Please help me toast the holidays by listening to my new Christmas song, Pink Champagne, by Ivan Hampden Jr. and Paulette McWilliams.
The song is a passionate story of self-love and a woman’s journey from victim to victor at Christmastime. A mindset that I hope anyone who feels brokenhearted can find comfort in.
Breakups are hard. But the holidays seem to magnify the loneliness of heartaches: parties with everyone coupled up, romantic Christmas music and movies, and those annual Christmas letters brimming with friends’ burgeoning families. The airwaves are filled with upbeat holiday classics leaving little room for sadness and contemplation.
Take it from me, you can’t experience the joy of the holidays unless you let go of the painful emotions instead of holding them in. Hopefully, Pink Champagne can help bring joy and help those of us experiencing the same to move on during the holidays.
If you like my new release, Pink Champagne. please ‘like’ and share
You can now enjoy our latest Divabetic Mysteries podcast, A Christmas Peril in its entirety (Episodes 1-11), on Facebook, YouTube, and BlogTalkRadio. We pack our annual mystery podcasts with diabetes and diabetes self-care information, a suspenseful mystery, and a few laughs.
Our main character, Mr. Divabetic is perfectly flawed to help us illustrate some of Divabetic’s cornerstone messages.
1. He’s resilient. Minor obstacles like a disastrous recipe or big problems like getting mixed up in murder investigations don’t deter his dreams of becoming the Next Food Network Star.
2. Healthy food doesn’t taste terrible. Unfortunately, Mr. Divabetic hasn’t figured out how to make one of his culinary creations taste good yet, but he has learned from his mistakes.
3. He doesn’t have all the answers, and that’s okay. Instead, he solves problems with the help of a team of friendly, upbeat certified diabetes care and education specialists, friends, and family members.
4. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. Instead, he rolls with the punches and punchlines and keeps his eye on the prize.
Divabetic Mysteries are a team effort that takes almost a year to produce. Each podcast is performed live on-air without interruption.
We have a blast from the initial story outline and first read-through to endless scriptwriting and fact-checking sessions and the final live broadcast! Of course, performing a 60-minute play without interruption is a bit nerve-racking and stressful for our cast of diabetes advocates, educators, authors, musicians, and poets.
Everyone’s afraid to make a mistake or even cough! But it’s also exhilarating to challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. We might not be trained actors, but we sure do like pretending to them for an hour!
Our story was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. 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 a 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. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Video by Joe Hackney from Pixabay.
In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ 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 that they teach.
Whether you’re focused on losing weight or want to add a little extra sparkle into your daily diabetes self-care, we’ve got you covered with this year’s DivabeticHoliday Gift Guide 2021. We believe in thoughtful gifts that bring a little happiness and good health into your life.
Our friend, Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes while training to become a pastry chef. She thought her career–not to mention her lifetime love affair with desserts–was over. Her devastation gave way to innovation, resulting in the inventive and simple substitution system presented here. Now Stacey Harris can enjoy desserts specifically designed to satisfy the sweet tooth without sacrificing flavor.
Stacey’s gift suggestion is one of her favorite kitchen tools, the Danish Dough Whisk. Stacey loves that this quintessential hand mixer makes the arduous task of kneading dough for fresh-baked pizza, sweet pie crust, mouthwatering pasta, delicate pastries, or artisan sourdough loaves and biscuits so much easier. our hands won’t get tired from kneading, and your dough won’t get stuck or trapped in the whisk leaving you with large icky clumps. Your hands won’t get dirty either!
This Dutch dough whisk has professional-grade stainless steel and a secure and sturdy wooden handle. $12.99 on Amazon.
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?
Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hosts this free, fun Virtual Valentines-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, February 9, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.
During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Valentine’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tip.
Register now to get the Zoom link for the program.
Singer Anthony Hamilton has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season including his health.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and fully recovering from the virus has taught him to appreciate life,” he tells DRUM.
“It’s taught me to be thankful that you are healthy and have people you can depend on. Nurture those because we will need each other through time. Rest is important and it doesn’t take a lot to create. You don’t have to run around and wear yourself out. Prioritize yourself and make quality moves,” he says.
Anthony Hamilton’s goal was to avoid cliché and not repeat the formulas that shaped holiday records for years on his Christmas album,Home for the Holidays.
“The mundane songs that have been recorded over and over again, I really didn’t want to do that,” he says. “I didn’t want it to be so sterile that you couldn’t feel the personality. And I wanted it to be true to who I am as an artist.”
Anthony Hamilton thought about where he’d come from and applied it to the music. Instead of a traditional arrangement for “The Little Drummer Boy,” he told producer Kelvin Wooten, “Let’s put a little Outkast to it.” And for the title track, he called in a friend — singer Gavin DeGraw — to add a different flavor to the music.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic rings in the holiday season with inspiration from Grammy® Award winner Anthony Hamilton on Divabetic’s popular monthly podcast. Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Susan Weiner RD, MSN, CDCES, CDN, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES, Author Lisa Eugene, Poet Lorraine Brooks, and Mama Rose Marie. This fast-paced, fun-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice focuses on healthy celebrations for the holidays.
Enjoy Anthony Hamilton’s performance of ‘Home For The Holidays.’
Keep an ear out for Anthony Hamilton’s “Superstar” featuring Jennifer Hudson on his new album, Love Is The New Black. “It’s such a beautiful rendition, and it pays homage to the late, great Luther Vandross,” Anthony Hamilton tells City Metro.
Anthony Hamilton’s T.A.S.T.E Foundation’s mission is to address some of the most widespread issues facing the Black community in his home state of North Carolina and around the country such as hunger, homelessness, health, mental health, foster care, and education.
We’re talking about Weight Loss Journeys & Diabetes with musical inspiration from Jennifer Hudson on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
We’ve watched Jennifer Hudson soar to stardom as her powerhouse pipes have taken her from American Idol back in 2004 to coveted roles in film, theater and TV, including as a judge on The Voice. Throughout that journey, the singer has also had another major life change: She went from a size 16 to a size 6, dropping 80 pounds. The star followed poor dieting practices and finally chose to approach her weight loss in a healthy way after giving birth to her son, David.
While studies show most people who drop significant pounds regain the weight they lose, Jennifer Hudson has managed to keep her svelte figure for the past nine years.
“I’m very careful and cautious of what I’m eating, so I just try to pace those meals throughout the day,” said Jennifer Hudson.
Jennifer Hudson supports the Barbara Davis Center (BDC). BDC’s mission is to provide state-of-the-art care to children and adults with type 1 diabetes and to teach patients how to prevent or delay complications. Their research is devoted to finding prevention, cure, and most effective treatment of diabetes and associated disorders.
Guests include Vanessa Hunter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport PsyD, Dr. Stewart Harris, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Autumn Reed.
Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled album, ’Jennifer Hudson’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Looking for some wonderful music to accompany your Christmas celebrations?
What more could you ask for than the heartwarming sounds of Luther Vandross and his deep melodic tones to fill your home with warm comforting tones.
Ten years after the release of his Christmas album, This Is Christmas, Luther passed away from diabetes and cardiovascular health issues.
I found my boss, Luther Vandross, after he suffered a stroke due to mismanagement of type 2 diabetes in his home in 2003. The experience motivated me to dedicate my life to helping Luther fans ‘keep their house a home’ by learning how to prevent diabetes health-related complications such as stroke from occurring.
Since Luther’s passing, I created the Divabetic, LLC is a national 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization (divabetic.org) specializing in non-traditional and non-clinical diabetes education. Divabetic promotes “wellness with a wow” to change attitudes and to encourage prevention, early action, and education to manage diabetes and diabetes-related complications.
The phrase “Divabetic” is a combination of the word “diabetic” with the letter “V” inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and a positive attitude associated with the great divas Luther loved, like Patti LaBelle.
The mission of Divabetic is to transform lives by changing attitudes, boosting spirits, encouraging hope and motivation for those living with, affected by, or at risk of diabetes. Through innovative programs, outreach events, and online communities, Divabetic is a circle of care and support, providing a link between patients and their healthcare teams, translation of clinical speak, and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence.
We meet the challenges and opportunities of diabetes care and concerns with a Glam More, Fear Less philosophy so that no one has to struggle alone or in silence.
Even though Luther is missed, his voice and music still lives on. And if you ever play this album around the holidays with Luther’s christmas music, you can still hear him singing and celebrating Christmas. Luther Vandross was not only a great singer, but a wonderful boss and person. I like to remember him as the elegant, stylish Luther pictured on the This Is Christmasalbum cover.
Donny Hathway’s “This Christmas” celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of this popular, festive anthem with a new animated video.
The video was animated by Fantoons and drawn by famed cartoonist Lonnie Milsap. In the clip, Donny Hathaway takes a stroll through Chicago’s streets, passing by people in the community who are in the Christmas spirit.
“I’m thrilled for all the people who have loved this song forever and for all those who are just discovering this treasure,” his daughter, Lalah Hathaway said in a statement. “YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE IT!”
Join us tonight, Tuesday, December 8th for Divabetic’s Annual Holiday edtion of Diabetes Late with musical inspiration fromHarry Connick, Jr. and his 16 piece big band.
Mr. Divabetic’s guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Dan Houdeshel, Pendulum Glucose Control‘s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Orville Kolterman and Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy, Author Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE and Mama Rose Marie.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Harry For The Holidays album courtesy of SONY Music. Harry Connick, Jr.’s second Christmas album, Harry for The Holidays is as much a salute to his New Orleans musical roots as it is to the season.
Tony winner actress, Ali Stroker stars in Lifetime’s Christmas Ever After, premiering December 6 at 8pm ET.
“I remember growing up and never seeing any women in wheelchairs portrayed on screen or stage,” she told Theatermania. “I knew I wanted to be a professional actress, so this has just become a part of my mission because there are so many different kinds of people represented. They’re the leads of these storylines, not just side characters; they’re the storyline, which is so refreshing and so exciting to me.
At the age of two, Ali Stroker was in a car accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down. Unable to walk, she uses a wheelchair. She is the first actress who uses a wheelchair for mobility to appear on a Broadway stage
Ali Stroker stars as Izzi Simmons, a successful romance novelist who spends every Christmas at her favorite bed-and-breakfast. This year, she’s struggling with writer’s block and finds her groove with the help of the B&B owner. Like Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts before her, Stroker is more than ready to take on the rom-com genre and spread joy while doing it.
Many people living with diabetes may require a wheelchair for several different reasons. Diabetic sensory neuropathy often impairs lower limb position sensation. If vibration sensation is impaired, proprioception is usually impaired.
Severe painful neuropathy can also hamper walking.
Additionally people with diabetes are more likely to have muscle weakness or wasting (sarcopenia) than those without diabetes. Muscle infarction or infection occurs in diabetes, and surgical intervention saves limb or life, but may leave deformity or dysfunction.
We’re sharing our FAVORITE THINGS in diabetes wellness with musical inspiration from Gospel superstar, Yolanda Adams on this holiday edition of Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nitepodcast.
This Grammy-winning Gospel/Adult Contemporary artist has one of the most persuasive and popular voices in music and works closely with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources to ensure that kids in low- income areas receive immunizations. Along with that nationwide program, she lends her energy and commitment to Houston charities such as juvenile diabetes and The Escape Center. ”I’m very involved with kids because after being a teacher for seven years, I just can’t stop loving the kids. I am a teacher forever.”
When Yolanda Adams was asked what she loves about her music and ministry she said, “the music brings joy. I truly believe that my songs bring the answers and the solutions, as opposed to just talking about the problems. My music at its core is joyful.”
Does Yolanda like Christmas music?
“I like to listen to Christmas music year-round. It puts a smile on your face, and then it gets you in a spirit heart-wise to give and be gracious,” she admitted.
December’s podcast guests include Dr. Bart Roep of City of Hope, Janis Roszler, LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, Hint Water‘s Anthony Fiorello, FAND ‘Know Diabetes By Heart’ Ambassador Christina Herrera, Elizabeth Gallagher, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Yolanda Adams’ album,“What A Wonderful Time”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.”
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic rings in the holiday season with inspiration from Grammy® Award winner Anthony Hamilton on Diabetes Late Nite.
This fast-paced, fun-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice focuses on healthy celebrations for the holidays.
Diabetes Late Nite guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Susan Weiner RD, MSN, CDE, CDN, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Author Lisa Eugene, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.
When it came to recording for his first ever Christmas album, “Home For The Holidays” Anthony Hamilton said, “This album is for the people who really love the holidays and what feelings they bring. I wanted to remember every joyful, wholesome, tender, raw moment you feel during the holidays. I feel like some of the things we enjoy most, we can only feel with our hearts.”
Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring songs from “Home For The Holidays” courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
We’re talking about ’Eating Right, Being Bright’ during the holidays with musical inspiration fromHarry Connick, Jr. and his 16 piece big band on December’s Diabetes Late Nitepodcast scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2020, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.
Harry Connick, Jr. is among today’s most successful and multi-talented artists, who has garnered acclaim in both music and acting. His won both Grammy and Emmy awards as well as received Tony nominations.
Harry Connick, Jr.’s wife, Jill Connick is a breast cancer survivor. The couple credit timely screening and early detection for her good health and well-being. Together they have teamed up to encourage people 50 years and older to talk with healthcare providers about colon cancer screening, including the modern, noninvasive options.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Harry For The Holidays album courtesy of SONY Music. Harry Connick, Jr.’s second Christmas album, Harry for The Holidays is as much a salute to his New Orleans musical roots as it is to the season.
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.
While it’s easy to lump stress altogether, identifying where your stress is coming from is necessary. Here are a few factors family caregivers often say are causing them anxiety and stress:
Worrying that the senior’s needs aren’t being met
Feeling concerned about neglecting a spouse, partner, or children
Lacking enough time to get things done
Missing work due to caregiving duties
Needing more time for self-care
Once you’ve identified where you are struggling, it’s easier to find solutions. For example, call your church or synagogue to see if they have a volunteer visitor program for homebound seniors. This assistance would allow your loved one to have a regular visitor, and you to take a break.
2. Accept that no one can do it all
One mistake caregivers routinely make is thinking they can and must do everything alone. In most situations, that just isn’t realistic. Before the holidays are in full swing this year, set a goal to be more pragmatic. Here are a few ideas to consider for your holiday goal setting:
Simplify holiday celebrations: It really is okay to simplify holiday traditions while you are busy caregiving. Instead of cooking a formal, sit-down dinner for family and friends, ask everyone to bring a dish or find a restaurant you can all meet at for a meal. Remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be forever, just until life is a little calmer.
Responding to invitations: Most people have a difficult time saying no. Set your feelings of guilt aside and don’t feel obligated to attend every holiday event you are invited to. On the flip side, don’t feel guilty if you want to go to a party and have someone else stay with your loved one. A night out to laugh and enjoy yourself will likely make you a better caregiver.
3. Your health matters, too
The hectic pace of the holidays combined with the demands of caregiving, can lead many to take shortcuts with their diet and to skip exercising. Neither is a good idea.
If you need to rely on fast food or take out during the holiday rush, review the menus (and nutritional content!) at your favorite restaurants and opt for those that are the healthiest. This information on healthy foods at big chain restaurants will help.
4. Explore senior care options
Caregiving is a lot of work any time of year. Before the height of the holiday season, explore your local senior care options. Adult day centers and home care are two possibilities. Respite care and assisted living are others. You can take advantage of these services on a short-term or permanent basis.
Sometimes, during the holiday season, caregivers begin to realize that a senior loved one needs more assistance than can be provided at home. If this situation sounds familiar, we’d like to help.
We’re talking about how to not let diabetes dim your dazzle during the holiday season with our panel of experts on Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Elvis Presley.
Guests include Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, Mandy Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, FAADE, Rachel Zinman, 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.
