
Cloudy or blurry vision
Seeing double in one eye
Seeing halos around lights
Being extra sensitive to light and glare
Having trouble seeing well at night
Bright colors seem faded
How to Prevent Cataracts
Wear sunglasses with UV protection
Do not smoke—and if you currently do, quit!
Thankfully, cataract surgery can help reverse a cataract caused by diabetes. This short outpatient procedure involves removing and replacing a damaged lens with a healthy artificial lens.
We’re sharing ideas on lifestyle adjustments that can help you live your best life while managing your diabetes on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.
Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.
Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
The main themes of Divabetic’s diabetes mystery podcast Gypsies, Tramps & Peas are positive body image and summertime diabetes self-care tips.
Here’s a quick synopsis: Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic, finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fish. Was it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario, and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?
Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids, and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie, and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure.
This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer but can’t quite keep his head above water in in Divabetic’s Diabetes Murder Mystery podcast, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’.
With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fishes.
What it an accident or foul play?
Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea? Will he sink or swim?
Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.
Coney Island’s Annual Mermaid Parade
Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie, Lorraine Brooks and Mr. Divabetic star in Divabetic’s Diabetes Murder Mystery podcast ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ set at Coney Island’s Annual Mermaid Parade.
