Once In A Blue Moon Program Recap & Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic presented Divabetic’s Once In a Blue Moon program on Zoom. This free, fun-filled, informative hour of diabetes outreach featured presentations from Maryann Nicolay MEd, NDTR, Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller.

Wendy Satin Rapaport, aka The Diabetes Psyche, shared strategies to help us overcome negative feelings related to judgment and stigma. Dr. Wendy encourages us to use a technique called positive reframing. Positive reframing involves thinking about an adverse or challenging situation in a more positive way. Rather than contemplating feelings of frustration and helplessness, look at your situation with fresh eyes. For example, instead of saying, “I’d did something bad,” when looking at the number on your glucose meter, say, “Oh, this is helpful information.” Suppose you’re in a situation you truly can’t change. In that case, you can reframe your thoughts and change how you feel about it by finding benefits in the situation you face. She also encouraged us to find humor in our daily diabetes lives. When you’re looking for benefits, it doesn’t mean you gloss over negatives; you simply notice positives as well and focus on them.

MaryAnn Nicolay spotlighted the benefits of adding winter squashes (butternut, acorn, pumpkin, and spaghetti) to your meal plan. Winter squashes contain LOTS of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. In addition, they can promote heart and eyes health, lower risks of some cancers, and help with high blood pressure. 

Below is the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup recipe from MaryAnn Nicolay’s presentation.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe from Robin Blair-Ackinson MPH

Ingredients

2 Butternut Squash, medium

2 Granny Smith Apples

2 cups Vanilla Almond Milk (or Soy Milk)

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp Ground Ginger (optional)

Directions:

  1. Peel and dice squash and apples
  2. Season squash with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
  3. Roast squash and apples on a roasting pan for 40-45 minutes in a 425-degree oven
  4. Heat milk to just below boiling
  5. Place squash and apples in a blender.  Slowly add milk.  If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little vegetable stock.
  6. Return to pot and add spices.  Simmer until hot

Makes 6 servings. Recipe by Robin Blair-Ackinson, MPH Cooking with C.A.R.E Unlimited. All rights reserved

Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller helped us to determine which style and type of blue jeans work with our figures. The blue circle is a symbol for World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2021. In addition, the blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

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?

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hosts this free, fun Virtual Holiday-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 2021,  7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a holiday Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in your favorite holiday recipes.

Over 120 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party 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 traditional bakery items.

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Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

If you’re like me, you buy pumpkins to carve, not to eat. However, pumpkin is low in calories and rich in beta carotene (a powerful antioxidant), making it a great addition to your breakfast menu!

Enjoy this sugar-free pumpkin pancake recipe from our good colleague and special guest on December’s Baking Party on Zoom, Stacey Harris, aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef.’

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp dry sugar substitute

1 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

2 large eggs

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp molasses

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions 

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.

Drop batter onto a hot greased griddle or skillet. Flip pancakes when the edges turn brown. Serve with canola butter or butter and top with sugar-free syrup.

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ has created a simple four-part substitution system that turns any decadent dessert into a diabetic-friendly delight. Learn more about The Diabetic Pastry Chefs Book available on Amazon.

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 Holiday-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

 

A Christmas Peril Debuts on Thursday, September 30, 2021

Join us for Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril, scheduled for this Thursday, September 30, 2021, at 6 PM, EST.  This year’s live mystery drama stars 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.

Here’s a Short Synopsis:

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 along with 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 a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.

In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ 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 that they teach.

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

Divabetic’s Biggest Virtual Program Ever!

Thank you to our special guest Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ for joining us for last night’s Divabetic Zoom program. It was our largest virtual program to date! Over 50 people enjoyed watching Stacey demonstrate her popular Sugar-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe, share expert baking tips, and answer questions about making over traditional dessert recipes with less sugar and carbohydrate but still packed with great flavor!

One lucky guest, Fran C. from New York City, won a fantastic Splenda Gift Basket.

Register now for Divabetic’s Holiday Baking Party with the Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 2021, at 7 PM, EST.

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Don’t miss Divabetic’s Annual Mystery Podcast, ‘A Christmas Peril’, on Thursday, September 30, 2021, 6 PM, EST.

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 along with 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 a 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’ 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 that they teach.

LISTEN NOW

Win A Splenda Gift Basket at Divabetic’s Baking Party on Zoom!

Win a Splenda Gift Basket at Divabetic’s free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” on Thursday, September 23, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom. No purchase is necessary. 

Splenda Sugar Blend and Brown Sugar Blend Sweeteners each contain pure sugar (sucrose) and Splenda Original Sweetener (sucralose). These products provide functional properties for your baked goods (such as browning, volume, texture, and moisture retention) with only half the calories and carbohydrates of sugar.

Splenda Original Granulated Sweetener can be used for baking and cooking. It measures and pours just 1-to-1 like sugar. 1 cup of Splenda Original Granulated Sweetener is equal in sweetness to 1 cup of sugar.

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry’ plans to demonstrate one of her favorite sugar-free recipes, answers your questions, and provide tips for baking with popular sugar substitutes, and other sugar alternatives including Splenda.

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.”

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

Enjoy our exclusive interview with Angela Bofill on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.With her strong, distinctive alto, Angela Bofill carved a niche as an outstanding interpreter of soul ballads and became a mainstay on the Quiet Storm radio format. Angela Bofill suffered two strokes but neither stroke could take away her positive, humorous personality and her fighter spirit.  Podcast guests: Angela Bofill, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, San Francisco & Palm Springs drag performer Mutha Chucka, and Evetta Petty from Harlem’s Heaven Hats.

Join Us For Divabetic’s Baking Party with Stacey Harris aka “The Diabetic Pastry Chef”

90+ People have already registered, how about you? Join us for Divabetic’s largest diabetes outreach of 2021.

Register now for our free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” on Thursday, September 23, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

Stacey plans to demonstrate one of her favorite sugar-free recipes, answers your questions, and provide tips for baking with popular sugar substitutes, and other sugar alternatives including Splenda.

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.”

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

Famous Pie Crust Cookies

These famous Pie Crust Cookies are insanely good! They’re perfectly proportioned bites of pie in a cookie! Each bite delivers a flaky crust, a heavenly layer of pie filling ( I tried blueberry lemon and strawberry rhubarb), and buttery caramelized streusel. I discovered them on the Upper Westside after a power walk across Central Park. 

I read on their website that Pie Crust Cookie owner, Janie, spent years struggling with addiction and homelessness in her early 20’s.  At a time when Janie had no self-love, seeing the looks on people’s faces when they devoured her treats slowly filled her with pride that she had never before felt. Janie says “I never intended to be a small business owner, had no idea what being an entrepreneur meant but this path chose me and it’s the most amazing ride”.

The website also mentions that Janie is a Food Network Chopped Sweets Champion, the recipient of Pepsi’s “Stacy’s Rise Project” grant and scholarship to the International Culinary Center’s Culinary Entrepreneurship Program, and she was also a finalist on the 2018 Culinary Voice Scholarship Contest.

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 the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, September 23, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef will prepare a Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for using sugar substitutes in your favorite recipes.

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.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

Divabetic® (divabetic.org) is a national nonprofit diabetes outreach organization committed to changing attitudes in people at risk, affected by and living with diabetes. We strive to encourage prevention, early action, and above all, education. Check out our free monthly podcasts and our free Zoom outreach programs.

 

 

 

 

 

Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril

Join us for Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast: A Christmas Peril scheduled for Thursday, September 30, 2021, 6 PM, EST.

The holidays are full of surprises after Mr. Divabetic becomes the new pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home. 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. So despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic, our team of amateur sleuths, and his overly protective mother must set out to find the real culprit. Or will his name end up on a lethally naughty list?

This year’s Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril is based on the real-life story of 36-year-old Kevin Houdeshell who 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 die alone in his apartment.

Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy with the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation, what happened to Kevin doesn’t have to happen to anyone else in several states. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached. States that have passed Kevin’s Law include Ohio and Florida in 2016; Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin in 2017; Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee in 2018; and Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia in 2019. In many states, votes in favor of the legislation were unanimous.

Starring Mr. Divabetic. Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Nicolay  BA, DTR, Catherine Schuller, Terri Seidman, Wendy Radford, Seveda Williams, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, and Trisha Artman.

 

We’re Coming Around Again with Carly Simon on October’s Podcast 2021

We’re talking about the new FreeStyle Libre 2 App, Sleep Apnea, CPAP machines, and a new line of make-at-home baked good mixes, TruEats, designed for diabetes lifestyles with musical inspiration from Carly Simon.

  • The FreeStyle Libre system measures glucose levels through a small sensor — the size of two stacked quarters — applied to the back of your upper arm. It provides real-time glucose readings for up to 10 days, both day and night.

https://youtu.be/QKi5T4uTGXk

  • Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure.
  • TruEats Baking Mixes have 1g of Sugar or Less + Complex (Good) Carbs for great-tasting, steady energy that’s diabetic friendly. Nutritious alternatives for the modern, health-conscious consumer.

 

 

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Grammy winner Carly Simon was one of the most prominent singer-songwriters in the 1970s. She has recorded over 30 albums, won two Grammies and an Academy Award. Her music has given a voice to the experiences and desires of women who came of age in the 1960s. Carly Simon managed to accomplish her dreams by overcoming severe stuttering and painful migraines to achieve her success. When I was a young child,” Carly Simon has revealed, “I had a stammer. And the only time it went away was when I sang. One day, my mother said to me, ‘Don’t speak it, sing it.’ And that’s what I did.”

Guests include Marten Carlson, Surinder, and Daven Kumar, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

October’s Divabetic podcast features music from Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again album courtesy of SONY Music. The title track is in Mike Nichols’ 1986 film Heartburn, and Let The River Run, from Mike Nichols film, Working Girl, won Carly Simon the Best Original Song Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

Diabetes Retinopathy: Diagnosis To DIVA!

The reigning Royal Ms. Plus U.S United, Andrea Sledge shares what it’s like to experience Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic Retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels. It damages blood vessels in the retina and causes vision loss. So it’s essential to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Diabetic retinopathy may not have any symptoms at first — but finding it early can help you take steps to protect your vision. 

We’re talking with two leading doctors (an Optometrist and a Retina Specialist and Surgeon)and two diabetes advocates about eye health and vision loss related to diabetes on Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from TLC. 

Podcast guests include Sherrol Reynolds M.D. (Associate Professor and Chief of Advanced Ophthalmic Care at the Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, President of the National Optometric Association (NOA)), Rishi Singh, M.D. (Retina Specialist and Staff Surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic), Andrea SledgeNatalie Karabel, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Hosted by Max’ Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.

 

Please join us for Divabetic’s free Baking Party with  Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ on Thursday, September 23, 2021, 7-8 PM. Stacey will be sharing tips for how to cut back on the sugar in recipes, using sugar substitutes and alternative flours, and cutting back on the carbs without losing any flavor, and demonstrating one of her most popular Sugar-Free baking recipes.

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