Senator Mark Rubio Plans To Cut Junk Food And Soda from SNAP

“This subsidization of junk food is fueling American health crises,” Florida Senator Mark Rubio wrote, who plans to introduce legislation that would “explicitly exclude” sugar-sweetened sodas and prepared desserts from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Food and Nutrition Service. He aims to rework the program to push for healthier food options such as milk and pure fruit juice. However, his adversaries argue his intention is strictly to lower government funding. 
 
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, reaching 38 million people nationwide in 2019 alone. More than 65% of SNAP participants are in families with children.  
 
“More than 40 percent of U.S. adults are obese, and roughly half have diabetes or prediabetes. These diseases can be debilitating. They are also extremely expensive, costing hundreds of billions of dollars in medical costs each year,” Rubio wrote. “That SNAP plays a role in their spread is immoral, irresponsible, and reprehensible.”
 
Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% don’t know they have it.
How do you feel about your overall health? Are you aware of your risk of prediabetes?

Could You Have Prediabetes?

Take The Prediabetes Rick Test NOW

Prediabetes means you have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level. It’s not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes yet sufficient to be considered type 2 diabetes yet. But without lifestyle changes, adults and children with prediabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There’s good news, however. Progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes isn’t inevitable.

Eating healthy foods, making physical activity part of your daily routine, and staying at a healthy weight can help bring your blood sugar level back to normal. 

“If soft drinks and sweets are no longer SNAP-eligible, corner stores and supermarkets will have more incentive to stock healthier foods.”
 
The US Department of Health reports calories in sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda can contribute to weight gain and lead to other health risks, including obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

According to a Harvard Medical study, replacing one daily serving of a sugary drink with a healthier beverage was associated with almost a 20% lower risk of death.
Facing your health risks and issues can be scary and overwhelming but there are
Our friend and colleague, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, is an internationally recognized nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes expert. Let her Prediabetes: A Complete Guide help you “reset,” improve your overall health, and get yourself in better shape.

Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition

Jill Weisenberger also offers courses, Prediabetes Turnaround and Prediabetes Meal Planning, to help you build motivation for healthy habits and prevent type 2 diabetes.  

The USDA report  Mark Rubio cites that 20 cents of every dollar spent under the benefits program go toward “sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar.”

 
“There is nothing compassionate or responsible about spending taxpayer dollars on empty calories that contribute to health crises,” Rubio stated.

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade.

Sugar is everywhere. But do we understand the impact it has on our diabetes health?

You may think of sweets, chocolate, sodas, table sugar, and perhaps fruit if asked to name sugary foods. But sugar also appears in savory foods such as ready meals, soups, salads, sauces, and ‘healthy’ foods such as breakfast cereals and yogurt. Furthermore, starches such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes also convert to sugar in our bloodstream, having the same impact on our bodies. These ‘hidden sugars’ can add a surprising amount to our daily intake.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

Divabetic Salad and Salad Dressing Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Jill Weisenberger

If you missed last night’s Salad Making program on Zoom with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, she offered the following advice for anyone facing a weight loss plateau:

1). Learn to love yourself at your current weight
2). Focus on your health habits (Examples” How are you sleeping? Do you exercise regularly? Eating fruits and vegetables? Portion control, etc.)
3). Make a detailed list of what was working for you to begin with, and be honest with yourself. (Examples: Was it portion control? More, or regular exercise?  Were you eating more salads?)

“I actually like people to do this during the weight loss process because most of us tend to underestimate what we’re doing and what aspects are working for us,” says Jill.  “Then when we hit a tough spot, we can look at our list for motivation or a reality check. Maybe you were eating out less when the weight was coming off? Or maybe you were under-eating, and now you can see it’s not a good idea.”

4). Talk to your doctor about medical intervention using medications and/or surgery. using medications, devices, or surgery.

Finally, we tend to SHAME ourselves into getting better, but research proves this approach does not work. Self-compassion is much more effective at helping with blood pressure, weight loss or maintenance, sleep, and diabetes self-management. Be kind to yourself. We believe in YOU! 

Jill Weisenberger

Jill Weisenberger’s Divabetic Salad Recipe features Arugula, Beets, Purple Cabbage, Jicama (a root vegetable that’s low in calories), Garbanzo Beans, Chery Tomatoes, and Avocado.

Divabetic Salad Dressing 

2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon herbs such as herbs de Provance, oregano or Italian seasonings
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons lemon juice (or vinegar)
8 tablespoons high-quality olive oil

Jill Weisenberger’s Tip: When cooked potatoes cool, some of the starch changes and becomes resistant to our digestive enzymes. Resistant starch then doesn’t get absorbed as glucose (so cold potatoes have slightly less calories and contribute slightly less to glucose levels). Resistant starch is food for our good gut bacteria.
Jill Weisenberger is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week is a bestseller and can help you manage your weight and blood sugar at the same time, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers solutions to your everyday food and nutrition problems – no matter how busy you are, 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart gives you specific actions to take to improve your health right away, and her newest book Prediabetes: A Complete Guide featuring dozens of concrete steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Jill Weisenberger’s Stick With It is a self-paced video course that guides you step-by-step to the healthy habits you want. You’ll learn why your motivation and willpower move up and down like a roller coaster and what you can do to keep them up higher and longer!

Need a boost? Listen to Divabetic’s podcast focused on Eye Challenges related to diabetes with music from TLC. 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.

Don’t miss Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast. This year’s A Christmas Peril is based on a real-life story premiering on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 6 PM, EST. Starring Mr. Divabetic. Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle, Maryann Nicolay, Catherine Schuller, Terri Seidman, Wendy Radford, Seveda Williams, Chef Robert Lewis, and Trisha Artman.

COMING SOON

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.

REGISTER NOW

Register Noe For Divabetic’s Free Salad Making Party with Jill Weisenberger

Register now for Divabetic’s free Salad Making Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWWC, FAND on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.  

REGISTER NOW – FREE – CLICK HERE

Eating a salad sounds healthy, doesn’t it? But a leafy green salad can go bad when you pile on the high calorie and high carb toppings, dressings, and other deep-fried offerings. 

How do you make a great-tasting salad without sacrificing your diabetes wellness?

Special Guest, Jill Weisenberger shares 2-3 of her favorite nutrient-dense salad and tasty dressing recipes that you can make at home and answers your nutrition questions.

Nationally recognized Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND. Jill has authored four books. Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week is a bestseller and can help you manage your weight and blood sugar at the same time.

The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers solutions to your everyday food and nutrition problems – no matter how busy you are. 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart gives you specific actions to take to improve your health right away.

And Jill’s latest book 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.

Learn to finally Stick With It and keep your motivation and willpower up for healthy lifestyle habits. Jill Weisenberger’s Stick With It is a self-paced video course that guides you step-by-step to the healthy habits you want. You’ll learn why your motivation and willpower move up and down like a roller coaster and what you can do to keep them up higher and longer.

Jill Weisenberger’s Grated Summer Squash Salad: A New Favorite

“I came up with this simple, pretty, and very tasty summer squash salad,” says Jill Weisenberger. “I’ve tried it with zucchini and with yellow squash, as well as a variety of types of summer squash. Use what you have or what you like best! Feel free to call it zucchini salad, or anything else.”

SEE RECIPE

 

REGISTER NOW – FREE – CLICK HERE

God, Faith And Diabetes

When you’re dealing with diabetes health challenges, do you seek out your doctor or do you say, “it’s in God’s hands” and do nothing?

Many people turn to faith-based ways to manage health and life challenges. Saying “I’m leaving it to God’ is a common way to normalize and cope with challenging situations. It’s been reported that over 300 published scientific studies have demonstrated the medical value of religious commitment (including worship attendance, prayer, scripture study, and active participation in a spiritual community). These benefits include enhanced ability to cope and manage mental illness, chronic illness, pain, and addictions.

Recent research has shown that a large number of women are incorporating spirituality as part of their breast cancer treatment. Spirituality has been defined as a felt connection with a non-mental, non-emotional, and non-physical aspect of being commonly referred to as a ‘Higher Power’ or something greater than the self.

A recent study examined the benefits of prayer in racially diverse breast cancer patients. They found that women who prayed found positive aspects in their experience with breast cancer.

‘Recently, I had the opportunity to visit St. Francis Xavier Church on a trip to Missoula, Montana.

When this beautiful church was built in 1892, it became the largest church in Montana. It is a cruciform church in the Romanesque Revival style. The church also has stained glass windows, a pipe organ, and a massive church bell, Painters of the Italian Renaissance greatly influenced the Turin, Italy, native, who employed many of the same devices used by early Renaissance artists: feathery trees, oval female faces, classical costumes, and painted pilasters.

How Does Faith Help Life With Diabetes?

Mr. Divabetic hosts this episode of Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Country Music Superstar Carrie Underwood.

Carrie Underwood is inspiring us to talk about “keeping the faith and diabetes.” The country superstar and her husband are very outspoken about how important Jesus is in their lives. ‘How do your spiritual values impact your diabetes health? Are your spiritual and religious beliefs and practices harming or helping your daily diabetes routines?  The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to the experts on ways you can keep your faith in your self-care management during your darkest hours and gets a ‘real-life’ perspective on how faith has transformed health outcomes.

In less than 10 years, Carrie Underwood has sold 64 million records worldwide, scored 18 #1 singles, and earned nearly 100 major accolades, including six GRAMMY® Awards.

Carrie Underwood is celebrating the first amazing chapter in her career with the 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville release of Greatest Hits: Decade #1, a 25-song collection that includes such radio staples as “Before He Cheats,” “All-American Girl,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Blown Away,” “See You Again,” and her six-week #1 breakthrough hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” We will be playing selected songs throughout the podcast courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES, Neva White DNP, CDCES, Mama Rose Marie, Poet Lorraine Brooks, and special guest Carrie from New York.

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 Salad Making Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWWC, FAND on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE PROGRAM – REGISTER NOW

 

Don’t Miss Divabetic’s Salad-Making Party with Jill Weisenberger in August

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 Salad Making Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWWC, FAND on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

Eating a salad sounds healthy, doesn’t it? But a leafy green salad can go bad when you pile on the high calorie and high carb toppings, dressings, and other deep-fried offerings.

How do you make a great-tasting salad without sacrificing your diabetes wellness?

Special Guest, nutritionist Jill Weisenberger shares her favorite nutrient-dense salad and tasty dressing recipes that you can make at home and answers your nutrition questions.

Divabetic is committed to making sure that every ‘wellness with a wow’ program event that you register for is going to be great!

Just because something is called a salad on the menu does NOT make it the best choice.

Here are a few tips for making sure your stay on track with your health goals when you eat salad:

  • Reach for darker greens, such as spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, kale, and watercress, instead of iceberg lettuce.
  • Croutons don’t add much nutritional value, but they can add a lot of calories. So if you like a few crunchy toppings, add a tablespoon or two of chopped walnuts or flax seeds.
Nationally recognized Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Author Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND is the author of four books. Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Weekis a bestseller and can help you manage your weight and blood sugar at the same time. The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers solutions to your everyday food and nutrition problems – no matter how busy you are. 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart gives you specific actions to take to improve your health right away. And Jill’s newest book 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.
Learn to finally Stick With It and keep your motivation and willpower up for healthy lifestyle habits. Jill Weisenberger’s Stick With It is a self-paced video course that guides you step-by-step to the healthy habits you want. You’ll learn why your motivation and willpower move up and down like a roller coaster and what you can do to keep them up higher and longer.

Divabetic Reader #2: Nancy Thayer’s Family Reunion

On the heels of reading Viola Shipman’s The Summer Cottage and Nancy Thayer’s Family Reunion books back to back, I noticed two trends. First, readers are obsessed with stories about homes located in idyllic spots like Nantucket and Lake Michigan. Second, authors go to extreme lengths, not to mention the protagonist’s size.

Now, I like nothing more than watching a new homeowner knock down a retaining wall to open up space on HGTV but still, I get easily bored reading about an actual house like its the main character. I imagine that we all have a natural curiosity to know what type of people living in white elephants and cottages on the coastlines of oceans and lakes. Or even in the garden districts of cities like Savannah, Charleston, and New Orleans.  In both novels, the protagonists’ family have owned their property for several decades. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t mind inheriting beachfront property either, regardless of the home’s condition. However, I would hope owning a home wouldn’t be my only claim to fame or strongest personality trait.

Regarding the second issue, the ambiguous shape and size of protagonists in fiction. Several authors have mentioned their publishers have pressured them about the size and shape of the protagonists on Divabetic’s monthly podcast. Publishers either want authors to describe the protagonists in general terms or make their protagonists smaller in shape and size. For example, one author interviewed told me that her publisher forced her to make her size 18 protagonist a size 12. She stated that her publisher didn’t think it was believable for a size 18 woman to have a romantic life.

I admit that I found Viola Shipman and Nancy Thayer’s ambiguous references to their protagonists’ size distracting. Descriptions of both main characters lead the reader to believe their beautiful. Both characters also express their own dissatisfaction with their bodies too. But that’s about the extent of it. Both authors’ avoidance seems downright obvious. So what is the big deal? There are plenty of women who looks like the cast of ‘Sex & The City’ but still manage to have active, fulfilling sex lives.

A widow over seventy starting to date again is an exciting story regardless of her size! However, if I had a clearer picture of what she looked like, I think I would have enjoyed reading more about Eleanor’s dating adventures.

Strangely, there are many mentions of her displeasure with the softness of her upper arms but nothing else.

Eleanor struggles with her energy level, and lack of focus, and coping with financial matters as she ages.

A lot of Family Reunion is about accepting the aging process.  I found these passages to honest and heartfelt. Here’s a quick synopsis:

Eleanor Sunderland loves living on Nantucket, in a gorgeous cliffside home that has been in her family for decades. Yet this year she can’t help but feel a bit isolated, even as the island begins to come alive with summer tourists and travelers. Her best friend has skipped town on a last-minute cruise, leaving Eleanor feeling lonely and nostalgic about her family’s weekend trips to the island, made less frequently in the years since her husband’s passing. Now, her money-driven children contact her mostly to complain and to beg her to sell her beloved home for a steep payout. Hoping to kick the season off on a good note, Eleanor decides her seventieth birthday may be the perfect occasion for a much-needed reunion.

Fresh off the heels of her college graduation, Eleanor’s dear granddaughter, Ari, has just ended an engagement that felt less like true love and more like a chore. She longs for a change of scenery and to venture far from her parents’ snobbish expectations. Taking advantage of her newfound freedom, she heads to Nantucket to clear her head before graduate school, moving in with her grandmother and taking a job at the local beach camp. As she watches Eleanor begin to form a bond with an old acquaintance, Ari herself becomes completely smitten with a friend’s charming older brother. But just as grandmother and granddaughter fall into a carefree routine, a few shocking discoveries throw them off course, and their ideas of the future seem suddenly uncertain.

Eleanor and Ari make exciting connections, old and new, over the course of an unpredictable, life-changing few months, and learn to lean on each other through every new challenge they face in life and love, in this tale filled with Nancy Thayer’s signature Nantucket magic.

Here’s what we were snacking on while reading Family Reunion. Grilled romaine lettuce, with tomato and topped with Tabitha Brown‘s carrot bacon. Added a little olive oil to make a simple marinade for the dressing.

Tabitha Brown is an American actress and social media personality. She creates online video content incorporating veganism, humor, and motivational speaking. Brown has over four million followers on TikTok and over three million followers on Instagram as of July 2021.

Check out Tabitha Brown’s favorite bacon substitute is Carrot Bacon! 

https://www.facebook.com/ActressTabithaBrown/videos/217570532863818/

 

As for her advice for others who are considering starting a vegan diet, Brown recently told our sister magazine Health that “food can be medicine, or it can be the thing that puts us in the ground…You have to start with your ‘why.’ My why was that I was sick. My why was life or death. I chose life,” Brown said. Sure, it will be challenging at first. “Do I still get cravings? Yeah, girl, right now I could see myself dipping a crab leg into some butter. But my why is strong enough. I say: ‘Be easy on yourself. Take your time. Don’t be hard on yourself. The world is hard enough already.'” Truer words have never been spoken, Tab.

 

Grated Summer Squash Salad Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Everything about this wonderful yellow squash salad recipe from Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND  screams summer and fresh. Enjoy!

Grated Summer Squash Salad

Grated Summer Squash Salad Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Ingredients

  • 4 medium zucchini or yellow squash (about 40 ounces untrimmed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces)
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion (about 1 1/2 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (about 1/2 ounce)

FULL RECIPE

Jill Weisenberger Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week

Q: Is Summer Squash high or low in carbohydrates?

Jill Weisenberger: “Summer squash is low in calories and carbs, which makes it a great food for folks with diabetes or those looking to manage their weight.”

 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.

Divabetic Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party

Divabetic Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party: At Home Party – Register Now!

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 Weisenberger MS, 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.  

When: Thursday, June 18, 7PM, ET 

Where: on Zoom Register Now on Zoom Code

Fee:  Totally Free

 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.  

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast

 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.