Paula Abdul Doesn’t Let Osteoarthritis Stop Her From Dancing!

Paula Abdul says that as a performer, she never lets anything get in her way, and certainly not arthritis.

Five years ago, Abdul’s doctor told her she had osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that can cause stiffness and pain, reports PEOPLE magazine. The common condition common affects more than 32.5 million adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The diagnosis came as a relief to Abdul.

“I kept thinking, at least it wasn’t something in my head,” she tells PEOPLE. “There was a reason attached to what I was feeling.”

Teaming up with Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel for the launch of its over-the-counter offering, Abdul says she uses the gel on her ankles, knees and other joints when they feel tight.

“I’m not going to let pain keep me down,” she says.

The singer also encourages other arthritis patients to stay active and says she likes to mix up her workout routine with low-impact strength exercises and online Zumba classes.

“Every day I try to wake up and think, ‘What can I do today that’s going to make me happy?’ ” she says.

“Walking is very underrated. I’ll put on my AirPods and listen to Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake — and just sing at the top of my lungs and swing to the beat.”

Diva Summer TV: Claws, Glow & I’m Dying Up Here

We’re celebrating the first day of Summer with our Divabetic top picks in TV, Music, Fashions and Diabetes Self-Care.

Did you know that people who have diabetes—both type 1 and type 2—feel the heat more than people who don’t have diabetes?

Whether you’re working out or just hanging out, it’s a good idea to check the heat index—a measurement that combines temperature and humidity. Take steps to stay cool when it reaches 80°F in the shade with 40% humidity or above. Important to know: The heat index can be up to 15°F higher in full sunlight, so stick to the shade when the weather warms up.

Physical activity is key to managing diabetes, but don’t get active outdoors during the hottest part of the day or when the heat index is high. Get out early in the morning or in the evening when temperatures are lower, or go to an air-conditioned mall or gym to get active.

While you’re staying cool inside check out some of favorite new TV Show for Summer 2017:

The TNT hourlong series CLAWS follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon in South Florida, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures.

At the center is salon owner Desna (Niecy Nash), who lives with and cares for her mentally ill twin brother, Dean (Harold Perrineau). Desna’s staff includes best friend Jennifer (Lyon), a tenuously sober ex-party girl raising two children from previous relationships; Quiet Ann ( Judy Reyes), Desna’s enigmatic driver who also provides security for the salon; Polly (Carrie Preston), a mild-mannered preppy who recently served time in prison for identity theft; and Virginia (Karrueche Tran), who makes no effort to hide her boredom and impatience with her job. Adding chaos to the Nail Artisan mix is Roller (Jack Kesy), a gangstered-out redneck who runs a barely legal pain clinic and uses Desna’s nail salon to launder the obscene profits; Bryce (Kevin Rankin), Jennifer’s husband who is also newly sober and trying to stay legit by working as an abundance coach; and Dr. Ken Brickman (Jason Antoon), a bona fide doctor at a decidedly un-bona fide and illegal drug clinic.

DIVABETIC FASHION: High-Waisted Bikinis are the perfect in-between for a bombshell beach look. Keeping the focus on your curves and drawing attention to your waist according to Vogue. READ MORE

 

Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the ’80s, GLOW tells the story of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women’s wrestling. In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin), a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby only to be sucked back into work when her picture perfect life is not what it seems. And at the wheel is Sam Sylvia, played by Marc Maron, a washed-up, B-movie director who must now lead this group of women and a journey to wrestling stardom.

GLOW is refreshingly free of the bombast and fatuousness that often come with the genre and features a winning performance by Alison Brie as an actress who finds work doing chokeslams and piledrivers,” wrote the New York Times.

DIVABETIC FASHION: Eye-popping bouquet of florals are the scene-stealers for Summer  2017. Sassy short party dresses, sassy boy shorts and maxi dresses are covered in bold blooms READ MORE

Showtime’s I’M DYING UP HERE is a dark new drama about comedy and loosely focuses on Mitzi Shore, her Comedy Store and the comics who played there in the 1970s, including Richard Lewis, David Letterman, Robin Williams, Elayne Boosler, Jay Leno, Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen, along with many lost to time.  his narrative arc put them on a collision course, culminating in a 1979 strike against the club that sundered some relationships forever more.
“Real laughter, it’s cathartic — it’s the current that moves through an audience when some truth about who you are, who they are, is revealed,” says Clay (Sebastian Stan), a comic meant to embody a newer, more personal sort of stand-up, in which he invited strangers, as Eddie says, to “laugh at the most embarrassing, shameful, painful moments of his life.”
Many of the series’ incidents and observations and issues revolve around a relatively short period in 1973, in the wake of the Carson move. Still, as a backstage drama it indulges in themes and tropes that run back to “Stage Door” and “42nd Street” regarding ambition and talent, artists and impresarios.
DIVABETIC DIVA: Katy Perry returns with a new album, ‘Witness’ which could be one of the biggest flops of the Summer. However,  she’s still got us dancing in circles to the songs, “Chained To The Rhythm” and “Swish Swish”. Plus, we love the technicolor Witness artwork! Other ‘divas’ spinning on our Summer turntable are Rihanna, Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, Chic, Diana Ross, Shania Twain, KD Lang and new jazz artist, Ala.ni

Beer Bread by Holly Clegg 

“Close your eyes and you’ll think you’re eating a homemade yeast bread, instead of this easy quick bread baked in a loaf pan,” says Best-Selling Cookbook Author, Holly Clegg

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (12-ounce) can lite beer

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

  1.  Preheat oven 350F. Coat 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  
  2.  In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
  3.  Stir in beer and honey (microwave honey 5-10 seconds) into the dry ingredients until just mixed.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake 50 minutes, or until top is golden brown.   Remove from oven and pour melted butter over the top.  

Nutritional information per serving (Makes 12 servings): Calories 159 kcal, Calories from Fat 13%, Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 215 mg, Carbohydrates 29 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Total Sugars 5 g, Protein 3 g, Dietary Exchanges: 2 starch

What’s Trending Summer 2017:
 

The new Periodic Table of Diabetes Management helps put life with diabetes into perspective. . This table includes every aspect of life with diabetes in the following categories:

  • Blood Sugar Levels
  • Complications
  • Costs & Insurance
  • Diet
  • Emotional Health & Coping
  • Equipment
  • Exercise
  • Medications & Treatments
  • Support & Healthcare Team
  • Wish List

Each element on the table has a number, its “weight,” which corresponds to the likelihood and frequency at which a person with diabetes may think about or interact with the element on any given day. This weight is shown on a scale from zero (not likely or frequent) to five (very likely and very frequent)

Reducing the amount of sugar in sweetened beverages over a 5-year period — without the addition of artificial sweeteners — could dramatically cut the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes in the population according to a new study  published online January 6 in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology by Yuan Ma, a PhD. READ MORE

 We’re shining the spotlight on Diabetes & Depression. 
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 diabetesDr Beverly S Adler PhD, CDE and “The Sugarless Plum” Author Zippora Karz guest on this episode of Diabetes Late Nite LISTEN NOW 
Tune in to our 7th Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Cyndi Lauper on Tuesday, July 11, 6 PM,EST. Guests included Susan Weiner RD, MS, CDE, CDN , Megrette Fletcher MEd, RD, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Mama Rose Marie. Throughout this podcast we will be playing selected songs from the Essential Collection of Cyndi Lauper courtesy of SONY Music.