More than half of the US population has hypertension and it is more prevalent in the Black community. We know that cutting back on salt can improve blood pressure control and save lives. Our animated music video and song, “Let’s Talk about Salt” provides evidence-based tips on how to do this in a fun and relatable way.
“Let’s Talk About Salt” is a animated music video PSA starring Grammy®-winning Cheryl “Salt” James from the iconic group, Salt-N-Pepa.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, which together kills more New Yorkers than any other disease.
About one in four New Yorkers has high blood pressure, but there are usually no symptoms. Black and Latino adults are more likely to have high blood pressure than other races/ethnicities.
Blood pressure is the force of blood moving through your blood vessels. The higher it is, the more damage it can do to the inside of your blood vessels. High blood pressure can also lead to problems with your kidneys, eyes and to sexual dysfunction.
Everyone should know their blood pressure. You can get it checked by asking your health care provider, visiting a pharmacy or checking it yourself using a home monitor.
Hip Hop Public Health’s 2020 rendition which was funded in part through the American Heart Association’s New York City Community Impact Grant encourages hypertension prevention by teaching young people about healthy eating and salt consumption with a visually stimulating music video.
Hip Hop Public Health’s mission is to foster positive health behavior change through the transformative power of hip-hop music.
Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers
Blood pressure is reported with two numbers, one written over the other. The top number, systolic blood pressure, reflects the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart squeezes to pump blood. The bottom number, diastolic blood pressure, reflects the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart relaxes between heartbeats.
For People Not Diagnosed with Hypertension
Systolic (upper)
Diastolic (lower)
Category and Recommended Action
Below 120 and
Below 80
Normal. No action necessary.
120–139 or
80–89
Elevated. Talk with your your health care provider at your normally scheduled visit.
140–179 or
90–109
High. Talk with your health care provider soon.
180 or Higher or
110 or Higher
Dangerously High. You could be in danger. Get medical care immediately.
Can you solve Divabetic’s Mystery Phrase #29? Our phrase can help you feel full longer, without adding any additional calories.
The human body comprises around 60% water.
It’s commonly recommended that you drink eight 8-ounce (237-mL) glasses of water per day (the 8×8 rule).
Do you know our brain is strongly influenced by your hydration status?
Studies show that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1–3% of body weight, can impair many aspects of brain function as reported by Healthline.
Do you know what makes up 73 percent of the human heart? The answer is water, which is why when it comes to blood pressure health, water is the drink of choice.
Additionally, water will not raise blood sugars, which is why it is so beneficial to drink when people with diabetes have high blood sugar, as it enables more glucose to be flushed out of the blood. When your blood sugars are running high, your body will try to flush excess sugar out of your blood through the urine. As a result, your body will need more fluids to rehydrate itself. Drinking water can help the body with flushing out some of the glucose in the blood.
Having high blood sugars can also increase the risk of dehydration, which is a risk for people with diabetes.
Even mild dehydration can affect you mentally and physically.
If you don’t like the taste of water, it can help to add a slice of fruit, such as orange, lemon or lime. You can prepare cut slices of these fruits and store them in the freezer ready for use.
Make sure that you get enough water each day for your overall diabetes health.
We’re talking about depictions of diabetes on the silver screen including Steel Magnolias, Soul Food and The Baby-Sitter Clubon Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from 2Cellos. How realistic are these portrayals? How do we feel after viewing them? Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, Kent Gash, Jessica Clark and Muniq Gut Health Shakes Founder, Marc Washington.
Throughout this podcast we will be featured music from the album ‘Score’ by 2Celloscourtesy of SONY Music.
Blood pressure is the single most important number for people with diabetes to know according to Diabetes – What To Know‘s website.
High blood pressure is a common disease that develops when blood flows through your arteries at higher-than-normal pressures.
A person with diabetes and high blood pressure is four times as likely to develop heart disease than someone who does not have either of the conditions. About two-thirds of adults with diabetes have blood pressure greater than 130/80 mm Hg or use prescription medications for hypertension.
“I was diagnosed with high blood pressure 6 years after I wrote my first DASH diet book. So I know what it’s like to help manage blood pressure with diet, ” writes Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, Author of the new DASH Diet for Two cookbook. “It’s full of recipes that I have cooked for my family. You’ll enjoy 125 healthy recipes that can fit into a DASH lifestyle that helps lower blood pressure.”
The DASH diet has been ranked Best Diet Overall for eight years in a row by U.S. News and World Report.
“I like using the 80/20 rule for eating well,” says DASH Diet for Two Cookbook Author Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN.
“I just want you to try sticking to the eating style most of the time (meaning 80 percent or more). It includes a variety of food, including meatless meals, poultry, pork and beef recipes, sides, salads and dessert.”
THE DASH Diet For Two: 125 Recipes to Lower Blood Pressure Together BUY NOW
You usually don’t have symptoms from high blood pressure until it has caused serious health problems. That is why it is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your doctor will diagnose you with high blood pressure if you have consistently high blood pressure readings.
We’re talking about movie characters with diabetes including Steel Magnolias, Soul Food, Mad Money, The Baby-Sitter Club and Nothing In Common on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from 2Cellos. How realistic are these portrayals? How accurate is information about diabetes and diabetes self-care? And how do we feel after viewing them? With all the emotional and physical complications comes drama, making characters with the condition a good plot point on the silver screen.
Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, Kent Gash, Jessica Clark and Muniq Gut Health Shakes Founder, Marc Washington.
Throughout this podcast we will be featured music from the album ‘Score’ by 2Celloscourtesy of SONY Music.
Can you identify the artist and the song of this popular Quiet Storm ballad just by looking at the lyrics from the 2nd verse? Good Luck!
After all this time
Slip on your nightgown
Step into our bedroom
First I want to take sometime
I just want to look at you
Girl you are so fine
I can’t believe you’re mine
And all I want to do
I want to make love to you
Tonight will be a special night
A minute more to come
And I’m so proud to be with you
So proud to share you’re love
Watch this video to see the answer
The smooth R&B programming nicknamed ‘the Quiet Storm’ starting in 1976 and came to prominence in the mid-80s, breaking artists including Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, and Sade, and establishing hit-makers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and LA Reid and Babyface. It was an alternative to funk, disco, and boogie that also gifted “old-school” R&B artists with the extended careers that classic rock artists enjoyed.
An urban alternative to soft rock or easy listening, Quiet Storm ignores most of the programming rules of commercial radio. Songs can be current or decades old, deep cuts or singles, and are more likely to be a live version or extended length than a radio edit. Instrumentals also get burn; jazz fusion is a favorite.
The Quiet Storm was and is multipurpose mood music; perfect for everything from sexy-time to just general wind-down.
Excerpts from Naima Cochrane’s Vibe magazine article, May 2019
The Quiet Storm Fans page is moderated by Luther Vandross’s former assistant, Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek.
“My aim is to empower quiet storm music fans to learn more about the health conditions affecting their favorite artists and apply it to their own lives,” says Max Szadek. “For example, Quiet Storm legend, Barry White suffered from chronic hypertension, like many of his fans, which caused severe kidney damage before his death. In fact, the prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) in African-Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world. More than 40 percent of non-Hispanic African-American men and women have high blood pressure. For African-Americans, high blood pressure also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe according to the American Heart Association.
If you’re like me and drinking almond milk because you think you’re getting all the nutrition benefits of cow’s milk without the carbohydrates, think again!
Thanks to Tetiana Bykovets for sharing their work on Unsplash.
While almonds are high in protein, a serving of almond milk contains only 1 gram of protein compared with dairy milk’s 8 grams — because it’s mostly water. Almond milk doesn’t contain calcium either.
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Hint Of Honey Vanilla Flavor
I learned this surprising nutrition nugget at Divabetic’s Virtual Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party this past week when our special guest,Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, asked me to look at the nutritional label on my carton of almond milk.
The good news is that unsweetened almond milk is typically lower in calories than other milks, and free of saturated fat and is naturally lactose-free.
But Almond milk isn’t the only alternative milk that contains little to no protein either.
Coconut milk also contains very little protein and no calcium (unless it’s been fortified) but the same amount of saturated fat as whole milk.
Cow’s milk sold in the United States is usually fortified with vitamins A and D too. And a 8-ounce (oz) serving of milk contains 12 grams of carbohydrates.
Soy milk is the only plant-based milk that contains complete protein and has the most protein of all the plant-based milks,” says Jennifer McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dieteticson the AARP website. Because it comes from plants, soy milk is naturally free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat. It also contains no lactose.
Regardless of your milk choice, moderation and blood sugar monitoring are essential for happier diabetes self-care outcomes. It is a good idea to check food labels for information about serving sizes and the number of carbohydrates since it is easy to forget to include the carbohydrates from milk and/or other drinks in your daily carbohydrate count.
Can Cow’s Milk Help You Manage High Blood Pressure?
A large international study of data from almost 150,000 people has concluded that a higher intake of dairy, especially whole fat varieties, is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
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?
We are having a ball at our free virtual events. Stay safe, stay in and join us for some good times connecting with other people living with diabetes.
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Indoor Scavenger Hunt on Zoom with best-selling Intimacy & Diabetes co-author, Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND.
Relationships play an important role in our everyday lives. But when diabetes enters the picture, it can complicate even our casual relationships. Janis will answer your questions about how diabetes affects the 8 types of Intimacy: Aesthetic, Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, Emotional, Affection, Physical, and Sexual.
Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDCES, FAND shares her amazing Almond, Wild Blueberry and Flax Smoothie recipe from her best-selling book, Intimacy & Diabetes during this outreach event.
Janis Roszler is the 2008-2009 Diabetes Educator of the Year (AADE). She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, board certified sex therapist, registered dietitian, and award-winning medical media producer. Her books include Intimacy & Diabetes (ADA, 2020); Approaches to Behavior (ADA,2015); Diabetes On Your OWN Terms (Marlowe & Company, 2007); Sex and Diabetes (ADA, 2007); The Secrets Of Living And Loving WITH Diabetes (Surrey Books, 2004).
Great news for the Kardashians! Future blood pressure monitoring could become as easy as taking a video selfie. Researchers have developed smartphone-based technology that can accurately measure blood pressure from a video of a person’s face.
Finding an accessible, easy way to monitor blood pressure could be a breakthrough in healthcare. Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure and many don’t even know they have it, according to the American Heart Association.
“High blood pressure is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease — a leading cause of death and disability. To manage and prevent it, regular monitoring of one’s blood pressure is essential,” said study lead author Kang Lee, Ph.D., professor and research chair in developmental neuroscience at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Don’t miss August’s Diabetes Late Nite on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 starting at 6 PM, EST. We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental Health Issues’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman.
Guests include Alyson Williams, Queen Diva, Patricia Farrell PhD, Kristina Wolfe, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher, Stacie Shonkwiler, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach with Patricia Addie-Gentle.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Phyllis Hyman’ album courtesy of SONY Music.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend the average adult consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium or about one teaspoon — over the course of a day.
An even lower daily limit of 1,500 milligrams a day is suggested for people who:
– Have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease. – Are 50 or older. – Are African American; this population has higher rates of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
Alternatively, aiming to at least lower your sodium intake by at least 1,000 mg also can help.
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.
African-American men successfully lowered their high blood pressure to healthy levels when aided by a pharmacist and their local barber, according to a new study from the Smidt Heart Institute.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of premature disability and death among African-American men, who have less physician interaction than African-American women–necessitating community outreach.
“When we provide convenient and rigorous medical care to African-American men by coming to them–in this case having pharmacists deliver that care in barbershops–blood pressure can be controlled and lives can be saved,” said Ronald G. Victor, MD, associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute and the study’s lead author. “High blood pressure disproportionately affects the African-American community, and we must find new ways to reach out so we can prevent strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and early deaths.”
“There is a different level of trust and respect that’s earned when you meet people where they are, instead of in a hospital or clinic,”said C. Adair Blyler, DPharm, CHC, a pharmacist who treated patrons while they were in the barbershops, said the location was key in reducing blood pressure.
We’re talking about different ways to ‘SPICE UP’ your diabetes life with musical inspiration from the “Queen of Salsa”, Celia Cruz. Celia Cruz’s late husband, Pedro Knight, a former lead trumpet player for Cuba’s legendary band La Sonora Matancera, suffered from complications of type 2 diabetes and had a series of strokes before his death. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Best-Selling Cookbook Author (Eating Well Through Cancer Cookbook – Spanish Edition), Holly Clegg, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Mama Rose Marie. TUNE IN
For the past twelve years at our Divabeticlive events, on our podcasts and inner blog we’ve been promotinga ‘New Attitude’ about living with diabetes to help you ‘Keep Your House A Home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring.Now we’re sharing our decade’s worth of our ‘diva brand of diabetes outreach’ advice, games and entertaining ideas with you so that you won’t have to avoid the holidays like the Fourth of July in order to take charge of our diabetes.
For people with diabetes, the heat and humidity of summer can be particularly hazardous, reports Anahad O’Connor for the New York Times.
One of the complications of diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, is an impaired ability to adjust to rises in temperature, which can cause dangerous increases in body temperature during the summer. The underlying problem, nerve damage, occurs in 60 to 70 percent of Americans with diabetes; it can affect nearly every organ in the body, including sweat glands. When nerve damage keeps the sweat glands from working properly, the body fails to cool down as the mercury rises. READ MORE
What’s more ‘American’ than football? Well, how would you tackle type 2 diabetes is if you’re a professional player? You might start seeing red (and not white and blue!) if your team’s management decided to let you go because of your diagnosis.
The New England Patriots released Kyle Love two months after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — despite the fact he’d made 24 starts at defensive tackle the previous two seasons. Three teams later, Love has found a new home on the Carolina Panthers’ strong front seven, but New England’s decision still provides some motivation.
“Every day I think about it. It eats me up,” Love told Sporting News. “You do so much and you put so much work on the field. That somebody could just release you based off a physical problem that’s not going to stop you from playing football, it really grinds my gears.”
Staying ‘big’ in order to play his position may have contributed to some bad eating habits admits Love. For example, even now, there’s still the occasional trip to Burger King, and not always the “perfect meal.” More often, he tries to use the wisdom he has gained while dealing with the illness.
“My thought process was, ‘I’m an athlete, I work out every day, there’s no way I can get diabetes or high blood pressure because I sweat so much and burn so many calories.’ But if it’s determined to happen, it can happen.
When it comes to reducing your risk for diabetes, knowledge is key. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about type 2 diabetes! (Answer at bottom of post)
DIVABETIC QUICK TIP: During the hot summer months, you want to make sure you protect your diabetes supplies and equipment. Heat can have negative impacts on your oral medication, insulin, blood glucose meter, and test strips. For example, you don’t want to keep your meter in your car since cars can get extremely hot. Always keep it in a cool dry place. READ MORE
Fresh ideas for Fourth of July Entertaining
ENTERTAINING TIP #1: Put together a flag-inspired cheese plate featuring red raspberries, strawberry and blueberries.
ENTERTAINING TIP #2: Quench your thirst with Fruit Water! Just put frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries in glass beverage. Avoid any fruit that’s bruised or overly ripe, or herbs that don’t look fresh.Use thin slices or small cubes because the flavor will infuse more quickly.Add the fruit, herbs, spices or whatever you want to use into a bottle of cool water.
ENTERTAINING TIP #3: Star Spangled Fruit Salad with cookie cutter watermelon stars – Simple to make and perfect for a Summer night!
Check out these ‘Hotter than July’ Topics in Diabetes
HOT TOPIC #1: A small but growing group of people without diabetes are wearing Continuous Glucose Monitors to track what goes on in their own bodies.
“I’ve been trying to learn why some days I feel fantastic, and other days I don’t. I had a cinnamon roll recently and my blood glucose doubled in 60 minutes,” says Tabb Firchau, an entrepreneur living in Seattle, who bought his CGM off eBay for about $300. “The monitor helps you understand the costs of the decisions you are making.” READ MORE
HOT TOPIC #2:Broccoli compound could be helpful to diabetes according to a new study published in Science Translational Medicine. Apparently a compound called “sulforaphane,” that occurs in broccoli and other vegetables, has the ability to lower the liver’s production of glucose. “There are strong indications that this can become a valuable supplement to existing medication,” Dr Rosengren predicted. “Sulforaphane can reach the patients faster than a medication, and it is also an interesting concept from a diabetes perspective where diet is central.” READ MORE
HOT TOPIC #3:U.S. Air Pollution still kills thousands every year, even at the levels allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new study. “We are now providing bullet-proof evidence that we are breathing harmful air,” says Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who led the study. “Our air is contaminated.”
Dominici and her colleagues set out to do the most comprehensive study to date assessing the toll that air pollution takes on American lives. READ MORE
HOT TOPIC #4:Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) have introduced the Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act of 2017 to help curb America’s diabetes epidemic. This bill will allow Medicare coverage of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) services for people with prediabetes and other risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes.
“People at risk of Type 2 diabetes, including the many with prediabetes, need support to avoid developing this disease,” Congresswoman DeGette said. “Older adults served by Medicare are disproportionately affected by prediabetes and diabetes itself. It just makes sense to ensure that seniors on Medicare who face these risks have coverage for MNT services.” READ MORE
HOT TOPIC #5 : Flip Flops or Not! The type of shoes you wear when you have diabetes is important! “There are shoes which can help prevent or delay the onset of foot ulceration in diabetes. There are also shoes which can cause or help accelerate the development of foot ulceration,” says Stephen Ogedengbe, MD, a researcher at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City, Nigeria for WebMD. What to do? Wear shoes you can easily adjust. They should have laces, Velcro, or buckles. Do not wear shoes with pointed or open toes, such as high heels, flip-flops, or sandals. READ MORE
Diabetes Roundtable ‘Super Stars & Stripes’ themed podcast featuring the Divabetic Charlie’s Angels of Diabetes Outreach, Mama Rose Marie, celebrity makeup artist Turner Harte and real diva, Morelia of Nashville, TN. Plus, we’re dining out with a dietitian at Subway in a menu review of healthy food choices and gather ringside for a Food Aisle Face-off between watermelon and corn-on-the-cob. Tune in and call in to get inspired, to give a shout-out or to play Divabetic’s Diabetes Numerology game. LISTEN NOW
ANSWER: True. If you’ve ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure, this could contribute to your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Make sure to talk to your doctor about your risk level if you have high blood pressure.
