Tag: celebrity health

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Celine Dion’s Health Crisis

Celine Dion said she’s been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. But like a fabulous diva, she has surrounded herself with an entourage of care.

“I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better,” Dion said. “I’m working with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again.”
We urge you to think like Celine Dion about your diabetes wellness. Don’t go it alone. Create your own entourage of healthcare collaborators, friends, and family members to help you manage your self-care and live your best life.

Stiff Person Syndrome, or SPS, is a disease that causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature, or unexpected loud noises,” according to Johns Hopkins, reports USA Today.

The disease is considered to be rare and only affects approximately one in a million people.

In an emotional testimony, Celine shared how her health has been affected by the disease.

“The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” Celine Dion said. “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing; it’s what I’ve done all my life.”

We’re talking about matters of the heart related to diabetes with music from Celine Dion.

Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. The National Heart Association reports 65% of people with diabetes will die from heart disease or stroke. In general, heart disease death and stroke risk are more than twice as high in people with diabetes. However, managing your risk factors may prevent or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Mila Clarke Buckley, The Hangry Woman, and Bella Krueger.

Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You album, courtesy of SONY Music.  We are proud to participate in Diabetes Podcast Week and support the Spare a Rose campaign to raise funds for Life For a Child.

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Divabetic Remembers B. B. King

“I’m diabetic, bad knees, bad back. Ladies, I’m old but I ain’t dead.” Blues legend B. B. King.
We’re remembering B. B. King on the anniversary of his birthday. We applaud his openness about living with type 2 diabetes for over 34 years.
Diabetes didn’t dim his dazzle or stop the music. For over half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – defined the blues for a worldwide audience. It was widely reported that he gave over 15,000 performances since his career began in 1949.

As B. B. King explained in a Diabetes Health magazine profile, he took charge of his diabetes shortly after his diagnosis. King tested his blood sugar often and changed his eating habits. He realized diabetes probably ran in his family, but no one knew it. He thinks his father might have had it when he died while suffering from gout and “high blood glucose.” King’s mother was blind when she died at age 9 and likely had undiagnosed diabetes, he says. Not only did B. B. King keep on top of his diabetes, but he spread awareness about it, working as a high-profile spokesperson in the fight against diabetes. Later in life, he admitted the life of a touring musician made it difficult to manage his daily diabetes self-care.
B.B. King was one of the best-known blues singers and guitarists in the world. He recorded more than 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, won a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1988, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1990 and a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991.
In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris,The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, September 28, from 7-8 PM EST.

REGISTER NOW

 

Join us for Divabetic‘s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything is hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir. Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

 

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Divabetic Spotlights Chaka Khan

Divabetic superstar Chaka Khan has released a new song, Woman Like Me. We hope it’s just as successful as her healthy lifestyle makeover after her diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Her new empowering track, Woman Like Me,  hints at an earlier classic, I’m Every Woman, which she made famous but with a sharper edge.

A lot of people know about Chaka Khan’s life of excess. The star almost died mixing sleeping pills and cocaine once. She suffered from alcohol addiction until the early 2000s, after which she became sober, but after an injury, she became addicted to painkillers. However, she has been trying to stay clean since 2013 and said, “I call myself an ex-addict.

But not many people know that the star is living with type 2 diabetes. The Queen of Funk’s granddaughter sparked her adopting healthy habits

“I adopted my 10-year-old granddaughter. I have to be there for her. I knew I couldn’t go out like this so I just fasted for, like, a month, then I went vegan and went off meats and all dairy and anything with eyes. If I have a craving for a little baked fish or something, I might eat it. But that’s about it. I’ve mostly been doing a lot of high-protein foods and a lot of vegetables.”
Chaka Khan admits, “I don’t like exercising at all. I guess if I had one (exercise) of choice, it would be walking. I do not run, and I’m losing, like, on average, about five pounds a month. I’ve lost 60 pounds.”

Slimmed-down superstar diva Chaka Khan is inspiring this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast. Mr. Divabetic’s guests including Chaka Khan’s former bandmember and producer, Ivan Hampden, Jr.,  Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Pam Butler MS, CDCES, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDCES, CDN, Holly Clegg who is the author of six cookbooks including ‘Kitchen 101’ Mama Rose Marie and real-life diva, Ginger Vieira, who is the author of ‘Your Diabetes Science Experiment’ and record-setting competitive powerlifter living with type 1 diabetes.

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QuestLove’s Amazing Weight Loss

Questlove

Questlove won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) on Sunday, but his weight loss journey is also an impressive accomplishment.

Questlove and I were motivated to change our lifestyles after seeing friends experience debilitating strokes.

Luther Vandross‘s stroke, at the age of 52 related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes, motivated me to stay active and eat and drink in moderation. For the past nineteen years, his stroke and untimely death inspired me to start Divabetic and encourage others to keep their house a home by learning to prevent diabetes health-related complications. 

Questlove’s motivation came from seeing many of his friends die from strokes in their 40s.

‘I was starting to hear the word ‘stroke’ just a little too much,’ Questlove said, as per Black American Web. 

‘Friends of mine have died of strokes at 40, and peers of mine have died of strokes in their 40s, and it was disturbing me.’

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in America. Stroke is a “brain attack” that occurs when blood that brings oxygen to your brain stops flowing and brain cells die.

High blood pressure and obesity are two of the biggest risk factors for stroke, and the number of African-Americans with these medical conditions is on the rise.

Questlove used to eat everything without consideration for his health and was not very active before his weight-loss journey. He admitted it was easy for him to fall into bad habits by drinking and partying all night on regular occasions. He gained weight as time passed, and at his heaviest, he reached 488 pounds of body weight.

Questlove’s own weight and the death of his friends were a warning to him. So he made up his mind to change his lifestyle. He began by completely changing his diet. Next, he started consuming a healthy and balanced diet, primarily vegan foods. He also avoided those items high in carbohydrate content, such as gluten, wheat, and most dairy products. 

He focused more on eating green vegetables and fresh fruits.

‘That’s another thing I’ve learned relaxin’, sleep, yoga,’ Questlove says. ‘I didn’t know that that’s as crucial as going hard, as working’ hard, as exercising hard…And what my yoga instructor, what my trainer, what they’re trying to teach me is that, ‘No, it’s sleep.’ 

That’s important. That’s just as important as working’ out.’ 

And that has helped him both lose and maintain his weight effectively.

Summer of Soul, directed by Questlove, tells the unjustly forgotten story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which included performances from Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson and more iconic artists operating in the ’60s, making the case that had this not been a primarily Black festival, it would have been as well-remembered and celebrated as Woodstock, which took place in New York that same year.

“It’s not lost on me that the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival should have been something that my beautiful mother and my dad should have taken me to when I was five years old,” Questlove said, saluting his late father while his mother watched from the audience in tears. “This is such a stunning moment for me right now. But it’s not about me. It’s about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain.”

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Gospel Legend LaShun Pace Passes Away at 60

Award-winning gospel singer LaShun Pace has passed away from kidney failure. She was 60 years old.

What Is Kidney Failure?

When your kidneys are damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in your body. That can cause swelling in your ankles, nausea, weakness, poor sleep, and shortness of breath. Without treatment, the damage can worsen, and your kidneys may eventually stop working. That’s serious, and it can be life-threatening.

Acute kidney failure — also called acute renal failure or acute kidney injury — develops rapidly, usually in less than a few days. Acute kidney failure is most common in people who are already hospitalized, particularly in critically ill people who need intensive care.

https://youtu.be/5QNfwXydT18

How Do You Get Kidney Failure?

You have a condition that slows blood flow to your kidneys. As a result, you experience direct damage to your kidneys. As a result, your kidneys’ urine drainage tubes (ureters) become blocked, and wastes can’t leave your body through your urine.

What Are The First Signs Of Kidney Problems?

  • You’re more tired, have less energy, or have trouble concentrating. 
  • You’re having trouble sleeping. 
  • You have dry and itchy skin. 
  • You feel the need to urinate more often. 
  • You see blood in your urine. 
  • Your urine is foamy. 
  • You’re experiencing persistent puffiness around your eyes.

Kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is when your kidneys have stopped working well enough for you to survive without dialysis or a kidney transplant. Damage to your kidneys cannot be reversed.

LaShun Pace had been on dialysis for several years and was awaiting a kidney.

African Americans are almost four times as likely as Whites to develop kidney failure. While African Americans make up about 13 percent of the population, they account for 35 percent of the people with kidney failure in the United States.

Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys are failing. When you have kidney failure, your kidneys don’t filter blood the way they should. As a result, wastes and toxins build up in your bloodstream. Dialysis does the work of your kidneys, removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood.

LaShun Pace was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007, and in January 2015, she and the Anointed Pace Sisters were honored in their hometown of Atlanta at the 16th Trailblazers of Gospel Music AwardsThe evangelist and singer-songwriter was best known for her song “I Know I’ve Been Changed.”

 

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!  Register now for Divabetic’s Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

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Divabetic Remembers Traci Braxton

Traci Braxton, the sister of singer Toni Braxton and “Braxton Family Values” TV show star, passed away after battling cancer in the esophagus.

During the past decade, Traci Braxton was an outspoken diabetes advocate. Most of her comments and confessions about living with diabetes centered around her weight. Like many of us, she had a rollercoaster journey with her weight. But her journey was seen by millions.

If you struggle with managing your weight and/or maintaining a weight loss, you know all too well how challenging that can be. And to have diabetes on top of that can make it doubly difficult. Traci Braxton was no different.

Back in 2018, she said, “I was diagnosed diabetic and didn’t want to take any more pills, so I had to go on this healthy kick.” As a result, she successfully lost 4o pounds. “Now I control it through my diet. Because of that, I am no longer on the pills.”

Years earlier, in 2013, Traci Braxton faced harsh criticism from her sisters about her size. The Braxton sisters confronted her about her weight during a weight-loss intervention. The driving force behind their actions, it seems, was to tell Traci what the extra weight was doing to her health.

In the heat of the moment, Traci was not happy. “I really wanted to punch them in the face,” she said. However, Traci later changed her mind about the confrontation. Later, she made several lifestyle changes to get her health back on track. “I had to really change my eating habits, and it’s [still] a struggle. But my sisters were exactly right,” she admitted showing off her newly slimmed-down figure. She lost thirty-five pounds. “They saw me gaining weight … I developed (type 2) diabetes, high blood pressure, and I was in denial.”

Managing diabetes day in and day out can be a grind. Sometimes family members, friends, and healthcare providers telling you to ‘just lose weight’ doesn’t help or motivate you.

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, getting your diabetes under tighter management is a reasonable first goal without the added extra burden of a weight loss goal. Doing so may mean starting on medicine (including, possibly, insulin), adding a different type of medicine to your regimen, and/or increasing the dose of diabetes medicine that you’re already taking. And, of course, meal planning and physical activity work with your diabetes medicine to help you manage your diabetes, as well.

Our big takeaway from Traci Braxton’s candor regarding diabetes advocacy is that conversations about diabetes shouldn’t start and end with weight loss. There’s much more in play regarding diabetes management than just the number you see on the scale. Maybe it’s time for society to realize there are many ways to manage your diabetes and avoid complications that don’t involve the word ‘diet.’

Gone far too soon, we celebrate Traci Braxton’s life and memory and send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Braxton family during this difficult time.

We’re talking about the power of words to elevate or tear down someone’s perception of themselves and their diabetes health on Divabetic’s podcast scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, and Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Prince & The New Power Generation’s Love Symbol album courtesy of SONY Music.

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Divabetic Supports Word Obesity Day on March 4, 2022

I witnessed how SHAME and BLAME associated with SIZE can break a person’s spirit can cause harm. Divabetic is proud to support World Obesity Day on March 4, 2022. The goal of World Obesity Day is to stimulate and support practical actions that will help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight and reverse the global obesity crisis

My former boss, Luther Vandross‘s weight struggles seemed to sour each and every career success.

In April 2003, I found my boss, Luther Vandross, on his apartment floor after he suffered a stroke. I knew Luther was living with type 2 diabetes but never discussed it past refilling his medications. Looking back, I think that was a mistake. I feel the frustration, anger surrounding his size lit the match that sparked the mismanagement of his type 2 diabetes which lead to his devastating stroke and early death at the age of 54.
Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast talks about Luther’s ongoing weight issues and his history of yo-yo dieting.  By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio for a photoshoot for his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he lost a considerable amount of weight. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain his weight loss when he went on tour to support the album. Radio DJ’s often commented on whether or not ‘Big Luther’ sounded better than ‘Thin Luther’. His weight struggles were a topic of public opinion.  Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

For the past 19 years, I have dedicated myself to being a diabetes advocate. I founded the diabetes nonprofit, Divabetic (the ‘V’ stands for Vandross) at Divabetic.Org.  We aim to inspire others living with, at-risk, and affected by diabetes ‘keep their house a home’ by learning how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke. Managing diabetes is not easy. It’s a daily grind that relies on a team effort. Luther had about fifty people on tour supporting him with his music. Still, he chose to go it alone when managing his diabetes. I will be forever haunted by the experience of finding such a strong, kind, powerful, immensely talented man taken down by the mismanagement of diabetes.
Luther
This picture was taken at the auction we held after Luther’s passing in 2005. Looking back, I was shellshocked from Luther’s unexpected stroke and passing. It was devastating. So many of his fans blamed me as well as everyone who worked for Luther for his death. They thought we should have been able to intervene and prevent his stroke from happening. At the time, I didn’t realize that the mismanagement of diabetes could strike down one of the most powerful men I knew. My lingering regret has fueled my passion for diabetes advocacy. Please ‘keep your house a home’ and take time to learn how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke.
Please visit Divabetic.Org and/or like Divabetic on Facebook. Your support keeps Luther’s memory and music alive!

This wonderful advocate, Patty Nece, JD, talks about her experiences with being stereotyped and shamed because of her weight during an important medical appointment.

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Was Chaka Khan Experiencing Low Blood Sugars At Verzuz?

From slurring words or forgetting lyrics to her famous side-to-side, stutter-step shimmy, Chaka Khan‘s performance at the recent Verzuz “competition” with Stephanie Mills has many speculating that she was either drunk or high.

But could she have been experiencing low blood sugars?

Some symptoms of low blood sugar can look the same as being drunk. The most common ones are feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or confused; and getting sleepy. However, others may think your signs of low blood sugar are due to drinking. As a result, they may not realize you need help.

The Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes back in 2011. She credits her vegan diet for helping her lose a significant amount of weight after her diagnosis.

“I felt like I needed to heal my body, so I would just fast and eat no meat, no dairy,” she said. “I’ve never been a fan of meat, dairy, and sugar. And when I developed diabetes I said, ‘Oh OK, I’m not going to be here long. A change is coming,’” Chaka Khan told the lifestyle website Essence.com.

Assuming Chaka Khan experienced low blood sugar levels on stage with Stephanie Mills, let’s review some suggestions for treating it.

First, eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates, then check your blood sugars and retreat if necessary. 

The best options are sugary foods without protein or fat. Chocolate contains fat which slows down the absorption of sugar, so it’s not the best option. Instead, you need food or drinks that easily convert to sugar in the body. Try glucose tablets or gel (sold in your pharmacy), fruit juice, regular — not diet — soft drinks, honey, and sugary candy. Keep in mind, 15 grams of carbohydrates is far less than a whole can of soda or a tall glass of juice. The amount is significant because if you overtreat a low blood sugar by eating or drinking too much, you risk experiencing high blood sugar levels.

Finally, you should know that alcohol makes your blood sugar levels drop by inhibiting the liver’s ability to release glucose.

Ivan Hampden, Jr., Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Pam Butler MS, CDCES, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDCES, CDN, Cookbook Author and Culinary Expert Holly Clegg and Ginger Vieira on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.

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Adele Makes Weight Loss Look Easy To Me

Adele’s weight loss journey is inspiring because her goal isn’t a number on the scale. Instead, it is embracing a healthier way of life. 

“It was because of my anxiety,” she told British Vogue. “Working out, I would just feel better.” The singer also said that “it was never about losing weight. It was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone. I got quite addicted to it.”

Adele started making headlines with her weight loss at the end of 2019.

Adele said that during quarantine, she worked out three times a day: “So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike, or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” reports Vogue.

“I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it? I don’t find it fascinating. It’s my body.”

Adele told British Vogue when asked why she didn’t share her weight loss journey on social media. 

Adele also confirmed that any rumors suggesting she lost weight by dieting are false. “No intermittent fasting. Nothing. If anything, I eat more than I used to because I work out so hard,” she told British Vogue.

She feels confident enough about herself and her new lifestyle to joke about it. 

In 2020, she joked about her weight loss in her opening SNL monologue. “I know I look really, really different since you last saw me,” Adele said. “But actually, because of all the Covid restrictions…I had to travel light, and I could only bring half of me, and this is the half I chose.”

he 15-time Grammy winner released her first single off her fourth studio album, Easy On Me, this past week.


Adele’s album, “25” has sold six million copies in the US and become the 20th album to sell at least a million copies in a single week in the Nielsen era. It is the largest selling album of 2015 in total, surpassing the sales of Taylor Swift’s 1989.

Divabetic podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES and MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR), Jennifer Jacobs, Dana Collins Carr and Cindy Lou, who is living with type 2 diabetes from Kentucky.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected cuts from “25” courtesy of SONY Music.

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.”

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Dame Judi Dench’s Talks About Her Knee Replacement

Surgery

Dame Judi Dench met Mr. Monk on the set of Philomena as her knee condition was worsening.

When Is the Best Time To Have Surgery?

You want to have it done right before the pain becomes too unbearable to cope with.

Judi Dench gave a lot of thought to the best time to have her total knee replacement surgery.

Judi Dench’s knee operation went very smoothly. Six weeks after the surgery, the Academy Award Winning Actress attended the film’s Premiere. She claims that very few people realized she had the operation.

Her knee has continued to improve to the point where she has almost forgotten she had the operation.

Judi Dench is not living with diabetes. But if you’re living with diabetes and are scheduling a surgical procedure, be aware:

  • Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can be an issue after surgery
  • Poor wound healing
  • Slow wound healing
  • Infection of the wound

Philomena (2013) is about a world-weary political journalist who aids in a woman’s search for her son.

The Holidays are full of surprises in this year’s Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril podcast. Although Mr. Divabetic manages to land a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home, his life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge,  named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies.

Now Mr. Divabetic, with the help of his friends and overly protective mother, must find the real culprit before his name ends up on a lethal naughty list.

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