My mom and I are watching Acorn TV’s Under The Vines series. It’s an excellent drama-comedy about two city slickers, Daisy Monroe, portrayed by actress Rebecca Gibney and Louis Oakley, portrayed by actor Charles Edwards, who both inherit a failing vineyard in rural New Zealand. The only problems are that neither of them has ever done a hard day’s work- and they initially despise one another.
Both of them are experiencing financial, social, and existential crises. They become interested in the winery’s future but frequently don’t see eye-to-eye. Furthermore, a neighboring vineyard wants to buy their vineyard, Oakley Wines, and isn’t happy that the inexperienced newcomers might stay.
What I like about the show is that the storylines tackle the complexities of modern life with humor. For example, Daisy’s best friend, Griffin ‘Griff’ Galway, is a closeted gay Australian famous international actor who chooses to hide his identity but then has to deal with the consequences.. Griff confronts Daisy about how selfishness has stopped her from finding long-lasting love. We rarely see the depth of friendship between a heterosexual woman and a gay man on screen, and if it is, it’s usually for laughs. This show digs deeper and shows how two chosen family members offer tough love. Daisy and Griff aren’t afraid of being honest with each other about the other’s shortcomings, and they love each other for it. They sleep in the same bed and are comfortable with each other’s awkwardness, inconsistencies, and imperfections.
Struggling with coming to terms with your sexual identity can be challenging for your health. Research shows that LGBTQAI+ people have unique health disparities and worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts regarding diabetes care and education. We spotlight LGBTQAI+ people living with, affected by, and at risk of diabetes on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with music from Indigo Girls. Podcast guests include The Flood Girls & The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton, Author Richard Fifield, Mutha Chucka, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from theirIndigo Girlsalbum courtesy of SONY Music.
Watching Under the Vines also piqued my curiosity about winemaking. How couldn’t it? There are so many beautiful panoramic shots of the vineyard and countryside.
How do growers and winemakers know when grapes are ready for harvesting?
Many growers and winemakers still rely on sugar readings to decide when the grapes are ripe.
My friend, who works for a winemaker, said every winemaker is different. Most rely on the grapes’ sugar and acid levels and by taste. The winemaker she works for wants to make high-acid wines, so we pick early. Acid and sugar levels are inverse so the riper and more sugar in the grapes means less acid. Winemakers can fix it by adding acid back into the juice after they have been picked. You can also add sugar in some places (in others, it’s illegal). The winemaker my friend works for makes natural wine, so they don’t add anything, which makes the picking decision even more important!
Additionally, I’ve read that winemakers rely on technology to know when to harvest the grapes. They’ll take a portable refractometer into the vineyard and measure sugar levels. The higher the sugar, the riper the grapes. They’ll look for pH and titratable acid (TA) levels in the lab.
We’re talking about living well with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugar levels, and our love for ‘all things Italian’ on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from Dean Martin.
Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti and was later nicknamed “The King of Cool.” His big break while performing as a duo with comedian Jerry Lewis, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later in life at 71.
Podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. This podcast will feature music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.
We hope you had a fabulous time at Divabetic’s Baking Party on Zoom. If you couldn’t join us, here’s what you missed:
During the program, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrated how to make Sugarfree Cake Truffles (recipe coming soon). Stacey also shared her favorite sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. Surprisingly, Stacey prefers to use different sugar substitutes for pies, cakes, and cookies. For example, Splenda is her ‘go-to’ sweetener for fruit pies.
Diabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller shared “50 Shades of Red, Okay 5 Shades of Red” for Valentine’s Day. Since there seems to be a new shade of red coming out every day, Catherine created these tips for you to find the perfect shade of red for your skin tone:
If you have fair skin with cool undertones, mid-tone reds likecherry, ruby, scarlet, and apple would add some warmth and won’t appear harsh against your skin.
If you’re fair skin with naturally red hair, cool, brighter colors like candy red will showcase your beautiful red hair in the best way!
A deeper, luscious, darker hue is perfect for warmer skin tones if you have a medium-light skin tone. Think the shade of blood. That rich hue will compliment your skin tone the best.
If you have a golden skin tone, you can really rock various shades from a deep, vivid red such as ruby to a vampy red like a jam.
Suppose you’re a woman with medium skin and have yellow undertones and tan skin with warm undertones. In that case, the orange-ish reds like candy red or other hues with a tiny bit of tangerine will look dynamic on you. If you’re a brunette, don’t be afraid to wear this shade of red. Some women think that brown and orange don’t look good together, but this color pairs amazingly well with brown hair.
If you have darkskin with warm undertones, then reds likeruby cherry and lipstick will provide a gorgeous contrast to your darker skin.
If you have dark skin with cool undertones, you can pretty much wear any color. Still, a berry would look incredibly flattering against the skin.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosted a Cake Pop Quiz testing people’s Baking IQs throughout the night. Our Peak 10 Skin Save My Soles Rescue Cream winners included Sandra T. from Las Vegas, NV, Geneva P. from Brooklyn, NY, Elizabeth R from Guelph, Canada, Nancy S. from Marlboro, NJ, and Chandra S. from Blacklick, OH.
This year, the ‘V’ in Divabetic stands for ‘VIRTUAL’!! We’ve got more fabulous outreach programs and podcasts to help boost your ability to manage your self-care available than ever before! Also, stay tuned for details about our next Divabetic Baking Party to celebrate Mother’s Day.
We’re talking about 50 years of living well with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, sexual wellness, and the Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin.
Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti and was later nicknamed “The King of Cool.” His big break while performing as a duo with comedian Jerry Lewis, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later in life at the age of 71.
Guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, Lynne Steger, and Sex Therapist Janis Roszler PhD, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.
We’re celebrating ‘all things Italian’ on Divabetic’s podcastfeaturing music by Dean Martin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6 PM EST.
Our musical inspiration, Dean Martin‘s favorite restaurant, was Da Vinci Ristorante in Beverly Hills. There was even a booth marked Dean Martin Booth adjacent to the small bar.
Eating at an Italian restaurant can be a minefield for anyone with diabetes trying to watch their calories and carbohydrate intake. So many of the items on the menu are smothered in either creamy sauce or gooey cheese, and they’re high in fat, carbs, sodium, and calories.
We thought it would be fun to challenge the Original Divabetic to make a lighter version of a conventional plate of pasta.
She’s been living with type 2 diabetes for over a decade. Her goal this year is to keep her blood sugars in a target range without feeling deprived every time she sits down to eat.
She’s sharing her Zoodles In Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe to inspire you to lighten up your menu! Now, that’s Amore!
Zoodles In Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe By The Original Divabetic
I decided to skip using Prego or another brand of spaghetti sauce. Store-bought spaghetti sauce is a sodium grenade. One cup of spaghetti sauce can have a sodium content of nearly 1,000 mg.
Instead, I decided to make my own sauce. I roasted red peppers, garlic, tomatoes (seasoned with basil, thyme, and sage), and onions in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes.
Then, I pulsed the mixture in my blender before transferring it to a small pot on the stove to stay warm. This way, the flavors could blend together.
I swapped out flour-based pasta for zoodles to cut back on the carbohydrates. Zoodles are zucchini noodles or spaghetti-like strands made from spiralized, raw zucchini and other squash. They contain no flour or wheat whatsoever and are very low in calories and carbs. A cup of Zoodles includes 30-40 calories and 5 net grams of carbs. Traditional pasta has 210 calories and 40 net grams of carbs per cup. In addition, zoodles provide a good dose of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, and a modest fiber intake in every cup.
I put the Zoodles in the oven to roast. But you can also cook your Zoodles in a nonstick skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat, tossing frequently. They will release water and cook quickly, so only heat them for 2–5 minutes for best results to avoid sogginess. Personally, I like to keep them in the oven for as long as possible. Plated and sprinkled a little mozzarella cheese on it and went to town! .. So yummy! Sorry, Prego, I’m making my own sauce from now on.
While I was eating, the Zoodles did release the water, but it did not remove any flavor.
Don’t miss Divabetic’s February 2022 podcast featuring music by Dean Martin. We’re talking about 50 years with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, and the Spare A Rose campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin. Podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.
Join us for Divabetic’s Baking Party with The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST
The Diabetic Pastry Chefprepares a Valentines-themed Sugar-Free Dessert Recipe and shares Expert Baking Tips for using Sugar Substitutes. one lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Splenda products, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Cozy Mystery, PEAK 10 Skin Save My Soles Rescue Cream, and an assortment of Walden Farms Salad Dressings. You must be present on Zoom to participate in our random drawing.
I’m excited to share that I wrote a new Christmas song with two of my Luther Vandross colleagues, to be released later this year. Since the song lyrics mention alcohol, it’s an excellent opportunity to tackle alcohol and diabetes.
In February’s podcast, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, and I will be speaking about alcohol’s effect on blood sugars. Tune in to Divabetic’s podcastfeaturing music by Dean Martin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.
Podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.
In addition, I’ll be blogging about the various ‘Skinny Proseccos’ on the market with the fabulous Catherine Schuller in subsequent blog posts on Divabetic.Org. These brands claim to have less added sugar and fewer calories than other Proseccos. But are these proseccos a better option or just marketing hype?
Keep in mind less added sugar doesn’t mean NO SUGAR. Skinny Prosecco also contains alcohol.
Many people with diabetes enjoy alcohol. But you need to know how alcohol affects your blood sugar as well as your blood pressure. For example, drinking alcohol may cause your blood sugars to rise or fall.
Moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugars to rise. Conversely, excess alcohol decreases your blood sugars– sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels, especially for people with type 1 diabetes.
Beer and sweet wine contain carbohydrates and may raise blood sugar.
Alcohol stimulates your appetite, which can cause you to overeat and may affect your blood sugar control.
Alcoholic drinks often have a lot of calories, making it more challenging to lose excess weight.
Alcohol may also affect your judgment or willpower, causing poor food choices.
Alcohol can interfere with the positive effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin.
Alcohol can cause flushing, nausea, increased heart rate, and slurred speech. These may be confused with or mask the symptoms of low blood sugar.
I’m looking forward to hosting a virtual Record Release Party on Zoom with the musicians, vocalists, and educators to celebrate my new songwriting credit!!
February’s musical inspiration Dean Martin was a loveable drunk with dark good looks, hilarious one-liners, and an ever-present rocks glass.
Like a walking, talking advertisement for ‘happy hour,’ Dean Martin is inspiring a discussion about the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels and blood pressure on Divabetic’s February podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 6 PM, EST.
Although his family has denied his alcohol consumption, his on-stage demeanor was just the opposite. He was a one-man cocktail party, and all of the United States was invited to join in the fun. And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did. But, of course, those words might not be any more accurate than today during these unprecedented times.
A new survey suggests that since the COVID outbreak in the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 Americans have been consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol.
“Heavy drinking” was defined as having had two heavy drinking days in a single week at least twice in the previous 30 days. A “heavy drinking day” was defined as four or more drinks containing alcohol for women and five or more drinks containing alcohol for men.
Alcohol consumption rose among adults over age 30 by 14% during the pandemic, with a 41% increase in women heavily drinking, according to a September 2020 RAND Corporation study. The strain continues to take a toll on those already coping with addictions, spiking relapse, and overdose rates.
While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar levels to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar levels reports WebMD.
Alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than 3 drinks at a time can temporarily raise your blood pressure. But repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases.
February’s musical inspiration Dean Martin was a loveable drunk with dark good looks, hilarious one-liners, and an ever-present rocks glass.
Like a walking, talking advertisement for ‘happy hour,’ Dean Martin is inspiring a discussion about the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels and blood pressure on Divabetic’s February podcast.
Although his family has denied his alcohol consumption, his on-stage demeanor was just the opposite. He was a one-man cocktail party, and all of the United States was invited to join in the fun. And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did. But, of course, those words might not be any more accurate than today during these unprecedented times.
A new survey suggests that since the COVID outbreak in the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 Americans have been consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol.
“Heavy drinking” was defined as having had two heavy drinking days in a single week at least twice in the previous 30 days. A “heavy drinking day” was defined as four or more drinks containing alcohol for women and five or more drinks containing alcohol for men.
Alcohol consumption rose among adults over age 30 by 14% during the pandemic, with a 41% increase in women heavily drinking, according to a September 2020 RAND Corporation study. The strain continues to take a toll on those already coping with addictions, spiking relapse, and overdose rates.
While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar levels to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar levels reports WebMD.
Alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than 3 drinks at a time can temporarily raise your blood pressure. But repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases.
We’re talking about 50 years with type 1 diabetes, alcohol’s effects on blood sugars, and the Spare A Rose campaign with musical inspiration from Dean Martin. February podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout this podcast, we will be featuring music from The Essential Dean Martin album courtesy of SONY Music.
