People gather on Fifth Avenue in creative and whimsical Easter finery every year to celebrate the holiday.
Wealthy New Yorkers would stroll down Fifth Avenue following Easter services to showcase their most beautiful dresses and suits.
Over time, the parade evolved to include elaborately creative hats and other crazy headwear, drawing crowds of locals and tourists alike.
Divabetic Image and Style Advisor Catherine Schuller was among the revelers in creative and colorful hats at this year’s Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival.
Anyone can join in the fun. Whether you’ve been planning your ensemble for months, or you just decided to decorate your favorite hat today, go for it!
The Easter Parade feels like a sober Halloween Parade.
It happens in the morning, and most people have left the church. There’s a joyful energy in the air.
New York City’s annual Easter Bonnet Festival, a celebration that dates back to the 1870s, is a celebration of craftiness and creativity.
The event began as a post-mass stylish fashion show, but it’s a spectacle of floral whimsy and pageantry.
Many revelers wear traditional floral bonnets. From tailcoats, furs, and pearls to tweeds and herringbone, some couples are decked out in their 40s and 50s finery. They go to great lengths to recreate head-to-toe sophisticated vintage looks.
But in between these swanky fashion plates are massive, at times monstrous, absolutely fabulous creative creations. These spectacular works of art of epic vertical proportions can make you forget about the high cost of living in New York.
Some paraders subscribe to the adage, ‘Bigger is always better.’ For example, this parade found inspiration from the year of the rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic rolls out the Red Tomato Carpet and tests everyday people’s Food IQ with his Serve, Taste or Trash!Food Game at the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City, NY. Special guests Carla Cravens and Catherine Schuller add some glamour to the occasion.
The New York City Easter Parade has been an annual tradition since the Civil War. It features marchers in elaborate Easter finery, including some of the fanciest Easter bonnets imaginable.
Watch this dynamic duo in the diabetes outreach challenge, everyday people, to play Divabetic’s original food game, Serve, Taste or Trash!
You might be surprised by the results. In the game, you’re given three choices of popular foods. You must decide which one you’d serve, which one you’d taste, and which one you’d trash. The game’s goal is to encourage people to become more open-minded eaters.
“80% of people with Alzheimer’s disease have either full-blown diabetes or insulin resistance. The link between insulin resistance and AD is so obvious to some researchers they’ve began calling it diabetes type 3!,” reports registered nutritionist Tim Reed BSc mBANT rCNHC for Medium.
Research has revealed a strong link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and high blood sugar levels. People with type 2 diabetes who mismanage their blood sugar levels—are two to three times more likely to suffer from the most common form of dementia.
Barry Manilow’s classic hit, I Made It Through The Rain sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
Hear how Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger, FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.
Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.
Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
If you’re an avid Divabetic baker like we are, you’re always on the lookout for tips to help improve your skills. Recently, we learned that parchment paper is an essential baking tool because it creates a nonstick surface. So if you want brownies to lift out of the pan or cookies to slide off the sheet, parchment paper is a must. It can be a little pricey, but it’s 100% worth it— when your cake slides right out of the pan.
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles, reserved for topping
Directions
Grease and flour your pan; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, cream the butter, oil, and sugar substitute until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; mix well. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined, being careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven onto a baking rack and unmold after about 10 minutes. Cool and fill the center with mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles.
Note: My sugar substitute was erythritol. I used a Nordic Ware Sunflower Cake Pan to make this cake.
Traditionally, Sunflower cakes are made in a Nordic Ware Sunflower pan. However, this Sunflower Cake can also be made in a round bundt pan. Fill in the center hole with mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles and use a sugar-free, thick, yellow glaze ladled around the top of the cake to look like cascading petals.
Join us for Divabetic’s upcoming free Baking Party with The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom and you’ll be automatically entered into our random drawing for Divabetic’s prize giveaway.
Elizabeth is one of our past prize winners. Sh
Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out! Register now for Divabetic’s Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic raises awareness for living a full, fabulous diabetes life at the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City, NY. Special guests Carla Cravens, Catherine Schuller, Amy Goldin, and Jean & Valerie from Life Dressing: The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas. The New York City Easter Parade has been an annual tradition since Civil War days and features marchers in elaborate Easter finery, including some of the fanciest Easter bonnets imaginable.
Register now for Divabetic’s upcoming free Baking Party with The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 7-8:30 PM, EST. Click to REGISTER
One lucky participant will win a Splenda Gift Gasket and additional Divabetic prizes (featuring Tonya Kappes’s Camper Cozy Mystery, Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Soles Rescue Cream, and Walden Farms Zero Calorie Salad Dressing) in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to win.
Since our program is still two weeks away, enjoy these free Divabetic resources to help you stay upbeat and on track with your diabetes wellness. And remember to treat yourself with kindness!
The Diabetic Pastry Chef
Enjoy the Diabetic Pastry Chef’s Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe. Click HERE
Enjoy Splenda’s Sweet Potato Soup Recipe. Click HERE
Listen to Divabetic Podcast Inspired by Dolly Parton. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr.Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Catherine Schuller, Lisa R Young, PhD, RDN, and Type 2 Diabetes – What To Know Facebook Community member, Crystal. Click HERE
Watch Mr. Divabetic’s video filmed at the New York City Easter Parade. Click HERE
The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Valentines-themed Sugar-Free Dessert Recipe and shares Expert Baking Tips for using Sugar Substitutes & Free Gift Prize! Join us on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST
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.
“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in an How 2 Type 2 article.
She adds,”To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”
All of the Diabetic Pastry Chef‘s recipes are adapted to her preferences and dietary needs; we encourage you to adapt them to yours!
1 c. flour, whole wheat or all-purpose 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 1 c. granulated brown sugar substitute such as Whey Low®, Swerve® or Truvia® 2 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1/2 c. chopped nuts (preferably walnuts or pecans) 1 1/2 c. grated carrots 1/4 c. raisins, optional
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and lightly flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.
In a mixing bowl at medium speed, beat together the eggs, sugar substitute and vanilla for 2 minutes. Lower the speed and slowly add in the canola oil until combined. Turn off mixer, and by hand, stir in the grated carrots, nuts and optional raisins, being sure not to overmix.
Add batter to greased and floured Bundt pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Invert pan onto cooling rack after about 10 minutes and let cool.
Dust with sugar-free confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!
Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their own lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. She also started her own online bakery that ships homemade treats all across the country. The most common thing she hears from customers is, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”
Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, guests on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Gladys Knight & The Pips. Our musical inspiration, Gladys Knight doesn’t have diabetes, but the disease is as close to her heart as the memories of her mother, Elizabeth Knight, who died of complications from the disease in 1997. The five time Grammy Award winner never misses an opportunity to use her voice to encourage early detection and treatment of diabetes.
“This delicious make-ahead savory bread pudding makes a light breakfast-style recipe. Pop in a cold oven if using a glass dish when baking,” says Best-Selling Cookbook Author Holly Clegg.
Ingredients
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups packed baby spinach
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Half loaf French or Italian bread, cut into slices, divided
2. In large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté mushrooms, onion, and garlic until tender. Add spinach, stirring until wilted, and add flour, stirring to mix well. Season to taste; set aside. Place half bread slices in prepared dish.
3. Spread spinach mixture over bread and sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining bread and remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
3. In bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, and mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole, refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
4. Bake at 350°F 40 – 50 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Terrific Tip: You can substitute 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry for fresh spinach, if desired. Adjust mushrooms and onions to your taste buds but they add great nutrition.
Nutritional Nugget: This is a great dish to try several days before your next cycle of treatment. Good source of vitamins and minerals.
Makes about 7 (3/4-cup) servings
Nutritional information per serving: Calories 210, Calories from Fat 22%, Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 2g,Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 352 mg, Carbohydrates 26g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Total Sugars 6g, Protein 16g
With over 1.5 million cookbooks sold, Holly Clegghas become a culinary expert on easy healthy everyday recipes through her nationally recognized best-selling trim &TERRIFIC®, Kitchen 101 and Eating Well cookbook series, including Eating Well Through Cancer, (English, Spanish and Chinese editions), Eating Well to Fight Arthritis and Diabetic Cooking with the American Diabetes Association. Holly Clegg attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School, London. For more information, visit About Holly or The Healthy Cooking Blog for more recipes and tips.
Several women from the Divabetic community have reached out to us with concerns about eating eggs. We contacted one of our favorite certified diabetes educators and registered dietitians, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND for her expert advice.
“I am very comfortable recommending eggs as part of a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and other wholesome foods for most of my patients with diabetes. There is much to learn about individual differences, however, so it’s prudent to monitor cholesterol levels and adjust as necessary,” says Jill Weisenberger.
Why You Should Consider Including Eggs In Your Diet:
Eggs are affordable and easy to prepare.
They contain lutein, a cousin to beta-carotene. Lutein makes its way into the macula of the eye where it helps protect vision.
Eggs are nutrient-dense, a source of high-quality protein, and are low in saturated fat. I encourage moderate amounts of protein at each of the three main meals to help my weight loss clients minimize muscle loss while they drop pounds.
What’s Up with Eggs?
The egg is one of those nutrient-dense foods that generates a lot of debate about its healthfulness. Because eggs are high in cholesterol, which has historically been linked to heart disease, the public has long been warned about eating too many eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolk. People with diabetes may have even greater concerns because their risk of developing heart disease is quite high.
Here Are a Few Things About Eggs:
Recently the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee stated that the evidence is not strong enough to conclude that cholesterol in foods raises blood cholesterol.
Some population studies have found that eating seven or more eggs weekly increases the risk of heart disease among people with diabetes. Not all studies find an association, however. I see a problem with population studies like these. The researchers cannot account for all of the variables in people’s diets. For example, on some plates, eggs keep company with wholesome fruit and whole-grain toast or oats. On other plates, eggs sit atop buttery biscuits and sausage gravy. Does the company eggs keep influence health? I would have to think so.
Jill Weisenberger’s comprehensive guide, ‘Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses’ will lead you through dozens of concrete steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle “reset,” this book will allow you to choose your own path to wellness, help you gain a greater sense of wellbeing, boost your confidence in your abilities to maintain a healthful lifestyle, and potentially even help you reverse prediabetes and avoid type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses. You’ll be feeling better than you have in years! Inside, you will learn to:
Identify your risks for developing type 2 diabetes
Set personalized and meaningful behavioral goals
Identify and build on your motivation for a lifestyle reset
Create positive new habits
Change eating habits for weight loss and greater insulin sensitivity
Choose wholesome foods in the supermarket and when away from home
Tweak your favorite recipes
Reduce sedentary time
Start or improve upon an exercise plan
Reduce emotional eating
Organize and track your progress with tools included in the book
Much more
Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND is a great resource for all things nutrition, food and diabetes. Whether she’s speaking, writing, chatting on social media, appearing on TV or working with individuals, her candid and energetic approach appeals to busy people, and her sound nutrition and fitness advice gets results. In fact, her appreciation for science and ability to translate science into actionable information earned her a place in US News & World Report’s 10 Dietitian’s You Need to Follow on Social Media.
For the fifth year in a row, I’’ll be raising awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way at this year’s Annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival in New York on Sunday, April 16, 2017, 12:30 PM.
We will discussing symptoms, causes and treatments for diabetes related eye disease.
Did you know that diabetic retinopathy is a health complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness?
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the tissue at the back of the eye. Diabetes also can cause leaking of blood vessels in the eyes, which leads to scarring and loss of vision.
How much do you know about diabetes related eye disease?
Test your knowledge with 2 questions from Mr. Divabetic’s Diabetes “Eye”-Q quiz courtesy of dLife
ANSWER: D (All of the above) Diabetic retinopathy is when there is damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes. Glaucoma is an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults.
ANSWER: B (False) Tightly managing your blood sugars is one way to help prevent diabetic eye disease or its progression. Controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can also reduce the risk of vision loss. People who have good control of their diabetes are at much lower risk for diabetic eye disease.
In people with diabetes, high blood sugar damages the walls of the small blood vessels in the eye, altering their structure and function. As part of this condition, called diabetic retinopathy, these vessels may thicken, leak, develop clots, close off, or grow balloon-like defects called microaneurysms. Frequently, fluid accumulates in the part of the retina used in tasks such as reading; this condition is called macular edema. In advanced cases, the retina is robbed of its blood supply and grows new, but defective, vessels — a process called neovascularization. These fragile vessels can bleed, creating vision-impairing hemorrhages, scar tissue, and separation of the retina from the back of the eye (retinal detachment). The new vessels can also block fluid flow within the eye, producing glaucoma.
Pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes could be a sign of damage to your retinas. Blurry or double vision, dark spots or blank areas and trouble seeing out of the corners of your eyes are other symptoms to watch for.
If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may notice no changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss.
It’s important that anyone who has diabetes gets annual eye exams from an ophthalmologist so that retinopathy can be detected early.
Diabetes & Easter: Easter can be a difficult time to have diabetes, not least because of the temptation READ MORE
Don’t let the parade pass you by! Tune in to Facebook Live (Divabetic) to catch all the sights and sounds live from the Red Carpet with guests Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, diabetes advocate Laura Laria and Harlem’s Heaven hat designer, Evetta Petty and more!
Never been to the New York Easter Parade?
“Sunday best” gets new meaning during this annual procession, wherein participants show off elaborately constructed hats— shaped like gigantic Easter baskets, the NYC skyline and the Coney Island Cyclone! The tradition started in the mid-1800s, when high-society ladies would promenade in their Easter finery after church, and has since evolved into a showcase for millinery.
I’’ll be raising awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way at this year’s Annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival in New York on Sunday, April 16, 2017, 12:30 PM
Don’t let the parade pass you by! Tune in to Facebook Live (Divabetic) to catch all the sights and sounds live from the Red Carpet with guests Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP and hat designer, Evetta Petty and more!
Never been to the New York Easter Parade?
“Sunday best” gets new meaning during this annual procession, wherein participants show off elaborately constructed hats— shaped like gigantic Easter baskets, the NYC skyline and the Coney Island Cyclone! The tradition started in the mid-1800s, when high-society ladies would promenade in their Easter finery after church, and has since evolved into a showcase for millinery.
While most of the hats on display at the Festival will be outrageous you can still add an extra touch of magic, refinement, and/or edge to an outfit with a much modest sized hat.
What’s one big hat trend for Spring/Summer 2017?
“With access to Cuba, its retro influence is having a powerful impact on the fashion industry,” according to Evetta Petty, the owner of Harlem’s Heaven Hat Shop in New York City. “There are colorful exotic prints that are mixed with natural raw elements.Rich, graphic, brilliant patterns paired with kitschy accessories like bold voluminous necklaces and bangles as well as tassels, pompoms, and ruffles for an updated vintage look.”
Hats are also an important staple for the summer season, since they help to shield us from the sun.
If you have diabetes, it’s important to avoid too much sun exposure and sunburn, particularly if you take certain medications, such as glyburide (brand names Micronase, DiaBeta, and Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL), and glimepiride (Amaryl), as well as diuretics and NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen and celecoxib [Celebrex] according to Diabetes Self-Management magazine.
People with diabetes should avoid sunburn because it can stress your body and raise your blood glucose. Wear a good sunscreen (we recommend PEAK PROTECTION sunscreen spray SPF29), lip balm that contains SPF, sunglasses as well as a hat when out in the sun and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Most people don’t realize that while driving your neck, hands and left side of your face is exposed to sun!
“If you drive 1/2 hour or more per day to workthe sun is constantly beaming through the windshield on your hands,” says PEAK 10 skincare founder, Connie Elder.“Use sunscreen on the back of your hands and neck.”
I’ll be challenging people’s Diabetes Wellness IQ with games at the Easter Parade & Bonnet Festival. Test your knowledge with this question: Sunscreen doesn’t expire – True or False?
Answer: TRUE. Go ahead and throw out last summer’s bottle of sunscreen. Although sunscreens are usually labeled with an expiration date and have a shelf life of approximately two years, it’s important to buy a new bottle every summer to ensure that your skin is well-protected.
There are lots of amazing designs to try on this year but what’s the one trend that will set you a part from the other run-of-the-mill fashionistas in your town?
“The headwear industry welcomes the return of the turban with feathers and glitzy embellishments!,” says Evetta and adding, “also, wide brimmed hats with floral trimmings are a strong look this season.”
Have fun dressing for Sunny days and HAVANA NIGHTS.
