Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’ and I believe that diabetes doesn’t have to dim your dazzle especially when it comes to entertaining.
Together we’re hoping to encourage you to enjoy life without compromising your diabetes health.
Coming together with friends and family to share meals helps build healthy relationships and promotes good overall health. But why not make the most of the meal and let silver screen legend, Ginger Rogers inspire you to experiment with spices like ginger to your meals.
Fresh ginger is good for so many things. When buying ginger look for full, plump roots that are juicy and not dried out on the ends at all.
It’s been famously stated that silver screen legend, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels!
That’s also a fairly accurate description of what life’s like for people with diabetes – they do what everyone else does while managing their blood sugars!
Ginger Rogers is quite simply one of the greatest talents that Hollywood has ever seen. She was an actress and singer and dancer–a triple threat before people even really knew what that meant. Not only could she do it all, she did it all so well…the result of a strong work ethic and sheer raw talent. As an actress, she had tremendous range; she was a natural with comedy, but she could also bring a tear to your eye as she did in dramas like her Oscar-winning performance in Kitty Foyle (1940). And as a singer, she recorded several songs that were hits at the time and continue to be standards today. But it is for her grace as a dancer that she is perhaps best known, especially for her 10 movies with Fred Astaire. It is important to remember she had already made a name for herself on the stage and in 20 films before their first one together, but their coupling created an image so iconic they are still known all over the world.
Combine shrimp, ginger, oil, and soy sauce. Roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix mayonnaise, mustards and vinegar together until smooth. Place into a small dish and surround with the shrimp.
Servings: 2
Carbohydrates: 3 grams per serving
When Chef Ward Alper was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes he thought it was the end of eating as he knew it. For the first weeks Chef Ward says he faced a tin of tuna or a slab of meat and a salad and got bored very fast. He left the table unhappy and unsatisfied. Then it dawned on him that there were plenty of foods out there that he could still eat, and even more to be created, his eyes, and his world, opened up and he came up with the motto – “Take back my life and my table”. Chef Ward has been working in the restaurant kitchen since he was 8 years old. He shares recipes and more at his blog, The Decadent Diabetic, encouraging fellow ‘divabetics’ to expand their choices.
Our ‘divabetic’ entertaining inspiration, Ginger Rogers starred with Fred Astaire in the 1935 musical, “Roberta”. It was an adaptation of a 1933 Broadwaymusical of the same name, which in turn was based on the novel Gowns by Roberta by Alice Duer Miller.
Don’t let the end of Summer get you down, get DIVA! Our Divabetic Go Ginger! Labor Day Celebration spotlights different ‘ginger’ recipes by our good friend, Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’ to help put a kick in your 3 day weekend.
This fabulous ginger side dish recipe is inspired by one our favorite redheads, the iconic Lucille Ball. Her TV show, “I Love Lucy” pretty much invented the TV sitcom as we know it.
Did you know that before the show’s 1951 debut, sitcoms on the new medium of television were essentially filmed half-hour plays, with fairly static cameras and minimalist sets?
But on “I Love Lucy” there were three cameras shooting simultaneously from different angles, on 35mm film, so that scenes could be performed in sequence, just once, with shots and reaction shots edited together later.
‘Lucy Ricardo’ was kind of a comedic superheroine, capable of doing just about anything, but only for a few minutes, before her efforts inevitably went catastrophically awry. Behind the camera, Lucille Ball was a heroine, too, blazing a path for TV performers and producers for which she’s never received proper credit. Both fiery redheads — the restless housewife and the woman who created her — managed to create an indestructible sitcom; not even colorization can mar it. READ MORE
The Decadent Diabetic shares this fabulous ginger inspired recipe, “For Lucy the queen of carrot tops spicy with a nutty crunch!”
The Decadent Diabetic’s Orange/Ginger Glazed Carrots with Pecans Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Two 1 cup servings
Net carbohydrates:less than 11 grams per serving
Ingredients
6medium carrots, peeled and sliced on an angle
3 -TBSP. butter
4 ounces TROP 50 low sugar orange juice
3/4 cup water
1 TBSP. Sugar alternative of choice
small pinch of salt
½ -tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup toasted pecan halves
HOW TO PREPARE THE RECIPE:
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Cook carrots in the butter of high heat for 1 minute. Add TROP 50, water, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and sugar alternative. Continue cooking over medium high heat until all the liquid is evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with the pecans for extra spark of flavor and crunch.
Summer lasts a little longer with a tropical flower centerpiece (see above) for Divabetic Labor Day-inspired party and is surprisingly simple to create. An easy trick of the trade for centerpieces is to use multiples of like objects, vases or even lanterns and repeat- either down a long table or clustered symmetrically in the center of a table. The consistency creates a bold visual impact. To add a little more reflection and drama to the basic neutral table cloth place square mirror tiles to cover the tabletop (An easy to remove self adhesive helped keep the mirrors secure to the tablecloth).
How Are Baby Carrots Made?
The carrots now used to make “baby-cut carrots” are typically ones that have been specially bred to contain more sugar than their standard-sized cousins, because this extra sweetness appeals more strongly to children according to Snopes.com. Likewise, their bright orange color has also been bred into them, as has the evenness of that color all the way through the root. READ MORE
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 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.
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure. Healthy delicious recipes provided by Chef Robert Lewis and Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’.
This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Join the show! Get the full script for ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ and read along as our cast performs. Please e-mail: mrdvabetic@gmail.com
Don’t let the end of Summer get you down, get DIVA! Our Divabetic Go Ginger! Labor Day Celebration spotlights different recipes featuring ginger by Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’s to help put a kick in your 3 day weekend.
Did you know that ginger is among the healthiest (and most delicious) spices on the planet? It is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain.
Ginger has a long history of use as a nausea remedy for seasickness and morning sickness related to pregnancy. According to a review of 12 studies that included a total of 1,278 pregnant women, 1.1-1.5 grams of ginger can significantly reduce symptoms of nausea.
Now, it looks like the spice can lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran.
“Ginger can increase the effects of blood thinners, so if you’re taking these drugs, don’t take ginger,” advises Martha Howard, MD, medical director of Wellness Associates of Chicago. READ MORE Make sure to tell your doctor that you’re adding ginger to your regimen, and monitor your blood sugar levels regularly.
Our good friend, Chef Ward Alper aka ‘the Decadent Diabetic’who is living with type 2 diabetes, helps us craft a menu with a redheaded spin for our Divabetic Labor Day Celebration. We’re partnering his recipes with our favorite red heads starting with Tina Louise who played ‘Ginger’ on the 1960’s TV series “Gilligan’s Island.” .
Va va voom! Tina Louise, aka, Ginger Grant While the show didn’t receive accolades at the time and was viewed by critics as a silly, slapstick comedy, it became a cultural icon which is still in syndication today.
Tina caught the eye of Hollywood execs and after actress and sex symbol, Jayne Mansfield turned down the role of the ‘movie star’ on a sitcom. Although probably the least prestigious of jobs, playing Ginger is what Tina Louise is best known for – like it or not. The role did make Louise a pop icon of the era, and in 2005 an episode of TV Land Top Ten ranked her as second only to Heather Locklear as the greatest of television’s all-time sex symbols.
She has a bevy of acting credentials including Broadway, television and movies, and also studied at some of the most prestigious acting schools including the Actors Studio and with the one and only Lee Strasberg. She has starred in movies with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lee Marvin, Katherine Ross and Miou-Miou, to name a few. She has continued to expand her wings including voiceovers for a gaming machine (MegaJackpot product), recorded an album (“It’s Time for Tina”), and has written several books. Wow, an impressive woman!
The question “Ginger or Mary Ann?” is regarded to be a classic pop-psychological question when given to American men of a certain age as an insight into their characters, or at least their desires as regarding certain female stereotypes.
Chef Ward thinks his Grilled Tuna with Ginger would be the perfect dish for Ginger Grant to prepare on the beach for the Professor!
Grilled Tuna With Ginger
The Decadent Diabetic’s Grilled Tuna with Ginger
Carbohydrates per serving 0g.
Chefs Note: This is a fast and simple recipe for tuna. It works equally well with frozen(and defrosted) tuna as it does with “fresh” tuna. It also works well with swordfish. I like MY fish (heresy, I know) on the drier side but I have included instructions for a rare preparation as well.
INGREDIENTS
1 4-5 ounce piece of the best tuna (sushi grade) you can find
pepper to taste
Zest of ½ lemon
2 tsp. Soy sauce
½ tsp. garlic, grated or minced
½ tsp. fresh dill, chopped
½ tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp. ground ginger
1tsp. olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
HOW TO PREPARE THE RECIPE:
Preheat Grill
Combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the lemon juice and coat the piece of tuna. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours (this can be done on a still frozen piece of tuna as it defrosts). Add the lemon juice just before cooking.
Heat the grill to medium high. Pat the tuna dry and place tuna steak onto the grill and cook on each side.
For rare- Cook on the grill 3 minutes per side
For medium- Cook on the grill for 4 minutes per side
For medium well- Cook on the grill for 4-5 minutes per side
Cook the marinade in a skillet until it starts to boil. Spoon over the fish.
Go Ginger! Insulated Diabetes Insulin Pen Pouch / Case by TraceyMichell
A fun and attractive new design to hold your insulin pens, needles and contact details safe and secure. This is an insulated fold over pouch secured with velcro. Inside there is plenty of room to store your needles in a pretty Chicken or the Egg pocket also secured with velcro. There is storage for two pens and a plastic wallet to slip in your ID details. Complete with a carabiner clip to attach to your belt/bag this pouch is practical, contemporary and fashionable. Length approximately 18cm. Matching Blood Test Kit also available. BUY NOW
Why Can’t You Wear White After Labor Day?
While no one is completely sure exactly when or why this fashion rule came into effect, our best guess is that it had to do with snobbery in the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the 1880s, in order to tell who was acceptable and who wasn’t, the women who were already “in” felt it necessary to create dozens of fashion rules that everyone in the know had to follow. That way, if a woman showed up at the opera in a dress that cost more than most Americans made in a year, but it had the wrong sleeve length, other women would know not to give her the time of day. READ MORE
Take care of yourself. Whether you’re taking a vacation, getting a massage or just generally relaxing, your slower times give you a (likely) rare opportunity to address your mental and physical help. Take advantage of it to be recharged for the time when sales are booming, or when you need to take care of the next couple of things on the list.
Heath Headlines: A new study from the British Journal of Cancer revealed that natural red-headed men are 54 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. Researchers think it might have to do with the way genes that dictate hair pigmentation also influence tumor development.
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 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.
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure. Healthy delicious recipes provided by Chef Robert Lewis and Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’.
This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Join the show! Get the full script for ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ and read along as our cast performs. Please e-mail: mrdvabetic@gmail.com
For the past twelve years at our Divabetic live events, on our podcasts and inner blog we’ve been promotinga ‘New Attitude’ about living with diabetes to help you ‘Keep Your House A Home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring.Now we’re sharing our decade’s worth of our ‘diva brand of diabetes outreach’ advice and suggestions with you so that you won’t have to avoid the holidays in order to take charge of our diabetes.
Our Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration embraces an Old Hollywood aesthetic to encourage you to shine the spotlight on you and your diabetes health!
We believe diabetes doesn’t have to dim your dazzle! You can still embody Old Hollywood glamour and the kind of woman who is accustomed to attention from throngs of paparazzi!
Sure, it can be challenging at times to enjoy the holidays when you’re living with diabetes especially if you feel like you can’t enjoy the foods your actually preparing for your family and friends! Why not take the opportunity this Mother’s Day to change your mindset as well as your family’s about what healthy tastes like?
One of our favorite experts,’The Decadent Diabetic’ aka Chef Ward Alper shares this Oscar worthy menu for a Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration.The Decadent Diabetic’s menu includes Cucumber Soup, Smoked Salmon & Brie Omelet, Roasted Asparagus and Tart A Citron. Below is Chef’s Ward Alper’s recipe for Tallulah Tart A Citron (See all of the Decadent Diabetic’s Old Hollywood inspired Mother’s Day recipes on Divabetic blog).
½cup toasted nuts (either Almonds, Walnuts, or Pecans)
¼ c. GRANULATED SUGAR SUBSTITUTE
1 pinch salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp.butter or margarine
1 large egg
Filling Ingredients:
1 pkg reduced fat (not fat free) cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cup GRANULATED SUGAR SUBSTITUTE
juice AND zest of two lemons (about 7 tablespoons)
3 large eggs
How Chef Ward Alper Prepares the Recipe:
Roll out the crust on flowered surface to about a 14 in circle. Using your fingers fit into tart pan. This dough is fragile and will break. Not to worry just piece it together with your fingers. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before filling.
Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer until smooth. Add GRANULATED SUGAR SUBSTITUTE and beat until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice BUT NOT zest of the lemons. Beat until well mixed. BY HAND stir in the lemon zest.
Pour into the crust and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Serve garnished with a few lightly sweetened Blueberries or strawberries or raspberries.
Tallulah Bankhead was an American actress of the stage and screen, and a reputed libertine. Bankhead was known for her husky voice, outrageous personality, and devastating wit. Originating some of the 20th-century theater’s preeminent roles in comedy and melodrama, she gained acclaim as an actress on both sides of the Atlantic. Bankhead became an icon of the tempestuous, flamboyant actress, and her unique voice and mannerisms are often subject to imitation and parody.
“Tallulah Bankhead was a great character,” says the Decadent Diabetic. “I actually got to see her on stage in Midgie Purvis. It lasted maybe two performances. It opened with her coming down a staircase with two wolfhounds. As Lily Tomlin would say: “its a look”.”
‘Can I have a healthy baby if I’m living with type 1 diabetes?’ is one of the most common questions we’re asked at Divabetic diabetes outreach events. Our good friend, Diabetes Advocate and Author, Ginger Vieira recently co-authored a new book, ‘Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes’(subtitled “Your Month-to-Month Guide to Blood Sugar Management) with Jennifer C. Smith RD, CDE.
“The book will likely be referred to as “the Type 1 pregnancy bible” before long,” reports Nancy Sayles Kaneshira for Diabetes Lifestyle’s website.
The books covers “Mama’s Mental Health,” nutrition, blood sugar management, what to expect at doctor’s visits, and Ginger’s personal pregnancy diary (pictured right). With countless tips, dietary recommendations and personal stories in addition to their own, the authors ably guide the reader through preparing for pregnancy all the way to baby’s birth, and throughout the challenges of postpartum diabetes control.
This book is so jam-packed with information it should come with a yellow highlighter. BUY NOW
Hollywood Fact: Regardless of what you or I may think of Joan Crawford’s mothering skills and/or allegations of physical abuse towards her children, many single mothers of adopted children owe her a great deal of gratitude. Joan adopted three children—Christina and twins Cathy and Cindy—as a single parent, which at the time was prohibited in California. She used her fame and finances to arrange the adoptions through an agency in Las Vegas.
Diabetes Advocate, Author and Spokesmodel, Doris Hobbs shows off one of the biggest fashion secrets in Hollywood; the nude colored shoe. Nude shoes are ultra- flattering shoe because they elongate your leg and virtually go with everything. Plus, they’re perfect for summer? Every Hollywood starlet’s wearing them now—Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Blake Lively, to name a few—and the result is legs for days, to put it mildly.
Pampering gifts like products from PEAK 10 SKIN®are always a great treat to any Mom…at any age! Whether it’s your daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, wife or your Mother, women love things that make them feel pampered and special. PEAK 10 SKIN® have a couple different gift sets that we put together with Mom’s in mind, but they will also custom design a gift for the Mom’s in your life. For custom gifts, simply call or email us. Beautiful gift wrap available , too! Remember, all of products are professional spa quality and are paraben FREE, gluten FREE, cruelty FREE!
PEAK 10 SKIN® is offering this Special 30% Discount Offer to our Divabetic community (use the Divabetic coupon code: divabetic (all lowercase))
Don’t forget to use your coupon code: B2B(40% off)
PEAK 10 SKIN® recently repackaged the new SOOTHE hand cream in a pot for ease of use. The product was too thick to come out of the tube with ease. It comes in 2 sizes; 2oz/$18 and 4oz/$28. These could be perfect gifts as well. These prices are BEFORE your discount is applied.
Making a Mani/Pedi kit of SAVE MY SOLE & SOOTHE hand cream would be fabulous! If you get the 2oz of each, that would be a $36 retail/$21.60 for you!
“Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” from Auntie Mame.
Our Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration embraces an Old Hollywood aesthetic to encourage you to shine the spotlight on you and your diabetes health!
We believe diabetes doesn’t have to dim your dazzle! You can still embody Old Hollywood glamour and the kind of woman who is accustomed to attention from throngs of paparazzi!
Sure, it can be challengingat times to enjoy the holidays when you’re living with diabetes especially if you feel like you can’t enjoy the foods your actually preparing for your family and friends! Why not take the opportunity this Mother’s Day to change your mindset as well as your family’s about what healthy tastes like?
One of our favorite experts,‘The Decadent Diabetic’ aka Chef Ward Alper shares this Oscar worthy menu for a Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration.The Decadent Diabetic’s menu includes Cucumber Soup, Smoked Salmon & Brie Omelet, Roasted Asparagus and Tart A Citron. Below is Chef’s Ward Alper’s recipe for Rosalind Roasted Asparagus (We will be posting one recipe each day throughout the upcoming week).
Rosalind Roasted Asparagus by The Decadent Diabetic
(Serving size 8-10 spears, net carbohydrates: 6 grams)
Chef’s Note: As with most vegetables, high temperature “roasting” intensifies the flavor. I roast a lot of veggies, but asparagus is my personal “star”
I like mid sized asparagus. The pencil thin ones just go limp, and the fat ones seem to taste “old” to me, even after peeling them. ONLY when it fresh in my garden, I use a little lemon thyme in this recipe.
Ingredients
8-10 – asparagus spears
1 – Tbsp. mincedshallot
1 – clove of grated garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
or
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 – Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar (optional)
HOW TO PREPARE THE RECIPE:
Pre heat oven to 400-425° F.
Rinse the asparagus under running water. On a sheet pan lined with aluminumfoil, toss the shallots, garlic,butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper with the asparagusand spread to one layer.
Cook at for 6- 10 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables. Sprinkle with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar just before serving.
Did you know asparagus may be able to keep diabetes at bay by helping blood sugar levels stay under control while boosting output of insulin? READ MORE
Chef Ward’s asparagus dish pays homage to silver screen legend, actress Rosalind Russell.
“Flops are a part of life’s menu and I’ve never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses,” said Rosalind Russell.
She was a tall and lean just like asparagus! She was best known for her versatility in witty and sophisticated roles such as the fast-talking newspaper reporter in the screwball comedy ‘His Girl Friday’ in 1940. She is also fondly remembered for her portrayal of Mame Dennis in the film ‘Auntie Mame’ in 1958.
Rosalind Russell may have been the most glamorous and famous woman to have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). However, she shared three qualities with many others living with RA: She was determined, hopeful, and private. She used her celebrity status to advocate for research and successfully lobbied Congress to pass the National Arthritis Act.
Not Everything About Old Hollywood Was Glamorous!
Actress Kim Novakrecalls when she first got to Hollywood, her studio changed her name, gave her lavender highlights, and told her to speak with a breathier voice. When Novak overate one day after a visit to a farmer’s market, one of her actress girlfriends suggested she remedy the mistake by drinking soap and water — which she did, before getting a ride to the hospital.
Did you know your favorite Old Hollywood actresses would dab gasoline on their cheekbones and browbones to spotlight their bone structure? Cinematographers would even rub the stuff on camera lenses to give the shoot a soft-focus, ethereal quality.
High blood sugar is dangerous for many reasons, but it can also make your skin dry, and prone to cracking and breaking. This opens the door to infections. And if you do get an infection, high blood sugar makes the infection harder to fight.
“The No. 1 key is to get your diabetes in check,” says Katherine H. Fiala, MD, director of the dermatology residency program at Scott & White Clinic in Temple, Texas. “If you do that first, everything else is so much easier.”
Our team’s having so much fun putting together ideas for a Divabetic Old Hollywood Mother’s Day Celebration, that Chef Ward ‘the Decadent Diabetic’ Alper sent me this fun message referencing Old Hollywood: “With all these Divas you are having for brunch, I HOPE, you didn’t have to call Janie Clarkson and cancel….again.”
This delicious quote is from the film, Mr. Skeffington starring Bette Davis. Popular and beautiful Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) is forced into a loveless marriage with an older man, Jewish banker Job Skeffington, in order to save her beloved brother Trippy from an embezzlement charge, and predictable complications result.
Our Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration embraces an Old Hollywood aesthetic to encourage you to shine the spotlight on you and your diabetes health!
Sure, it can be difficult at times to enjoy the holidays when you’re living with diabetes especially if you feel like you can’t enjoy the foods your actually preparing for your family and friends! Why not take the opportunity this Mother’s Day to change your mindset as well as your family’s about what healthy tastes like?
One of our favorite experts,‘The Decadent Diabetic’ aka Chef Ward Alper shares this Oscar worthy menu for a Divabetic Mother’s Day Celebration.The Decadent Diabetic’s menu includes Cucumber Soup, Smoked Salmon & Brie Omelet, Roasted Asparagus and Tart A Citron. Below is Chef’s Ward Alper’s recipe Stanwyck Smoked Salmon and Brie Omelet. (We will be posting a different dish from his marvelous menu each day throughout the upcoming week).
Stanwyck Smoked Salmon and Brie Omelet Recipe by the Decadent Diabetic
(Serves 2, Carbohydrates 4 grams per serving)
Chef’s note: This dish is as simple to make as it is elegant to serve. Great for a weekend breakfast, brunch or lunch.
Ingredients
4 eggs very well beaten and frothy
Salt and pepper to taste and your doctor’s recommendation
2-3 Tbsp. Liquid (milk, cream, sour cream, or yogurt)
Combine the eggs, salt pepper, liquid, and shallot or scallion and whisk until light and frothy. Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the eggs to the skillet and lower the heat to medium high. Allow the mixture to start to set. Start bringing in the sides to the center rotating the pan to allow the liquid to fill in the empty spaces.
Add the cheese and smoked salmon to the top of the omelet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and continue to cook until the omelet puffs up (about 2-3 minutes). Sprinkle with capers and serve.
If you don’t keep capers in your pantry, try asparagus tips in their place.
Our entree’s diva inspiration, Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress who had a 60-year career in film and television, best known for her strong female roles in films, such as Double Indemnity. In 1937, Stanwyck’s talent as an actress was recognized on a grander scale as she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Stella Dallas (1937).
She would come to be nominated three more times for the films Ball of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1944) and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)—each time for best actress in a leading role—however, she never won the award. In addition to the recognition she received from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Double Indemnity, she was lauded by critics for having what’s considered one of her greatest roles as seductress and murderer Phyllis Dietrichson in the popular noir film
Make a scene. For easy ooh factor, use a white tablecloth, white dishes, and just one or two rich metallic accent colors (gold or silver, never bronze).
Add a touch of Old Hollywood to your table and honor the legendary icons of Hollywood’s silver screen and share your favorites with your grandkids. Flowers and centerpieces should be tall enough to talk under or short enough to talk over.
In Old Hollywood, a party’s success wasn’t just about what was being served but also who was being served with lots of style.
Tori Avey printed out pictures of her favorite silver screen stars and put them in decorative frames from Michael’s and placed one at each seat. READ MORE
Opposites Attract! Let the glamour and style of ‘Old Hollywood’ inspire you to embrace New Diabetes Technology. Barbara Stanwyck’s gorgeous costumes in the film, ‘Lady Eve’ sparked our search for diabetes technology worthy of the silver screen. It’s sleek design and ease of use make it the perfect accessory for our Divabetic Old Hollywood Mother’s Day Celebration.
Dexcom‘s new “complication” to its Apple Watch compatibility allow your data to now be displayed right on the main watchface! There are four different ways to view your glucose data there, ranging from 1 to 6 hour trend graphs.
Currently, the new capability is only for the G5 Mobile app and Apple Watch, as the company hasn’t yet updated the Follow app that lets users share their results in real-time with family members or others. Word is also that this new feature doesn’t work with every single watchface, so if you have a unique model it might not yet be possible to make the glucose data display on the main watchface.
One of our fabulous members from the Divabetic community, Taryn McQuain Bentaous, who is living with type 2 diabetes and sells Mary Kay Cosmetics, shares her favorite ‘Old Hollywood’ shade lipstick to help you feel like a diva!
“I choose Poppy Please from our Gel Semi-Matte Collection,” says Taryn. “It feels wonderful to wear, and the matte finish reminds me of old Hollywood. It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, my favorite old movie!”
This year one of our goals at Divabetic is to encourage our divas to embrace the holidays like Valentine’s Day without compromising their diabetes health.
Celebrate your health and take some time to enjoy your own wellbeing and happiness. Here are some ways you can love yourself this Valentine’s Day:
Love your exercise. Spending some time outdoors, at the gym, or on your yoga mat is a perfect way to give back to you. Exercise will help boost your mood, leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed. Regular exercise will also help prevent or manage a wide range of illnesses.
Love your health. Without health we can’t have happiness, which is why it is so important to take time to look after ourselves. This Valentine’s Day, think about your heart and work on ways to reduce unnecessary stress in your life.
What if, when you make your list of valentines, you include yourself this time? Showing yourself and your diabetes health some love could be your sweetest decision yet….
If we don’t take the time to honor and appreciate ourselves, how can we expect that others will?
With this inspiration, we hope that you feel the love from everyone around you, including yourself – maybe not just today, but year round! Happy Valentine’s day!
Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN, 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year and author of “The CompleteDiabetes Organizer: Your Guide to a Less Stressful and More Manageable Diabetes Life” offers this advice for Valentine’s Day:
1 – Start the day with some love. Toast up a piece of whole grain bread and prepare a bulls eye egg in a non stick pan with a bit of olive oil. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the middle of the toast, and place the toast on top of the egg, so the heart shape is visible. It will bring a smile to your lovers face!
2 – Use an empty heart shaped box, and small pieces of colorful plastic wrap. Use sliced bananas, melon, and strawberries and drizzle a small amount of dark chocolate on these sweet fruits. Place the chocolate drizzled fruit in the wrap and fill the box. Homemade, delicious and thoughtful. If you choose to dip the fruit in hot dark chocolate, consider adding a few nuts for extra crunch and texture.
You may chalk it up to another Hallmark holiday, but there’s no denying that Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to put on a cute outfit and hit the town. Whether you’re going out on a romantic night on the town. Why not ‘Go Red!’ and raise awareness for heart disease in honor of Valentine’s Day?
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S.
Type 2 diabetes independently increases the risk of heart disease in pre-menopausal women and those in the first years of menopause, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions 2013.
What does the color red say about you?
The red dress effect is a putative phenomenon in which people wearing red clothing, such as a red dress, are perceived to be more sexually appealing than they are when wearing other colors.
Research has shown that wearing red clothes can make women more attractive to men. But do women take advantage of this fact by wearing red when they want to attract a man’s attention?
“A woman’s closet can foster strong relations by serving as a reminder to ones nostalgic roots and past, communicating an authenticity of its own,” says Rich In Love Fashion Blogger, Spokesmodel, Author and fabulous Diabetes Advocate, Doris Hobbs. READ MORE
From style to Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, who is living with type 2 diabetes, is determined to show the world how to manage diabetes and still eat decadently.“A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t have to mean the end of great eating!”, says the Decadent Diabetic.The Decadent Diabetic’s advice for home cooks for Valentine’s Day:
Make it simple and ahead: It is Tuesday and you probably had to work and will need to work tomorrow.
1- Make as much as you can ahead of time. You don’t want to slave over a hot stove and fall asleep in your food
2 – Keep it light. A heavy meal may keep you from “getting lucky”
3 – Make sure it is something the one you love… loves. Nothing can put a damper on a romantic meal like the other person saying : “I don’t eat that.”
4 – Finish with Chocolate. It is Valentine’s day…do I need to say more?
Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND author of “Sex and Diabetes” and “The Secrets of Living and Loving with Diabetes” offers this advice to couples for Valentine’s Day:
1 – Hug!Every day, hug your partner until you both feel relaxed. It’s a non-sexual hug that nurtures your emotional needs while it enriches your relationship.When you feel more connected, romantic moments get even better!
2 – Do one romantic thing for your loved one each day – send a loving text, call to say you miss them, place a romantic note in their sink, buy their favorite food, etc.Show that you are thinking of them.Very romantic!
It’s difficult to love yourself and your diabetes health if you’re constantly feeling deprived of the foods you love. The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris, who is living with type 2 diabetes, wants you to have your cake and eat it, too, without sacrificingyour diabetes self-care.
Stacey has created recipes for making breads, cakes and other desserts diabetic-friendly by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates.
Songs have been written about every topic imaginable, but the best ones — from swooning ’50s ballads to contemporary club bangers — have been penned about the ups and downs of being in love. One of our favorite pop stars is George Michael.
Few songwriters from the 1980’s were as capable of writing both heart-wrenching torch ballads speaking to the essential isolation at the core of the human condition, and sugary pop trifles where the only word you needed to understand was “jitterbug.” And the best of his songs usually fell somewhere in between, bold and bubbly declarations of independence and deliverance that still admitted how scared and unsure he was about all of it, a too-rare combination of pro prowess and outsider insecurity that seemed to make him more relatable the more popular he became.
LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by George Michael podcast. Enjoy our first-ever Valentine’s Day Party featuring Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love’ fashion blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Poet Lorraine Brooks.
Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to embrace the person you are.
Finally, Valentine’s Day offers the perfect excuse to get educated about Heart Health. Your heart isn’t only your most critical muscle — it’s what keeps you alive, after all — but also one of the hardest working. It ticks 24-7 and except for the times when you’re relaxing or sleeping, it rarely gets a break. Below, find fascinating facts about your heart that might inspire you to give it a little more TLC every day.
Want to know how big your heart is? Make a fist. Heart size depends on the size of the person as well as the condition of their heart. Generally speaking, a healthy heart is about the size of the person’s fist.
During the average human lifespan, the heart beats over 2.5 billion times. The human heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day and 35 million times each year of life.
Every minute, your heart pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels that’s over 60,000 miles long, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That translates to about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
“I’m thrilled to support such a worthwhile cause by participating in Diabetes Podcast Week again this year, ” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.”We’ve got a really wonderful show planned featuring guests Chef Ward Alper ‘The Decadent Diabetic’ and Diabetes Advocate and ‘Rich In Love’ blogger, fashionista and diabetes advocate Doris Hobbs along with music from George Michael.”
The idea behind the “Spare a Rose, Save a Child” campaign 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.
Mr. Divabetic will be happily broadcasting live on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6- 7 PM, EST. Guests include Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, ‘Rich In Love’ blogger, Doris Hobbs,the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.
We’re throwing our first-ever Divabetic Valentine’s Day Party! We’re sharing expert advice on food to nourish your heart, fashions to boost your spirit and fabulous diabetes self-care tips to make your life easier. Whether you’re married, single or dating, our goal is to encourage you to show how much you care about yourself and your diabetes health.
Throughout February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we will be featuring music by George Michael courtesy of SONY Music.
Diabetes Podcast week founder and fellow podcaster, Stacey Simms says, “I’ve participated in and enjoyed Diabetes Blog Week for a long time. After I started my podcast, it seemed like a natural fit to create #DPodcastWeek. Once again, we’re using our microphones to get some attention for a terrific charity, the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign.”
During the week of February 6, 2017, podcasters who sign up will include information about Spare a Rose in their shows and on their websites. Listeners are encouraged to learn more and to consider making a donation.
That’s it! Stay tuned for more on #DPodcastWeek, coming February 6, 2017.
This year we’re encouraging you to ‘sparkle’ not just survive the holidays if you’re living with diabetes. From feeling deprived about what you can eat to feeling embarrassed about living a sexual health related complication, diabetes can make it difficult at times to get in the spirit!
Coming soon our favorite experts, Stacey Harris aka the Diabetic Pastry Chef, ‘The Decadent Diabetic‘ aka Chef Ward Alper, Wine & Spirits Expert Samantha Shaken Baker, Certified Diabetes Educators, Patrica Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and Janis Roszler, LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND and Rich In Love Fashion style Blogger, Published Writer, Diabetes Advocate, and Spokesmodel, Doris Hobbs share their advice on loving the holiday without compromising your diabetes health.
Look for our Diabetic Valentine’s Day Celebration’s diabetes self-care advice, healthy and delicious recipes, beauty and fashion tips and favorite love songs on this blog and our upcoming February Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, EST.
Did you know that Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400?
The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
Did you know that Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s?
In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year!
TUNE IN: February’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by George Michael on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 6-7 PM, ESt. Guests include Chef Ward Alper aka ‘The Decadent Diabetic’, Rich In Love style blogger Doris Hobbs, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
