Tag: divas

Posted on

Sugarfree Cake Truffles, Go Red & Big Prize Giveaways at Divabetic’s Baking Party

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 like cherry, 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 dark skin with warm undertones, then reds like ruby 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.  

Our Grand Prize winner, Anita from Buffalo, won gifts from Splenda, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Peak 10 Skin, Harlem’s Heaven, and Walden Farms. 

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.

 

Posted on

Good Morning Gorgeous By Mary J. Blige

“I wake up every morning and tell myself
Good morning gorgeous
Sometimes you gotta look in the mirror and say
Good Morning Gorgeous”
The Queen of Hip Hop, Mary J. Blige sings these words in her new self-empowering song, “Good Morning Gorgeous”. Do you tell yourself that you are beautiful each day? I bet you don’t, but maybe you should. What would happen if you did? Take a moment to appreciate your curves, the way your body is solid and sure with strength in some places or sensuous with softness in others. End quiet moment you spend appreciating is a gift to you. Good thoughts become good feelings and feeling good on the inside is expressed on the outside, too.
Kind and gentle self-talk has helped Mary J. Blige overcome many obstacles in her life. She is not living with diabetes but she had a rough childhood. Her father, a war veteran who suffered from PTSD, left when she was just a young girl leaving the young Mary and her two siblings in the hands of an alcoholic mother. She was sexually abused by a family friend at the age of five. She turned to alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity to deal with the pain of her experiences.
“We numb ourselves with drugs and alcohol and people and shopping and shit, to cover up what’s really going on inside,” she said in an interview with Self.
Her resilience like her fame has grown over the years. 

“People are watching,” she said to Self. “So much painful, embarrassing, public stuff has happened from the time I came out in this music industry. This stuff happens so that we can talk.”

Loving the body that you have and celebrating it makes you want to take care of it better inside and out, and all of that beauty just grows and grows. If you say it and hear it enough times I bet you’ll begin to believe it.

Enjoy Mary J. Blige’s song, “Good Morning, Gorgeous!” We believe in YOU!
Need a boost? Join us tomorrow night for Divabetic’s free Holiday-themed Baking Party with the Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 2021, at 7- 7:30 PM. EST.

We will be hosting two raffles during our virtual program. First, we will be giving away a beautiful Splenda Gift Basket filled with different Splenda products for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Then, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller will raffle off a gift from Gem Desire. Catherine is the newest Brand Ambassador for Gem Desire, a curated jewelry brand at affordable prices. You must be present during our virtual program to qualify for the random drawings.

Posted on

Was Chaka Khan Experiencing Low Blood Sugars At Verzuz?

From slurring words or forgetting lyrics to her famous side-to-side, stutter-step shimmy, Chaka Khan‘s performance at the recent Verzuz “competition” with Stephanie Mills has many speculating that she was either drunk or high.

But could she have been experiencing low blood sugars?

Some symptoms of low blood sugar can look the same as being drunk. The most common ones are feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or confused; and getting sleepy. However, others may think your signs of low blood sugar are due to drinking. As a result, they may not realize you need help.

The Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes back in 2011. She credits her vegan diet for helping her lose a significant amount of weight after her diagnosis.

“I felt like I needed to heal my body, so I would just fast and eat no meat, no dairy,” she said. “I’ve never been a fan of meat, dairy, and sugar. And when I developed diabetes I said, ‘Oh OK, I’m not going to be here long. A change is coming,’” Chaka Khan told the lifestyle website Essence.com.

Assuming Chaka Khan experienced low blood sugar levels on stage with Stephanie Mills, let’s review some suggestions for treating it.

First, eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates, then check your blood sugars and retreat if necessary. 

The best options are sugary foods without protein or fat. Chocolate contains fat which slows down the absorption of sugar, so it’s not the best option. Instead, you need food or drinks that easily convert to sugar in the body. Try glucose tablets or gel (sold in your pharmacy), fruit juice, regular — not diet — soft drinks, honey, and sugary candy. Keep in mind, 15 grams of carbohydrates is far less than a whole can of soda or a tall glass of juice. The amount is significant because if you overtreat a low blood sugar by eating or drinking too much, you risk experiencing high blood sugar levels.

Finally, you should know that alcohol makes your blood sugar levels drop by inhibiting the liver’s ability to release glucose.

Ivan Hampden, Jr., Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Pam Butler MS, CDCES, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDCES, CDN, Cookbook Author and Culinary Expert Holly Clegg and Ginger Vieira on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.

Posted on

Divabetic Celebrates Altoween on Halloween!!!

Thanks to my talented friends, Paulette McWilliams, Pat Lacy, and Brenda White-King for showing us how deep, rich, and soulful a woman’s voice could be. Because of you, we’re celebrating amazing vocalists just like you this Halloween!

Sade remains one of the most successful, lucrative artists of the past four decades. She’s sold over 50 million records worldwide. She achieved her success by ignoring fads, fashion, and anything trend that might steer her and her band off course.

“She was one of those rare artists I fell completely in love with because she came just the way she is now,” Susan Blond, a former vice president at Epic Records.

Some people may think Millie Jackson’s onstage antics and song lyrics are too crude but we like the way she broke the rules. In a musical landscape where misogynistic lyrics dominated the airwaves, she turned the tables and objectified men.

Sarah Vaughan’s dynamic vocal range, iconic vibrato, and innovative phrasing helped to transform jazz and popular music.

With voices this sweet, we don’t need to Trick or Treat!

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade.

Sugar is everywhere. But do we really understand the impact it has on our diabetes health?

If asked to name sugary foods, you may think of sweets, chocolate, sodas, table sugar, and perhaps even fruit. But sugar also appears in savoury foods such as ready meals, soups, salads and sauces; as well as ‘healthy’ foods such as breakfast cereals and yogurt. Furthermore, starches such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes also convert to sugar in our bloodstream, having the same impact on our bodies. These ‘hidden sugars’ can add a surprising amount to our daily intake.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP. Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

Posted on

Tell me I can’t so I can show you I CAN!

Need a dose of diva inspiration to help you gain some confidence to overcome an obstacle in your diabetes self-care rountine?
Let singer, songwriter Ledisi’s journey to success inspire you to stay strong and go on!
Just before Ledisi recorded her ‘Lost & Found” album, which has earned her a nomination for Best New Artist as well as Best R&B album, she felt she was floundering.
“When you don’t know how beautiful you are, you will always be in search of happiness.” – Ledisi

Although Ledisi had released two critically acclaimed albums independently and worked on Broadway, she still was unable to garner much mainstream attention.
She recalls being told consistently that she didn’t have the “look” necessary to be a star. In addition, while her music could be classified as R&B, she also sang with jazz inflections that left some industry people confused about how to categorize her, or to market her.
“Be careful of who and what you let into your space.Not everyone is worthy of your presence.” – Ledisi
Fed up, Ledisi was about to quit the business until she met a friend and producer who encouraged her to give her recording career one more try. So she took a leap of faith and was rewarded.
“Tell me I can’t so I can show you I CAN!” – Ledisi 

Posted on

Adele Makes Weight Loss Look Easy To Me

Adele’s weight loss journey is inspiring because her goal isn’t a number on the scale. Instead, it is embracing a healthier way of life. 

“It was because of my anxiety,” she told British Vogue. “Working out, I would just feel better.” The singer also said that “it was never about losing weight. It was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone. I got quite addicted to it.”

Adele started making headlines with her weight loss at the end of 2019.

Adele said that during quarantine, she worked out three times a day: “So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike, or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” reports Vogue.

“I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it? I don’t find it fascinating. It’s my body.”

Adele told British Vogue when asked why she didn’t share her weight loss journey on social media. 

Adele also confirmed that any rumors suggesting she lost weight by dieting are false. “No intermittent fasting. Nothing. If anything, I eat more than I used to because I work out so hard,” she told British Vogue.

She feels confident enough about herself and her new lifestyle to joke about it. 

In 2020, she joked about her weight loss in her opening SNL monologue. “I know I look really, really different since you last saw me,” Adele said. “But actually, because of all the Covid restrictions…I had to travel light, and I could only bring half of me, and this is the half I chose.”

he 15-time Grammy winner released her first single off her fourth studio album, Easy On Me, this past week.


Adele’s album, “25” has sold six million copies in the US and become the 20th album to sell at least a million copies in a single week in the Nielsen era. It is the largest selling album of 2015 in total, surpassing the sales of Taylor Swift’s 1989.

Divabetic podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES and MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR), Jennifer Jacobs, Dana Collins Carr and Cindy Lou, who is living with type 2 diabetes from Kentucky.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected cuts from “25” 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.”

Posted on

Dame Judi Dench’s Talks About Her Knee Replacement

Surgery

Dame Judi Dench met Mr. Monk on the set of Philomena as her knee condition was worsening.

When Is the Best Time To Have Surgery?

You want to have it done right before the pain becomes too unbearable to cope with.

Judi Dench gave a lot of thought to the best time to have her total knee replacement surgery.

Judi Dench’s knee operation went very smoothly. Six weeks after the surgery, the Academy Award Winning Actress attended the film’s Premiere. She claims that very few people realized she had the operation.

Her knee has continued to improve to the point where she has almost forgotten she had the operation.

Judi Dench is not living with diabetes. But if you’re living with diabetes and are scheduling a surgical procedure, be aware:

  • Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can be an issue after surgery
  • Poor wound healing
  • Slow wound healing
  • Infection of the wound

Philomena (2013) is about a world-weary political journalist who aids in a woman’s search for her son.

The Holidays are full of surprises in this year’s Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril podcast. Although Mr. Divabetic manages to land a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home, his 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.

Now Mr. Divabetic, with the help of his friends and overly protective mother, must find the real culprit before his name ends up on a lethal naughty list.

Posted on

Angela Bofill Talks About Her Stroke

Angela Bofill suffered two strokes but neither stroke could take away her positive, humorous personality and her fighter spirit.

After she lost the ability to sing, she returned to the stage for “The Angela Bofill Experience” in which she skillfully narrated her life story, while her band and other singers.

With her strong, distinctive alto, Angela Bofill carved a niche as an outstanding interpreter of soul ballads and became a mainstay on the Quiet Storm radio format. Check out her Live From Manila album featuring all of her biggest hits.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the US. As many as 5 to 14 percent of stroke survivors have a second stroke within one year.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, September 23, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for using sugar substitutes in your favorite recipes.

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris (The Diabetic Pastry Chef) taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

Divabetic® (divabetic.org) is a national nonprofit diabetes outreach organization committed to changing attitudes in people at risk, affected by and living with diabetes. We strive to encourage prevention, early action, and above all, education. Check out our free monthly podcasts and our free Zoom outreach programs.

Divabetic® was inspired by the late R & B legend, Luther Vandross, and created and founded by his long-time assistant, Max Szadek. Divabetic®, a combination of the word ‘diabetic’ with the letter ‘V’ inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and the positive attitude associated with the great DIVAS Luther loved like Patti LaBelle.

Posted on

Recipe of The Week: Strawberry Pistachio Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Sometimes scrolling through Instagram pays off. I came across this easy-to-make Eating Well’s Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark recipe. It’s a perfect Summertime time snack because this treat is frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark. I shared this recipe with my friend and fellow Divabetic Mystery podcast castmate, Seveda Williams. Seveda has appeared in Gypsies, Tramps & Peas (‘Boom Boom LaRue’), Swan Wake, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes (‘Agnes Frumpster’), Kill Me Madam (‘Goldie Hightower’), and the upcoming A Christmas Peril (‘Ruby Garland’) podcasts.

“This year’s podcast is an early Christmas treat because it’s so much fun to be a part of. On top of the crazy plot twists, there’s so much great information and explanation. Plus, this year’s mystery has an important message to share with isteners.”

Seveda texted me back that this Greek Yogurt Bark is delicious! “It’s a delightful cold treat that’s easy to make, says Seveda. “I added some vanilla bean, cinnamon, and pistachios because I love chocolate and pistachios.  Keep in mind, it takes a while to set up in the freezer so leave it in overnight.”

Eating Well’s Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk plain Greek Yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1  1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Click HERE for Full Recipe

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare. It’s low calorie, low carb, gluten-free, and low sodium. Plus, it’s packed with protein.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Salad Making Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWWC, FAND on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

Eating a salad sounds healthy, doesn’t it? But a leafy green salad can go bad when you pile on the high calorie and high carb toppings, dressings, and other deep-fried offerings. 

 FREE REGISTRATION – REGISTER NOW 


Tune in to Divabetic’s 11th Podcast Anniversary with musical inspiration from Toni Braxton. Click Here.

The seven-time Grammy Award-winner has sold over 70 million records and is one of the best-selling R&B artists of all time.

When Toni Braxton was first diagnosed with systemic lupus in 2008, her doctors told her that she would need a heart transplant and might not ever perform again.

“I remember being petrified,” she said. “I was scared. I didn’t know anything about lupus.”

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. It can also lead to heart disease and kidney disease.

Insulin resistance is increased in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Insulin resistance occurs when excess glucose in the blood reduces the ability of the cells to absorb and use blood sugar for energy. This increases the risk of developing prediabetes, and eventually, type 2 diabetes.

Guests include Dr. Sara Reece, PharmD – NGMC, GME, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Keith Anthony Fluitt, and Sonya Hogans. Hosted by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.

Posted on

Divabetic Healthy Swap: Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream

Make cutting calories a little easier with this easy and flavorful substitute!
Maryann Nicolay MEd, NDTR shared how she makes an easy swap using Greek Yogurt instead of Sour Cream on Thursday’s free Divabetic Zoom program.
 
Greek Yogurt has fewer calories, less fat, and more protein and calcium.
 
Nonfat Greek Yogurt has approximately 130 calories per cup, 1 gram of fat, and 8 grams of carbohydrates. Regular Greek Yogurt has about 300 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 7 grams of carbohydrates per 1-cup serving. One cup of sour cream (even low-fat) has many more calories than Greek yogurt! One cup of reduced-fat sour cream has approximately 400 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 16 grams of carbohydrates.
 
We ran to the store on Friday morning to give this swap a test spin. It turns out Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream taste super similar too! It wasn’t weird tasting at all.
“What I love about Maryann’s swap is it’s so sly that you can sneak it past your inner saboteur,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. “There’s no taste deprivation, and it’s easy!
 
For swapping a dollop of Sour Cream on your baked potato, nachos, or chili, a 1-to-1 ratio for non-fat-free Greek Yogurt will do the trick. Add Greek yogurt to dressings or dips as a substitute for Sour Cream too.
 
Save the date for Divabetic’s next free Zoom program in June.

Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast guests include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers.

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’ fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

Proudly powered by WordPress