Mother’s Day – Divabetic

06/16/2022

Mama’s Kitchen Table Enters UK Soul Chart Top 30!

I’m thrilled to announce a song I co-wrote, “Mama’s Kitchen Table” by Ivan Hampden Jr. featuring Paulette McWilliams, entered the UK Soul Chart Top 30 at #15.

Since its release on Mother’s Day, our song has defied all expectations. Paulette, Ivan, and I had no idea people would embrace this song with such enthusiasm. Honestly, our greatest hope was that maybe it would attain 1,000 plays on Spotify. So imagine our disbelief and joy when we found out it surpassed 10,000 plays on Spotify.

“Mama’s Kitchen Table” is about a woman’s desire to find a respectable man she can bring home to her mama’s kitchen table. The heart of the home. The place where her family gathers to mark milestones, celebrate accomplishments, and honor commitments —the one place in the world where she feels comfortable being her true, authentic self.

“Mama’s Kitchen” combines a hypnotizing voice with a retro instrumental bass to create an incredible musical recipe.

“Mama’s Kitchen Table” continues R & B legend Luther Vandross’s musical legacy by uniting his longtime backing vocalist, Paulette McWilliams, his songwriter, drummer, and studio engineer Ivan Hampden Jr. and his long-time assistant, Max Szadek. Luther’s longtime album cover designer, George Corsillo, also contributed the artwork for the single.

As the song continues to surprise us daily, I remember my boss, Luther Vandross. His sudden and devasting stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes impacted how I chose to live my life. I learned an important life lesson from his health tragedy; I don’t take tomorrow for granted. Since 2003, I try to stop and enjoy the moment at the moment rather than hold off for tomorrow. The emotions I am experiencing now are difficult to put into words. I’m surprised and overjoyed by our success. Never in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated co-writing lyrics to a song that would be on the UK Soul Chart!

04/24/202204/24/2022

Divabetic’s Next Baking Party on Zoom – Date Change

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our upcoming Baking Party has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 -8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

We hope you are still able to join us for this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Mother’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe, demonstrates one of her favorite kitchen tools, and shares expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes.

One lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy‘s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawing to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris (The Diabetic Pastry Chef) taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.

“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in a How 2 Type 2 article.

She adds,” To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. Her customers frequently say, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

How it works: Once you register, we will send you the unique code to sign in to our Zoom Video feed. You will need a camera. We’ll all get acquainted and share niceties before the baking demonstration begins.

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated. Paypal Click HERE Paypal

REGISTER NOW

03/18/2022

Diabetic Vs. Person With Diabetes: Language Matters

Language has the power to help or hinder our ability to manage diabetes. For example, choosing words that put people first instead of the stigma associated with diabetes.

“I was reluctant to say that “I was diabetic,” says Lorraine Brooks on Divabetic’s March podcast. “I wasn’t really sure I wanted anybody to particularly know. I don’t think I was embarrassed or ashamed. I just kind of felt like it was something that didn’t really concern anyone.”

Lorraine admits that switching terms made a difference. “I realized I can say, “I’m was somebody living with diabetes” instead of “being diabetic.” And just that little change of “I’m somebody with diabetes” just like “I’m somebody with brown eyes” it’s just a part of myself. It’s just another thing about me. It doesn’t have to have any judgment attached to it whatsoever to me or anyone else.”

Another word in diabetes self-care also under scrutiny is ‘control.’ Instead, the word ‘manage’ is being used more often when referring to blood sugars.

“Yes, it was liberating to use the term, manage instead of control,'” says Lorraine. “I manage my diabetes on a day-to-day basis. And sometimes, even though I’m managing it, it’s still out of control.” Lorraine adds, “So I think managing is what you’re doing if you live with this disease. It doesn’t mean you’re always going to be perfect. It just means your dealing with it to the best of your abilities.”

Hear more of Lorraine’s interview on Divabetic’s March podcast. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, and Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Prince & The New Power Generation’s Love Symbol album courtesy of SONY Music.

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? Join us for Divabetic’s next virtual outreach program.

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr.’s Remedy Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

02/25/202202/25/2022

Divabetic Inspiration: Charlie Wilson

The pandemic has taken a toll on us in so many ways. The stress, anxiety, and financial challenges can lead us to feel isolated and lonely and can have adverse effects on our diabetes wellness. Unfortunately, millions are turning to substances to help them cope. One particular concern is the rising rate of opioid addiction and related deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. Overdoses have also spiked since the onset of the pandemic.

If you need some inspiration to stay on track with your diabetes self-care goals, look no further than R & B legend, Charlie Wilson. He’s not living with diabetes but his remarkable true story of overcoming addiction serves as a powerful testament to the human spirit.

“I hope my own endurance, even during these uncertain times, will be an inspiration for others to have faith and stay hopeful,” says Charlie Wilson told PEOPLE magazine. “This is a season which too shall pass.”

Singer, songwriter, and the former lead vocalist of the Gap Band, Charlie Wilson has been clean and sober for the past two decades. Currently, on tour, he talks openly on stage about his long descent into cocaine, alcohol, and crack cocaine addiction. He ended up homeless, for several years, on the streets of Los Angeles.

“I had sunk so low that people said: ‘He’s done. He’s not coming back. He’s going to end up dead.’ And I started believing it myself,” Wilson said on tour.

He credits his faith, his wife, Mahin, and his cousin, Shirley — a former addict who inspired him to enter rehab — for turning his life around.

As a solo artist Charlie Wilson has been nominated for 13 Grammy awards and 11 NAACP Image Awards (including two wins), received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award and was a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005. In 2009 and 2020, he was named Billboard magazine’s No. 1 Adult R&B Artist, and his song “There Goes My Baby” was named the No. 1 Urban Adult Song for 2009 in Billboard Magazine.

“An addiction is an addiction,” Wilson said. “It can overpower you, (no) matter what lifestyle you have. I’m glad I’m still alive to be able to testify to people.”

Music legend Smokey Robinson teamed up with Charlie Wilson on last year’s Mother’s Day anthem, “On All Of My Love”.

“Working with Smokey fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine,” Charlie Wilson told PEOPLE magazine.

We’re celebrating Mother’s Day in a big way at Divabetic. Join us for our upcoming Baking Party on Zoom in April.

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 Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

02/24/202202/24/2022

Meet Divabetic Prize Winner: Sandra Living With Type 1 Diabetes

Our recent Divabetic Baking Party’s Peak 10 Skin giveaway winner, Sandra is a tech-savvy diva who relies on several diabetes self-care tools to live her best life!

“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2006”, says Sandra. “After 6 years of injections, I was put on an insulin pump and then later got a Continuous Glucose Monitor.”

Many people with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps. Insulin pumps work by delivering a basal, or set, rate of insulin through a tube called a cannula.

The insulin pump is attached to a thin plastic tube (an infusion set) with a cannula (like a needle but soft) at the end of which insulin passes. This cannula is inserted under the skin, usually on the abdomen. The cannula is changed every two days. Your doctor works with you to determine the amount of insulin needed each day. Insulin pumps can also deliver an insulin bolus.

A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a wearable sensor that automatically measures glucose levels 24 hours a day. A thin, disposable needle called a sensor stays under your skin. The sensor is removed and changed every few days. Glucose readings are provided at specific intervals, every five minutes or so. It also shows how your glucose levels are trending in the form of a trend arrow. You can tell if your glucose level is rising or dropping and treat yourself accordingly.

“My current pump communicates with the CGM and automatically adjusts my insulin when my glucose readings are out of range, she adds.

“Thank goodness for technology! It has made my diabetes easier to manage, and I can be more discreet. (no more finger sticks or insulin syringes!).”

Since Sandra participated in our Baking Party, we asked her about her sweet tooth.

” I still watch what I eat (I read the nutrition label for everything I eat) and take the dog for walks twice a day (4 miles total), but I do NOT deprive myself of dessert.”

We love her attitude!

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?

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

02/16/2022

Join Us For Divabetic’s Mother’s Day-Themed Baking Party in April

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 Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

One lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Arthel Neville Design’s‘ Tote Bag, Dr. Remedy‘s Enriched Nail Care products, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawing to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

She adds,” To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated. Paypal Click HERE Paypal

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