Our Twelfth Day of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Doris Hobbs

On the twelfth day of Blue Christmas, my true friend, Doris Hobbs sent to me a T1D Exposed calendar to celebrate people living well with diabetes.

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.

Doris’ pick: The T1D Exposed Calendar features twelve powerful men and women living with type 1 diabetes who are showcasing a passion in their portrait. Type 1 diabetes is part of their lives, but is not the single story of their fascinating existence. Living with T1D changes a person’s body, and the T1D Exposed calendar features tasteful nude portraits of individuals embracing those changes and their lives with type one.

The mission of The Nude Diabetes Advocacy Project is to promote awareness, connect people living with type one diabetes (T1D), and fundraise for both local and global diabetes organizations.

“Shedding my clothes for diabetes awareness has brought me a sense of empowerment that I literally can’t express in words, says, Doris Hobbs aka ‘Miss June’.

A San Francisco based Luxury Liaison, Doris bridges the world of MEDIA with unmistakable elegance through both written Storytelling & Visual Imagery with her website, Rich In Love. This accomplished Media Expert and Fashion Doyenne breathes new life into her sought-after glamour persona & profitable branding campaigns while maintaining a voice as a Diabetes Awareness Advocate. 

“What the T1D Exposed calendar creators, Tara Layman and Kat Reed are doing is truly an artistic expression in regards to the auto-immune disease that is much needed in today’s society”

What was it like to pose nude since especially since shedding the clothes and he shame that is associated with our bodies can be difficult?

“Having never posed nude within my career as a luxury model I surprisingly wasn’t terrified; I actually had the opposite reaction. I instantly became rather invested and driven to move forward and participate,” says Doris Hobbs. “I literally didn’t want to leave the shoot as I feel so comfortable in my own skin for the first time. The emotion that overcame me when I set my eyes on the final image as “Miss June” was a glamorous moment I will forever remember.”

I love this fabulous T1D Exposed calendar! I admire the bravery and self acceptance of all 12 participants about their experience living with type 1 diabetes. There’s no shame in their game, and there shouldn’t be any in yours! Be inspired to show the world that you’re living well with diabetes. 

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 feel is most closely associate with diabetes and more importantly, it gives us an opportunity to raise awareness for the mental health issues related to diabetes which are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing which is understandable. However, I feel it’s 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! December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We’re discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include 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, Rachel Zinman, Dr. Mandy Reece PharmD, CDE, BC-ADM, 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.

Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season?

If so, 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

Celebrating A Diabetes ‘Blue’ Christmas on Diabetes Late Nite

We’re celebrating a Diabetes ‘BLUE’ Christmas with musical inspiration from Elvis Presley on December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, December 12,2017, 6 PM,EST. 

Feeling blue?

Know someone with diabetes who gets irritated without any rhyme or reason? And it’s hard to guess what triggered the mood swing.

Moods swings affect people living with both type I and type II diabetes alike. It is difficult to say whether diabetes triggers mood swings or living with diabetes makes you moody. ‘Fluctuations in blood glucose level leads to change in levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and 5HT. When this happens it makes one prone mood swings and then to anxiety and depression, in the long run,’ explains Dr. Pradeep Gadge, Diabetologist, Shreya Diabetic Care, Mumbai.

Mood swings are more evident when one fails to express pent up emotions. So whether it is feeling low or inability to concentrate, it is better to talk and express it. If that doesn’t help, writing notes to yourself even on your phone’s notepad can also do the trick. Social interactions can also help in managing moods and emotions.

The holiday season triggers mood swings for many of us.  We may stress about finances, fight with family members, feel overwhelmed, slip into bad eating habits, ignore blood sugars and/or gain weight.

We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes dim your dazzle during the holidays 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.

TUNE IN: Click on this Diabetes Late Nite link for inspiration to live healthfully during the holiday season.

https://youtu.be/Uwfz5mMLSDM

Mariah Carey Has Weight Loss Surgery, We’re Wondering Why?

Are body shammers responsible for why singer, Mariah Carey chose to undergo weight loss surgery?

According to a source, Mariah Carey‘s insecurity about her weight caused her to elect to have the gastric sleeve surgery, which shrinks the size of the stomach so patients eat less.

“She always fluctuates and it makes her upset,” said a source close to Mariah Carey. “She lives in denial about it; she has the tags cut out of clothes, so she can be blissfully unaware of her size.”

Today we are all surrounded by idealized images of beauty more than ever before so it’s not surprising that even someone as successful as Mariah Carey would feel insecure about her image.  Image shown on social media can create expectations that are impossible to meet, leaving us feeling inadequate and ashamed about our own looks.

One way to address body dissatisfaction is to change the way we think about our bodies, shifting the focus from evaluation and critique to care and appreciation.When we’re focused on how our body looks, we’re often less aware of how it feels—and therefore less in touch with signs of hunger and fullness, feelings of pleasure and pain, and even the sensation of our heartbeat. Research suggests that self-compassion is associated with lower levels of self-objectification, the tendency to habitually take an observer’s perspective on one’s own body rather than experiencing it from the inside outWe will be discussing self-compassion on November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with guest, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE.

Do you feel Mariah Carey’s weight loss surgery was necessary?

After all, body mass index or BMI is an important measurement to determine if you qualify for the surgery. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy was traditionally reserved for highly obese patients. If you have a BMI higher than 40 or are at least 100 pounds overweight you are considered extremely obese (which Mariah was not strictly judging from recent photos).

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy isn’t for the casual dieter hoping to lose a few pounds. Instead, the procedure requires an assessment that focuses on physical and mental considerations to make sure you can succeed with weight loss following the surgery. While the surgery may change the size of your stomach, it’s up to you to change your eating habits.

The surgery is a permanent change to your stomach, which means you must carefully consider your options before undergoing this surgical option.

Gastric sleeve surgery removes 70% of the stomach where the hunger hormone ghrelin is produced.

Diabetes remission rates after sleeve gastrectomy are also very high (more than 60%) and, in some studies, similar to results seen after gastric bypass.

Most patients who have gastric bypass or a sleeve gastrectomy experience weight loss and changes in their gastrointestinal tract. Weight loss surgery causes profound changes in the incretins — hormones in the gastrointestinal tract that cause insulin to be released. These changes lead to significant improvement in type 2 diabetes and can cause long-term changes in the pancreas that causes diabetes to go away.

Let’s consider that Mariah Carey may not have elected to have weight loss surgery for purely ‘vanity’ reasons.

Mariah Carey had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with her six-month-old twins Monroe and Moroccan in 2011. It’s well documented that after having gestational diabetes, you are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all women with a history ofgestational diabetes have a two-hour glucose tolerance test at six weeks and at least every three years after giving birth.

The less severe type 2 diabetes is before sleeve gastrectomy, the greater the likelihood patients will be disease free afterwards, according to new research presented here during ObesityWeek 2014, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity.

Whether or not she had weight loss surgery six weeks ago for health  and/or vanity reasons, the GRAMMY winner showed off a slimmer figure at her hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood last Wednesday.

A second source tells ET that Mariah feels “much better about herself” now, adding, “this is a new beginning for her.”

We’re talking about ‘Weight Loss Surgery & Diabetes’ on Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Etta James.

Etta James is a Grammy Award-winning singer known for hit songs like “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “At Last.”

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to a 14-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins, who encouraged her daughter’s singing career. James would later say, “My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. I’d like to think I did that.” James never knew her father.

Etta James was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, prior to her signing a new recording contract with Private Records.

Etta James underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 200 pounds. The dramatic weight loss had an impact on her voice, as she told Ebony magazine, “I can sing lower, higher and louder.” Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Monique Renee Rolle DPM, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Susan Greenberg Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, and Mama Rose Marie. Prize giveaways courtesy of Earth Brand Shoes, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot Creams, Cabot Cheese and Nu Naturals.  LISTEN NOW

High Voltage’s Secret to ‘Loving Yourself’

‘Love yourself, love your health’ is a catchy saying but putting into daily practice takes time and effort especially for those of us who don’t even like our hair (!)

How do you actually love yourself and your diabetes health? 

My good friend and mentor, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’ is a walking billboard for self-compassion. She’s a health and wellness pioneer, best-selling author and TV personality, who has helped thousands of people get their energy up and their weight down. She has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning Show, CNN, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, E! Network & More.

High Voltage believes in the power of Affirmations. Affirmations are statements said aloud with confidence about a perceived truth which have helped thousands of people make significant changes in their lives.

An affirmation can work because it has the ability to program your mind into believing the stated concept.uses affirmations.

High Voltage’s daily affirmations start with “I’m Happy, I’m Healthy” and then she adds a phrase like “I am the best and I deserve the best” or “I am fit, fabulous and fierce!” 

Trust me, it works! I worked with her for several years on her Energy Up! Program in New York and I witness first-hand the power of affirmations in your daily life. Starting your day by saying aloud “I’m Happy, I’m Healthy and I choose to be FABULOUS” is like a double shot of attitude. 

How do you practice self-compassion? That’s what we’re talking about on November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast. 

Tune in to November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on World Diabetes Day on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.

Enjoy an exclusive first listen of “Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From ‘The Bodyguard’” ahead of the album’s release date courtesy of SONY Music. This 25th anniversary of “The Bodyguard” soundtrack album features the hit song, “I’m Every Woman” echoing the recent statistics that 1 in 10 women are now living with diabetes.

Throughout the podcast we will be talking to experts about ways to safeguard you and your family from experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as stroke, blindness and amputation.

Guests include Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Constance Brown Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE and Mama Rose Marie.

High Voltage is the founder and executive director of the national nonprofit organization, Energy Up!, whose mission is to prevent childhood obesity. Energy Up! is the only health and wellness childhood obesity program built on the Energy Up! Addiction model with a published medical study. Numerous New York City private and public schools, the township of Huntington, Long Island and the Gerald J. Freidman Diabetes Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center have experienced High Voltage’s unique health and wellness programming.

Learn more about High Voltage @ www.energyup.org

 

It’s time to get Sugar Savvy – read about solutions for dropping those stubborn pounds, energizing your body, and feeling great about yourself. Health and wellness guru Kathie “High Voltage” Dolgin will help you retrain your brain to say no to sugar and its harmful effects, and get you on the path to “Fit, Fabulous and Fierce.

Our most successful Sugar Savvy Sister lost over 18 pounds in 6 weeks! *

Divabetic Delivers Big Divas on World Diabetes Day!

Our favorite divas from the world of entertainment, beauty/fashion, poetry and diabetes education, Whitney Houston, Constance Brown-Riggs, Karline Ricketts, Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle, Mama Rose Marie and ‘Dr. Bev’, join us to celebrate World Diabetes Day on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM.

First up, we have an exclusive first listen of “Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From ‘The Bodyguard’” ahead of the album’s release date courtesy of SONY Music.

The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack Album set a record for the most albums sold in a single week since the Nielsen SoundScan introduced a computerized sales monitoring system in May 1991, with sales of 1,061,000 copies during Christmas week of 1992, becoming the first album sold over 1 million in one week.

In November 1999, Houston and The Bodyguard Soundtrack, were named the “Top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century ” by the RIAA, respectively.

Whitney’s iconic songs are inspiring us to discuss how to become your own ‘Diabetes Bodyguard’.

Safeguarding yourself and your diabetes health requires a healthy dose of Self-Compassion.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE discusses how the ‘negative talk’ inside our heads affects our diabetes. 

How do you talk to yourself?  Do you talk to yourself with kindness? Or do you  beat yourself up for being diagnosed with diabetes, unexpected high’s and low’s, your weight and/or unhealthy habits?

There is a vast difference between feeling sorry for yourself and feeling kindness toward yourself. When you see yourself as a victim, you indulge in selfpity. You are a bottomless pit of misery, and you may find yourself crying endless victim tears.

Dr. Beverly Adler (aka “Dr. Bev”, right) is an award-winning certified diabetes educator and diabetes psychologist. She has combined her first-hand knowledge of living with Type 1 diabetes with a PhD in clinical psychology to serve the mental health needs of those within the diabetes community. She’s also written two self-help books ( “My Sweet Life: Successful Men with Diabetes” and “My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes”) and many articles, and does speaking engagements.

Constance Brown-Riggs discusses her personal fitness journey as well as her new book, “Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World”.

Constance Brown- Riggs is an award winning Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and the co-author of the new book, “Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World”. This guide provides information on native foods and flavors, strategies for healthy eating, recommended healthful pleasures, dishes for special occasions (or smaller portions), and carbohydrate counts for popular dishes for 11 popular ethnic cuisines. Help your clients learn to quickly identify the best choices for their meal plan, whether preparing ethnic foods at home, eating in restaurants, or traveling abroad.

Karline Ricketts believes“Beauty starts from the inside.”  In 1997, Karline opened her first salon in West Palm Beach, FL, to provide an upscale client environment for a growing ethnic consumer market. This former NYC  accounting professional, who spent many evening hours working for the legendary  Studio 54, retrained and retooled under the tutelage of Paul Mitchell Systems.

You can be an INSTANT WINNER! Enjoy a Divabetic Prize package featuring a Nu Naturals gift basket filled with diabetic safe, low glycemic tooth friendly sweeteners, a Cabot Cheese gift basket filled with an assortment of delicious low-fat cheeses, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot, Hand & Body Lotions which specifically designed for people with diabetes with sensitive and delicate skin, and a TRU Chocolate gift box. TRU Chocolate is the only 72% dark chocolate snack that’s sugar free, gluten free, ethically sourced and incredibly delicious. It’s TRU, you can finally eat chocolate and be healthy with their chocolate covered flame raisins, almonds, wafers and gluten free pretzels!

November’s Diabetes Late Nite guests include Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE and Constance Brown Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN along with Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE, Karline Ricketts and Mama Rose Marie.

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.”

CLICK HERE to Listen to November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.

‘What Scares You The Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite

We’re talking about ‘What Scares You the Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 PM, EST with musical inspiration from the chart-topping band, Old Dominion.

Does diabetes and/or it’s diabetes health-related complications scare you?

According to the members of Divabetic, Diabetes – What To Know, Diabetes Type 2 Group Support Facebook communities, people fear experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as: amputation, blindness and kidney disease.

Many of our members posted messages about their fears including:

“The questions I didn’t know to ask. You just don’t know what you don’t know” – Marie Jean
“Not being in control of my appetite and not being able to lose weight!” – Chrysta
“Having kids and passing diabetes on to them” – Mallory
“Not having a family that I can talk about this!”– Gaye
“Not knowing if the meds I’m taking are actually helping or creating more of a problem. My belly is super bloated from metformin with digestive issues all the time.” –  Kristine
“There’s so much to fear, so much I don’t know, and so much to learn. I guess in hindsight, I don’t want diabetes to become my life.” – Stephanie
“My biggest fear is that I will never have it under control and it will over take my life causing harm to not only myself but my loved ones” – Karen
“My son died two years ago from diabetes health-related complications. He absolutely didn’t do anything to help himself. He lost his right leg and half his left foot. He was going blind and just totally gave up. I’m heartbroken that I lost him, but I watched him give up on himself. As diabetics, we have to fight every second we are alive to be as healthy as we can with this disease. Don’t fear, fight.” – Roberta
I appreciate that there is a lot to be scared of. I had a few days of being afraid of all of these things when I was first diagnosed. But then I got a new mindset. I refuse to be afraid of it. I will fight it with everything I have for the rest of the days God gives me. And if it does eventually get me, well I will go down swinging. Life is too short and precious to be afraid. And there are so many good things we can do to fight it.” – Sam 

How does fear of diabetes affect your life and your daily self-care, and more important, what do you do about it?

Small amounts of fear may energize you and get you to pay attention, but the threat has to seem manageable. If there’s nothing you can do, and the future looks too awful, you will tend to give up and try to enjoy the time you have left.

Of course, some fear of diabetes is justified. The complications of diabetes are truly ‘scary’ as our members indicated in several posts. So are the effects fear can have on your family and your finances.

Fears are stressful, and stress isn’t good for diabetes. Fear increases insulin resistance and blood pressure and interferes with the body’s natural healing systems. It makes it harder to enjoy life.

So what do we do about it? Tune in to October’s Diabetes Late Nite to get advice from our panel of experts including:  Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Michele Summers Colon DPM, Dr. Lori Shemek PhD, CNC, Dr. Andrea Chisholm MD,OB-GYN, Ansley Dalbo  (founder of Diabetes – What To Know), Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and Jackie Mernit Muhlstock.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from Old Dominion’s “Happy Endings” album courtesy of SONY Music.

The country band, Old Dominion’s success makes it hard to believe that its members were once just a group of individual songwriters trying to navigate Nashville’s music industry, playing tiny bars and hoping their songs would catch the right ears. They’ve quickly become of one ofNashville’s savviest songwriting collectives with their highly acclaimed new album Happy Endings. 

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.”

 

TUNE IN: Diabetes Late Nite on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.

Diabetes Friendly Taco Tuesday Recipes with Chef Robert Lewis

Enjoying ‘Taco Tuesdays’ no longer has to compromise your diabetes health thanks to our friend,  Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’. He’s agreed to share a few of his favorite healthy fish taco recipes on our Divabetic blog to help celebrate the 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ available for free on demand at i-Tunes.

Our zany seaside caper takes place in New York City’s historic seashore, Coney Island. Chef Robert Lewis plays a retired lifeguard amputee name ‘Fast Freddy’ who still likes to swim in the ocean. 

Don’t let diabetes dim your DAZZLE! Get in the spirt of our Coney Island caper and enjoy the first of several fish taco recipes, Grilled Fish Tacos.

Grilled Fish Tacos by Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ 

What’s in it? (Ingredients) 

1 lb Tilapia , cod or mahi mahi fillets

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic , minced

1 1/2 tsp of New Orleans style Blackened seasoning

6 corn or flour tortillas

1 large avocado , sliced

Sour cream , cotija cheese, hot sauce or salsa, for serving (optional)

Let’s put it together!

In a mixing bowl whisk together canola oil, lime juice, garlic, Blackened seasoning. Place fish into a gallon size resealable bag and pour marinade over fish. Seal bag (evenly coat fish with marinade) and allow to marinate in mixture only 20-30 minutes.

Preheat a grill or a pan on the stove to medium-high heat. Brush grill grates with oil and place fish on grill. Grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (cook time will vary based on thickness of fish). Transfer to a plate, break into pieces and serve in warmed taco shells with cabbage slaw, avocado slices and other optional toppings.

Slaw Recipe by Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ 

What’s in it? (Ingredients) 

1/2 small red cabbage , cored and sliced thin (8 oz)

1/4 cup cilantro , chopped

3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp canola oil

Let’s put it together!

Add cabbage, red onion and cilantro to a medium mixing bowl. Pour lime juice and canola oil over top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Enjoy!

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.

Listen to our 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast entitled Gypsies, Tramps and Peas’.

Synopsis: Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy diabetes-friendly caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found sleeping with the fishes. What it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, an amorous amputee and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?

Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure. Healthy delicious recipes provided by Chef Robert Lewis and Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’.

This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Finding Forgiveness After Decades of Guilt by Gail Eisenberg

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic.

My college friend, Gail Eisenberg agreed to share the following excerpt from her forthcoming memoir on the Divabetic blog:

Visceral congestion, pending chemical examination.

Decades later, those five words on a mustard-yellow death certificate were the only explanation I’d had for my mother’s demise in May of 1980, when I was 14. The question remained: Had my mother killed herself? Without proof, I would allow myself to waver. I convinced myself that uncertainty was better than having to say goodbye. But about 10 years ago, as I approached 40 — the age Mom was when she died — I needed resolution. I was determined to ground myself in facts. I dialed New York City’s chief medical examiner to request a copy of her autopsy report.

Within two weeks, I held the legal-size pages folded tightly in thirds. As I read, I imagined my mother’s toe-tagged body draped in a crisp white sheet as it slid out from the metal chamber, the glint of the scalpel, the snap of latex gloves. The pages of the report included terms I didn’t understand, quantities I couldn’t comprehend, body parts I didn’t know existed. My mother described à la carte.

Then: Final cause of death: Acute propoxyphene and diazepam toxicity. Suicide. 

My list of socially marginalized affiliations grew — motherless, gay, only child, suicide survivor. I thanked God I wasn’t left-handed. I felt sad, yet satisfied. Until I saw something on the document I’d somehow missed:

Notes found at scene to be brought to mortuary.

“Did Mom kill herself?” I’d asked my father many times over the years, wondering if he’d protected me from the truth at 14, hoping he’d tell me at 40.

“I don’t think Mama meant to do it that day,” he’d reply. “All the medications she was on caught up to her.”

READ MORE

Gail Eisenberg is a New York City-based freelance writer who is working on a memoir, from which this essay is adapted.

A common method of suicide attempt in people with diabetes includes uses of high doses of insulin or other medications to treat the disease.

How widespread is insulin suicide?

According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, an analysis of overdose-related calls to a poison center suggested that 95 percent of insulin overdoses were deliberate. READ MORE

We’re discussing ‘Diabetes & Suicide’ on Diabetes Late Nite podcast with guests, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Neva White DNP, CRNP, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Author Kim Boykin, the founder of thebetes.org, Marina Tsaplina and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN

If you’re thinking of suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is avaiable 24/7 across the U.S. Call the National Suicde Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255

Do You Have A Pet Name for Your Diabetes or Insulin Pump?

Photo credit: Stephen B. Thornton

Broadway Diva, singer, actress, Soara-Joye Ross, who is living with type 1 diabetes admits that she named her diabetes ‘Sasha’ and her new insulin pump ‘Black Panther’ … how about you?

Do you think giving a pet name to your diabetes and/or your device(s) could help you manage your diabetes?

Personally, I think giving your diabetes, your pump and/or your continuous glucose monitor a pet name is a great idea for helping you to cope with diabetes.  A healthy sense of humor could certainly come in handy when you consider that the emotional dimensions of diabetes are often overlooked by healthcare professionals as well as patients.

“Laughter is the best medicine . . . unless you have type 1 diabetes, then insulin is probably better,” writes Dr. Beverly S. Adler, aka “Dr. Bev,”, who is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator in an article for Diabetes Connect.

“I named my diabetes “Sasha” because she’s like a person to me. She was like a two-year-old for the first several years. Now she acts like a teenager by always wanting to do her own thing and not what I always want her to do!,” says Soara-Joye on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Photo credit: Stephen B. Thornton

Soara-Joye has performed abroad and all over the country. Named, “A True Musical Theatre Diva!” by BroadwayBox.com, this native New Yorker has performed in NY from Broadway (Les Misérables & The Dance of the Vampires) & Carnegie Hall (Jerry Springer the Opera) to the Winspear Opera House in Dallas (The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess) all the way to the Alter Oper in Frankfurt, Germany (Smokey Joe’s Cafe)! She has performed at highly acclaimed regional theaters, Off-Broadway, in Film, (Garden State)and just guest starred on HBO’s new comedy, Crashing, directed by Judd Apatow.

Our favorite Broadway DIVAbetic’s 10 year diaversary approaches in September and she  recently started wearing an insulin pump that she named “Black Panther”. Soara-Joye says her insulin delivery device aka ‘the pump’ has been a godsend for her managing her ‘Sasha’ especially with such a rigorous performance schedule.

“With the insulin pump I can suspend my insulin delivery which is extremely helpful if I’m constantly on stage like I was when I was performing as Deloris Van Cartier ( in the musical, ‘Sister Act’),” she adds.

Photo credit: Stephen B. Thornton

This Broadway DIVAbetic Has An Entourage Supporting Her with Her Diabetes Self-Care

Soara-Joye admits that on ‘day one’ of rehearsals for a show, she tells her stage manager and all involved on the creative team that she has type 1 diabetes. She also shares that her diabetes has a name: “Sasha” and that she’s pretty much another character in the show, that they need to know about.

Soara-Joye with five of her dressers

One of her six dressers on ‘Sister Act’ was standing by in the wings with glucose tablets, insulin and juice boxes just in case Soara-Joye needed any of them. She also helped monitored Soara-Joye’s numbers on her continuous glucose monitor to watch out for trends in her blood sugar during the show. “My main dresser, Alison Clifton and the rest of my fabulous team of dressers were a godsend!,” says Soara-Joye.

Let Soara-Joye Ross Inspire You to Manage Your Diabetes like a Diva!

When you stop to consider that many people with chronic conditions such as diabetes often have to adjust their aspirations, lifestyle, and employment I feel Soara-Joye is truly a diva inspiration. Let Soara-Joye’s openness and creative coping skills as well as her ability to empower her co-workers to be part of her health entourage motivate you to not let diabetes dim your dazzle!

Photo credit: Stephen B. Thornton

Soara-Joye appears in Judd Apatow’s HBO series ‘Crashing’ and will soon be starring as (Delores) LaVern Baker, the popular American Rhythm & Blues Singer from 50’s and 60’s, in the musical, ‘Rock and Roll Man’.

“Managing diabetes is a full time job, but with a little bit of humor we can take it all in stride,” writes Dr. Bev for Diabetic Connect. “Look for humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.”

Everything’s Coming Up Roses! We’re going behind the scenes on our upcoming Mr. Diabetic Mystery podcast. ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ (scheduled for September 12, 2017) with music from the Original Broadway cast of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Our annual diabetes mystery podcast hopes to encourage you to become a Diabetes Detective. Look for clues, search for patterns, investigate the reasons behind your blood sugar high’s and low’s and report to the authorities (your healthcare team) about medical information found on the internet.

On August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re discussing tips for Summertime Diabetes Management, the Best in Swimsuit Coverups, Body Image Issues, Health Hazards of Professional Eating Contests, Safe Pedicures and Broadway’s Biggest Divas.

LISTEN: August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from the musical, ‘Gypsy’ features guests Actress, Singer Soara-Joye Ross, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Maryann Nicolay BA, DTR, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Founder & Executive Director of the We Are Diabetes organization Asha Brown, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes and Mama Rose Marie.

Lorraine Brooks: “Four Freedoms We Should Always Fight For” Art Exhibition

We’re excited to announce that our Diabetes Late Nite’s Poet in Residence, Lorraine Brooks will be displaying her artwork in her first Solo Art Exhibition starting this weekend in Brooklyn, NY.

She’s not only an amazing poet, she’s also an amazing artist!

Having been trained at New York City’s prestigious High School of Art and Design, Lorraine has always been interested in the graphic arts. Her photography has been featured in Gold Dust Magazine, and Odyssey Journal, and in her own book of poetry, Riding the Wave.

The stippling method (also known as pointillism), in which a series of dots is placed strategically in patterns to form an image, is currently Lorraine’s technique of choice for the pen-and-ink portraits she has recently produced. When viewed from close up, the dots appear random – however when viewed at a distance they form a distinct pattern of lights and shadows, creating the details of the subject.

“Lorraine’s one of the most talented people I know. Her poems featured monthly on our podcasts have inspired so many people living with, affected by and at risk of diabetes,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. ” I have no doubt that her first art exhibition will showcase another side of her amazing talent. I’m looking forward to celebrating her and her accomplishments!”

Currently Lorraine is working on a series of “freedom portraits”, illustrating her interpretation of the concepts of The Four Freedoms, as articulated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. These will be part of her Solo Exhibition here in the Island to Island Brewery taproom.

Opening Ceremony

Date: July 8th 2017
Time: 6PM – 8PM
Location: Island to Island Brewery, 642 Rogers Ave Brooklyn Ny 11226 between Clarkson and Parkside Avenues

Free Tasting

We share monthly tastings of local craft distilled spirits made here in Brooklyn or greater New York.
Join us for this month’s art opening and tasting.
Event RSVP Here ⇢

Then come taste and learn about New York distilled spirits made with organic grains from upstate New York and 11 different botanicals, made entirely in house from fermentation to bottle, can be enjoyed simply over ice or in any of the various traditional cocktails.

While enjoying the tasting browse the taproom’s latest Solo Art Exhibition by Lorraine Brooks entitled: “Four Freedoms We Should Always Fight For”. Lorraine will be available during the night for questions comments and sales of art work.

Tasting and Art Show are free and open to the public!

Check out #galleryat642rogers in IG to see past shows.

LISTEN: Enjoy this episode of Diabetes Late Nite featuring music from Maxwell courtesy of SONY Music. Guests include singer Alfa Anderson, Diabetic Macular Edema patient Maryanne Kass, Artist Bryce Chisholm, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.