Divabetic Mysteries podcast,Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu is packed with loads of diabetes information, and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama.
Brief Synopsis: 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 seems low pressure and low calorie 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? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes?
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, Dave Jones, Catherine Schuller, and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to Wendy Radford.
Divabetic Mystery Podcast’s goals are: Encourage people with diabetes to problem-solve issues related to their self-care, like their favorite TV detectives (i.e., write things down, search for clues and share information with your healthcare collaborators and ask questions). Manage diabetes as a team rather than go it alone. Make learning about diabetes fun and interesting.
The island of Nantucket is known for its cobblestone streets and weathered grey-shingled cottages, but the island also distinguished itself for being the only place in the United States that was effectively run by women.
With their husbands out to sea for up to four years at a time, the whaling wives ran a variety of businesses located in the area known as Petticoat Row.
Today Peggy’s Pie Shop is hosting an event for the contestants, and everyone, including Max and his pals, are eager to learn some tips that might improve their chances of winning.
Peggy: Our goal this morning is to achieve the perfect pie crust. Too much mixing or over baking can ruin your creation. Baking is all about precision.
Tonya: So is Murder.
Max: Keep your voice down. She might hear you.
Peggy: Is there a question in the back?
Max: Yes, how can I stop my key lime pie crust from getting soggy?
Peggy: Oh, that’s easy – you should use blind baking. Our DecadentDessertsonDeck reigning champion, Britannia Coffin, swears by it. Her award-winning pie crusts are never soggy.
Max: I’d better write this down. What is blind baking?
Peggy: Sometimes it’s called pre-baking, it’s the process of baking the pie crust without the filling. The trick is to line the bottom of the crust with pie weights, it will prevent the pastry from puffing up in the oven.
Tonya: Excuse me, what did you say the champion’s last name is again?
Peggy: Coffin. C-O-F-F-I-N.
Tonya: Holy Smokes, Max! I mean “Bartholomew.” This is your lucky day!
Peggy: Why’s that?
Tonya: “Bartholomew” here loves facing ‘STIFF’ competition!
Peggy: Sadly, Britannia’s not competing this year. But she has agreed to come, poles in tow, and crown our new champion.
Max: Oh, I think I met her! That sounds like the woman who sold me the food processor.
Peggy: I bet she loved your costume. She has a thing for Johnny Depp.
Max: Oh, no, I wasn’t wearing this when I met her. Why does she carry around ski poles?
Peggy: Actually, they are Nordic Walking poles. Britannia suffers from neuropathy due to her diabetes. She uses the poles to help her maintain her balance. Her constant pain makes her so irritable. She says it feels like she’s stepping on pins and needles when she walks.
Patricia: Chronic peripheral neuropathy is the most common diabetes health-related complication. High blood sugar levels cause damage to the nerves in the hands and feet.
MaryAnn: And it can affect every part of a person’s life; walking, sitting, and even sleeping.
Tonya: There must be something she can do.
MaryAnn: Well, believe it or not exercise can help.
Peggy: She’d laugh if you told her that. She barely leaves her home. Just standing is painful. That’s why she’s not competing this year. Are all of you competing?
Tonya: Oh no! We’re here to help Maa —- uh, “Bartholomew,” in case a dead body turns up. His baking is known for killing more than taste buds!
Peggy: Good heavens! (more shocked)
Max: Ignore her. She has a morbid sense of humor.
Peggy: We can use a few laughs. Everyone is shocked that Britannia is not defending her crown. Well, except for her arch rival, Loretta Hussey. She and her ten second-place ribbons are overjoyed!
Mama Rose Marie: Ten? Oh, that must be so frustrating to lose ten times to the same person.
Peggy: Their families have been feuding since Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world. Our yearly baking competition only fuels the fire.
Max: What about you? Are you entered?
Peggy: Ha! I’m a Professional baker. We are not allowed to compete. And anyway, I’ve got too many pie orders to fill. Right now, we really need the money. My husband Floyd’s lobster business is sinking fast and these weather conditions aren’t helping one bit.
Tonya: The storms must be really bad to scare away the lobsters.
Peggy: No, it’s the warming waters caused by climate change that are forcing our lobstermen out of business. Just like the petroleum industry destroyed whaling a century ago.
SOUND EFFECT: phone ring
Peggy: Hello? Peggy The Perky Pie Prin- Wait, wait, what? Oh No! That’s horrible! Britannia Coffin is dead! What do you mean she was the victim of a hit and run accident? In the Kitchen Island parking lot. Oh Dear! Now the whole competition is up in the air.
Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.
We’re sharing information about how Botox can help elminate some of the pain related to neuropathy in Divabetic’s new Mystery Podcast: Kill Me Madam.
Most people think of eliminating wrinkles when they think of Botox but there’s another uses that goe beyond the cosmetic including pain relief.
A new study suggests that Botox, or botulinum toxin, may offer successful relief for neuropathy, not just one form, but two reports Foot Healthcare Associates. Nerve damage causes neuropathy and can result in either shooting pain or loss of feeling in the hands and feet. In the study, the botulinum toxin resulted in a lasting reduction of pain.
Check with your doctor before using any alternative therapy and/or dietary supplement to make sure to avoid any potential interactions.
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that is caused by diabetes. Over time, high blood sugars and high levels of fats, such as triglycerides, in the blood from diabetes can damage your nerves.
Researchers think that over time, uncontrolled high blood sugar damages nerves and interferes with their ability to send signals, leading to diabetic neuropathy. High blood sugar also weakens the walls of the capillaries that supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients.
Symptoms depend on which type of diabetic neuropathy you have.
Regular exercise, such as walking three times a week, can reduce neuropathy pain, improve muscle strength and help control blood sugar levels. Gentle routines such as yoga and tai chi might also help.
There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’. But resentment, greed and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.
Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Daily diabetes self-care can be emotionally taxing, but reframing your mind-set can have powerful results.
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 like your body and diabetes health. 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 daily self-care gets tough.
Mystery Phrase #6
Enjoy Divabetic’s 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes starring the happy healthcare host and amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic.
Divabetic’s Diabetes Mystery Podcast
Enjoy Divabetic’s 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery Podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes. The mystery is set in the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s healthy culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges! Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.
Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?
The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks and Max Szadek.
Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
Divabetic is happy to announce that all three locations of Central Farm Markets (North Bethesda, MD, Bethesda, MD and Vienna, VA) are open for business. Despite the fact that the markets are operating at a different level now, there is no limitations on the abundance of fresh and local produce, fruits, meats, poultry, fish, dairy and baked goods for purchase at the markets each week.
Central Farm Markets Offer 3 Safe Ways to Shop!
Home Delivery: You can order Central Farm Markets ‘Farm to Fridge’ home delivery for two days a week. Orders placed on Monday will be delivered Friday/Saturday. Orders placed on Tuesday will be delivered Sunday. Sign up for Central Farm Markets’ weekly newsletters to participate in their ‘Farm to Fridge’ program at Centralfarmmarkets.com
Pre-Order, Pre-Pay, Pick Up & Go!: Central Farm Markets recommend that you pre-order and pre-pay for your items directly from your favorite vendors!
Shop at the Market With or Without Pre-Ordering: If you come shop, please don’t touch products at the stands or ask vendors to handle credit cards. Please bag your own order.
Stay safe as you shop and don’t come to the markets with dogs or without wearing a mask. Central Markets will also be monitoring the number of people at the markets so if you are asked to wait, please cooperate.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic gets caught up in a murder mystery when he agrees to host the Red Tomato Carpet at the 6th Annual Bake Bethesda A Pie Contest at Central Farm Markets.
Will orange be the ‘new black’ for Mr. Divabetic? Find out what happens when Mr. Divabetic, the Diabetes Late Nite cast and some special friends try to solve this diabetes murder mystery loosely based on “The Phantom Of The Opera.” Enjoy diabetes self-care advice and nutrition information in between moments of suspense, wide-goose chases, and entertaining banter.
Guests include: Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown (founder of the We Are Diabetes organization), Central Farm Markets Co-Founder Debra Moser, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Author Peter Arpesella, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDE, CDN, Leisa Chester Weir, Terri Seidman and Mama Rose Marie.
This podcast features song selections from “The Phantom Of The Opera” soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.
We’re excited to announce our special line-up for Divabetic’s World Diabetes Dayedition of Diabetes Late Nite. Coach The CureHealth Educator, Trisha Artman will stop by the studio to share her experience coaching families on how to live their best life with diabetes and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin will provide musical inspiration. Join us here on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 – 7:30 PM.
Trisha is a Board Certified Educator, Health Coach and Writer. With personal diabetes experience, compassion, and professionalism, she nurtures trusting relationships—promoting healthy changes in an empowered environment.” Since the theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 ‘the Family and Diabetes’ we reached to Trisha for advice about dealing with emotions and diabetes prior to our podcast interview.
Q: Let’s talk about your family and diabetes. Can you share your own experience of how your family dealt with your initial diagnosis as well as how it might have changed over the years?
Trisha Artman: My diagnosis was a shock to my entire family. As my health quickly declined prior to diagnosis, I can remember my Mom rattling off a list of possible reasons for my dramatic weight loss, constant urination, unquenchable thirst, etc. None of which was Diabetes! It didn’t run in my family and was definitely not present in every day commercials as it is today.
My mom cried hysterically as the doctor told us my diagnosis, which for me at that time, meant that what I had wasn’t good. Overtime, I realized that my mom and I have very different approaches to life’s hurdles. Neither of which are wrong, just different. My mom’s first response is to express her emotions before moving into action, whereas I like to move right into action, get myself back into balance, and then release my emotions.
At first, I took on all of the responsibilities that come with Diabetes and did my best to make it seem like no big deal. I was seventeen and in a mad dash to get back to my “Normal” life as fast as possible. I learned what I needed to do and did my best to move on. My family let me lead the way, while they learned along and supported me.
As my relationship changed over the years with Diabetes, going from love hate, love hate, love…so did my relationship with my family. When I was following through with all of my health responsibilities, my family respected my privacy and independence. However, if I reached a burnout point and fell short on my health routine, my respected privacy and independence became a thing of the past.
Today my family and I are extremely close and Diabetes was a diagnosis for us all. We have been pushed beyond our comfort zone each and every day, both as individuals and also as a family, but we choose to keep going. We had to learn a new rhythm, build a trusted support system to deal with ALL of our emotions, and learn to clearly communicate our wants and needs.
Honestly, we have come a long way!
Q: How do you feel a diabetes diagnosis can change the family dynamic?
Trisha Artman: Specifically, if the parent is living with diabetes? And if the child is living with diabetes?
Whether a parent or a child is diagnosed with any type of chronic illness (diabetes or different), there is a sense of responsibility that the child/family may take on. The feelings of stability and safety may become disrupted and unclear, for both the individual diagnosed and the family and can lead to feelings of fear, anger, resentment, and more. The parent or child may have to rely on their family in different ways then pre-diagnosis, both physically and emotionally. Everyone in the family plays a different role to maintain the family’s rhythm, healthy or not.
Communication! Communication! Wait, did I say communication? Yes, you want more conversation now, not less! When someone you love is diagnosed with an illness, its important that everyone in the family has an opportunity to express what the diagnosis means to them. There is a grieving process that needs to happen for both the individual and the family. Life as the family knew it has changed and deserves the opportunity to be mourned before moving forward.
Kids especially, are so observant of what’s going on at home and know when something has changed in their environment. If left unaddressed, kids may internalize the illness of their parent as being their fault or their responsibility to fix or change. Siblings may experience rivalry over parent attention and/or the guilt of “Why not me?”
Parents of a child that is diagnosed may have conflict over methods of care and responsibility. They begin to place the blame on themselves for the cause of their child’s illness or on others out of frustration. Other parents may become consumed with guilt and try to take over the daily tasks of Diabetes (chronic illness), in an attempt to ease the burden or in some cases make it invisible.
Integrating a Healthcare professional or Coach as part of your team, right from the start, can help you avoid the unhealthy behaviors and instead, open up the lines of communication and get clear. These are skills that can be taught, learned, and practiced right at the beginning of your diagnosis. You and your family deserve to feel safe to explore and understand the impact of what has changed, and how daily life will now be moving forward.
Q: What are the pro’s and con’s for being a ‘hands off’ parent when dealing with their children’s type 1 diabetes?
Trisha Artman: The benefit of being a “hands off” parent has the potential to encourage responsibility and independence within your child. Parents may also feel that they have more freedom in their own daily routine. However, “Hands off” can’t be so black and white. To become successful at the “hands off“ approach, we need to introduce some highlights of grey in there.
Clear communication and expectations must be established between all relationships in your child’s life. This includes with you and your child, family, medical team, school, psychologist and/or coach, etc.
Your main job as a parent is to keep your child alive and thriving. Helping them to establish healthy relationships and expectations will encourage them to become their own self-advocate and gain the independence they want and deserve.
The cons of the “hands off” parenting approach are that you have no idea what’s going on with your child! Your child could be struggling in many more ways than just their blood sugar. Remember, communication doesn’t have to be overbearing, it just needs to be effective.
Q: What are the pro’s and con;s for being a ‘hands on’ parent when dealing with your children’s type 1 diabetes?
Trisha Artman: The benefit of being a “hands on” parent is that you are involved in the emotional and physical well being of your child. You are present to support and guide your child if needed or wanted. You may be able to prevent a problem from occurring before it happens, if the opportunity presents itself.
The con of being a “hands on” parent is that you have to make it a priority to carve out self care for yourself. Parents can lose sight of their own needs (to an extreme), in order to keep up with every detail of their child’s care. This behavior may discourage independence and self-advocacy within the child and leave the child unprepared to manage their health without the aid of the parent present. Too “hands on” can also create resentment within the child towards the parent, diminishing communication and encouraging the child to act out as a form of control.
Q: Best-Selling Author Brenda Novak expressed her concerns over sending her son living with type 1 diabetes to school when he was younger on a recent Diabetes Late Nite podcast because of the lack of knowledge about type 1 diabetes among the school administration and staff. What advice can you offer to other parents concerned about this issue?
Trisha Artman: Parents, I’m sure you have many feelings about sending your child off to college, especially when they are living with a chronic illness. I think this means that you’re a very good parent! I say, have your feelings and really allow yourself to feel them…its what you do next that matters most! Transition yourself from a helpless position, in this situation into a place of empowerment. Set up a meeting with your child’s school nurse and administration and start building relationships. This is another partnership and one that must be successful.
Bring your recent medical plan from your child’s doctor with you and start the process of a 504 plan with your school. By law this requires your child’s school to have trained professionals to meet the health and educational needs of your child (don’t let them discourage you, Diabetes is included in 504 plans).
Bring your child to school so they can meet each teacher and professional that they will encounter throughout the school day, so you, your child, and the professional can feel comfortable to ask and answer questions. Leave feeling prepared and confident.
Communication is the name of the game!
Q: You were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 17, what advice can you offer to others who will be heading off to college soon and maybe managing their diabetes alone for the first time?
I suggest that they first take the time to imagine everything they want from their college experience. Really sit and enjoy the feelings that come along with this new experience. Then bring their diabetes into their visualization…what do they need in place right now with their health to make their college experience, health wise, seamless?
Do they need a diabetes refresher course on how to count carbs, treat low/high sugars, emotional wellness, identify burnout, nutrition, pump management, alcohol and diabetes, sex education, etc?
These are all real life questions and concerns and need to be addressed BEFORE vs. after they find themselves in the situation.
College is another time for major growth and independence. Create new relationships that keep you healthy and happy, and living the life that you choose to live.
Establish a relationship with your school medical team and introduce yourself. Find out if you can schedule your medicine and supplies to be picked up or delivered before you run out, etc. Take down names and numbers and make yourself feel comfortable. Set yourself up for success in every way possible!
*During this time especially, talk more not less!
Coach The Cure Trisha Artman is offering a Complimentary Breakthrough session to discuss your top health goals, and what you would like to accomplish. Additionally, you’ll have a chance to get clear on what is in your way, and how to quickly take action and experience healthy change NOW. CLICK HERE
There are many reasons that Aretha Franklin is the legend of legends, a groundbreaking singer with the fortitude to transcend race and genre, using that tremulous voice as the bulldozer to break down every barrier set up in her way.
Aretha’s own health journey is sparking a discussion about the uncertain connection between pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Long-standing diabetes can be considered a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. It causes a modest increase in risk of 1.5- to two-fold. Some of the other risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking, chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), family history of pancreatic cancer, obesity and certain genetic syndromes.
Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong’s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup”Author Suzanne Perez, Jessica Clark, Coach the Cure Trisha Artman, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’ 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.”
The mystery is set in the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s healthy culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges! Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.
Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?
The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondesfeatures Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks and Max Szadek.
Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
I’m in the midst of the first draft of this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast (tentatively titled: ‘Swan Wake’) entailing among other things, a gluten-free cheesecake prepared by yours truly. Chaos ensues when my cheesecake mysterious ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Here’s the Diabetes Mystery synopsis:
When the happy healthcare, Mr. Divabetic heads to the Gotham City Ballet Company’s box office to fix a mix up with his Swan Lake tickets he’s faced with a even bigger problem – a murder. To make matters worse, one of his gluten free cheesecakes seems to be covering the victim’s face. Even more shocking are the numerous scandals swirling around the Gotham City Ballet and it’s members that have everyone walking around on tip toes.
Could our happy healthcare host’s questionable culinary skills make him an accessory to the crime or even a possible side dish? Now Mr. Divabetic with the help of his team of smart Diabetes Educators, a best-selling mystery writer and his own nosey Italian Mom must whip up his own crime-solving recipe, and fast–before a hearty dose of intrigue and a deadly dash of danger ends his diabetes advocacy and healthy catering career once and for all.
For inspiration, I’ve been researching various gluten free cheesecake recipes for the past few months. I recently stumbled upon Solla Eiriksdottir’s recipe below posted on Twitter by the Guardian.
Solla Eiríksdóttir is one celebrity chef you may not have come across, but she is a household name in Iceland because ofher TV shows and four restaurants focused on raw food and vegan dishes.
If such an approach sounds a little purist, Solla, 55,is more interested in flavor than philosophy.
“It’s a way of preparing food, not a way of life,” she says. “Everywhere in the world, people are told to eat more fruit and vegetables. What we’re doing is transforming fruit and vegetables into real dishes instead of just making salad all the time. This is just food. We love the freshest raw materials so your taste buds are screaming for more.”
Solla Eiriksdottir’s Cheesecake with Blueberries Recipe
Ingredients (for the filling):
450g cashew nuts
240g maple syrup
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp probiotic powder
A small pinch of salt
160g coconut oil
2 tbsp ground chia seeds
Ingredients (for the crust):
150g pecans
280g dried mulberries
60ml coconut oil, liquefied
A pinch of sea salt
For the topping
275g blueberry jam
150g fresh blueberries
1 Line a 23 cm-round cake tin with parchment (baking) paper. For the filling, put the cashew nuts into a bowl, pour in enough water to cover, and soak for about 2 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water. Set aside.
2 Meanwhile, make the crust (base). Put the pecans, mulberries, oil and salt into a food processor and blend until it all sticks together, but is still a little coarse. Press the mixture into the prepared pan with your fingertips. Make sure it covers the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
3 To make the filling, put the drained cashew nuts into a high-speed blender or food processor with the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, probiotic powder and salt. Blend. Add the coconut oil and chia seed and blend briefly. Pour the mixture over the crust and chill overnight in the refrigerator or for 3-4 hours in the freezer until the filling is firm. Top with a layer of blueberry jam and fresh blueberries and serve.
Chef’s Notes: You will need to make this at least three hours before serving. Serves 10 – 12
Raw: Recipes for a Modern Vegetarian Lifestyle by Solla Eiríksdóttir (Phaidon).Featuring 75 healthy and delicious recipes, Raw introduces readers to the new look of vegetarian and raw food. Divided into five chapters – breakfast, snacks, light lunches, main dishes, and sweet treats – readers can expect bright, fresh flavours with recipes like Green smoothie, Pistachio and kale hummus, Quinoa pizza, and vegan Vanilla ice cream. All the recipes are vegetarian and many are raw and vegan.
Every recipe includes symbols to indicate whether dishes are suitable for a dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, raw-food, or vegan diet.
After each chapter of recipes there is a seasonal recipe and activity section, which explores some wider lifestyle elements of living healthily, for example growing vegetables in small spaces, dying cloth with turmeric in summer, picking wild berries in fall, and making holiday gifts in winter.
Thinking about eliminating gluten from your diet? Get expert advice from Jill Weisenberger RD, CDE about gluten free diets and food choices exclusively for Divabetic. LINK
“This product is my go-to low blood glucose treatment!,” says Asha Brown, the founder and executive director of the We Are Diabetes (WAD) organization.“It’s the best and tastiest glucose gel I’ve ever tried! They also don’t expire very quickly so you can pack them all over: your car, purse, work desk, etc.”
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Gel products provides great tasting, honey-based energy foods made with natural ingredients.Made with USDA certified organic ingredients, organic tapioca syrup and organic honey. Top athletes as well as many people living with diabetes choose Honey Stinger to deliver concentrated carbohydrates (23 g) during activity. 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol. 13 g sugars, 50 mg potassium, 50 mg sodium. Sodium and potassium are vital electrolytes that keep your muscles functioning while minimizing cramping associated with intense exercise. 100 calories per packet.
Honey Stinger Classic Energy Gels are more versatile than other energy gels. Consume it straight from the packet before or during activity or spread it on toast or stir it into tea.
How to Treat a Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)
Treating for hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) is usually recommended when a person’s blood glucose level is 70 mg/dl or less. The “rule of 15” is commonly used as a guideline for treatment: After checking your blood glucose level with your meter and seeing that your level is under 70 mg/dl, consume 15 grams of carbohydrate, wait about 15 minutes, then recheck your blood glucose level. If your blood glucose is still low, consume another 15 grams of carbohydrate and recheck 15 minutes later. Since blood glucose levels may begin to drop again about 40–60 minutes after treatment, it is a good idea to recheck your blood glucose approximately one hour after treating a low.
I think Asha Brown is simply, FABULOUS!!! She’s the Founder and Executive Director of the amazing We Are Diabetes (WAD) organization. WAD is primarily devoted to promoting support, education and awareness for type 1 diabetics who suffer from eating disorders. WAD is dedicated to providing guidance, hope and resources to those who may be struggling, as well as to their families and loved ones.
Asha Brown was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 5 years old. As a dancer, actress and a fitness instructor by the time she was 17, the obsession with maintaining a healthy size and weight while coping with multiple autoimmune disorders (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as type 1 diabetes) became a full-time job. Asha’s experience with symptoms of diabulimia led her to start the We Are Diabetes organization.
Today, Asha works with families, patients, and health professionals across the USA. She uses her personal experiences with ED-DMT1 to offer hope and support to those still struggling. She also establishes relationships with eating disorder facilities and diabetes organizations across the county to help connect people to appropriate care. Asha has presented at NEDA, AADE, and JDRF, among others. She writes for numerous websites including Diabetes Health, Diabetes Daily, and Beyond Type 1. She is a member of Diabetes Advocates and BEDA.
If you or someone you know is a type 1 diabetic who is struggling with an eating disorder and are seeking support, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to WAD
For the past three years, Asha Brown has made our Diabetes Mystery podcasts truly sparkle! She’s played the organic farmer,‘Christine’ in ‘Phantom of the Okra’, the uptight, overworked personal assistant, ’Primrose Crump’ in ‘Suspect Boulevard’ and most recently the glitzy burlesque dancer, Coco Mimosa in this year’s Diabetes Mystery: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. She truly brings out the best of each performance. I’m so grateful to Asha for sharing her wonderful acting talents with our listeners and helping us raise awareness for diabetes and educate people about diabetes self-care in a fun, new way.
TUNE IN: Don’t miss December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include ‘Walking With Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, High Voltage. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the new “Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” album courtesy of SONY Music. The album brings together Elvis Presley’s best-loved yuletide performances from “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (1957) and “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971) re-imagined with sublime and exquisite new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Our panel of experts, Divabetic community members and past Diabetes Late Nite guests will be sharing more Blue Christmas Gift suggestions on this blog for the next twelve days to help you enjoy the festive spirit of the season without compromising your diabetes health!
Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season?
You’re not alone. Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.
The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.
If you think you might be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.
All of sudden the day after Monday,Tuesday, doesn’t seem so bad.I think ‘tacos’ might be to blame for why Tuesdays have become a highpoint in our culinary week. This popular culinary trend, Taco Tuesdays, took off in Southern California and quickly spread to many big cities across the nation.Taco Tuesday is similar to Happy Hour in that restaurants vary in their participation, hours, and specials offered.
Taco Tuesdays can be part of a healthy diet plan, if done right.
I asked my friend,Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ to share a few of his favorite healthy fish taco 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.
The wonderful Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ plays the character on ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’.
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 the first of several fish taco recipes,Hoisin Shrimp Tacos, from The Happy Diabetic. It’s sure to win over your family and friends at your next party!
WHAT’S THAT?: Hoisin sauce is a thick, pungent sauce commonly used in Chinese cuisine as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fries, or as dipping sauce. It is darkly colored in appearance and sweet and salty in taste. Peking-style hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat or rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents. Traditionally, hoisin sauce is made using toasted mashed soy beans.
Let’s put it together!
In a large mixing bowl stir together 3 teaspoons Hoisin, soy sauce, and garlic; add shrimp and mix until well coated. Set aside to marinate.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 tsp hoisin, and zest and juice of one lime, mix together with cabbage and cilantro; set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat or cook on the grill, heat the oil. Drain shrimp and pat dry; discard marinade. Sear shrimp until slightly caramelized, then flip. Cook until shrimp are firm, about 3 minutes and remove from the heat.
Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until they are softened and heated through.
Assemble tacos with a handful of cabbage slaw and a few pieces of shrimp. Cutgarnish with the remaining lime cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Skip The Chips: According to United States Department of Agriculture reported that tortilla chips are high in calories per gram and are filled with saturated fats and high levels of sodium. Get more Healthy Taco Tuesday tips from Pritikin to help you host a nutritious and delicious Taco Tuesday right at home: READ MORE
In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he feared the worst for his own love of great food following his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes in 1998.
“I suspected that my days of good eating were over,” Lewis writes on his blog. “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.
Today he’s a man on the go! is a man on the go. When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’! Read more about Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ in Diabetes Health Monitor magazine.
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
Everything’s Coming Up Roses! on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast when we feature music from the original Broadway cast of ‘Gypsy’ scheduled for Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 6 PM, EST.
Gypsy is musical that loosely tells the story of burlesque stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, but the story focuses on her star struck, verging on maniacal, mother Rose Hovick who was bound and determined to make vaudeville stars out of her children
The list of dynamic divas who have played the infamous stage mother, Mama Rose, in Gypsy include Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, Rosalind Russell and Bette Midler.
The way each of these amazing Broadway legend tackled the role of ‘Mama Rose’ is comparable to how people manage their diabetes because everyone’s self-care management is unique and different with subtle nuances based on one’s own life and lifestyle. And that’s perfectly acceptable!
“Each Rose blooms differently and produces unique petals, fragrances and thorns, just as Mama Rose has been given a wide-range of complex performances and distinct interpretations, “ wrote Mark Robinson, a theatre, television, and film historian, for Playbill.
Diabetes management is personal too. Let Ethel, Bernadette, Patti or Bette inspire you to not let diabetes dim your dazzle! To truly succeed you have to make it yours! Know what makes your blood sugar level rise and fall – and talk to your doctor about how you can manage these day-to-day factors in your life.
We’re also heading the beach on August’s Diabetes Late to discuss Summertime Diabetes Management, the Best in Swimsuit Cover ups, Body Image Issues, Health Hazards of Eating Contests like Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Healthy Desserts and how a Broadway Diva manages her type 1 diabetes eight shows week.
The August heat is tough enough for the average person, but for the estimated 21 million Americans with diabetes, special precautions may be required. Joslin Clinic offer the following tips for people with diabetes during these steamy summer days:
Keep hydrated. Dehydration, or the loss of body fluids, can happen on these very hot summer days whether you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, dehydration also can occur when blood glucose is not under control. When blood glucose is elevated, this can lead to an increase in the body’s excretion of urine. To prevent dehydration drink plenty of caffeine-free fluids such as water, seltzer or sugar-free iced tea and lemonade. Limit your intake of alcohol.
Watch for signs of heat exhaustion, especially if you are working or exercising outdoors. People with diabetes and other chronic diseases like heart disease are more susceptible to overheating. Symptoms include: feeling dizzy or fainting; sweating excessively; muscle cramps; skin that is cold or clammy; headaches; rapid heartbeat and/or nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, move to a cooler environment, drink fluids like water, juice or sports drinks (based on your healthcare provider’s instructions) and seek medical attention. MORE TIPS
BE AN INSTANT WINNER: Test your Diabetes IQ and send your answer to the question below to mrdivabetic@gmai.com. Correct answers will be entered into our random drawing to win August’s PRIZE GIVEAWAY. Prize package includes Dr. Greenfield’s Hand & Body Cream, Cabot Cheese, Nu Naturals and a Summertime Fashion accessory. Our INSTANT WINNER will be announced on-air during August’s Diabetes Late Nite this coming Tuesday, August 8, 6 PM, EST.
Plus, we’re going behind the scenes on our newest Mr. Diabetic Mystery podcast.‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’with music from the Original Broadway cast of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
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?
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.
August’s Diabetes Late Nite guests include Best-Selling AuthorTonya Kappes, Broadway Star Soara-Joye Ross, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, We Are Diabetes organization founder, Asha Brown, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR and Mama Rose Marie. TUNE IN: August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Gypsy schedule for Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 6 PM, EST.
