Pink Champagne: Christmas Song Of The Week

Fresh off the success of their UK Soul Chart smash hit, Mama’s Kitchen Table, singer-songwriter Paulette McWilliams, multi-Grammy nominated Ivan Hampden Jr., and lyricist Max Szadek present the self empowerment anthem, Pink Champagne — a celebration of overcoming heartache during the holidays!

“This song is a heartfelt shout-out to anyone navigating the tough waters of heartbreak this season,” declares Paulette McWilliams, who powerful vocals have backed up many musical icons such as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Bette Midler, and Luther Vandross.

The moving tale of resilience in Pink Champagne has captured the attention of UGONE Radio Host Toni B, who proudly named it the ‘Christmas Song Of The Week’ for her show from December 16-21, 2024.

Additionally, Pink Champagne has been added to RhythmAndSoul’s festive holiday playlist, proving its resonance!

Breakups can be challenging, but the holiday season magnifies those feelings of loneliness.

Surrounded by couples at festive gatherings, playing romantic holiday tunes, and reading cheerful family updates, it’s easy to feel isolated. The airwaves are usually filled with upbeat classics, leaving little room for reflection—until now!

“Outside of Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas, I can’t think of any holiday classics that resonate with those of us feeling low,” says the talented Ivan Hampden Jr. “With Pink Champagne, listeners can find solace and realize they’re not alone in their struggles.”

This empowering track narrates a woman’s journey from heartache to triumph at Christmastime. Paulette envisions it as a source of strength for anyone hurting, encouraging them to embrace their feelings and transform them into joy. With inspiration from the vocal greatness of Nancy Wilson, Marlena Shaw, and Eartha Kitt, Pink Champagne is a fresh and vibrant take on the traditional holiday tune.

“You simply can’t savor the joy of the holidays while clinging to painful emotions. It’s time to release them!” she emphasizes. “I truly believe Pink Champagne will help those who are hurting move forward with a brighter outlook.”

Expertly arranged and produced by the gifted Ivan Hampden Jr., known for his work with Luther Vandross, Ashford & Simpson, Roberta Flack, and Eartha Kitt, this track promises to be a new holiday favorite. His previous Christmas classic, Mistletoe Jam, featured on Luther Vandross’s platinum-certified This Is Christmas album, continues to delight fans.

Pink Champagne is poised to follow in its footsteps with joy and assertiveness!

McDonald’s Phases Out Self-Serve Soda Fountains

According to the State Journal-Register of Illinois, McDonald’s plans to phase out the do-it-yourself stations, eliminating them over the next decade as franchise owners cite hygiene, theft, and consumer eating habits.

Slashing soft drinks from your diet is a quick way to improve your health and lose weight. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are the leading sources of added sugars in the American diet. Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. But giving up your soda habit isn’t always an easy task. While some people can function just fine without soft drinks, others need their fix starting at breakfast.

Soda Is Engineered To Make You Drink More 

According to Gary Wenk, director of neuroscience undergraduate programs at Ohio State University and author of “Your Brain on Food,” it’s all in the beverage’s design.” He believes your favorite soft drink brand is engineered with enough sweetener, caffeine, and carbonation to make you continuously want to grab and gulp.

“Free refills are a big draw for people,” Kim Derringer, who operates three McDonald’s franchises in Springfield, Ill., told The State-Journal Register.

“I don’t see anything taking that away.”

Most People Don’t Know How Many Calories Are In Soda 

Even though it’s widely known that soda can contribute to weight gain, most adults don’t know how many calories are in a bottle of soda, a new study reveals.

The research, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and based on data from 3,926 adults, shows that eight in 10 adults — 84.4 percent — know that sugar-sweetened beverages can promote weight gain. However, nearly the same percentage of adults — 81 percent — did not know (or inaccurately stated) the number of calories in 24 ounces of soda. (There are 251 to 350 calories in a 24-ounce soda).

If you’re having a soft drink on occasion – say a few times per month – there’s no need for concern. But if you’re having more than one soda per day, you could be putting yourself at risk for health conditions, stroke, and dementia.

“The key is finding (another) beverage you enjoy,” Msora-Kasago said. “Unsweetened milk is always a great place to start because in addition to quenching thirst, milk provides many important nutrients such as protein and calcium.”

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.

Added 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 play music from The Essential Sade album courtesy of SONY Music.

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.

Prediabetes 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.