Enjoy Divabetic’s 8th Annual Mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril, packed with holiday tips for people living with, at risk, and affected by diabetes.
The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge named Mr. Pincher, almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies. Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic and our team of amateur sleuths and his overly protective mother — set out to find the real culprit in the hopes that his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.
Our story was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation.
Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.
Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama RoseMarie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford.
Special thanks to the Houdeshell family and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion‘s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons that they teach.
If you say you’re going around in circles, you probably mean you’re not achieving anything because you keep returning to the same point or problem. But a hundred a hundred years ago, going around in circles could have meant accomplishing a lot, especially if you operated a windmill.
Last week, I visited Hook Windmill, also known as Old Hook Mill, a historic windmill on North Main Street in East Hampton, New York. It was built in 1806 and operated regularly until 1908.
The Hook Windmill was the last wind-powered grain mill or gristmill. Once I went inside, I was surprised by how big it was. It’s a two-story structure.
The mechanics of the mill fill most of the building. These large wooden gears, levers, shafts and wheels are fill most of the space.
Even after our guide, Francine, explained, I was still confused about how the mill worked. I scratched my head, looking at the drawings, trying to figure out the wheat’s route up and down the two-story structure.
Francine mentioned that a local clockmaker named Nathanial Dominy discovered the windmill cap could be turned so the blades could face the changing location of arriving wind not just by using a long “tail pole” with a wheel at the end—which could move along the ground as people pushed it, dragging the cap way up at the top along—but by the operation of new gears.
The wind’s energy, harnessed by the windmill’s 40-foot sails, is transferred via shafts, cogs, and belts to drive one or more pairs of millstones. Grain, oats, and corn fed between the rotating millstones crushed and ground into meal.
The mill I toured was the third Old Hook windmill built on the site and was completed in 1806.
English windmills, like the ones in the Hamptons, spin clockwise. Dutch windmills spin counterclockwise. Many people believe the difference is due to how the mills catch the wind or how the millers work the mills. When standing still, the position of a windmill’s wings can indicate certain occasions.
Francine told us that the windmill produced 5,000 pounds of wheat, corn, and oats.
I climbed two flights of stairs to see the inner workings of the mill. The stairs are extremely narrow and steep. I had to hold on to a rope as I descended. It felt like I was inside a giant watch or clock. The device was so massive it was hard to believe only one man was needed to operate the mill.
The handwriting on the wall is not graffiti. The millworkers signed their names on the door to document their efforts. One man operated the device.
Windmills were considered farm equipment, which could be bought, sold, and moved from place to place. It’s hard to believe a structure housing such sophisticated mechanics could be moved so easily.
Why They Stopped Using Windmills
The first steam-powered mill was built in Bridgehampton in 1850. And when the first steam-powered locomotive hauled its train on tracks from New York City in 1872, it was possible now to order sacks of flour and grain from a factory up-island and have it on the East End later that same day. Thus ended the age of the beautiful old windmills.
Do You Feel Like You’re Going In Circles?
If you’re feeling like there’s nothing you can do to make living with diabetes easier, it can be helpful to meet with a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and a mental health practitioner. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Problem-solving with the aid of experts can help you deal with the negative impact that having diabetes may have on your life, relationships, and goals. They can help you see your diabetes challenges in a new, more positive way. Even if you feel fine, introduce yourself to a therapist to keep phone numbers handy if anything challenging arises.
Luther Vandross recorded the song Going In Circles for his Songs album in 1995. The song was written by Jerry Peters and Anita Poree, and originally performed by The Friends of Distinction on their 1969 album, Grazin’, reaching number 15 on the U.S. Hot 100, and number three on the R&B chart, selling over a million copies.
Educate Your Circle on How to Treat a Low Blood Sugar
Could you show your circle where you keep your fast-acting carbohydrates and how much is needed to return blood sugar to normal? Everyone is different. For some, it is 5 grams of fast-acting carbs, for others 10, 15, or maybe 20 grams. It all depends on how low your blood sugar is at the time, how much insulin is on board, and what you are physically doing.
Enjoy this poem, Buttons, by Lorraine Brooks, whose monthly poetry contributions on Divabetic’s podcast help inform and enlighten our listeners. Over the years, Lorraine has helped me champion a weight-neutral approach to managing diabetes. She has shown me and countless others how focusing solely on the number you see on the scale can harm your diabetes health.
Taking a weight-neutral approach involves working outside the confines of weight loss as the primary goal for managing your diabetes. The goal is to respect the body and learn how to cultivate healthy habits. Unlike traditional approaches to weight loss, weight is not used as an indicator of health. The focus is on size acceptance, consistent self-care behaviors, and diabetes care. You can be healthy at every size.
BUTTONS by Lorraine Brooks
I’ve never had buttons
On top of my jeans
I’ve only been able
To wear size of “queens”.
Elastic has often been
Something I needed
In clothing that made me feel
Somewhat defeated.
I longed for the feeling
Of putting on pants
Not worrying if people
Looked at me
Askance.
No more stretch fabric
And no more a “plus”,
And seeing my booty
As big as a bus.
I’m tucking my shirt in,
I’m wearing no sleeves,
My body is freedom
My body believes.
The old grey sweatshirt
That I used to dread
I’m wearing a cardigan sweater
Instead.
I know that this “victory”
Might not seem much
And that I am not “perfect” or
Gorgeous and such.
But trust me and listen
When I have to say
I buttoned my jeans today…
Hip, hip hooray!
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays the food game, Serve, Taste or Trash! at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.
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 WeisenbergerMS, 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 Diabetesand Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal PlanningCrash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 EatingGuide, and a Stick With ItVideo Course.
Vocalist Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blacknessand 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 testto 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.
Our friends at Splenda have done it again! They’ve made it possible to indulge in a taste of Summer without guilt. Enjoy this Watermelon Mojito Mocktail recipe by Splenda.
Ingredients
4 cubes of fresh watermelon
4 mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon of Splenda Liquid Sweetener
1 ounce lime juice
5 ounces of lime seltzer water
Instructions
Add watermelon, mint leaves, and Splenda Liquid Sweetener to a cocktail shaker and muddle to release the juices.
Add lime juice and ice and shake until chilled.
Strain over ice-filled glass. Top with lime seltzer water.
Garnish with a watermelon slice and fresh mint.
Get nutritional information and more great recipes at Splenda!
What is A Mocktail?
A mocktail is a cocktail-style beverage made without alcoholic ingredients. It’s an elevated version of the standard non-alcoholic drink. It’s also crafted with sodas, juices, herbs, syrups, and the same mixology methods and tools used for regular mixed drinks. The final product is a non-alcoholic beverage that should be enjoyed and savored, just like a well-mixed cocktail.
Alcohol and Diabetes
Many people with diabetes enjoy an alcoholic beverage. But when drinking alcohol is combined with the medications most often used to treat diabetes—particularly insulin and sulfonylureas, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can result. While a glass of wine with dinner probably isn’t a big deal, two mojitos on an empty stomach at happy hour is.
Ironically, several symptoms of hypoglycemia—such as slurred speech, drowsiness, confusion, or difficulty walking—are also symptoms of being drunk; it can be difficult to tell the two apart. And if you often have hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition you don’t recognize you’re going low, drinking becomes especially dicey. Timing may also be an issue, as hypoglycemia can strike hours after your last drink, especially if you’ve been exercising.
What Exactly is Moderate Drinking?
It’s one drink daily for women and up to two per day for men. However, that “drink” is much smaller than some think, just five ounces of wine, a 12-ounce beer, or one and a half ounces of 80-proof spirits.
The information above is not a strict and steadfast rule. There are no universal guidelines for drinking alcohol for people with diabetes. Talk to your doctor about your drinking habits and seek their help developing your guidelines.
Alcohol and Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is linked to diabetes. Over time, mismanaged diabetes damages the small blood vessels, causing the walls of the blood vessels to stiffen and malfunction. These changes contribute to high blood pressure.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure. Repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure.
What is Splenda ZERO Liquid Sweetener?
Splenda ZERO Liquid Sweetener has zero calories and dissolves easily in hot and cold beverages, sauces, glazes, and more. Its convenient size makes it easy to take with you anywhere, and its leak-free flip-top lid means no mess when you toss it in your purse, backpack, or briefcase Splenda delivers a variety of great-tasting solutions to help you achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle without sacrificing taste.
We’re discussing healthy lifestyle swaps for people with diabetes on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.
With a few simple swaps, you can help live your best life while managing your diabetes. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.
Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.
Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Need a Summer tune?
Kylie Minogue has taken over the airwaves in my home with this catchy song!! Add it to your workout tape.
Poet Lorraine Brooks shares her poem about habits on Divabetic‘s Healthy Swaps podcast. We’re offering simple ideas to help you live your best diabetes life on our podcast.
We understand many people deal with diabetes distress and feel overwhelmed by the rentlessness of diabetes.
Feeling this way about your diabetes is understandable and it’s a natural reaction for anyone that’s been diagnosed with a long-term health condition.
Lots of people feel like this sometimes but it’s important you get help. If you don’t get support to help you cope, you’re more likely to reach burnout and that can be really serious. Please let us join you on the journey.
Habits by Lorraine Brooks
To do somethig once
Doesn’t make a habit yet
You have to repeat
Some habits are good
Like eating our vegetables
And counting our carbs
Bad habits die hard.
Our chooices become lifestyles.
And sometimes are poor
What is a habit
A behavior that binds us
But you can break free
To age with kindness
Cmes from having good habits
From when we are young.
I dont mind aging
Because I have formed habits\
That serve e well now
I’m aging like wine
Rich and mellow and sparkling
My habits paid off
I know I’m OK
I have worked hard to get here
And I will not quit
Be Kind To Yourself
Try to manage your expectations about your blood sugar levels and A1c test results and set smaller, more realistic goals.
It also helps to stop using phrases like ‘good’ or ‘bad’ blood sugar – as this can constantly feel like you’ve done something wrong. Talk about high or low blood sugar instead.
Taking time for yourself, like booking a massage or setting an evening aside for a long bath can help you relax.
We’re sharing healthy swap ideas on this episode of Divabetic‘s podcast. With a few simple swaps, you can help live your best life while managing your diabetes. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.
Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.
Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Clarence Waldron talks about his stroke, recovery, working as Senior Editor and Writer of Jet Magazine, and his memories of Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin in this YouTube video. Twenty years ago, Clarence interviewed Luther’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ida Vandross, for Jet Magazine after Luther suffered a stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes.
With a few simple swaps, you can help live your best life while managing your diabetes. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.
Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.
Our friend and podcast guest, Dr. Lisa Young, shares some great suggestions for smart swaps for a healthy heart in this Video. Dr. Young, PhD, RDN, CDN is an internationally recognized nutritionist in private practice and offers counseling to adults and children.
Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Please feel free to call-in comments at 1-347-215-8551. Diva TalkRadio’s signature show is one you want to hear live every month.
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.
Divabetic’s Carb Kitty Games make carbohydrate counting fun! Carbohydrate counting or “carb counting” can help you manage your blood glucose levels.
Most adults with diabetes aim for 45-60 grams of carbs per meal and 15-20 grams per snack. That number may go up or down, depending on how active you are and the medicines you take, so check with your healthcare collaborator.
Foods that contain carbohydrates raise your blood glucose values. By monitoring the number of carbohydrates, you eat can help to better understand your blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates (“carbs”) can be counted in 2 ways: by grams or by carb choices.
Remember, 1 carb choice or one serving of carbohydrates = 15 grams of carbohydrate. For example, one slice of bread, a small piece of fruit, or an ear of corn each have around 15 grams of carbs. Each of these equals one carb serving.
Most food items have nutrition labels on their packaging, showing the total carbohydrate count per serving. Be sure to look at the serving size, too. Certain packaged foods may contain more servings than you think. If you are eating out, call the restaurant, check out their website, or ask for their menu nutrition facts when you arrive.
Put together a food journal for many foods and meals you normally eat and their carb count per your typical serving. This can be something you keep on your smartphone or tablet. Start by writing down the foods and beverages you eat at each meal. If you don’t know the portion size you usually eat, measure the food and take note of the portion size. Next, combine the individual foods into meals, and add the total carbohydrate count for each meal.
Over time, you’ll know how many carbs are in certain foods you eat and how they affect your blood glucose levels.
From time to time, podcast listeners ask me who plays ‘my mother’ on Divabetic’s mystery podcasts. The talented actress playing “Mama Rose Marie” is my actual mom. It’s a blessing that she participates every year. She’s a good sport too.
Our mystery podcast storylines routinely put her in dangerous situations to rescue me. She’s escaped prison, shook her shimmy in a Coney Island burlesque show, hit glass-shattering high notes in Christmas carols like Celine Dion, and dressed up as a pirate, ninja, and snow leopard. Once, she was even knocked unconscious by a deranged scientist who impersonated her in an attempt to get me to endorse a ‘magic pill’ for curing diabetes. Thankfully, she woke up in time to kick his butt and save me from jeopardizing my reputation.
In reality, my mom has been with me every step of the way on the Divabetic journey and I couldn’t be happier. She sold the first “Divabetic” t-shirt in Columbia, SC, in 2003. She was a National team member of our signature Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetesoutreach program, worked backstage on the national TV show, dLife, demonstrated How to Prada Your Pineapple on several local TV shows, judged Divabetic’s Hat Boxing Competition, beautifully decorated our healthy Halloween program, The Broomstick Bash, and much much more over the past nineteen (!) years of outreach.
I love my Mom. Thank you, thank you! You have given my mom and me so many wonderful and magical memories. Working side-by-side with her to present diabetes outreach diva-style has brought me joy, enriched my life, and made me a better person.
I hope you will tune in to this year’s mystery podcast to find out what trouble my mom gets in to save me! I wish everyone could have a mom like mine; if you don’t, let us team up with you so we can stay happy and healthy together.
