Divabetic’s Mystery Phrase #10

Can you complete the Tina Turner-inspired Divabetic Mystery Phrase below? Diabetes self-care can be emotionally taxing, but reframing your mind-set can have powerful results.

Mystery Phrase

Self-help books often promote the power of positive affirmations. If you’ve never tried them before, the idea can seem incredibly awkward to tell yourself how awesome you are.

Positive affirmations help to re-program your thought patterns and change the way you think and feel about things. They are short positive statements that can help you focus on goals, get rid of negative, self-defeating beliefs and program your subconscious mind.

And yes, there is genuine theory and a fair amount of neuroscience behind this practice.

If you’re struggling to cope with your diabetes diagnosis: try repeating positive affirmations to yourself each morning to steer your mood in the right direction. This way of thinking can be helpful when the mental burden of diabetes management gets tough.

Your constant worrying of what you’re not doing and/or how much more you could and should be doing for your diabetes wellness doesn’t feel empowering, because it isn’t. That inner talk isn’t true or real.

Putting yourself down at every chance you get doesn’t draw you closer to what you want to create in your life, nor does it help your diabetes health.

Start believing in yourself and believing deeply—on every level—that you are doing your best.

We think you’re fabulous!

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Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast

Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer on Divabetic’s 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.

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.

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Diabetes Murder Mystery at the Mermaid Parade

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.

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Mr. Divabetic stops by Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade

Feeling Guilty About What You Just Ate?

Feeling guilty about what you ate?

You’re not alone. The link between guilt and diabetes may derive from the social stigma and common misconception that diabetes is an easily preventable condition. Many Americans still believe type 1 is caused by eating too much sugar and that the sole cause of type 2 is obesity.

“It’s natural for people to feel like they’ve done something to bring it on,” says Susan Guzman, PhD, director of clinical education at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute in San Diego. “It’s common for people to look inward for some sort of causal event because it makes them feel more in control. But when it comes to diabetes, there are a lot of things out of our control.”

We’re celebrating Divabetic’s 8 Year Anniversary of Diabetes podcasting with musical inspiration from Patti Austin.

Grammy Award-winning Singer Patti Austin is in constant demand globally for live performances, thanks to a legacy of recordings that started in 1955, continued through the ‘60s with success as a teenage R&B star before establishing herself as a mainstay among jazz and soul audiences through her ‘70s recordings.  By the ‘80s, Austin became known to the wider international audience as a result of the Grammy-nominated “Baby Come To Me” and “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”, her early ‘80s classic duets with James Ingram.

In New York, they referred to Patti as the “Queen of Studio” for her singing abilities. When she arrived on set to work for Randy and Michael Brecker, Patti met Luther Vandross for the first time. The moment created a lasting friendship.

“Another thing (besides music) that bonded me to Luther was our weight issues,” she said. The two dialed each other often. “When touring, if we were in the same city, we attended movies together.” “He would usually pick some silly movie like [Scary Movie]” she said, expanding on the personal side of their relationship in a loving, humorous way.

“I had type 2 diabetes,” says the former 285- pound singing sensation. “I had obesity-driven diabetes,” continued the now 140-pound Austin. To reach her new weight, Patti Austin had gastric bypass surgery and the result has been remarkable.

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Mama Rose Marie.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring songs from ‘The Best Of Patti Austin’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

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An Interview with Max Szadek

After finding his former boss, Luther Vandross in a coma on the floor and later feeling the media neglected giving enough attention to Luther’s diabetes, Max Szadek has fought for greater awareness of the disease through his organization Divabetic.

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Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek is talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ on Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Ricky Martin scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 6 PM, EST.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Uprising (June 29, 1969). It is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement.

Since Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he’s been a prominent voice for LGBT rights both in the U.S. and in his native Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin said, “I just wanna be free,” upon receiving GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, which honors gay entertainers who promote equal rights. Martin opened up his life to Vanity Fair in its April 2012 issue and spoke candidly about his twins, Matteo and Valentino, and his longtime partner, Carlos Gonzalez.

As an openly gay man, Mr. Divabetic is honored to shine the spotlight on members from the LGBTQ+ community living with diabetes. Guests include Stephen Bernstein, Greg Rubin, Maria Salazar, Catherine Schuller and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

“As a gay man I can relate to the ‘shame’ and ‘blame’ many people experience with type 2 diabetes experience regarding their diagnosis,” says Max Szadek. “Claiming who I am as a gay man has helped me take charge of my own health issues. I hope this podcast will inspire others facing similar challenges in their diabetes self-care. You’ve got to love yourself to take charge of your health!”

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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Sugar-Free Coconut Custard Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris

I blame MaryAnn, who whipped up endless coconut cream pies for Gilligan on TV, and the chorus of Rupert Holmes’ hit song, Escape (The Pina Colada song) for why I associate ‘coconuts’ with ‘beaches’. That’s probably why I reached out to my friend and colleague Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ for a dessert recipe featuring coconuts to help celebrate the debut of our 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast,Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. After all, the setting of this year’s mystery is the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, NY!!

When Stacey Harris was studying to become a pastry chef, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than give up her chosen profession, she began creating more diabetic-friendly desserts. By using blended flours and a combination of sugar and sugar substitutes, reducing milk carbohydrates, and eliminating trans fats,  Stacey Harris has transformed more than 200 desserts into diabetic-friendly delights.

Here’s Stacey Harris’ fabulous Coney Island caper inspired recipe for you and your family to enjoy!

Sugar-Free Coconut Custard Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients:

2 c. milk, scalded
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. SPLENDA® Naturals
2 tsp. coconut extract
dash nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In large bowl, beat eggs, add SPLENDA® Naturals, coconut extract and nutmeg; blend in hot milk.

Pour into small casserole dish and bake for 1 hour.

Garnish:

Serve with whipped cream sprinkled with a little toasted coconut, a fresh orange slice or garnish of your choice and enjoy!

The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s cookbooks are filled with information on the definition, treatment, and prevention of diabetes and include complete nutritional information (calories, fat, cholesterol, sugars, and protein) for each recipe. She uses Splendar and presents other sugar-free alternatives for pancakes, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pies. Stacey Harris shares the sweet secrets of her simple-to-use formula that will convert most any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising taste or quality. Now ‘divabetics’ can enjoy Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Blueberry Tartlets, Cream Cheese Cupcakes, Coffee Bread Pudding, and hundreds of others. BUY NOW

“In The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris proves you can prepare and eat wonderful food and still stay well within the guidelines of food for a person with diabetes.”Alan L. Rubin, M.D., author of Diabetes for Dummies and Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, We Are Diabetes organization founder, Asha Brown, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay MEd, DTR, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth, Mr. Divabetic in the seaside adventure, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’.

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 for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But this nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found sleeping with the fishes.

What it an accident or foul play?

Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling a sequined Real Estate Agent, ex-lifeguard Lothario and a  voluptuous Dance Instructor, 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 and a kooky crudite-obsessed fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers Summertime diabetes self-care tips.

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music. LISTEN NOW

Best Nachos Recipe – Ever Tried Holly Clegg’s Incredible Crab Appetizer Nachos?

Who doesn’t love nachos?   Especially seafood nachos that are easy to make?

Since great food makes for a great party I asked several of my friends to share their favorite recipes on this blog.  It’s all part of the preparations for our biggest  podcast event of the year, Mister Divabetic Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST.  Since this year’s zany adventure takes place in New York City’s historic seashore, Coney Island we’re spotlighting seafood dishes. 

Don’t let diabetes dim your DAZZLE! Get in the spirt and enjoy my good friend, Best-Selling Cookbook Author, Holly Clegg’s healthy Crab Nacho Recipe. It’s sure to win over your family and friends at your next party!

“Every time I make these baked nachos I have to sneak a few before I set them out because they will be all polished off before I know it!,” says Holly.

Crispy tortilla chips baked with a splendid southwestern-seasoned crab mixture and smothered with cheese is quick to prepare and quicker to disappear.

How can Holly’s delicious crabmeat nachos possibly be healthy?

“By using reduced-fat ingredients and baked tortilla chips, you get a wonderful crab southwestern topping for a baked nachos recipe,” says Holly. “! I have the best 

Crab Nachos from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites

6 dozen baked tortilla flour chips
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound lump, white, or canned crabmeat, picked through for shells
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded, reduced-fat, sharp cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese
Paprika

1.  Preheat oven to broil. Arrange tortilla chips in single layer on baking sheet.

2.  In bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, green chilies, cumin. Fold in crabmeat, salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Divide mixture on chips. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 3 dozen nachos. Nutritional information per serving: Calories 57, Calories from fat (%) 29, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 14, Sodium (mg) 143, Carbohydrate (g) 5, Dietary Fiber (g) 0, Sugars (g) 0, Protein (g) 5, Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 lean meat

Holly Clegg’s Cooking Tip:  If you don’t have fresh crabmeat available, my second choice is the pasteurized crabmeat you find in a can.  Of course, you can always use snow crab, king crab or imitation crabmeat for this crab nachos recipe.  

Crab Nachos from Holly Clegg’s Gulf Coast Favorites cookbook is packed with Louisiana Cajun recipes. Superbowl party or just a Friday night game night with friend, set these melt in your mouth healthy crab nachos out and you will be the ‘divabetic’ hostess with the mostest!

With over 1 MILLION COOKBOOKS sold, Holly Clegg has become a culinary expert on easy healthy everyday recipes through her nationally recognized best-selling trim&TERRIFIC® and Eating Well cookbook series, including Eating Well Through Cancer, (English, Spanish and Chinese editions), Eating Well to Fight Arthritis and Diabetic Cooking with the ADA. Clegg attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School, London and has appeared on Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, QVC, The 700 Club, USA Today, Cooking Light Magazine, Web MD, and Huff Post. She consulted and did spokesperson work for Walmart, Teflon, DuPont, The Coca-Cola Company, and hospitals throughout the country. For more information, visit About Holly or The Healthy Cooking Blog for more recipes and tips.

LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Spotlight podcast with guest Best-Selling Cookbook Author Holly Clegg

Join us for the broadcast of our newest Mister Divabetic Mister entitled “Gypsies, Tramps and Peas”.
 
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 

The Happy Diabetic’s Healthy Hot Dog Topping Recipes

Chef Robert aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ takes part in our fourth annual Mr. Divabetic Mystery podcast: Gypsies, Tramps & Peas scheduled for Tuesday, September 12, 2017. This year’s diabetes mystery takes place in Coney Island, the home of Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut captured his 10th Mustard Belt by eating an event-record 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win.

To get you in the spirit of ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ we asked Chef Robert to share some recipes for healthy hot toppings to help you ‘makeover’ your hot dog.

“Okay, let be honest the All American Hot dog get’s a bad rap!,” says Chef Robert Lewis. “It’s nutritional reputation is horrible. The average hot dog actually beats out a basic hamburger patty by about 100 calories assuming it’s not a foot long. After all, who really needs to eat a foot of food anyway!” 

Chef Robert Lewis recommends choosing organic, grass-fed, and/or kosher all beef wieners, which tend to have less sodium. Aim for less than 200 calories, 5g sat fat, and 400 mg sodium. 

Don’t worry, if you’re feeling angry with Chef Robert for taking the fun out of grilling because he’s got loads of surefire ways to make sure your dogs are the ‘top dogs’ at your next cookout.

After all, he was diagnosed in 1998 with type 2 diabetes. “Much of what I heard in those early day was about the foods that were prohibited,” says Chef Robert Lewis.  “I suspected that my days of good eating were over, yet as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites. This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.”

The Happy Diabetic Fixin’s Tip: Replace relish, which is loaded with sodium, with shredded cucumbers. Cucumbers are low in calories and provide a healthy dose of fiber, vitamin C and potassium.

The Happy Diabetic’s Festive Hot Dog Toppings (all less than 150 calories!)

 

 

The West Coast Hot Dog Recipe

Yellow mustard and chopped fresh basil

Sliced avocado

Alfalfa sprouts

Shredded or sliced cucumbers

Baby Spinach

The Salsa Dog

Roasted corn

Sliced green onion

Fresh lime juice

Diced red bell and Green pepper

Slices of jalapeño slivers

Crumbled sharp cheese

Pickle ME! Hot Dog Recipe

2 teaspoons olive oil mayo mixed with 1 teaspoon chopped cucumbers

Sliced pickled red onion

Crumbled feta cheese

Shredded carrots

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Aloha! Ohvey…Chop It Up Hot Dog Recipe

Chopped red onion

Chopped fresh pineapple

Chopped red bell pepper

Chopped macadamia nuts

Chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh lime juice

My Big Fat Greek Hot Dog Recipe

Grape tomatoes

Sliced Kalamata olives

Chickpeas

Pepperoncini

Chobni Meze Cucumber Greek Yogurt

The Happy Diabetic Quick Fixes: Add low-sodium chili supplies fiber and protein, Choose white beans and low-sodium turkey bacon that contains fiber and protein, Spice it up withresh herbs, such as dill or cilantro (lot’s flavor to a and are low in calories) or top your dog with chopped pineapple or mango.

Everything’s Coming Up Roses! We’re going behind the scenes on our upcoming Mr. Diabetic Mystery podcast. ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ (scheduled for September 12, 2017) with music from the Original Broadway cast of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Our annual diabetes mystery podcast hopes to encourage you to become a Diabetes Detective. Look for clues, search for patterns, investigate the reasons behind your blood sugar high’s and low’s and report to the authorities (your healthcare team) about medical information found on the internet.

On August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re discussing tips for Summertime Diabetes Management, the Best in Swimsuit Coverups, Body Image Issues, Health Hazards of Professional Eating Contests, Safe Pedicures and Broadway’s Biggest Divas.

LISTEN: August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from the musical, ‘Gypsy’ features guests Actress, Singer Soara-Joye Ross, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Maryann Nicolay BA, DTR, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Founder & Executive Director of the We Are Diabetes organization Asha Brown, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes and Mama Rose Marie.