Tag: food

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Around The Table: Stories Of The Food We Love Exhibit

Table

Recently I visited the New York Botanical Gardens to see the Around The Table: Stories Of The Food We Love exhibit.

Specifically, I saw about half of the 32 tables designed by artists living or working in the Bronx on display throughout the Garden. Below are some of my favorites.

Table

Textile-Knit Artist Ruth Marshall‘s fine art textile table design stands out! It explores the creative possibilities of knotting. She accurately depicts various vegetables with her versatile, brightly colored nylon material (paracord and zip ties) on wood.

Table

Artist Reina Mia Brill‘s design showcases different edible flowers. The artist used paper seed packets, acrylic paint, gel medium, and resin on wood. She is the recipient of a Bronx Council for the Arts Grant as well as a New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship.

Table

Of course, Santina Amato‘s Per La Mamma Mia table design effortlessly captured the love of my Italian heritage. Her red and white checkerboard acrylic paint design on wood made visiting the  Home Gardening Center a must! The artist’s muse is bread dough and relates to her immigrant childhood, where the dough was no foreign matter. Her first memory and experience of femininity and the power of creation (and potentially female desire) were watching her mother knead this soft, white, voluptuous material on our kitchen table. Folding the dough over onto itself and pushing her whole body towards it, she transformed the ingredients of flour and water into a living organism, created for both our oral pleasure and life sustenance.

Artist Matthew López-Jensen‘s display, “Lamb’s Quarters: A Love Story,” most closely resembles Fine Artist Susan McCaslin‘s work for Divabetic’s Plate Poetry Project. Both displays’ use of words is similar.

Matthew López-Jensen’s original essay across the top of the table celebrates the connection between foraging, love, and queer identity (available in Spanish and English). He used text, stain, and acrylic paint on wood for “Lamb’s Quarters: A Love Story.”

Fine Artist, Susan McCaslin‘s work for Divabetic’s Plate Poetry Project was exhibited at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and the Mosaic Central Farm Market in Mosiac, VA.
Plate Poetry Project depicted people’s conversations while eating on dishware at a dinner table. Visitors were encouraged to interact with the table and take apart the place settings to read each statement.
Eating is such a central part of our diabetes lives that food becomes associated with almost everything we do. We eat if we’re happy, sad, angry, celebrating, grieving, lonely, or bored. Emotions become connected with food. When you eat based on your emotions, it can hinder your diabetes wellness management.

Susan‘s display, “What Words Do You Bring To The Table?” depicts the different thoughts and emotions related to eating.

Plate Poetry

Divabetic’s Plate Poetry “What’s On Your Plate?” workshops focus on the emotions related to eating for people at risk, affected by and living with diabetes. Our Plate Poetry Project video testimonials aim to assess the emotions associated with managing diabetes and the underlying reasons attributed to those emotions.

Watch this video to find out more about the artists participating in the Around The Table: Stories Of The Food We Love exhibit.

. Each one-of-a-kind table will celebrate the cultural and historical significance of crops and plant-based food traditions—and encourage sitting, sharing, and storytelling.

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. 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.

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What’s Eating You?

It happens to most of us now and then, or at least on Thanksgiving. We eat way too much and wind up feeling overly stuffed, bloated, and sleepy.

If you regularly feel these uncomfortable symptoms after an average meal, you may be overeating.

Overeating may occur when food becomes the constant emotional crutch and support. As a result, some of us turn away food during a time of great stress or sadness or use it as a source of comfort.

Mindless eating can be a culprit too. For example, suppose you’re dining while browsing your social media feed. In that case, you could be disconnected from hunger and fullness cues and fullness cues.  This type of mindless eating ends in overeating.

 

Recognize why you overeat – get in touch with your past and handle the feelings that trigger your eating problems. Seek help. We believe in you!

Have you noticed that you reach for food when you’re feeling stressed, bored, lonely, mad, or sad?

When your habit is to use food instead of paying attention to what these emotions are trying to tell you about your underlying needs, those needs go unmet. And of course, those unmet needs will continue to drive emotional eating!

Dr. Michelle May is a doctor, mindful eating expert, and author who helps people to overcome cycles of senseless yo-yo dieting and resolve mindless and emotional eating.

 

Listen to Dr. Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

Other guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, R & B Singer Alyson Williams, ‘Here & Now’ Songwriter and Entertainer Terry Steele, Seveda Williams, Luther Vandross Historian Leon Petrossian, and Luther Superfan John Price.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring selected songs from the album entitled ‘Busy Body’ courtesy of SONY Music. On ‘Busy Body’, Luther Vandross’ third album features ‘Superstar’,  ‘For the Sweetness Of Your Love’, and the duet with Dionne Warwick entitled ‘ How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye’.

 

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A ‘Handy’ Guide To Figuring Out Portion Sizes

Lately I feel the real culprit in managing my weight is portion size. It’s not what I eat, it’s how much I eat. I’ve been learning the hard way that the amount of food I used to eat at 20 or 30 is making me gain weight! Old eating habits are hard to break too.

When I was growing up, my father told me to “clean your plate.”

The problem is that dinner plates, especially in restaurants, have gotten bigger. And so has the amount of food we put on them. If I clean my plate now, I’m overeating.

If you struggle like me with portion sizes, the best help might be right in the palm of your hand.

Photo by Nsey Benajah on Unsplash

Use Your Hand To Figure Out Portion Sizes

Your fist = the size of a cup

The palm = the size of 3 ounces of meat

Your thumb = the size of 1 ounce of cheese

Another helpful tip is to check food labels and restaurant menus for hidden calories. Learn to “eyeball” your food to gauge what’s too much — and what’s just right.

The good news is that experts agree that when you downsize to healthy portions, your body will, too!

Love New Recipes?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Author of The Beginner’s Guide To What To Eat With Type 2 Diabetes,  Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Zoom on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST. Jill shares her favorite quinoa recipes with us!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

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What Should I Eat? with Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger

Are you frustrated or confused about what to eat for type 2 diabetes?
Enjoy this exclusive interview with nationally recognized Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND about what to eat for type 2 diabetes.
Q: A lot of people with type 2 diabetes are fearful of working with Registered Dietitians because they believe they will tell them that they can’t eat any of the foods they enjoyed before they were diagnosed.  What is your philosophy?
Jill Weisenberger (JW): I had all the bad habits. Eating large portions, going from one junk food to another to “get it out of my system and start fresh tomorrow,” berating myself for my apparent lack of willpower – I did it all. I’ve managed my weight for a very long time now by adopting a more suitable frame of mind. I treat myself with  more kindness, and I don’t look at food as good or bad. I’ve figured out how to treat myself daily and still have a terrific diet. It was a long process, but I’m happier, healthier and have tons more energy.
JW: Although it looks like an e-book and it’s 80-some pages, I think of it more as a course for people new to or struggling with food choices for type 2 diabetes. I see people so confused and frustrated. They tell me they eat the same things over and over because they don’t know what else is “safe” for them to eat. Or they tell me they stay hungry all the time. And when we get into longer conversations, I often see that they think they know how food affects their blood sugar levels, but they’ve got some very fundamental misunderstandings. I wanted to create a guide that people could use in a stepwise fashion to move from the very basics of how food affects blood sugar – to what my food choices are doing – to how to count carbs and how to plan meals even if I’m the only one with diabetes.
JW: This guide is similar to how I might structure my appointments with clients. The first module is all about blood sugar management with lessons on carbohydrates, snacking, meal planning, carb counting, label reading. It has worksheets to help the reader figure out their usual portions and most common foods with carbohydrates. There’s even practice for meal planning and carb counting and charts with helpful info. The lessons in the second module cover the big picture of healthy eating with emphasis on heart disease and cancer prevention. There’s also a chart of healthy food swaps, among other things.
Sign up now for Divabetic’s free Diabetes Virtual Cooking Party with Jill Weisenberger on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

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Divabetic’s Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Games

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 happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Game at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. 

The happy healthcare host, Mr Divabetic plays the hilarious Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Game with Mother Love and the attendees at the American Diabetes Association’s Expo in New York, NY.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Game at Central Farm Markets in Bethesda, MD during our annual Bake Bethesda a Pie Contest over Labor Day Weekend 2012.

Mr. Divabetic hosts the new hilarious culinary podcast, Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Game. A delicious combination of crazy food challenges and fresh perspectives on the latest food trends.

Tonight Mr. Divabetic discusses easy ways to go from ‘Farm To Fabulous’ with co-founders, Debra Moser and Mitchell Berliner of Central Farm Markets and one of the market’s featured vendors.

Our Serve, Taste or Trash! Food Game challenge features jerusalem artichokes, kale and oranges. One lucky contestant must decide which choice they’d serve, which choice they’d taste and which one they’d trash. But will they regret their decision after hearing our guest culinary wizard’s mouthwatering recipes for each choice? Can low-sodium foods rate high in taste? Stay tuned.

Special guests include Wellness and Diabetes Coach, Ginger Vieira, the author of “Your Diabetes Science Experiment” and “Emotional Eating with Diabetes,” Co-founders of Central Farm Markets, Debra Moser and MeatCrafters owner, Mitchell Berliner, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, the ‘Queen of the Green’ Miss Aida Romaine and Laura from Chattanooga, TN who is living with diabetes.

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Divabetic Mystery Phrase #32

Can you solve Divabetic’s Mystery Phrase #32? Our phrase helps you and your doctor understand your eating habits.

Are you interested in changing your eating habits?

Maybe you should consider keeping a food diary. A food diary is a daily log of what you eat and drink each day. It can help you realize what you consume. Once you know this, you can make changes to your diet to improve your weight.

You should keep your food diary with you throughout the day. You can keep track on  paper using a notebook or on your smartphone.

Once you have your diary, you should log several pieces of information in it each time you eat and drink. According to FamilyDoctor.Org you should include these include:

  • How much. List the amount of the food and drink you consume each time. This might be measured in volume (such as 1/2 cup), weight (such as 2 ounces), or the number of items (such as 12 chips).
  • What kind. Write down the type of food and drink. Make sure to to write down extras, such as toppings, sauces, dressings, or condiments.
  • Mood: You also should include how you feel when you eat and drink. Are you happy, sad, or bored? Your mood can impact what and when you eat or drink.

SEE FULL LIST 

 

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Food journaling apps are a quick and easy way to track your food intake throughout the day. Whatever your personal nutritional goals are, rest assured that there is an app to help make those goals achievable.

Here is the skinny on 3 best food journaling apps from LifeSaver.com

See How You Eat

The See How You Eat app was designed with visual learners in mind. Using this app, you can see at a glance all of the food you have consumed that day. Visual reminders of what you’ve had to eat on a given day create a compelling argument for making healthier choices. The See How You Eat app is available for free through iTunes and Google Play.

MyPlate

In addition to an online food diary, this app promotes a comprehensive database of 625,000 foods and 1,500 fitness related items that enable users to monitor their daily calorie consumption as well as how many calories they burn. Calories can be tracked over a specified period and delineations of how those calories were acquired or burned are also provided. The MyPlate app is available for free through iTunes.

YouAte

This app takes the tedium, guilt, and ambiguity out of classic food journaling. YouAte encourages users to steer their focus away from traditional carb counting and calorie emphasis by simply taking a closer look at the food choices they are making. Reviewing snapshots of the food they eat motivates users to consistently evaluate whether the choices they’re making are really helping them to achieve their goals. The YouAte app is available for free through iTunes.

 

Enjoy Divabetic’s 10th Year Podcast Anniversary Special with music from the world’s most famous “Divabetic”– Ms. Patti LaBelle. She’s encouraging you to have a ‘NEW ATTITUDE’ about living with diabetes! Guests include: Patricia Addie-Gentle, RN, CDE, Dr. Andrea Chisholm OB-GYN, Luther McRae, Mama Rose Marie, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Seveda Williams and Terri Seidman.

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 Cooking Party with special guest Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ on Zoom on Thursday, August 13, 2020, 7 – 7:40 PM, EST on Zoom.

Having diabetes doesn’t mean you need to deny yourself all the foods you love, but you do want to make healthier food choices. One good choice is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, which are heavy in nutrition but light in calories.

During this virtual Cooking Party on Zoom, Chef Robert Lewis will prepare a recipe that won’t compromise your diabetes wellness.

Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic, is a nationally recognized author and motivational speaker who is passionate about helping people learn to live a healthier lifestyle. Chef Lewis graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in 1976. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1998. Thus began his motivation to create great tasting dishes that are easy to prepare. He travels the country speaking on the benefits of healthy eating not only for people affected by diabetes, but also for anyone who would like to eat and live a healthy lifestyle. 

REGISTER NOW – IT’S FREE 

 

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The Most Iconic Snacks by State

Managing diabetes isn’t about self-deprivation; it’s about moderation especially with snacking.

But ‘how much is too much’?

The answer depends on you and your goals for diabetes self-care. With a little pre-planning, you can enjoy these iconic snacks without derailing the goals that you’ve worked so hard to maintain. If it’s hard to know where to start, click here to go to the Center of Disease Control’s National Diabetes Program.

With 57% of Americans snacking at least once per day, it’s safe to say we like our snacks. From coast to coast, every state boasts its own favorite, iconic, or even official snacks. Here’s a breakdown of notable snacks, treats, and noshes from every state.

Alabama: Moon Pie

Sandwich soft marshmallow filling between two crunchy graham crackers, cover the whole thing in chocolate, and you’ve got yourself a moon pie. This tasty treat may be made in nearby Chattanooga, Tenn., but it’s no wonder it’s been an Alabama favorite since 1917. Alabama residents love moon pies so much, that they dropped a 12-foot one from Mobile’s RSA BankTrust Building to ring in the New Year.

Alaska: Salmon Jerky

The Last Frontier is the first choice in wild-caught salmon. Slow smoked for at least 24 hours over woods such as cherry or alder, salmon jerky packs smoky salmon flavor plus heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in every bite.

READ MORE

Divabetic podcast guests include Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Leisa Chester Weir, and Jeff James. Join the conversation and call in: (347) 215-8551.

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Sugar-Free Pink Champagne Cakelets Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

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!

Sugar-Free Pink Champagne Cakelets Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef 

Ingredients 

3 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 Tsp salt

3 Tbsp cake enhancer, optional

5 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup pink Champagne, room temperature

2 Tsps pure vanilla extract

2 Tsps vegetable oil

2 cups erythritol sweetener or other preferred sugar-free sweetener equal to 2 cups

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1-4 drops red food coloring depending on how pink you prefer the cake

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cake enhancer if using. set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together by hand the egg whites, Champagne, vanilla and oil until well blended.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed beat together the softened butter and erythritol for 3 to 4 minutes until light and creamy. Add the flour mixture and egg mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add and stir in the red food coloring.

Divide the mixture into 12 greased and floured cakelet cavities (2- 6 cavity cakelet pans). Bake until the cakes are slightly brown around the edges and cakes just pull away from the pans, about 30 mins. Remove from oven and after 10 minutes invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Once cool, prick the tops of the cakelets with a fork and drizzle a bit of champagne over each cakelet to soak in. I would suggest 1/2 to 1 tsp Champagne per each cakelet. Dust with sugar-free confectioners sugar or decorate as desired.

Diabetes Pastry Chef

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!”

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Podcast Inspired by Gladys Knight

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.

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Mr. Divabetic Raises Awareness for Diabetes at Columbus Day Parade

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic raises awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way at the Columbus Day Parade in New York, NY.

More than 35,000 marchers took part in the parade, which featured the giant head of Christopher Columbus mounted on a float. Onlookers waved Italian flags while police officers wore Italian-American sashes over their uniforms and music blasted from bagpipers and marching bands. “It’s one day of the year that we can be proud to be Italians,” one parade-goer said.

Mr. Divabetic plays his nutrition game, “Serve, Taste or Trash!” with New Yorkers along the parade route to hilarious results. In the game, you’re given three choices of fruits and vegetables. You must decide which one you’d serve, which one you’d taste and which one you’d trash. Before you decide to “trash” a veggie for good, why not try to eat it raw? Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren’t crazy about vegetables.

The flavors of raw veggies can be milder than those of cooked ones. And the texture is crispy, rather than mushy. Let Mr. Divabetic inspire you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Tune in to Divabetic’s free monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite hosted by Mr. Divabetic on blog talkradio.

TUNE IN

.oin Divabetic’s facebook page, follow Mr. Divabetic on Twitter and learn more about sponsorship opportunities and event details visit: www.divabetic.org

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his new food game, “Serve, Taste or Trash” at the fifth annual Summer Streets – NYC:

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The 6 Best Questions to Ask Your Cardiologist

Everyday Health spoke with heart doctors to find out the right questions to ask to maintain heart health, and why they matter.

Question 1:  What is my risk of having a cardiovascular problem in the future?

Why You Should Ask Understanding your risk for future heart disease, stroke, aneurysm and the like drives much of your care. Someone whose cholesterol is borderline but who has diabetes and a family history of heart disease will need their cholesterol treated much more aggressively than someone with a lower risk, for example. READ MORE

Question 2: What symptoms might indicate a worsening of my specific condition?

Why You Should Ask  You may think you know the symptoms for some conditions, like chest pain indicating a heart attack, but a large percentage of women, and even some men, never experience these signs. That’s why it’s important that your doctor goes over all the warning signs that are personalized for you. READ MORE

Question 3: How important do you think it is to adopt new treatments and procedures?

Why You Should Ask You don’t want a doctor who just jumps on the bandwagon because every new technique needs to be studied and confirmed. But equally important, you don’t want someone so stuck in their ways that you don’t receive the benefits of medical advances. READ MORE

Question 4: Why are you recommending I take this test?

Why You Should Ask Most tests are important but patients should ask whether a test is accurate and reproducible, and will lead to a specific recommendation or change in therapy. Guidelines for appropriate tests can be found in medical journals online; if you look up a prescribed test and have questions about its value, call the office to ask more questions. READ MORE

Question 5: Why are you prescribing this medication?

Why You Should Ask Doctors — not your friends or social media buddies — are best positioned to explain the pros and cons of a drug based on the science. READ MORE

 

Question 6: Will any changes in my lifestyle make a difference?

Why You Should Ask Cardiovascular disease is an area where changes in lifestyle — diet, exercise, stress reduction, sleep — can greatly impact the course of the condition.

For example, the Mediterranean diet — which is high in vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats, and low in saturated fats and added sugars — was shown to improve many of the risk factors associated with heart disease in a study published in December 2018 in JAMA Network. The right diet is especially important if you are overweight or obese.

Healthline created a guide outlining what treatment options are covered by Medicare for Seniors. Find out the different parts of Medicare and what services, medications, and treatment are included under each part:

Does Medicare Cover Treatment for Heart Disease?
What You Need to Know About Medicare Part C


We’re talking about ‘hush hush’ topics in diabetes wellness such as intimacy issues, fears and food phobias with musical inspiration from H.E.R. on Diabetes Late Nite courtesy of SONY Music.

H.E.R. chooses to keep her true identity a secret but that’s proving harder to do after winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Song Grammy Awards this past year.

Guests include Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Michael Priv, Cheryl Farley “Food as Medicine” Nutritionist, Dr. Dugan Maddux and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from H.E.R.’s “I Used To Know Her: The Prelude” album 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.

Some doctors will go over lifestyle information with you, while others will refer you to dietitians, physical therapists, and other professionals they work with. Be sure to talk to your cardiologist about lifestyle changes to develop a plan that works for you. READ MORE

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