From time to time, podcast listeners ask me who plays ‘my mother’ on Divabetic’s mystery podcasts. The talented actress playing “Mama Rose Marie” is my actual mom. It’s a blessing that she participates every year. She’s a good sport too.
Our mystery podcast storylines routinely put her in dangerous situations to rescue me. She’s escaped prison, shook her shimmy in a Coney Island burlesque show, hit glass-shattering high notes in Christmas carols like Celine Dion, and dressed up as a pirate, ninja, and snow leopard. Once, she was even knocked unconscious by a deranged scientist who impersonated her in an attempt to get me to endorse a ‘magic pill’ for curing diabetes. Thankfully, she woke up in time to kick his butt and save me from jeopardizing my reputation.
In reality, my mom has been with me every step of the way on the Divabetic journey and I couldn’t be happier. She sold the first “Divabetic” t-shirt in Columbia, SC, in 2003. She was a National team member of our signature Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetesoutreach program, worked backstage on the national TV show, dLife, demonstrated How to Prada Your Pineapple on several local TV shows, judged Divabetic’s Hat Boxing Competition, beautifully decorated our healthy Halloween program, The Broomstick Bash, and much much more over the past nineteen (!) years of outreach.
I love my Mom. Thank you, thank you! You have given my mom and me so many wonderful and magical memories. Working side-by-side with her to present diabetes outreach diva-style has brought me joy, enriched my life, and made me a better person.
I hope you will tune in to this year’s mystery podcast to find out what trouble my mom gets in to save me! I wish everyone could have a mom like mine; if you don’t, let us team up with you so we can stay happy and healthy together.
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.
There are only three more rehearsals before our live performance premiere of Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM EST. My work and friendship with health guru, High Voltage to help NYC girls at risk to get their energy up and their weight down inspired our story. Voltage believes exercise and healthy eating doesn’t have to be dull or feel like drudgery. She uses games, prizes, disco music, glow stick, and rhinestones to boost people’s self-confidence. She also wrote Sugar Savvy Solutionto help people become ‘sugar savvy’ by adhering to the American Heart Association‘sguidelines for limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories daily.
Here’s a quick synopsis of Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu: 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.
“There are so many things you have to watch,” actress Delta Burke told Diabetic Living. “It’s a lot of searching, and it can be tedious, but you just have to stick with it.”
The Emmy-nominated actress is best known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in Designing Women. She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 41, while she struggled with her weight and depression.
Delta told Eating Well Magazine that she’s learned how important it is to find a doctor you can trust — one who will take the time to explain. And she acknowledges that the road to managing diabetes is frustrating at times.
Delta began to lose some weight through diet and exercise, but it was slow going until she realized she had to change her mindset.
“I was telling myself that I was a bad person because I couldn’t lose the weight fast enough,” she says. “I decided to stop beating myself up and started to give myself credit for maintaining weight.”
Delta often struggled to find flattering and comfortable fashions in plus sizes, so she created Delta Burke Design in 1994. Originally, she offered a full line of clothing but now purely focuses on swimsuits and lingerie in sizes 14 to 26.
Divabetic superstar Chaka Khan has released a new song, Woman Like Me. We hope it’s just as successful as her healthy lifestyle makeover after her diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Her new empowering track, Woman Like Me, hints at an earlier classic, I’m Every Woman, which she made famous but with a sharper edge.
A lot of people know about Chaka Khan’s life of excess. The star almost died mixing sleeping pills and cocaine once. She suffered from alcohol addiction until the early 2000s, after which she became sober, but after an injury, she became addicted to painkillers. However, she has been trying to stay clean since 2013 and said, “I call myself an ex-addict.
But not many people know that the star is living with type 2 diabetes. The Queen of Funk’s granddaughter sparked her adopting healthy habits
“I adopted my 10-year-old granddaughter. I have to be there for her. I knew I couldn’t go out like this so I just fasted for, like, a month, then I went vegan and went off meats and all dairy and anything with eyes. If I have a craving for a little baked fish or something, I might eat it. But that’s about it. I’ve mostly been doing a lot of high-protein foods and a lot of vegetables.”
Chaka Khan admits, “I don’t like exercising at all. I guess if I had one (exercise) of choice, it would be walking. I do not run, and I’m losing, like, on average, about five pounds a month. I’ve lost 60 pounds.”
Slimmed-down superstar diva Chaka Khan is inspiring this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast. Mr. Divabetic’s guests including Chaka Khan’s former bandmember and producer, Ivan Hampden, Jr.,Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Pam Butler MS, CDCES, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDCES, CDN, Holly Clegg who is the author of six cookbooks including ‘Kitchen 101’Mama Rose Marie and real-life diva, Ginger Vieira, who is the author of ‘Your Diabetes Science Experiment’ and record-setting competitive powerlifter living with type 1 diabetes.
”I’ve been living with type1diabetes for 57 years,” says diabetes advocate, mentor, and blogger FatCatAnna on August’s Divabetic’s podcast. “So I feel like a kid at heart.”
Anna shares what it was like to manage diabetes in the 1960s. “I started with one insulin injection a day. It was pork insulin called NPH.”
It might be hard to imagine that the first insulins developed were from animals. But over the last century, there have been several innovations in insulin therapy, starting with the isolation of insulin and the purification and concentration of animal pancreatic extracts.
The first commercial insulin formulations were made with animal insulins, primarily beef and pork insulins, which had PK and PD properties similar to human insulin. However, a common problem with animal-source insulins was the formation of anti-insulin antibodies, leading to lipoatrophy and insulin resistance in many patients. Processing techniques were developed to purify active insulin. By 2006, the manufacturing of pork insulin (Iletin II) for human use was discontinued.
Today’s insulins include insulin mixtures, concentrated insulins, and insulins with alternate routes of administration, providing a wide array of options for people with diabetes.
Not only have insulin formulations changed over the past fifty years but so has
diabetes self-care management. By the 1960s, the development of urine strips for detecting blood sugars and the single-use syringe allowed faster and easier insulin therapy options. This was still a far cry from today’s self-care tools. Specifically, the invention of the blood glucose monitor for home use, something we take for granted, was still several years away.
“Back then, I just did a jab in the morning,” says Anna. “Then, I had to eat like a soldier at 8 AM, 12 PM, little snacks in between, and so on.”
Fifty-seven years later, her curious mind keeps on top of all the new forms of insulin therapy and technology today.
“I like to learn all kinds of new and different things in technology,” she adds. “Now, I’m using a CGM (continuous glucose monitor). That’s a game-changer for anyone who is on insulin. The fact that gives you insight into what’s happening and warns you when you’re going high or going low helps you use your insulin properly.”
Hear FatCatAnna‘s full interview using this link on Blog Talk Radio using the player below:
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 singer, and songwriter 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.
As we prepare for the debut of Divabetic’s newest mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, 2022, we’re re-releasing our past mystery podcasts.
One of my favorites is Divabetic Mysteries: Suspect Boulevard, loosely based on the iconic film Sunset Boulevard starring Gloria Swanson.
Suspect Boulevard’s plot involves dogs, dementia, diamonds, and diabetes and pits two celebrity sisters against each other. One sister is an actress, and the other is a best-selling author, similar to the real-life Collins sisters.
This special mystery theater production is loosely based on Billy Wilder’s film, Sunset Boulevard. Our cast includes Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, ‘We Are Diabetes’ organization founder, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, Chef Robert Lewis, USA Today Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes and Mama Rose Marie.
Throughout the podcast, we will spotlight the wonderful music by the National Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Charles Gerhardt, courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
The final scene is my absolute favorite. If you’re like me and grew up on primetime soap operas like Dynasty, Falcon Crest, and Dallas, you’re in for a treat! Our final scene has all the crazy twists and turns you’d expect from a sudsy melodrama. Enjoy!
Don’t forget to join us for Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast!
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.
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:
EntertainerBarry 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.
