I’m fed up with the way I look, I’m fed up with being unhealthy. This is the year I’m doing it,” admitted late-night TV host James Corden who struggled with his weight for a long time.
The Emmy Award winning actor shared his weight loss goals in an emotional video posted to the WW YouTube Page.
“I’ve realized that every year for the past decade — probably even 15 years — on January the 1st I’ve told myself and anyone that would listen that I’m going on a diet, I’m going to lose a load of weight,” the new WWspokesperson said.
He said he hasn’t had much success with diets in the past. He’s hopeful that this time will be different. He said his son, Max, 9, is a major source of inspiration.
He goes on to mention that he believes that WW has the tools to make him fulfil his resolution for this year. With James Corden’s weight loss goal, the company is also giving away a hundred of thousands of memberships.
Five weeks after starting the program, James Corden said he’s lost 16 lbs.
“And I’ve been doing some exercise, which I hate. I just can’t bare it, so I’m using the word ‘hate’. But my wife is so good at it.”
During James Corden’s YouTube interview, Oprah Winfrey said, “WW is all about making yourself more aware of what you are eating and taking responsibility for that.”
Tune in To Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring Mila Clarke Buckley ‘The Hangry Woman’, Sex Therapist Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDCES, FAND, and Bella Krueger and music from Celine Dion’s ‘Falling Into You’album.
Love New Recipes?
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Zoom on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST. Jill shares her favorite quinoa recipes with us!
Dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen admits she wasn’t surprised she was diagnosed with prediabetes, even though she’s been active throughout her life.
“When I found out late, this past summer, it was not a surprise. I was kind of expecting that it might happen,” Debbie Allen told MadameNoire magazine.
Her father lived with type 2 diabetes and several of her family members died from complications of the same disease. “It’s in my DNA and it’s in my children’s DNA, so they need to know. I believe, again, that information is power,” she said.
As a child, Allen’s father encouraged her to keep dancing to prevent her from developing type 2 diabetes. One of her biggest challenges in managing her prediabetes has been making herself her top priority.
“I’m so busy and I don’t think about myself. And that’s been my biggest problem. I’m always last on my list. I have two grandchildren now and my husband, my son, my daughter and I have all these beautiful young people that I’m mentoring.”
Debbie Allen also admits that she isn’t as active today as she once was, when she was dancing 7-8 hours a day.“I’m directing, administering, I’m looking at film. I’m teaching my live IG class. But my physical life has changed a bit because of my career.”
Debbie Allen has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness about the link between type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, Divabetic encourages you to talk to your health care professional about steps you can take to prevent it from becoming type 2 diabetes.
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Zoom on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST. Jill shares her favorite quinoa recipes with us!
Are you frustrated or confused about what to eat for type 2 diabetes?
Enjoy this exclusive interview with nationally recognized Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND about what to eat for type 2 diabetes.
Q: A lot of people with type 2 diabetes are fearful of working with Registered Dietitians because they believe they will tell them that they can’t eat any of the foods they enjoyed before they were diagnosed. What is your philosophy?
Jill Weisenberger (JW): I had all the bad habits. Eating large portions, going from one junk food to another to “get it out of my system and start fresh tomorrow,” berating myself for my apparent lack of willpower – I did it all. I’ve managed my weight for a very long time now by adopting a more suitable frame of mind. I treat myself with more kindness, and I don’t look at food as good or bad. I’ve figured out how to treat myself daily and still have a terrific diet. It was a long process, but I’m happier, healthier and have tons more energy.
JW: Although it looks like an e-book and it’s 80-some pages, I think of it more as a course for people new to or struggling with food choices for type 2 diabetes. I see people so confused and frustrated. They tell me they eat the same things over and over because they don’t know what else is “safe” for them to eat. Or they tell me they stay hungry all the time. And when we get into longer conversations, I often see that they think they know how food affects their blood sugar levels, but they’ve got some very fundamental misunderstandings. I wanted to create a guide that people could use in a stepwise fashion to move from the very basics of how food affects blood sugar – to what my food choices are doing – to how to count carbs and how to plan meals even if I’m the only one with diabetes.
JW: This guide is similar to how I might structure my appointments with clients. The first module is all about blood sugar management with lessons on carbohydrates, snacking, meal planning, carb counting, label reading. It has worksheets to help the reader figure out their usual portions and most common foods with carbohydrates. There’s even practice for meal planning and carb counting and charts with helpful info. The lessons in the second module cover the big picture of healthy eating with emphasis on heart disease and cancer prevention. There’s also a chart of healthy food swaps, among other things.
Sign up now for Divabetic’s free Diabetes Virtual Cooking Partywith Jill Weisenberger on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST on Zoom.
This year, Divabetic (Divabetic.Org) celebrates sixteen years of diabetes outreach with style!
Divabetic was inspired by the late R&B legend, Luther Vandross, and founded in 2005 by his long-time assistant, Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek. Divabetic, a combination of the word “diabetic” with the letter “V” inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and a positive attitude associated with the great divas Luther loved, like Patti LaBelle.
In 2008, Phyllis Kornbluth shared how her participation in Divabetic’s Support Group meeting at the McBurney YMCA changed her life for the better.
The mission of Divabetic is to transform lives by changing attitudes, boosting spirits, encouraging hope and motivation for those living with, affected by, or at risk of diabetes. Through innovative programs, outreach events, and online communities, Divabetic is a circle of care and support, providing a link between patients and their healthcare teams, translation of clinical speak, and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence.
Today, Divabetic continues to offer diabetes programming with style virtually on Zoom. Why not join us? Isn’t it time you ‘Pass The Boa’ and share your diagnosis to diva story with others living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes?
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST on Zoom.
We strive to help others meet the challenges and opportunities of diabetes care and concerns with a Glam More, Fear Less philosophy so that no one has to struggle alone or in silence.
‘Borderline diabetes’ is a throwback term describing impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance that’s older than Madonna’s song, Borderline, from the 80’s.
Don’t be old school when talking about your diabetes health
Recently the term ‘borderline diabetes’ has been replaced with the term ‘prediabetes’.
Prediabetes is a condition that develops before a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It basically means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but they’re not quite high enough to be considered a sign of diabetes. You may not have a diabetes diagnosis but having prediabetes still puts you at increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke
Approximately 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 84% don’t know they have it.
What are the warning signs of prediabetes?
One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles. Other symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, excess hunger, fatigue and blurred vision.
Remember, borderline diabetes, or prediabetes, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll develop type 2 diabetes. Take small steps to make any healthy changes to your diet or activity habits under the guidance of your healthcare team.
Jody Watley’s ninth solo album, The Makeover features a remake of Madonna’s Borderline.
“It was going to be a remix project. The project evolved and moved away from that, and that really came from doing live concerts, “ Jody Watley told NPR. “And I every now and again would do a cover of a favorite song of mine. And I did a series of shows in San Francisco called Songs in the Key of My Life.”
Let Jody Watley’s version of Madonna’s iconic song, Borderline push you past any hesitations to take this quick prediabetes risk test.
If your doctor is concerned you may have prediabetes, they’ll most likely give you a A1c(hbA1c) test.
HbA1c is an indicator of your blood sugar patterns over the last two to three months, so it’s often a better overall picture than a single fasting blood sugar check. An HbA1c level between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates prediabetes.
“My message would be to never lose sight of who you really are. Because when all is said and done, you have to be able to look at yourself and remember and recognize that, you know, I am who I am,” said Jody Watley.
New reporting indicates that some patients who’ve recovered from COVID-19 are developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes according to Insider.
In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers stated it was “plausible” that COVID-19’s effects on the body’s ability to metabolize glucose could either complicate existing insulin levels or create new issues, leading to the onset of diabetes.
Although some patients already had diabetes and were unaware of it until they were hospitalized for COVID-19, evidence also suggests that COVID-19 might be enough to worsen existing metabolic health issues into full-blown type 2 diabetes according to Dr. Jose Aleman, assistant professor of endocrinology at NYU Langone Health reports Insider.
“Stressful conditions lead to elevated levels of regulatory hormones that raise blood sugar to aid the body in fighting whatever insult it’s facing, such as illness or injury,” Aleman told Insider. “For people with underlying conditions, that can be enough to kick them over the edge.”
Back in April 2020, doctors in Wuhan, China first reported a link between COVID-19 and elevated blood sugar levels.
More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it according to the Centers for Diabetes Control and Prevention. More than 88 million US adults—over a third—have prediabetes, and more than 84% of them don’t know they have it.
Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk?
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, virtual diabetes support event with style. Divabetic’s dynamic diabetes empowerment meeting features a Hat & Face Mask Fashion Show presented by Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner Evetta Petty and a Diabetes Educational Group Activity and Discussion presented by Maryann Nicolay MEd, NDTR on Thursday, February 4, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.
Starbucks announced that the popular Pumpkin Spice Latte is officially coming back today, August 25, for its earliest recorded release day ever!
The drink is back for its 17th year (!!!) and as always you can get it hot, iced, or blended.
Starbuck’s Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte with 2 percent milk and whipped cream is 380 calories, according to Starbucks’ website. This includes 14 grams of fat, 52 grams of carbs and 50 grams of sugar.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends eating no more than 12.5 teaspoons of sugar each day, or about 50 grams (the same amount found in a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte and a 16 oz. bottle of Coke!). You are having a day’s worth of sugar in one drink!
The idea is to limit sugar consumption to 10 percent of a person’s daily total calories. Currently, Americans get about 16 percent of their calories from added sugars on average.
Over time, consistently taking in more sugar will lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood, leading to prediabetes.
Prediabetes means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
A new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that among Americans age 20 and older, as many as 73 million Americans have prediabetes, which is about 1 in 3 Americans! That’s a lot of missed opportunities to prevent diabetes by cutting down on sugar intake.
Help Us Light the Way During National Diabetes Awareness Month (November)
Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Did you know that over 80% don’t know they have it? Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
This November, join Divabetic’s Blue Candle initiative and encourage your friends, co-workers, and family members to be screened for pre-diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a quick, easy online Pre-Diabetes risk test.
Be by their side when they check, and share your experience of living well with diabetes so they can see that living well with diabetes is possible. Together, we can help others come out of the dark, address their diabetes health status, and start living their lives to the fullest.
There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten-time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’ in Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast, Kill Me Madam
But resentment, greed, and Britannia’s bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.
Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police after meeting her just once!
As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster. Now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, too.
Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?
Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.
Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ 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 the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Scavenger Hunt on Zoom, with Special Guest, Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, where everything you need to win is within your own home on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7 – 7:30 PM, EST.
Whether you have had diabetes for a long time or have only recently been diagnosed, having a diabetes management plan and supplies in place are essential for living life to the fullest.
How prepared are you to cope with a diabetes self-care curveball? Hand sanitizer, water bottles, extra syringes and test strips, fast-acting sugars, and measuring cups as well as all the other items to help ease your anxiety are all in play for a fun night of diabetes wellness!
Everyone might think that all smoothies are ‘healthy’ but that’s just a bit of wishful drinking. In reality, many of the most readily available smoothies in America also contain loads of calories, added sugars and carbohydrates.
Find out what types of smoothies and/or smoothie ingredients you should enjoy and which ones you should avoid as we make our own smoothies in our homes during this Zoom Party. It’s a good idea to have a blender, glass, spatula, spoon handy as well as ingredients to make a smoothie.
One lucky Zoom Party participant will receive their pick of one of Jill Weisenberger’s sensational books in our random drawing during this Divabetic outreach event:
Prediabetes: A Complete Guide leads you through dozens of concrete steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.
During this Zoom Party, Jill Weisenberger will be answering your questions about diabetes self-care and nutrition. Here are some ideas for questions to spark your suggestions for tonight:
Q: What’s the difference between juicing and smoothies?
Q: How can I make my smoothie have a thick, creamy texture without adding more calories and/or carbohydrates?
Q: When’s the best time to have a Smoothie (morning, noon and/or night)? Are they good for weight loss?
Q: Should I add protein powder?
Zoom Party Code https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72029469773?pwd=QjljU0hralg0d294czN6VUtYWlpXQT09
Everyone might think that all smoothies are ‘healthy’ but that’s just a bit of wishful drinking. In reality, many of the most readily available smoothies in America also contain the most calories, added sugars and carbohydrates.
We encourage people with diabetes to be mindful of carbohydrate intake in their smoothie, as this is what will directly affect blood sugars, rather than rely on a bunch of fancy terms like ‘superfood’ , ‘green’, and ‘detox’ to quill any suspicions before taking a sip.
Thankfully, our friend, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND agreed to share a few quick facts on smoothies for our Divabetic blog readers prior to our zoom outreach event.
Q: Will fruit smoothies spike blood sugars?
Jill Weisenberger (JW): Anything with carbohydrates has the potential to spike blood sugar levels for people with diabetes, Certainly fruit, especially blenderized fruit, can do that. So the key is what else is in your smoothie.
Q: Jill, are smoothies in general as healthy as most people seem to believe?
JW: Smoothies can be an excellent way to get health-boosting, disease-fighting nutrients from fruits and vegetables. However, the wrong kind of smoothie can be a bad choice for people with diabetes, especially when eating out. There’s an infinite number of smoothies you can make, so each person is bound to find several healthy combinations they like.
Are you wondering if smoothies will spike your blood sugars?
The American Diabetes Association recommends checking your blood sugars one to two hours after you start eating and/or drinking to capture the peak level of your blood glucose.
Keep in mind that blood glucose results often trigger emotions. Blood glucose numbers can make you feel angry, frustrated, and/or blue. Knowledge is power: tracking your blood glucose levels is wonderful tool to see how your diabetes care plan is working, and whether you need to adjust your plan with the help of your healthcare professional.
One lucky Divabetic Zoom Party participant will receive their pick of one of Jill Weisenberger’s sensational books (see below) in the random drawing held at the end of our outreach event:
Prediabetes: A Complete Guide leads you through dozens of concrete steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Jill Weisenberger’s candid and energetic approach and her sound nutrition and fitness advice has earned her a place as one of 10 Dietitians You Need to Follow on Social Media in US News & World Report. Jill offers healthy and delicious recipe ideas and nutrition strategies that are based in sound nutrition science. Whether you’re looking for disease prevention or management, nutritious meals that people actually want to eat, or truths (and myths!) about the latest food trends, get reasonable and realistic tips from expert Jill Weisenberger.
Q: How much is ‘too much’ when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with type 2 diabetes?
Jill Weisenberger (JW): This is way too individualized for me to give you a solid answer. If your blood glucose is in your target range before eating, but above your target range 2 hours after eating, chances are you ate too much carbohydrate. Though it might suggest something else such as taking your medications incorrectly or needing a different dose, or it might even be your blood sugar’s way of reminding you not to miss your usual exercise.
Q: How much is too much when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with pre-diabetes?
JW: People with prediabetes have more flexibility because they are not at risk of having a dangerously high blood sugar level. Instead of focusing on the quantity of carbohydrate, I prefer to focus on the quality of carb-rich foods. Aim to eat fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and other wholesome, nutrient-rich foods.
Q: Are there any carbohydrates someone with pre-diabetes should avoid?
JW: recommend limiting what I call fun foods. For me, that’s chocolate. For someone else, it’s corn chips. If it doesn’t had much to the wholesomeness of your diet, eat just small amounts or skip it completely. It’s almost always reasonable and possible to fit in favorite foods. However, I do urge extra caution around sugary beverages. Sugary drinks, like sodas, sweet tea and lemonade, are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Q: I’ve read that adding walnuts to your meal plan is a good idea. Why or why not?
JW: Love walnuts! And yes, they are a great addition to the diet. They give us omega-3 fatty acids, fibers, phytonutrients and more. Diets with nuts are associated with improved heart and blood vessel health in people with diabetes and in the general population.
Jill Weisenberger’s candid and energetic approach and her sound nutrition and fitness advice has earned her a place as one of 10 Dietitians You Need to Follow on Social Media in US News & World Report. Jill offers healthy and delicious recipe ideas and nutrition strategies and is renowned for disease prevention and management, nutritious, delicious meals, and truths (and myths!) about food trends.
Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes at risk?
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free and entertaining, Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7 PM, EST. This hilarious night of virtual diabetes wellness and conversations features make-your-own smoothies with Jill WeisenbergerMS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND.
Having diabetes does not mean you need to deny yourself all the foods you love, but it is about healthy choices. One good choice is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with smoothies. During our online Scavenger Hunt, Jill shares tips for making healthy smoothies without compromising your diabetes wellness.
How: Mr. Divabetic will have a list of people may find around their kitchen. Once he posts an item you will have 30 seconds to find it and accumulate points for fun prizes including Jill Weisenberger’s Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week bestselling book. After the hunt, we’ll sit back, laugh, make smoothies and enjoy a toast together until we can do it again in person.
We’re talking about “I Know What You Ate Last Summer” with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Diabetes Late Nite with music from ‘The Best Of Patti Austin’ album courtesy of SONY Music. Addtional guests: Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Lorranie Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.
