Sound Bites: Jill Weisenberger

We’re sharing excerpts of interviews from our favorite Divabetic podcasts over the years.

This excerpt is from our Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Turnaround podcast with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel singer Pat Lacy.

Jill Weisenberger is recognized internationally for her expertise in nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes. She worked as a nutrition counselor, diabetes educator, and health coach in hospitals, research, and private practice settings.

Jill helps leverage resources, recipes, and scientific insights to find better ways to improve eating and smart living, reduce the risk of mismanaged diabetes health-related complications, and support better health.

Jill Weisenberger is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition, Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal Planning Crash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 Eating Guide, and a Stick With It Video Course.

Gospel Singer Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blackness and Luther Vandross, shares her experience living with type 2 diabetes and how she modified her lifestyle to take charge of her health.

This podcast features music from Pat Lacy’s upcoming gospel album, I’m Taking You To Church.

Can You Reserve Diabetic Retinopathy?

The average woman takes 17 minutes to apply eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara and groom the eyebrows before going out for the night. If you spend that much time making your eyes look beautiful, why not spend a little extra finding out what’s happening inside them?
Make time for an annual eye exam. The macular edema and proliferative retinopathy treatments can prevent vision loss and even restore some of your lost vision.

Can You Reserve Diabetic Retinopathy?

You can’t reserve diabetic retinopathy. But we can reduce our risk of developing diabetic retinopathy or help stop it from worsening by keeping our blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels under tighter management.

Divabetic Tip

Create your healthcare entourage of healthcare collaborators who address your needs. Trying to manage all the aspects of diabetes can be overwhelming. If you’re not tech-savvy, it can be downright frustrating. It’s okay to ask for help. Managing diabetes means managing the health of the whole body. This is why you’ll want a diabetes care team with specialists from different fields.

These can include:

  • Primary Care Provider (PCP): This doctor (MD or DO), nurse practitioner (NP) or physician assistant (PA) gives you routine medical care, including physical exams, lab tests and prescriptions for medication.
  • Endocrinologist: This doctor (MD or DO) specializes in diabetes and other diseases of the endocrine system (the system that produces hormones such as insulin).
  • Ophthalmologist or Optometrist: This doctor (MD/DO or OD), also known as an eye doctor, diagnoses and treats eye diseases and disorders.
  • Podiatrist (DPM): This doctor, also known as a foot doctor, is trained to treat feet and lower leg problems.
  • Pharmacist (PharmD): This professional knows about medicines, what’s in them, and how they interact with each other.
  • Dentist (DMD or DDS): This doctor knows about oral care and is trained to care for your teeth and gums.
  • Registered Nurse/Nurse Navigator (RN): A nurse in your doctor’s office who helps coordinate your health care needs.
  • Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN): A dietitian is a nutrition expert (what food your particular body needs to stay healthy). Talking to a registered dietitian nutritionist, not your yoga instructor, will help you use what you eat and drink as tools for managing your blood glucose.
  • Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES): Previously known as Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs), these are health care providers with extensive training and experience working with people with diabetes who have passed a credentialed board exam. They can help you figure out how to manage what you need to do to manage your diabetes in a way that fits with your daily life, routines, environment, and family dynamics.
  • Mental Health Professional: This person may be a psychiatrist (MD or DO), psychologist (PhD) or clinical social worker (LCSW or LISW). These professionals can help you deal with the day-to-day challenges of living with diabetes and more serious emotional issues. Be sure to work with a mental health professional who understands diabetes and the medicine and insulin you take that may affect your blood glucose.
  • Fitness Professional: A physical activity specialist may be an exercise physiologist, personal trainer, or physical therapist. These professionals can help you find safe exercises and ensure you get the most out of your exercise program. Be sure to work with a fitness professional who understands diabetes and the medicine and insulin you are taking that may affect your blood glucose.

Choose diabetes care team members who can provide the level of support you want and help when needed. The more information you can give when you get help, the easier it is for someone to assist you.

On this episode of Divabetic’s podcast, we’re discussing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the tissue at the back of the eye (retina). Poorly controlled blood sugar is a risk factor. Early symptoms include floaters, blurriness, dark areas of vision, and difficulty perceiving colors. Blindness can occur.

Podcast guests include singer Alfa Anderson, Diabetic Macular Edema patient Maryanne Kass, Artist Bryce Chisholm, Poet Lorraine Brooks, and Mama Rose Marie. Throughout the podcast, we will feature selected songs from several of Maxwell’s albums courtesy of SONY Music.

Jill Weisenberger & Pat Lacy On Turning Around Type 2 Diabetes & Prediabetes

Mr. Divabetic hosts this episode of Divabetic’s podcast on tips, advice, and strategies for turning around a Prediabetes or a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis.

Guests include Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel music recording artist, Pat Lacy. Jill Weisenberger is recognized internationally for her expertise in nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes. She worked as a nutrition counselor, diabetes educator, and health coach in hospitals, research, and private practice settings. Jill helps leverage resources, recipes, and scientific insights to find better ways to improve eating and smart living, reduce the risk of mismanaged diabetes health-related complications and support better health.

Jill is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition, Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal Planning Crash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 Eating Guide, and a Stick With It Video Course.

Vocalist Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blackness and Luther Vandross, shares her experience of ignoring a prediabetes diagnosis, initially denying living with type 2 diabetes, and then how she turned her attitude and health around.  This podcast features music from Pat Lacy’s upcoming gospel album, I’m Taking You To Church

Take this 1-minute test to find out your risk for prediabetes. Now is the time to take action. The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program helps people with prediabetes make lasting lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Working with a trained coach, you’ll learn to eat healthy, add physical activity to your life, and manage stress. With other participants, you’ll celebrate successes and work to overcome challenges. Click HERE to learn more.

Reflections of a Unicorn with Type 1 Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES, Part 5

Reflections of My Journey with Diabetes

Over the past 46 years of living successfully with diabetes, I have developed some coping strategies that work for me.

Nobody is perfect! It is impossible to manage diabetes perfectly. If my blood sugars are fluctuating, I try to keep a close watch on stabilizing them. Diabetes is not an exact science and many factors, other than just food and insulin, affect their variability. Don’t panic and do the best that you can.

Take life – and taking care of your diabetes – one day at a time. When you look to the past, and focus on what you could have done, should have done, and would have done, that can leave you feeling depressed. It’s water under the bridge. No use dwelling on the past which you cannot change, Likewise, if you look to the future and focus on worrying, such as what if I go blind, what if I contract the Coronavirus, that will leave you feeling anxious. Worrying about the future does not make it more likely to happen or less likely to happen. It just zaps your energy. No use dwelling on the what if’s. The answer is: stay in the here and now.

Connecting with others. My journey which started in 1975 was before the Internet. There were not a lot of resources available for me. Today, there are books and blogs, online and in-person support groups, podcasts such as the monthly “Diabetes Late Nite” podcast hosted by Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek with guests and games to learn about diabetes and have fun at the same time.

Think of long-term benefits. Managing your diabetes is one of the primary ways to reduce your risks of complications. My personal motivation (I know it sounds silly) is to be able to wear cute shoes with heels. The same can be said for staying safe during the pandemic. Even if you are tired of wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and following hand hygiene, the long-term benefit is keeping yourself safe and others safe, as well. It’s important to remember that you have control over how you will respond to the pandemic and do your part to control the spread.

Last, but not least, is feeling and expressing gratitude. I am grateful that I was born after the discovery of insulin or else I would not have lived to tell my story. I am thankful to all the doctors who have taken care of me during the past four decades. I am thankful to my patients with whom I have learned insights. A big thank you to Max Szadek for our collaborations over the years.  And. most especially to the love and support that I have received from my family. I will always appreciate the encouragement from my parents, my brother, my sister, my son, my daughter, and my step-son.

Wishing you success in your journey with diabetes!

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Read Part 3

Read Part 4

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES has published two books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. Available for purchase.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES guests on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music from Meghan Trainor.

Megan Trainor’s break-out hit, “All About That Bass” features lyrics about body acceptance.  In this case, the bass is a metaphor for the booty. “Yeah it’s pretty clear, I ain’t no size two / But I can shake it, shake it like I’m supposed to do,” she sings.

How well are you at accepting the fact that you’re living with diabetes? Negative emotions such as anger, frustration, hopelessness, fear, guilt and shame is very common among people with diabetes. Navigating your way through a range of emotions as well as learning to accept your diagnosis can prove to be a major stumbling block for many people’s daily diabetes self-care management.

Reflections of a Unicorn with Type 1 Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES, Part 4

The Past 20 Years

In 2001, I returned to my career. The question was: what did I want to do? In my heart of hearts, I wanted to work with people with diabetes. And so, it started. I worked per diem at a local hospital’s counseling center establishing myself as their diabetes expert. I spoke to diabetes support groups and I earned my credential as a “CDE” (known then as Certified Diabetes Educator, now referred to as “CDCES” Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist). In 2004, I took the big leap and I started my own full-time private practice.  Notable special achievements (besides my two children) were my two books.  In 2011, I published my first book “My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes.” In 2012, I published my second book “My Sweet Life: Successful Men with Diabetes.” Both books include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes.

I’ve been honored to present several Invited Addresses. Included in those was the Keynote Address, sponsored by Divabetic.org, at their Victory Over Diabetes outreach event, presented with the Center for Urban Health at Thoms Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. in November 2015. My topic was: “Combining Cognitive Behavior Therapy and a Spiritual Approach to Achieve Diabetes Acceptance.” I’ve also been honored to receive many achievement awards throughout my career, too numerous to mention.

In March 2020, I experienced a new challenge to my health.  I contracted the Coronavirus. Thankfully, I was not admitted to the hospital; I was able to manage on my own. I had a low-grade fever for two weeks, no appetite, no energy, and very high blood sugars. I tried to stay hydrated (and used sugar-free flavor packets with electrolytes poured into my water bottles). One year later, I am suffering from post-COVID syndrome, also known as “long haulers syndrome,” with extreme fatigue. Despite my extreme fatigue I continue to treat my patients. The pandemic has had a psychological impact on everybody. I see more patients now struggling with mental health concerns, such as stress and anxiety, depression and bereavement.  If anybody is reading this and you feel you need some extra emotional support, please reach out to your healthcare provider or your local hospital for assistance.

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Read Part 3

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES has published two books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. Available for purchase.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES guests on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Anthony Hamilton. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring songs from Home For The Holidays courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

Reflections of a Unicorn with Type 1 Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES Clinical Psychologist and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist, Part 1

A unicorn has come to mean a very rare find or somebody who is unique, according to online dictionaries.  The term unicorn was used by Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek to describe me! Why? Because I am the rare combination of clinical psychologist AND certified diabetes care and education specialist specializing in the emotional treatment of people with diabetes for more than 20 years in private practice AND living successfully with type 1 diabetes for 46 years!

Consider the person who is feeling burned out during the winter season with the snow storms and cold temps. What if they decide to ignore the facts of winter’s wrath and abandon their heavy coats, scarves, hats, and gloves to wear tank tops and shorts? Foolish, right? Yes! Just because you are weary of winter weather, you can’t live in denial very long without freezing to death if you go outdoors.

Consider the person who is feeling burned out during the COVID-19 pandemic with the restrictions to wear a mask, keep social distance, and follow rules for hand hygiene. What if they decide to ignore the facts of Coronavirus transmission and abandon common sense precautions? Foolish, right? Yes! Just because you experience “pandemic fatigue,” you can’t live in denial very long without putting yourself and others (family and friends) in jeopardy for contracting the virus.

Now, consider the person who is diagnosed with diabetes. You can easily feel burned out trying to manage your blood sugar with all it’s protocols: check your blood sugar (multiple times per day), take your medication (insulin and/or pills, multiple times per day), eating healthy, being active, keeping up with medical appointments to monitor your diabetes. What if they decide to ignore the facts of keeping blood sugars within their target range and abandon a healthy lifestyle? Foolish, right? Yes! Just because you might experience anxiety and depression trying to manage diabetes self-care, you can’t live in denial without risking serious complications.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES has published two books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. Available for purchase.

MY SWEET LIFE: Successful Men with DiabetesBeverly S. Adler, PHD, CDCES, Editor

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES guests on Divabetic’s 10th Year Podcast Anniversary with music from the world’s most famous “Divabetic”–  Ms. Patti LaBelle.