“I had a problem that I was kind of embarrassed about,”says Rosie O’Donnell. “I was tossing, turning, and snoring like a buzz saw.”
Every night, millions of people like Rosie miss out on countless hours of sleep because of sleep apnea—and many more cases go undiagnosed!
Many women going through menopause assume they have insomnia, but they may have sleep apnea. Moreover, the two conditions have similar symptoms, including daytime fatigue, mood problems, and decreased work productivity. This is why it’s so important to be tested for sleep apnea rather than try to treat your condition with over-the-counter sleep aids or blame the quality of your duvet for maintaining a healthy night’s sleep.
Sleep Apnea Myth: “I’m a light sleeper.”
Studies have shown over and over again that you, as a patient, are very poor at predicting whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea. This is because it only happens while you are sleeping.
Sleep Apnea Myth: “I don’t snore.”
Many people think obstructive sleep apnea is severe snoring. But many people with mild to moderate conditions may not snore at all. Remember that snoring, by definition, means that one is still breathing (somewhat). Apnea means total blockage. So,if you are not breathing, you are not snoring.
Rosie’s doctor said that when she underwent a sleep test, they discovered she was waking up over 200 times during the night, and she stopped breathing for almost forty seconds.
However, this severe condition affecting many people with diabetes is treatable.
Sleep apnea is a blockage of the airway, making it difficult to breathe. When this happens, your body wakes up so you can breathe, resulting in sleep loss.
Once a proper diagnosis was reached, Rosie was treated with CPAP, or a continuous positive airway pressure machine. She admitted that after one night of use with the CPAP she noticed an incredible difference.
Could sleep apnea be slowly ruining your life and hurting your health? You’ll never know until you get tested like Rosie O’Donnell. There are many options for getting an official diagnosis of sleep apnea, including a home sleep test.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) alters glucose metabolism and promotes insulin resistance. Over time these consistently higher glucose levels lead to a higher A1C and a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
We’re talking about nighttime diabetes management with musical inspiration from Gladys Knight & The Pips courtesy of SONY Music.
Gladys Knight doesn’t have diabetes, but the disease is as close to her heart as the memories of her mother, Elizabeth Knight, who died of complications from the disease in 1997. The five-time Grammy award winner never misses an opportunity to voice the message of early detection and treatment of diabetes.
Gladys shares her final words of wisdom: ”Do something about diabetes … Know more, do more!” Knight feels nearly as passionate about spreading that message as she does about the incredible singing career her mom helped her launch some 54 years ago.
Guests include Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Mary Ann Hodorowicz, RD, LDN, MBA, CDCES, CEC, SleepyHead Central founder Tamara Sellman RPSGT, CCSH, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.
Do you feel like the whole world is judging you for being plus-size and living with type 2 diabetes?
Alysse Dalessandro Santiagois brimming with confidence. She is a fierce diabetes advocate who is outspoken about her experience living with type 2 diabetes and depression.
Alysee joins us on Divabetic’s October podcast to talk about how the Freestyle Libre 2 helps her to keep confident about managing her diabetes on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at 6 PM, EST.
Alysse Dalessandro Santiago may be one of Instagram’s hottest influencers as a lifestyle and travel expert but that doesn’t mean she has it made in the shade. “Every day I wake up and take my medication and try to walk into the day with a new positive outlook. Having depression definitely makes that a challenge some days. And having diabetes makes me want to check out from everything. I’m not going to let diabetes or depression steal my shine!”, says Alysse.
We’re talking about how to get over the fear and anxiety about speaking publically about your diabetes and related health issues (including depression and sleep apnea) with musical inspiration from Carly Simon.
Grammy winner Carly Simon has recorded over 30 albums, won two Grammies, and an Academy Award. 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.”
Leading advocates share their journeys and tools that help them: FreeStyle Libre 2 App, CPAP machines, and a new line of baked good mixes, TruEats.
The FreeStyle Libre system measures glucose levels through a small sensor applied to the back of your upper arm. It provides real-time glucose readings for up to 10 days, both day and night.
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. Guests include Marten Carlson, Alysse Dalessandro Santiago, 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.
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.
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.
Should people joke about sleep apnea? Unfortunately, for people with sleep apnea, it’s no laughing matter.
According to the National Institutes of Health(NIH), approximately 18 million people have sleep apnea, with up to 80 percent of people undiagnosed.
American Sleep Apnea Association defines sleep apnea in adults as a cessation of breath that lasts at least 10 seconds and in children as a cessation of breath that lasts the equivalent of two and a half missed breaths. This reduction in airflow can lower oxygen in the blood and lead to learning and memory problems, irritability, depression, accidents, and productivity problems at work or school.
People used to think sleep apnea only occurred in overweight people. But the truth is that all age groups, both sexes, and both large and small body types are affected.
If you have diabetes, sleep apnea can make it more challenging to manage your diabetes. This is because when your breathing pauses while you sleep, there is an increase in carbon dioxide in your blood. This leads to:
Insulin resistance so that the body doesn’t use insulin effectively. This causes more sugar in the bloodstream leading to high blood sugars.
Chronic elevated blood pressure.
A higher incidence of heart problems or cardiovascular disease.
Early morning headaches
What can be done about it?
If your case is mild, you may only need to make some lifestyle or behavioral changes, including losing weight, quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol.
More severe apnea cases require more treatment using a continuous positive airway pressure device or dental appliances. In some cases, surgery might be an option.
Remember, sleep apnea can have detrimental consequences on your health and all aspects of your life, including work productivity and interpersonal issues.
Always saddle your own horse. Always know what you’re doing. And go in the direction you are heading.” Connie Reeves
Our Divabetic Father’s Day Celebration takes on a Spaghetti Western theme to encourage you to embrace your ‘inner cowboy and cowgirl’ and keep riding high with diabetes health!
There are plenty of cowgirls to inspire you, like Connie Reeves, who paved the way for women everywhere she went. Although she was one of the first women to study law at the University of Texas, when tuition money came up short during the Depression she took a job teaching high school, reports WIRED. There she started a girl’s drill team, one of the first in the state (and now a passion in Texas). Then she began teaching horseback riding. Over the years this horsewoman taught riding along with her own brand of confidence to an estimated 36,000 children.
The documentary American Cowgirl shows 101-year-old Ms. Reeves riding, assisting at a girl’s summer camp, and trying to keep herself from cussing on camera. As she said, “There’s nothing as expressive as profanity.” The woman described as America’s oldest cowgirl said, “My life’s not important to very many people. But what I have done may be something that will motivate someone else. I hope so.”
One of our favorite experts, Best-Selling Cookbook Author Holly Clegg shares this Southwestern menu for a Divabetic Father’s Day Celebration.Holly’s menu includes Southwestern Roasted Vegetables, Asparagus with Zucchini Rings., Vodka Pasta, Beer Bread , Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Feta Enchiladas with Salsa Verde,Southwestern Pasta(Check out all of Holly’s healthy recipes for our Father’s Day Celebration on our Divabetic blog).
Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Feta Enchiladas with Salsa Verde by Holly Clegg
“Six ingredient vegetarian enchiladas burst with flavor and effortless to make,” says Holly Clegg.
Ingredients:
4 cups peeled butternut squash
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, divided
8 large (about 7-inch) corn or flour tortillas
2 cups salsa verde
1.Preheat oven 400°F.Coat baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
2.Place squash on prepared pan.Bake 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender but not mushy.
3.Reduce heat to 350°F.In bowl, combine cooked squash, black beans, green onion and 1/2 cup feta.
4.Coat 3-quart oblong baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread a little of salsa verde on the bottom.Fill tortillas with about 1/2 cup filling, rolling up and place seam side down in dish.Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce.
5.Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Holly’s Terrific Tip:Roasted vegetables are easy to prepare with easy clean-up, and more flavorful. Look for pre-cut butternut squash in grocery.
Nutritional Nugget: Make this recipe gluten free with corn tortillas.
With over 1 million cookbooks sold, Holly Clegg has become a culinary expert on easy healthy everyday recipes through her nationally recognized best-selling trim&TERRIFIC® and Eating Well cookbook series, including Eating Well Through Cancer, (English, Spanish and Chinese editions), Eating Well to Fight Arthritis and Diabetic Cooking with the American Diabetes Association. Holly Clegg attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School, London. For more information, visit About Holly or The Healthy Cooking Blog for more recipes and tips.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic shines the spotlight on author and chef, Holly Clegg, in this half-hour special edition of Diva Talk Radio. This fun-filled food frenzy will feature expert advice on quick, flavorful and healthy eating from Holly’s latest book, ‘Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age’ LISTEN NOW
The Frozen Shoulder: What’s Diabetes Got to Do With It?
About three percent of the general population get frozen shoulder, compared to about 20% of people with insulin-dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes and in those with prediabetes. Women are more likely to develop the condition than men, and it mainly affects people between the ages of 40-65.
Although there is no conclusive link to high sugars or insulin use, long-term complications of diabetes may include changes in the connective tissue that occur as a result of high glucose levels.
People who have a history of adhesive capsulitis are at an increased risk to develop the condition on the other side of the body. Recurrence on the affected side is also possible, particularly in patients with diabetes. READ MORE
You might notice that Spaghetti Westerns are usually fitted with titles that sound suspiciously like other movies. The original title of “Fistful of Dollars,” for instance, was “The Magnificent Stranger,” a knock off of “The Magnificent Seven.” In short, if the words “Dollar” “Gold” or “Coffin” are in the title, you’re probably watching a Spaghetti Western.
New Study Sees Link Between Sleep Duration and Diabetes in Men
During the last 50 years, the average self-reported sleep duration per person has decreased by 1.5 to 2 hours and the prevalence of diabetes has doubled in the same time period, according the this study’s primary author, Femke Rutters, PhD, of The Netherlands. READ MORE
Carrie Fisher arrives at the Governors Awards at the Dolby Ballroom on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Carrie Fisher died from ‘Sleep Apnea & other Causes’
Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and “other factors”, the Los Angeles County coroner says. Sleep apnea is a common condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep, either for a few seconds or minutes. As well as listing sleep apnea as a cause of death, the coroner’s statement cited other factors, including heart disease and drug use.
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain — and the rest of the body — may not get enough oxygen.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The more common of the two forms of apnea, it is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep.
Central sleep apnea: Unlike OSA, the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe, due to instability in the respiratory control center.
Am I at Risk for Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, even children. Risk factors for sleep apnea include:
Divabetic ‘Spaghetti Western’ Father’s Day Celebration Playlist: “She’s in Love with the Boy” is a song written by Jon Ims and recorded by Trisha Yearwood. It was released in March 1991 as the lead single from her self-titled debut album. The song reached number one on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and was the first of five number ones on the country chart for Trisha Yearwood.
