Tag: Happy Diabetic

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The Happy Diabetic’s Oven Roasted Salmon with Fruit Salsa Recipe

I was thrilled to be a guest on my friend, Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic‘s Kitchen Podcast. I had the chance to reflect on my twentieth anniversary of presenting diabetes outreach diva-style.

Several years after graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in 1976, Chef Robert Lewis was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes. His love of food and cooking motivated to alter his recipes to achieve diabetes wellness.

“I suspected that my days of good eating were over; yet as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites,” he says.  “This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.”

As a nationally recognized author, public speaker, and spokesperson for all people affected with diabetes, he travels the country, speaking on the benefits of healthy eating not only for people affected with diabetes but also for anyone who would like to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.

The Happy Diabetic’s Oven Roasted Salmon with Fruit Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1⁄4 Cup of Fresh Mango diced (or use canned)
  • 1⁄4 Cup of Fresh Pineapple diced (or use canned)
  • 2 Fresh Strawberries diced
  • 1 Kiwi peeled and diced
  • 1 Teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tablespoon leaf fresh cilantro chopped
  • 4-  5- 6 oz salmon filets
  • 2 Tablespoon of Splenda
  • Ground Pepper
  • Balsamic Glaze

Directions

Peel and dice the mango, strawberries, kiwi, and pineapple. Place them into a bowl. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Set aside. 

Season the salmon with cracked pepper and a dusting of Splenda. Place the fish into a non-stick oven pan lightly coated with canola oil on med heat (heat the pan first).

Place the salmon in a preheated 425-degree oven. Roast the tuna for about 10-12 minutes. The cooked fish will be firm to the touch, and the internal temperature will be about 140 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let the fish rest for 2-3 min. Place the fish on the plate. Top with fruit salsa.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 196 Fat: 4.31 g Sugar: 18.53 Fiber: 5.81 g Protein: 12.97 g 

The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast: A Conversation with Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek LISTEN NOW

Are you a Picky Eater? The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his food game, Serve, Taste or Trash! at Central Farm Market in Bethesda, MD.

Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic, stars with Mr. Divabetic in Divabetic Mysteries: Gypsies, Tramps & Peas podcast. Tune in to find out if Mr. Divabetic can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his nosey Italian mother and friends. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.

 

 

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A Christmas Peril Mystery Podcast

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, 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.

Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story inspired our mystery podcast.

36-year-old Kevin Houdeshell ran out of insulin over the New Year’s holiday in January 2014. He ended up with dangerously high blood sugars that spiraled into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leading to him dying alone in his apartment.

“He was young, fit, healthy. The pharmacy told him his script had expired and we’re sorry, but we can’t give you anymore. He tried three times to call his doctor’s office and, four days later, he passed away from not having his insulin,” Amy Houdeshell told USA Today.

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 Rose Marie, 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 PharmD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP.. 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’s 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 they teach.

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Divabetic Mysteries: Suspect Boulevard

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Celebrate Self-Love with Divabetic on Valentine’s Day

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing this special performance by our friend pianist Rohan DeSilva of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune.

We’d like to encourage you to make time for yourself and your diabetes health. You cannot do everything for everyone else and nothing for yourself. Making time for yourself and your diabetes health is an act of self-love. Learning to accept a diabetes diagnosis isn’t easy either. It takes time, patience, and support. For many people, acceptance starts with loving themselves enough to treat themselves with tending loving care. How do you practice self-love as someone living with diabetes? Do you tell yourself I love you? Do you smile when you look in the mirror?

People high in self-love nourish themselves daily through healthy activities, like walks, meditation, sleep, intimacy, and healthy social interactions. When you genuinely love yourself, you create a mindset of acceptance.

Claude Debussy started writing the piano piece Clair de Lune in 1890 when he was just 28, but it wasn’t published for another 15 years! The title means ‘Moonlight’ and the piece is actually part of the four-movement work Suite Bergamasque.

Pianist Rohan DeSilva graciously agreed to record this piece while on tour with violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Among Rohan De Silva’s awards is the best accompanist special prize at the ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He performed at the White House in 2007 for President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth, and in 2012 with Itzhak Perlman for President Barak Obama and Shimon Peres. He has also appeared on television on The Tonight Show with Midori; and on radio stations WQXR, WNYC, and WNCN, as well as the Berlin Radio, Japan’s NHK, and CNN’s Showbiz Today, Millenium Grammy’s 2000. De Silva has recorded on the DGG, CBS/Sony Classical, Collins Classics, and BMG labels. Rohan De Silva holds BM and MM degrees from Juilliard where he studied piano with Martin Canin and chamber music with Felix Galimir.

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Why You Should Try A Walnut-Based Pie Crust

Nut-based pie crusts are becoming more popular as people with diet restrictions and health conditions look to substitute sugar and gluten while maintaining the great taste and texture of their favorite desserts.

Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants. What’s more, regularly eating walnuts may improve brain health and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. These nuts are easily incorporated into your diet, as they can be eaten on their own or added to many different foods. 

Have you heard that about 28 grams or three-four tablespoons of walnuts may help reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes significantly? There’s also plenty of research to support how a handful of dry fruits and nuts can help boost brain power and heart health.

READ MORE

Low Carb Cheesecake Recipe

Why not try a making a walnut-based pie crust using this thick, velvety low carb cheesecake recipe?

“This Low Carb Cheesecake has all the delicious flavor and creamy texture of traditional cheesecake without the added sugar. Serve it up as a special treat for anyone watching their sugar intake.”

Low Carb Cheesecake Recipe

Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes

Divabetic presents their 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery Podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes, which takes place at the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges. Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.         

Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?

The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), Asha Brown, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones and Lorraine Brooks.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

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Kale For Dessert?

Kale has been a trendy health food for a while. It’s so trendy that people including cooking hacks like Mr. Divabetic are adding it into any food, including DESSERT!

With more nutritional value than spinach, kale may help improve blood glucose management in diabetes, lower the risk of cancer, reduce blood pressure, and help prevent the development of asthma. The fiber and antioxidants in kale also may offer protection against diabetes. Studies have shown that a high intake of fiber may lower blood glucose levels in people with type-1 diabetes and people with type-2 diabetes may see improved blood sugar, lipids, and insulin levels according to Medical News Today.

But can one of the world’s healthiest foods taste heavenly in a dessert?

“While you might not think of the fibrous leafy greens as essential to dessert dishes, kale has the unique ability to lend cakes a feel-good dose of nutrients without sacrificing taste or flavor,” writes Jennifer En for mashed.com

Why Kale & Chocolate Make A Good Combination!

Chocolate is incredibly rich and bold, which makes it the perfect ingredient to pair with kale when you don’t necessarily want the veggie flavor to overpower the chocolate one. If you’re curious about what kale and chocolate taste like together, try this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie for kale brownies. 

Chocolate Covered Katies

“It’s easy, streamlined, and completely winning where flavor is concerned. Get your chocolate on,” writes Jennifer En for mashed.com

KALE BROWNIES RECIPE

Don’t let incorporating greens into your desserts be an excuse to overindulge. It’s easy to convince yourself that you can enjoy more sweets and feel better about yourself in the process because you’re adding in extra nutrients between spoonfuls of sugar. An indulgence on one day doesn’t matter when looking at a week or a month.

Mr. Divabetic loves to infuse his desserts with healthy doses of vegetables. Unfortunately his lack of cookings skills and questionable good taste doesn’t always make for a winning combination. In this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast, “Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes” his original Kale Hot Cocoa recipe turns everyone’s favorite leafy green vegetable into something downright lethal! 

Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes

Divabetic presents their 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery Podcast,  “Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes,” on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 6 -7 PM, EST. This diabetes mystery caper takes place at the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges. Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.         

Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?

The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), Asha Brown, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones and Lorraine Brooks.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

TUNE IN

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Taverns – The Midwest SLOPPY JOES Recipe from Happy Diabetic Style…of love

One of our Divabetic community members, Deb L.., who is living with type 2 diabetes,  recently contacted us through Facebook to ask for a healthy Sloppy Joes recipe. Our good friend and colleague, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ offered this delicious recipe. Enjoy!

‘Taverns  – The Midwest SLOPPY JOES Recipe from Happy Diabetic Style…of love’

“Sometimes when you just want to prepare a classic with a healthier twist.  Ok Let’s get cooking!,” says Chef Robert Lewis 

What’s In It?

1 ½  lbs lean ground beef or Turkey

1 t Mrs. Dash Table Blend Salt

1 carrot, finely minced

½ celery stalk

1 medium onion, finely minced

3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 T jarred garlic in olive oil

1/4 cup green bell pepper, minced

1 t balsamic vinegar

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1-2 t yellow mustard

2 cups tomato sauce (low sodium)

1 can tomato paste

2 T honey

Let’s Put It Together:

Mince all the vegetables using a food processor or your knife skills

In a large sauté pan heat over medium heat.

Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks.

Season with steak seasoning or season salt and cook the meat until it browns up.

Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, peppers to the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium and add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and mustard, cook 10 more minutes.

Add tomato sauce and paste and honey the to sauté pan, stir it up well.

Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes.

TIP- if the mixture is to thick add a little water or beef stock to thin it out.

Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns.

Yield: 8 servings, Serving Size: 1/2 cup 

The NUTRITION facts(approximate): Calories: 121.8 calories, Total Fat: 3.7, Sodium: 300mg, Carbohydrates: 9.9g, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 5g, Protein: 13.7g

In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he feared the worst for his own love of great food following his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes in 1998.

“I suspected that my days of good eating were over,” Lewis writes on his blog. “Yet, as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites. This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.

Today he’s a man on the go! is a man on the go. When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s  traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’! Read more about Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ in Diabetes Health Monitor magazine.

Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ stars in Divabetic’s 5th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, “Swan Wake” available for free on demand LISTEN NOW

Mr. Divabetic hosts the new hilarious culinary podcast, Serve, Taste or Trash! Game. A delicious combination of crazy food challenges and fresh perspectives on the latest food trends. 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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Our Ninth Day of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Chef Robert Lewis

On the ninth day of Blue Christmas my true friend, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ sent to me an immersion blender to make cooking simple and easy.

Divabetic is celebrating a Blue Christmas to bring attention to the mental health issues related to living with diabetes.

You probably know better than we do how diabetes affects your holiday experience. You might feel the weight of diabetes more at this time, because you can’t let go and celebrate like everyone else. Or maybe you do let go and then beat yourself up over it.

That’s why we asked our panel of experts, friends and past Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests to spread some holiday cheer by sharing their favorite products to help keep you ‘happy and healthy’ all year long.

Chef Robert Lewis aka The Happy Diabetic’s pick: a sleek Cuisinart Smart Stick® 2 Speed Hand Blender. This gadget is available in five fab colors (yes, even hot pink!) to complement any kitchen, from funky to sophisticated. With a 200-watt motor, two speeds, and deep reach, you can make quick work of puréeing soup in a pot or frothing a pitcher hot chocolate. Make healthy breakfast smoothies fast, blending soft fruits with yogurt in seconds.

“Keeping things fun in the kitchen makes healthy cooking that much easier,” says Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’.   Chef Robert recommends getting a immersion blender to whip up smoothies, dressings, soups, and more! He adds, “this great kitchen gadget helps you to avoid the tricky cleanup that comes with using a traditional blender.”

Chef Robert Lewis, knows the holiday season can get very hectic, like the rest of us, but he still manages to make time for an appointment with a Registered Dietitian.

“You can take the guesswork out of meal planning by setting up a meeting with a Registered Dietitian  who is sensitive to the dietary needs of someone with diabetes,” says the Happy Diabetic.  “If you want to do more?? Take it a step further and set up a cooking class to give some hands on experience!”

In 1998 Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Much of what he heard in those early day was about the foods that were prohibited. Chef Robert Lewis suspected that his days of good eating were over, yet as he worked through his ups and downs, He came to realize that the selection of foods he could and should eat was vast and included many of his favorites. This motivated him to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.

Chef Robert Lewis is a nationally recognized author, public speaker and spokesperson for all people affected with diabetes. He travels the country speaking on the benefits of healthy eating not only for people affected with diabetes, but also for anyone who would like to eat and live a healthy lifestyle

For the past two years, Chef Robert Lewis has made our Diabetes Mystery podcasts shine! He’s played the devious personal manager, ’Nigel Lowenworthl’ in ‘Suspect Boulevard’ and most recently former lifeguard, Fast Freddy in this year’s Diabetes Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. He truly brings out the best of each performance. I’m so grateful to Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ for helping us raise awareness for diabetes and educate people about diabetes self-care in a fun, new way.

On December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re celebrating a Blue Christmas. I chose this theme in December because ‘Blue’ is the color that I most closely associate with diabetes and I feel that the mental health issues related to diabetes are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing  which is understandable. However, I feel it is far more important to reach out to those coping with diabetes distress and burnout  and let them know they are not alone. Personally, I am also ‘blue’ this holiday season because it will be the first Christmas without my father, Stanley Szadek. My father passed away over the Thanskgiving Day weekend. He was a tremendous support to me throughout my life.  I will miss him dearly.  Please join us!

On December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re celebrating a Blue Christmas. I chose this theme in December because ‘Blue’ is the color that I most closely associate with diabetes and I feel that the mental health issues related to diabetes are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing which is understandable. However, I feel it is far more important to reach out to those coping with diabetes distress and burnout and let them know they are not alone.  Please join us!

TUNE IN! Don’t miss December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include ‘Walking With Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, High Voltage. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the new “Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” album courtesy of SONY Music. The album brings together Elvis Presley’s best-loved yuletide performances from “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (1957) and “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971) re-imagined with sublime and exquisite new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Our panel of experts, Divabetic community members and past Diabetes Late Nite guests will be sharing more Blue Christmas Gift suggestions on this blog for the next twelve days to help you enjoy the festive spirit of the season without compromising your diabetes health!

Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season.

You’re not alone.

While it’s true that sadness and/or depression at holiday time can be a reaction to the stresses and demands of the season, people with diabetes are more likely to be depressed than others states David Spero BSN, RN for Diabetes Self-Management.

Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.

The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.

If you think you might be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.

https://youtu.be/Uwfz5mMLSDM

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