Ruben Studdard Looks Fantastic! 

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

The Truth About Fat

Earlier this week PBS re-aired the documentary, NOVA: The Truth About Fat
that debunks the myths and the general public’s opinion about fat and people who are overweight.
It’s must-see TV for anyone who blames themself and/or their lack of willpower for their body size.
Obesity is not a character flaw; it’s a medical issue. That’s why we need to stop blaming weight gain on willpower.
Learn more about the mysteries of fat and its role in hormone production, hunger, and even pregnancy.
  • Why don’t sumo wrestlers suffer from the health problems that other obese people do?
  • Why has evolution hardwired us to hang onto fat even when it’s unhealthy?
  • And what would happen if you had no fat at all?

Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, supermodels, and a BIGGEST LOSER contestant, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction on “The Truth About Fat.”

The Truth About Fat Prologue

Scientists are coming to understand fat as a dynamic organ — one whose size may have more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Explore the mysteries of fat and its role in hormone production, hunger, and even pregnancy.

We’re talking about diabetes wellness with music from Jessye Norman on March’s Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.  Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Mandy Reece PharmD CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES, Maximize Your Metabolism Authors Dr. Noel Maclaren and Sunita Singh Maclaren, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador, Sarah.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Jessye Norman’s Roots: My Life, My Song (Live at The Philharmonie Berlinalbum courtesy of SONY Music.

In an interview with Anna Deavere Smith for The Aspen Institute, March’s Diva Inspiration, Jessye Noman said, “singing is a very physical responsibility. It requires being as healthy as possible so that we can keep this instrument that we carry around in our throats rather than a nice box that we put away at night so it can do what it needs to do. It’s important to take care of our bodies where our voice lives. During an opera performance one can use as many calories as a marathon runner.”