Adopted Dog Sparks 100+ Pound Weight Loss

This past Saturday, I attended Broadway Barks, a free event promoting pet adoption, hosted by Bernadette Peters and Randy Rainbow.

Since its inception, Broadway Barks has helped thousands of NYC shelter animals find permanent homes.

The event prompted me to revisit a past Divabetic podcast with guest, Walking With Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life Author Eric O’Grey, who turned his type 2 diabetes diagnosis around after adopting a rescue dog.

Eric O’Grey’s weight had ballooned to 320 pounds, and he was spending more than $1,000 a month on medications for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol when his naturopathic doctor suggested he adopt a shelter dog.

Eric took that advice, heading to the Humane Society, and adopted an obese middle-aged dog named Peety.

Together, Eric and Peety started walking for at least a half-hour a day. Eric also adopted a plant-based diet. Ultimately Eric lost 140 pounds, and Peety lost 25 pounds.

Hear Eric’s interview on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast.

Podcast guests include Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog, and Scent Detection Expert Debby Kay, Walking with Peety Author Eric O’Grey, Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Yoga for Diabetes’ Author Rachel Zinman, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.

Throughout the podcast, we will feature songs from P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma album courtesy of SONY Music.

Saving A Rescue Dog Triggers Man’s 100+ Pound Weight Loss

“I tried and failed on every diet program ever commercially marketed in the United States,” says Walking With Peety:  The Dog Who Saved My Life author Eric OGrey on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Although it was apparent to everyone else that Eric was morbidly obese, he wasn’t aware of it or his health issues. But by age 51, Eric was 351 pounds with a 52-inch waist, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. He estimates that he was on about fifteen different types of medication. “It was a cruel, gradual, slow process. It’s not like you wake up one day and you’re a hundred pounds heavier than you were the day before. The worse it gets the more you get used to it and it becomes your new normal.”  

Eric admits that one of his biggest problems was that he wasn’t personally involved in his own health. He was taking both metformin and insulin and his A1C was 12. “I didn’t know how my own body worked. I relied upon other people, namely MD’s, to make those decisions for me.” 

Eric turned his diabetes health around after seeking the help of a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Preeti Kulkarni. 

“Dr. Kulkarni put me on a plant-based diet and told me to adopt a dog from my local shelter. I had never had a pet before so I immediately asked her if it was OK if I got a cat instead.” She said, “have you ever walked a cat?”

Eric chose to rescue an obese middle-aged dog. He says, “I thought we’d have something in common.” 

The first time the two went for a walk, they were only able to go about a hundred yards before they had to stop and rest. “I was so out of shape I was out of breath just tying my own shoes.” 

Within three months of a program that consisted of eating a plant-based diet and walking Peety for 30 minutes twice a day, he lost 5 pounds a week, and all of his medical stats improved. His A1c also dropped from 12 to 5. 

Listen to more of Eric OGrey’s transformative story on Diabetes Late Nite with music from P!nk. Other guests include Chilbrook Kennels breeder, author, and diabetes alert dog and scent detection expert, Debby Kay; poet Lorraine Brooks; Yoga for Diabetes author, Rachel Zinman; and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE. Throughout the podcast we feature songs from the P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma album courtesy of SONY Music.

Vitamin D May Slow Down Progression of PreDiabetes & Type 2 Diabetes

Taking vitamin D may help people with prediabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes slow down the progress of the condition according to scientists.

The team of a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology found taking vitamin D improved how insulin worked in muscle tissue after six months. This new evidence supports previous studies which have shown a worldwide problem with vitamin D deficiency, and link the deficiency to an inability to process sugar.

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Diabetes Late Nite inspired by P!nk

Enjoy Divabetic’s 9th Year Anniversary of Diabetes Late Nite Podcasting with musical inspiration from P!nk. Guests include Beyond Type 2’s T’ara Smith, Catherine Lawrence , Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Glamazon Beauty owner Kim Baker, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Hosted by the happiest health care “MC,” Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek. 

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Could You Have Been Misdiagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes?

A recent study in Diabetologia found that 21% of people initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after the age of 30 and treated with insulin actually had type 1 diabetes as reported in diaTribe. A striking 38% of those with late-onset type 1 did not immediately receive insulin – putting them at high risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Of those with late-onset type 1 diabetes, 85% required insulin within one year of diagnosis. Indeed, if insulin treatment is required within three years of diagnosis with type 2 diabetes, there is a high likelihood that a type 1 diagnosis was missed.

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What’s it like to live with type 1 diabetes for 50 years?

Catherine Lawrence shares her experience living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years on Divabetic’s 9th Year Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from P!nk.

P!nk’s new album, Hurts 2B Human features the singer teaming up with Chris Stapleton, Khalid and more on her passionately confessional eighth LP. 

Pink sings “I abhor reality” on the sugary dance song “Can We Pretend” featuring Cash Cash. But when she digs into what’s getting her down, it’s the most brazen and heartbroken she’s ever sounded. On the Sia-cowritten “Courage,” Pink’s voice swings up the scale on its own chandelier. “I don’t have to do this perfectly,” she sings. “Happy” (co-written by Teddy Geiger and Sasha Sloan) reminds us she is also the patron saint of the Missundaztood: “Can somebody find me a pill to make me unafraid of me/ Maybe I’m just scared to be happy,” she sings.

Guests include Beyond Type 2’s T’ara Smith, Catherine Lawrence , Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Glamazon Beauty owner Kim Baker, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Hosted by the happiest health care “MC,” Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek. 

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New Artificial Vision Device Reads Printed & Digital Text Aloud

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, and OrCam Technologies, the world’s most advanced wearable AI-driven artificial vision innovator, jointly announced a cooperative agreement at the NFB’s annual National Convention that will help empower blind and low vision Americans to achieve increased independence.

Diabetic retinopathy affects blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue called the retina that lines the back of the eye. It is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age adults. 

Wireless, lightweight and compacted into the size of a finger, the pioneering technology of the AI-driven OrCam MyEye 2 artificial vision device discreetly reads printed and digital text aloud – from any surface – in real time.  The OrCam speaks the text aloud making newspapers, books, computer and smartphone screens, restaurant menus, labels on supermarket products and street signs become immediately accessible. The OrCam can also identify various products, US currency, credit cards, and even faces.

OrCam comes in two versions: OrCam MyEye, which is priced at $3,500, andOrCam MyReader, which costs $2,500. Let’s take these configurations one by one, describing what they can and can’t do.

July’s Diabetes Late Nite Podcast with music from P!nk

Catherine Lawerence shares her experience of living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years and being diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy on July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from P!nk.

Additional podcast guests include Beyond Type 2’s T’ara Smith, Catherine Lawrence , Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Glamazon Beauty owner Kim Baker, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Hosted by the happiest health care “MC,” Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek. 

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Enter Our Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics Giveaway on Diabetes Late Nite

We’re excited to announce a Special Divabetic Giveaway in celebration of our 9th Year Podcasting Anniversary. We’re teaming up with Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics to giveaway a Lip Gloss, Lipstick and Mascara.

Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics founder, Kim Baker is a New York-based commercial makeup artist and former Wilhelmina Model who specializes in working with celebrities and models. Kim’s unique background and approach to beauty is what sets her apart from her peers. For 20 years, Kim was in front of the camera, beginning as a size 4 model and then in the early 90s became what was considered one of the pioneers in the plus size industry.

Kim learned early on the power of great makeup and a great makeup artist; so, when she met a makeup artist who was just starting her own line, and shared her philosophy about makeup, “Don’t fall into trends-just play up your best features!”

Glamazon Beauty is a cosmetics color line that emcompasses the beauty of all women! Glamazon Beauty focuses on the lightest of porcelain to the deepest of ebony skin tones and all the shades in between.

Divabetic & Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics Giveaway

All correct answers to question above will be entered in our random drawing. Winner will be announced on-air during our 9th Anniversary Podcast Special tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 9, 2019, 6 PM, EST.

E-mail answers: mrdivabetic@gmail.com. GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS!

Join us for Divabetic’s 9th Year Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite Podcasting Celebration with musical inspiration from P!nk.

P!nk’s new album, Hurts 2B Human features the singer teaming up with Chris Stapleton, Khalid and more on her passionately confessional eighth LP. 

Pink sings “I abhor reality” on the sugary dance song “Can We Pretend” featuring Cash Cash. But when she digs into what’s getting her down, it’s the most brazen and heartbroken she’s ever sounded. On the Sia-cowritten “Courage,” Pink’s voice swings up the scale on its own chandelier. “I don’t have to do this perfectly,” she sings. “Happy” (co-written by Teddy Geiger and Sasha Sloan) reminds us she is also the patron saint of the Missundaztood: “Can somebody find me a pill to make me unafraid of me/ Maybe I’m just scared to be happy,” she sings.

Guests include Beyond Type 2’s T’ara Smith, Catherine Lawrence , Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Glamazon Beauty owner Kim Baker, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Hosted by the happiest health care “MC,” Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek. 

TUNE IN

Don’t Get Hoodwinked by Chocolate That’s Pink!

Barely a day goes by without my social media feed buzzing over the miraculous powers of some type of chocolate. Most recently, I’ve been bombarded by the news of the new KitKats coated in the pink-tinged, berry-like chocolate (Ruby Chocolate) offered in Japan. This pink Kit Kat is made from ruby cocoa beans without the addition of any coloring or flavoring and is being hailed as the first new type of natural chocolate to appear in over 80 years.

What’s the deal? Is this legitimate claim or just another example of the manufacturers enticing us to buy their food products without regard for our diabetes health?

I reached out to Virginia-based Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, author of ‘The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition’ to help make sense of this new Kit Kat’s health claims regarding Ruby Chocolate. Here’s our interview:

Q: Is this ruby chocolate healthier than dark chocolate? Why or why not?

JW: There’s not much information available about the nutritional composition or the flavanols in ruby chocolate. Because the processing is different and the beans may also be different, I would have to assume that there are differences among ruby chocolate and a flavanol-rich dark chocolate. I just can’t guess what they are.

Q: What advice can you offer someone living with type 2 diabetes about adding this Kit Kat as a snack to their meal plan? 

JW: Treat this like any other indulgent food. Work in the calories, carbs and saturated fat. You’ll need to swap this food for another. The best way to know how any food – indulgent or not – affects your blood sugar is to measure your blood sugar before eating and again about 2 hours later.

Q: Is this Kit Kat bar or any other chocolate a good way to treat a low blood sugar?

JW: Only if that’s your only option. I’ve known some people who say they actually look forward to having low blood sugar, so they can eat chocolate bars or other desserts. This just isn’t a good idea though. The quickest way to restore blood sugar levels is to consume something like glucose tablets, table sugar or fruit juice. Another big advantage is that glucose tablets or something similar provides many, many fewer calories and no unhealthy saturated fats. Here’s a good intro to treating low blood sugar levels: http://www.joslin.org/info/how_to_treat_a_low_blood_glucose.html

Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, author of The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition, is your resource for all things nutrition, food and diabetes.

The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers bite-sized nutrition tips for busy people looking for solutions to their everyday food and nutrition problems. This book is filled with diet strategies for weight loss and overall better health that can help anyone, on any schedule, eat and feel better. Meant to be picked up and read piecemeal, every page is packed with interesting tips designed to improve nutrition and relieve stress and guilt. Healthier habits can fit with any schedule!

Whether she’s speaking, writing, chatting on social media, appearing on TV or working with individuals, Jill’s candid and energetic approach appeals to busy people, and her sound nutrition and fitness advice gets results. In fact, her appreciation for science and ability to translate science into actionable information earned her a place in US News & World Report’s 10 Dietitian’s You Need to Follow on Social Media.

Jill Weisenberger‘s specialties include weight control, heart health, diabetes, pre-diabetes, wellness and nutrition for people with hectic lives. She’ll make nutrition science understandable, realistic and oh so delicious.

Tune in to January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast available on demand, at any time, using this LINK.  We’re taking about ‘MINDFULNESS’ with musical inspiration from Pink. Guests include Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, ‘Walking with Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Yoga for Diabetes’ Author, Rachel Zinman, and  the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the P!nk’s ‘Beautiful Trauma’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

‘Disconnect’ by Poet Lorraine Brooks

Connected, injected, collected, in touch,
Devices are sometimes a need or a crutch.
If I find myself in the mall with no phone,
I suddenly feel afraid and alone.

With all this technology right in our hands
It increases pressure and makes more demands.
I’m beeping, and buzzing, and vibrating too,
They tell me the traffic and tell me what’s new.

Weather, and movies, and amber alerts,
Baseball and football and music concerts.
I have the world in my pocket at will,
But often I feel that I’m out of it still.

There’s hazards to all of this need to be known.
There’s risks to,our health, as studies have shown.
The false sense of intimacy when we’re online
Is making connections that aren’t genuine.

There’s many days when I just put down my screen,
And those are the times when I feel most serene.
I put up my boundaries, turn off the sounds,
And try to connect with the peace to be found.

We all need alone time, to take care of us,
Time away from the hustle and fuss.
My message is always essentially this…
Take care of YOU FIRST, And don’t be remiss.

Don’t allow,life to just fritter away,
And turn off your phones for a part of the day!

Poet Lorraine Brooks reads her poem, ‘Disconnect’ on January’s Diabetes Late Nite with music from P!NK. We’re talking about ‘Mindfulness & Diabetes’ with guests: Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, ‘Walking with Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Yoga for Diabetes’ Author, Rachel Zinman, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE. Throughout the podcast we’re spotlighting songs from P!nk’s album, ‘Beautiful Trauma’ courtesy of SONY Music.  LISTEN NOW

https://youtu.be/btWXFB6L4IA