Tag: Lorraine Brooks

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Divabetic Holiday Podcast Inspired by Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Divabetic encourages you not to let diabetes dim your holiday spirit with musical inspiration from Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album is the best-selling Christmas album of all time.  Merry Christmas boasts a variety of musical arrangements, sounds, and genres. Mariah Carey’s goal during recording was to provide an album with a “Christmas feel,” providing a mixture of soulful tracks and fun and joyous holiday treats.

In the years since its original release, All I Want for Christmas Is You has become established as a Christmas standard; it was once called “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.

All I Want for Christmas Is You logs its ninth total week atop the Hot 100 and becomes the first song to have led in four distinct runs on the ranking. As a result, the singer-songwriter has broken the record by hitting the number one spot in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), and 2021 (three). The 1994 track is the first song to have led at No. 1 at four different times.

Having diabetes shouldn’t stop you from enjoying holiday celebrations and travel. With some planning and a little preparation, you can stay healthy on the road and at holiday gatherings with friends and family.

Preparation is the essential step in managing diabetes during holiday travel and festivities. Know what you’ll be eating, how to enjoy a few traditional favorites while sticking with a healthy meal plan, and how to pack necessary supplies for a trip, and you’re ready to celebrate!

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator Author Daniele Hargenrader, CEO of Insulcloud Jose Luis, and Mama Rose Marie.

Throughout the podcast, we feature musical selections from Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas album courtesy of SONY Music.

Mariah Carey

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Divabetic Halloween Displays 2022

My office is on New York City’s Halloween street. We’re expecting 3,000 – 5,000 trick-or-treaters. Everyone decorates their brownstones and flower beds. This year, I made 3 displays with my friend, Lauren.

Display #1: Ghost of Lily, the Central Park Zoo Polar Bear (1987- 2004)

“Lily was the beloved companion of Gus, a 700-pound polar bear that mesmerized tourists. He swam lap after lap in figure-eight patterns, pawing his way through the water with powerful backstrokes. He did this for as many as 12 hours a day. Every day. Every week. Every month. Lily would grin and bear it.

Materials: I used office shreddings, a dollar store mask, masking tape, plastic Chinese Restaurant soup containers, bubble wrap, a plastic serving bowl (belly), a Dollar Store child’s tutu, and newspaper to make her!).

Inspiration: I had no plans to make this bear until I received a package that arrived with pink bubble wrap. I couldn’t stop wondering if I could make a tutu using it!

Display #2: The Amy Wine “Haunted” House Twins:

“Rockstar Amy Winehouse died too soon

She misused hard drugs
drank too much booze

Maybe a lesson for October
is to remember you can make great art even when you’re sober”

Materials: I used Diet Coke bottles (shoes), hangers, newspaper, Dollar Store masks, pipe cleaners, Target (dress), water bottles, 1-gallon water jugs (heads), styrofoam balls, takeaway food serving utensils (hands), yarn, shower loofa (flower), yarn (hair), masking tape, and office shredding to make these beauties).

Inspiration: I adored my friend Catherine Schuller’s beautiful fascinator made out of water bottles that she wore for Halloween a few years back, so I challenged myself to build something out of my recycling pile.

Display #3: Real-Life Van der Voort Sister Ghosts. These beauties will make their debut later today! When I googled ‘Central Park Ghosts,’ I found a few articles about the two Victorian sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, who haunt the ice rink in Central Park. Their story has such Gothic overtones that I got carried away. I produced a short audio story (with the help of Lorraine Brooks, Wendy Radford, Verna Henry, and Lauren Ricks), designed an art installation, and recruited my boyfriend, Joe, a found art sculptor, to create an additional display. I can’t wait to share it with you! Happy Halloween!

 

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Van Der Voort Sisters Ghost Story by Lorraine Brooks

The Van Der Voort Sisters Ghost Story by Lorraine Brooks

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort
Were allowed only one outdoor sport.
Their father dear would let them skate
On one pond near the park’s south gate.

And skate they would, in purple and red,
The figure-eights their feet would tread.
In afternoon and evening’s charm
The sisters skated arm in arm.

They never married nor gave their hearts,
And died as spinsters, weeks apart.
They had no friends or folks to mourn,
And traveled not from where they were born.

And now, as people skate the pond,
They’ve seen the sisters, aptly donned,
As figures floating on the ice
Making figure-eights precise.

They haunt their old familiar ground
Skating together, round and round.
So if, perchance, you see them there,
Enjoy their presence – IF YOU DARE.

 

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, born in the 1800s, were two wealthy sisters whose father rarely let them leave the house unaccompanied. The one place they were allowed to visit was Central Park’s Wollman Rink, where they went ice skating in the winter. The two sisters never married, were lifelong best friends, and died a few months apart. Since their death, their ghostly spirits have been seen periodically skating together on the Central Park Pond, wearing the same red and purple outfits they wore over 100 years ago.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, November 10, 7-8 PM EST.

During this Extra-Special Baking Party on Zoom, we invite you to bake along with The Diabetic Pastry Chef as she prepares her delicious Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe. Once you register, we will send you the recipe’s complete list of ingredients so you can prepare before our program begins.

The Diabetic Chef will also demonstrate her favorite kitchen tool and share expert tips for using sugar substitutes and alternative flours in traditional recipes.

Free Prizes! Mr. Divabetic will host a Baking Trivia Contest and Prize Drawing during the program. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our prize drawings to win a Splenda Baking Kit, Tonya Kappes Cozy Mystery and PEAK 10 SKIN SAVE MY SOLE foot rescue cream.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

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Divabetic Mysteries Podcast: Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu

Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast: Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, is available on demand.  Enjoy loads of diabetes information and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama.

This year’s cozy diabetes mystery finds the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, landing his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage. She’s well-known for helping people get their “energy up and their weight down” by becoming aware of the amount of added sugar in their diets.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day or about 9 teaspoons.

Many people consume more sugar than they realize. Knowing how much sugar you consume is important because our bodies don’t need sugar to function properly. Added sugars contribute zero nutrients, but enough added calories can reduce heart health.

Everything at Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat seems hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s chef knives. Mr. Divabetic quickly becomes the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation!

Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with horizontal stripes?

Video Player

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to our colleague, the multi-talented Wendy Radford.

Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

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Weighing In on Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast

This past Tuesday, we presented a live performance of Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu. The podcast is available on-demand to listen to at any time using the player below.

The goal of Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu is to empower people living with, at risk, and affected by diabetes to overcome the shame and blame associated with the disease, especially as it relates to their weight.

In a society where being thin equates with beauty, youth, intelligence, and success, there is often little sympathy or patience for people who struggle to maintain an acceptable weight.

According to statistics, more than 85% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, so it stands to reason that the main focus for managing Type 2 diabetes is reaching and staying at a perceived healthy weight. But it’s also important to note that people not considered overweight can still get both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

If you worry that you’ll never be thin enough to live well with diabetes, please be aware that there’s more to managing diabetes than the number on the scale. We urge you to seek healthcare collaborators who will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and offer solutions to treat every number related to your diabetes accordingly.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything seems low pressure and low calorie until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation!

Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes?

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to our colleague, the multi-talented Wendy Radford.

Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

 

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Tonight! Don’t Miss Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery Podcast Live Broadcast

The BIG DAY is finally here!!!

Join us tonight for Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu!

Find out what happens when the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands a to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage‘s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything seems low pressure and low calorie until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation!

Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes?

The fun begins at 6 PM EST.

Enjoy loads of diabetes information and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama. Tune in using this link.

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to our colleague, the multi-talented Wendy Radford.

Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

 

The fun begins at 6 PM EST.

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Phantom of the Opera Is Closing But You Can Still Enjoy Phantom of the Okra

The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest-running show, is scheduled to close in February 2023. The musical – a fixture on Broadway since 1988, weathering recessions, war, and cultural shifts – will play its final performance on Broadway on 18 February.

Don’t worry you can still enjoy Divabetic’s Phantom of the Okra mystery podcast on demand.

When the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, agrees to host the Red Tomato Carpet at the 6th Annual Bake Bethesda A Pie Contest at Central Farm Market in Bethesda, MD, the last thing he expects to happen is to be the prime suspect in a murder.

Will orange be the ‘new black’ for Mr. Divabetic? Or will his team of highly skilled diabetes educators, a nosey best-selling mystery author, and his overbearing mother be able to prove his innocence before the police arrive?

Our Divabetic murder mystery is loosely based on The Phantom Of The Opera. It offers self-care advice and nutrition information in-between moments of suspense, wide-goose chases, and entertaining banter.

Phantom of the Okra stars Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown (founder of the We Are Diabetes organization), Central Farm Markets Co-Founder Debra Moser, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Author Peter Arpesella, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, Leisa Chester Weir, Terri Seidman, and Mama Rose Marie.

This podcast features song selections from The Phantom Of The Opera soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.

We’re counting down until next week’s premiere of Divabetic’s latest mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM EST.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything is hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives.

Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive?

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir. Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

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Don’t Give Up Poem By Lorraine Brooks

Don’t Give Up by Lorraine Brooks

Rain comes.
The rivers overflow and flood the plains.
Our hearts become full
And sometimes anguish and fear is what remains.
Hearts ache
Hands and bodies fail or become weak
Powerless and fearful
Relief and painless thoughts are what we seek.
Minds change
And overwhelming feelings turn to fear
It can feel hopeless
We don’t know what to do or how to bear.

But

The rain does stop
And the sun comes out.
And whatever it is you’re upset about
You work it through and find a way
And just as Manilow would say…
You made it through the rain
And kept your point of view.
You learned to deal with hurt and pain
And find a pathway through.
You learned that even on bad days
The sun’s behind the clouds
And even in life’s alleyways
That you can beat the odds.
So buckle up and buckle down
Do what you need to do
And in the words of Barry M
We can’t smile without YOU.

Poet Lorraine Brooks reads her latest poem, “Don’t Give Up,” on the August episode of Divabetic’s podcast. Listen using the tuner below:

Entertainer Barry Manilow‘s classic hit, “I Made It Through The Rain,” sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.

Hear how The First Lady of Def Jam, Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.

Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.

“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.

Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

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Singer Alyson Williams’s Near Death Experience from COVID on Diabetes Late Nite

“The doctors were having trouble bringing me out of my coma due to COVID, so my angel, Valerie Simpson, told them to play my music in my ear,” confesses the First Lady of Def Jam, Alyson Williams, living with type 2 diabetes, on August’s episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.

“Sure enough, the nurse downloaded my music I opened my eyes and responded to her,” adds Alyson.

We are thankful to share that our friend, Alyson has made a triumphant return to the stage after a near-death experience from COVID. Currently, she’s touring worldwide with saxophonist and flutist Najee supporting their new rendition of Valentine Love which was first released in 1975 featuring Michael Henderson & Jean Carn. 

Hear more of Alyson Williams’s incredible story, her triumphant return to the stage, and “Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” type 1 blogger FatCat Anna‘s account of her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital during the podcast.

Additionally, in August, we’re sharing poetry, an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes, and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive.

As part of my research for August’s podcast, I went to see Barry Manilow perform at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it!! He’s an incredible entertainer. What I loved most was how comfortable Barry Manilow is in his skin. He thoroughly enjoyed performing the songs he’s performed over a thousand times for his devoted ‘Fanilow’ fans like it was the first time!

We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow‘s attitude to their daily lives.

“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.

Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor Fat Cat Anna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music.  Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

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Diabetes Late Nite Podcast Inspired By Barry Manilow

We love Barry Manilow. His classic hits are part of the soundtrack of our lives. We will be featuring his music on August’s Divabetic podcast scheduled for Thursday, August 11, 2022, 6 PM EST. 

“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammys, Tony and Emmy award-winning icon who has 50 Top 40 hits, including 12 #1 singles, and sold more than 85 million albums.

https://youtu.be/AiBGva3dEKk

Poet Lorraine Brooks and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES are back with poetry and practical advice! Plus, the lovely and very talented, real-life DIVA-betic, Alyson Williams joins us to talk about her triumphant return to music after a 2-year health struggle.

And diabetes advocate and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger Fat Cat Anna tells it like is about living with type 1 diabetes and hypo-unawareness. 

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