Divabetic Mysteries podcast,Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu is packed with loads of diabetes information, and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama.
Brief Synopsis: 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, Dave Jones, Catherine Schuller, and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to Wendy Radford.
“Meditation teaches the mind and body to relax”, says Rachel Zinman.
Divabetic partners with Yoga For Diabetes Director & Author Rachel Zinman to present five guided meditations to help you live your best diabetes life.
“Meditation just means concentration,” says Rachel Zinman. “After meditation, you’ve left feeling a sense of peace that can help relieve the stress you may experience from managing your diabetes.
She has been practicing yoga since she was 17. It’s been a natural part of her life ever since. Rachel feels the mind training in yoga has helped her cope with the stress, fears, and anxiety associated with managing diabetes.
Sit somewhere comfortable. You can sit in a chair, on the floor, or on your bed to participate in Rachel’s guided meditation.
Each guided meditation begins toward the end of each podcast episode.
Rachel Zinman leads us in a Hamsa guided mediation. The Sanskrit word Hamsa translates as a swan. In yoga, the word breath is also known as Hamsa. A swan symbolizes the ability to discriminate or recognize the difference between one thing and another.
“Judgement and discrimination are extremely useful when making decisions in our diabetes lives,” says Rachel.
Focusing on our breath can help us visualize something that’s real and tangible. One method of using the breath in meditation is to focus on the mantra hamsa. This meditation comes from the short Hamsa Upanishad, which explains the mystical nature of Hamsa, the inner swan located within all.
Rachel Zinman presents the five-element guided meditation that can be done anywhere. Every sense relates to an element. This meditation minimizes fatigue in the mind and body and can reconnect you to the universal flow of nature. As you read through the prompts, allow your mind to relax so you can experience what is suggested. It’s that simple.
Rachel Zinman helps you to work with your subconscious mind to set an intention for the New Year and visualize a luminous lotus.
Sankalpa mediation helps you set an intention. Sankalpa is the Sanskrit word for intention. San means “to become one with,” and Kalpa means “time” and “subconscious mind. You set the intention through sound, repetition, and breathing. Once you choose a word or phrase to move and support you into the New Year, repeat the word to create a mantra to calm your mind.
You can repeat your Sankalpa to yourself at any time to reconnect with your positive intention.
Feel free to listen to all of Rachel Zinman’s guided meditations anytime you feel stress or tension.
“Usually, my first thought in the morning is, what’s my blood sugar?” says our friend, January podcast guest Rachel Zinman, who has been living with type 1 diabetes for thirteen years. After that, the Yoga For Diabetes author tells herself, “I have to get up, get my meter and check my blood sugar levels.”
Before she adopted diabetes psychologist Mark HeymanCDCES’s “diabetes might be challenging, but I’ve got this” motto, Rachel viewed the numbers on her meter as judgments. Now, she sees her morning blood sugar levels more or less as just numbers. As a result, she doesn’t take them so personally.
“Working with my diabetes educator taught me to manage my diabetes in terms of a balance beam rather than a tightrope,” she admits.
Now, Rachel shifts her mindset when she experiences high and low blood sugar levels. “I don’t think I will fall off a tightrope. I’ve learned I’ve got room to change things and open up my range like I’m on a balance beam. That has really changed how I feel. I feel better. I feel like I have a lot more freedom with food and insulin.”
She confesses she’s blown away that she can enjoy her favorite breakfast food, avocado toast with normal blood sugars!
How about you? What is the first thought of your day?
Rachel joins us on Divabetic’s January podcast to share a guided meditation as part of our new year’s tradition to help center listeners’ minds, bodies, and souls.
Would you like to recharge today? Listen to Rachel’s 2022 meditation. It’s all about invoking sunlight to create a new vision for your diabetes life.
The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge, named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies.
Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic, our team of amateur sleuths, and his overly protective mother set out to find the real culprit in the hopes that his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.
Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story inspired our mystery podcast.
36-year-old Kevin Houdeshell ran out of insulin over the New Year’s holiday in January 2014. He ended up with dangerously high blood sugars that spiraled into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leading to him dying alone in his apartment.
“He was young, fit, healthy. The pharmacy told him his script had expired and we’re sorry, but we can’t give you anymore. He tried three times to call his doctor’s office and, four days later, he passed away from not having his insulin,” Amy Houdeshell told USA Today.
Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.
Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford.
Special thanks to the Houdeshell family, and Pharmacist Mandy Reece PharmD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP.. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons they teach.
New York Times Best-Selling Author Cherry Adair’s brand new T-FLAC novella, RICOCHET, inspires Divabetic’s podcast celebrating National Diabetes Awareness month.
Cherry Adair’s books are just the right mixture of romance and suspense; whether you are reading one for the first time or the tenth, they will keep you hooked from the beginning.
Cherry writes five to seven hours a day, six days a week. When asked why she chooses to write romantic suspense, she says, “Who says you can’t have adventure and a great love life? Of course if you’re talking about an adventurous love life, that’s another thing altogether. Actually, I write romantic suspense with adventure because I like to entertain, and nothing keeps readers happier than a rapid pulse with a happy end.”
Her popular T-FLAC series features the trials and tribulations of an elite anti-terrorist task force. In Ricochet, one of the critical members of T-FLAC is living with type 1 diabetes.
Guests include Cherry Adair, Neva White DNP, CRNP, CDCES, Emily Hiriak RD, CDCES, David Madison, Pam Harrod-Smith, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Lorraine Brooks, Michelle Foster from the American Diabetes Associationin Philadelphia, PA, Mama Rose Marie and special guest, Sharon, who is living with type 2 diabetes.
Ricochet (T-FLAC)
.Ricochet T-FLAC Hannah Endicott’s only purpose for traveling half a world away to Ecuador is to retrieve what her feckless best friend appropriated to invest in yet another bad business venture. Unwillingly drawn into meeting his new associates, she overhears a nefarious plot and instantly goes from irritated to terrified. The right person, in the wrong place, at the worst possible time. . . .When T-FLAC operative Grayson Burke and his team storm the yacht, the last person he expects to find is the woman he stood up at the altar three years ago. Now she’s in his deadly world…On the horns of a life and death dilemma when his brother and the diamonds disappear, Hannah suddenly becomes Gray’s only hope of locating his quarry and retrieving the stolen money. Low on her stock of insulin injections, Hannah’s inability to remain with Gray is rapidly advancing to a critical end. Now his entire world turns into a time bomb ticking away the minutes. Gray must choose between his brother, his mission, and the woman he loves.
We’re talking about mindful eating and coping with diabetes during the holidays on December’s Divabetic podcast with musical inspiration from Leona Lewis.
‘Tis the season for family, festivity, and temptations that may disrupt daily diabetes health routines. That means it’s also the season when eating healthy, staying active, and taking medication on a schedule are harder. The added stress and anxiety of staying on track with your diabetes health may cause even those who are usually content to experience loneliness, anxiety, and a lack of fulfillment.
We also discuss using mindfulness to build a healthier relationship with food this season. It can be easy to get so caught up in celebrations that we lose track of regular, balanced meals that serve us so well the rest of the year.
Paying attention to what, when, and how you eat allows you to better tune in to your body’s true physiological hunger cues and make choices that keep feeling your best.
Studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without diabetes.
Just like denial, depression can get you into a vicious cycle. It can block good diabetes self-care.
“I have a best friend who has severe depression, who takes medication and still struggles, so I know how bad it can be,” says Leona Lewis.
She describes herself as having “highs and lows” brought on by circumstance, not a clinical illness. In retrospect, frustrated and anxious might have been better termed to use, but she declines to dwell on it.
If you are feeling symptoms of depression, don’t keep them to yourself. First, talk them over with your doctor.
Guests include Diabetes Alert Dog expert Debby Kay CDT, CDTA, PDTI, Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDCES, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Janis Roszler RD, CDCES, LDN, Emmy-winning Producer Linda Bracero Morel, Poet Lorraine Brooks, and Mama Rose Marie.
Plus, we’re giving away six months of access to mySugr Pro app in our INSTANT WINNER challenge.
The mySugr app logs important therapy data such as blood sugar, meals, activity, insulin, and much more! Handy features like the Photo Function and entry customization mean you can embrace the wonderful world of data logging and kick old-school logbooks to the curb.
The podcast features music from Leona Lewis’ Christmas, with Lovealbum courtesy of SONY Music.
We’re discussing celebrating the holidays without compromising our diabetes wellness on Divabetic’s Holiday podcast with musical inspiration from Kelly Clarkson.
The holidays are a wonderful time of year when you spend time catching up with family and friends. It’s also a time when there is a lot of focus on food, which can be very stressful if you have diabetes. You want to enjoy the holidays and eat delicious food, but managing your diabetes can pose challenges. With advanced planning and preparation, you can still enjoy holiday favorites without compromising your diabetes wellness goals.
Plan how you will handle meals that don’t align with your regular meal schedule. If you take insulin injections or a pill that lowers blood sugar, you may need to have a snack at your regular meal time to prevent a low blood sugar reaction. Speak to your diabetes care provider before the holidays to best plan how to handle mealtime changes throughout the holiday season.
Find out what you should know about diabetes, including types, symptoms, and causes, and share this information with your friends and family. People are more willing to help when they understand what you’re dealing with and how to help you.
Everyone makes a mistake now and then. It’s important not to judge yourself too harshly and focus instead on getting back on track.
The most important thing is getting back on track with your diabetes self-care goals.
Wrapped in Redquickly becomes a welcome gift to fans of the upbeat pop star and talk show host as Kelly Clarkson mixes classic carols and hymns with several originals co-written by the singer.
Kelly Clarkson’s inspiring us to lend our ‘voice’ to topics such as the link between HIV medications and type 2 diabetes, how the homeless manage diabetes, great gift ideas for loved ones with diabetes, and how you can lose weight during holidays (!) on this podcast. Plus, we challenge one lucky listener’s ‘Diabetes Health IQ’ during Mr. Divabetic’s Wrapped In Red Game segment.
Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Kathy Gold RN, MSN, CDCES, FAADE, Glucose Revival‘s Kris Maynard, Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece, PharmD, CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Maria Sakowitz, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.
Glucose Revival believes you should live your best life. They make products for people with diabetes who suffer from low blood sugars. Their Thrive Glucose Necklace provides 15 grams of glucose in an easy-to-carry, easy-to-find, and easy-to-use form.
Just imagine not worrying about running, biking, swimming, camping, dancing, hiking, skiing, and living without worrying about taking care of the next low blood sugar.
Interestingly, we promoted the first-ever Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease Escape Room Experience, Clued Inn, on this podcast. The program was held on National Diabetes Alert Day (March 26, 2019) in New York City and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
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’sMerry Christmas album courtesy of SONY Music.
Celine Dion said she’s been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. But like a fabulous diva, she has surrounded herself with an entourage of care.
“I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better,” Dion said. “I’m working with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again.”
We urge you to think like Celine Dion about your diabetes wellness. Don’t go it alone. Create your own entourage of healthcare collaborators, friends, and family members to help you manage your self-care and live your best life.
Stiff Person Syndrome, or SPS, is a disease that causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature, or unexpected loud noises,” according to Johns Hopkins, reports USA Today.
The disease is considered to be rare and only affects approximately one in a million people.
In an emotional testimony, Celine shared how her health has been affected by the disease.
“The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” Celine Dion said. “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing; it’s what I’ve done all my life.”
We’re talking about matters of the heart related to diabetes with music from Celine Dion.
Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. The National Heart Association reports 65% of people with diabetes will die from heart disease or stroke. In general, heart disease death and stroke risk are more than twice as high in people with diabetes. However, managing your risk factors may prevent or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.
Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Mila Clarke Buckley, The Hangry Woman, and Bella Krueger.
Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You album, courtesy of SONY Music. We are proud to participate in Diabetes Podcast Week and support the Spare a Rose campaign to raise funds for Life For a Child.
Divabetic’s holiday-themed Mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril, is free on demand.
The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge, named Mr. Pincher, almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies.
A Christmas Peril
Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic, our team of amateur sleuths, and his overly protective mother set out to find the real culprit in the hopes that his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.
Our story was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.
Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford. Special thanks to the Houdeshell family and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir.
In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons they teach.
