Tag: sugarfree

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 Sugar-Free Banana Pudding Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef 

This past Wednesday night, we presented another diva-style diabetes wellness program with our friend, Stacey Harris, who is known as The Diabetic Pastry Chef.

I love the way Stacey experiments and encourages others to experiment with different flours and sugar substitutes in recipes. For example, Stacey will substitute one cup of sugar for a half cup of Splenda and a half cup of Whey Low D or replace white flour with a mixture of almond, soy, or bean flour in her recipes. Her approach corresponds to leading experts’ belief that a ‘one size fits all’ diet doesn’t exist for people living with diabetes. They recommend that we should develop our own personal nutrition plans for diabetes wellness.  Read MORE.

Sugar-Free Banana Pudding Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef 

Ingredients 

1 pkg. Sugar-free Vanilla Wafers

1- 1-oz. box Sugar-free Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 cups Whole Milk, Almond milk, or a combination of the two

1-2 ripe Bananas

1 cup of Sugar-free Whipped Cream or Sugar-free Whipped Topping

Directions

Prepare pudding per package directions using the 2 cups milk, almond milk, or a combination of the two; set aside. Line a small casserole dish, parfait dish, or trifle bowl with a layer of vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of prepared vanilla pudding. Add a layer of sliced bananas, and spread the top with a full layer or dollop of whipped cream. Garnish as desired (toasted coconut, raspberries, lemon twists, or cherries.

Do You Know?

Cup for cup, whole fat milk contains fewer carbohydrates than low-fat or skim because more of its volume is made up of fat, which does not contain lactose. It also has slightly less protein.

Stacey Harris has a blog full of great recipes. Click HERE.

Personally, I feel the kitchen is a great place to stretch, your creativity. It’s been widely reported that baking has the benefit of enhancing creative expression – which has been found to have a strong connection with overall wellbeing. Lately, I have been having fun creating fruit platters to glamorize good health!

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to divas living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes about their favorite forms of exercise at NYC Summer Streets.

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Win A Splenda Gift Basket At Divabetic’s Baking Party

We’re giving away this fantastic Splenda Gift Basket to one lucky winner during our raffle on tonight’s free Divabetic Baking Party with Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom starting at 7 PM EST.

Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar, yet those little yellow packets have no effect on blood sugar according to leading registered dietitians

Don’t miss this fun, fabulous virtual program. Registration is open on Eventbrite until 2 PM

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

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Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef was training to become a pastry chef at the Bidwell Culinary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than abandon her pursuits, she began experimenting with dessert recipes to make them healthier and diabetes-friendly.

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Pie Filling Ingredients

12-oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve Confectioner’s sugar substitute

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add the Swerve and vanilla. Beat until combined.  Add the cream at low speed and once combined, turn the speed to high and continue beating until the mixture is thick but fluffy; set aside.

Strawberry Topping Ingredients 

6 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 Tbsp. sugar-free strawberry jam

2 Tbsp. boiling water

Directions: Add the cream cheese filling to a 9 -10-inch sugar-free graham cracker pie crust and smooth. Arrange strawberries overlapping on top of cream cheese filling. Combine jam and boiling water and brush the top of the strawberries. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef

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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

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Mayor Adams’s $10 A Day Diet Dispels Common Myth About Healthy Eating

“There is a myth out there that states eating healthy is too expensive. You can take a bag of lentils which costs about $2.80. You can make lentil stew, lentil burger, you can make lentil pasta,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

He pledged to live on a $10 a day plant-based diet to dispel the myth that healthy diets are expensive.
 
Mayor Adams’s motivation to eat healthy seems to stem from his mother’s battle with type 2 diabetes health-related complications. It’s important to point out that mismanaged diabetes leads to complications, not diabetes alone.
 
In 2016, Mayor Adams witnessed his mother inject herself with insulin to manage her Type 2 diabetes.  
 
He said, “Despite several years of being on this injection routine, the grimace on her face clearly showed that she had never gotten used to the sharp pain. When I left her home, I sat in my car and had a conversation with God. “I am not a doctor,” he added, “but I wish I could do something for my mother to address her diabetes.”
 
I grimace too when people beat up on insulin.  Insulin is a miracle! Every day I am grateful to Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best for their discovery. So many wonderful people, including my brother, require insulin therapy to stay alive. Turning insulin into the enemy makes me nuts. 
 
That said, I respect the Mayor’s initiative to dispel common misconceptions about healthy eating and to bring awareness to the healthy food deserts in New York City. 

“We want you to show New Yorkers- not only what happens in the hospitals-  but we want to show New Yorkers that you can have culturally sensitive food that is healthy. That is not what people have been shown,” said Mayor Adams.

While Mayor Adams has long claimed to be a vegan, the mayor did have to admit on Monday that he does eat fish. “I aspire to be plant-based 100% of the time. I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish.”

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

Divabetic’s podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album 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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

 

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Double Crust Peach Cobbler Recipe by Splenda

Splenda Baking Kits are just one of the many wonderful prizes you can win when you join us for Divabetic’s free Baking Parties with the Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom.

Our recent winner, Anita W. from Buffalo, NY found some inspiration along with a rolling pin, apron, measuring cups, and various Splenda products in her Splenda Baking Kit! She wrote back to us, “I received the prize and I loved all of it. I made some peanut butter cookies with the Splenda and the cookie cutter.”

Double Crust Peach Cobbler Recipe by Splenda

Ingredients

1 box of refrigerated pie crusts, softened

10 cups sliced fresh peaches

1 3/4 cups Splenda Granulated Sweetener

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray an 11” x 7” baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Unroll one piecrust; roll out and trim to an 11” x 7” rectangle. Place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Click HERE for the full recipe

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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

 

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Divabetic’s Next Baking Party on Zoom – Date Change

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our upcoming Baking Party has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 -8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

We hope you are still able to join us for this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Mother’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe, demonstrates one of her favorite kitchen tools, and shares expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef

One lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy‘s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawing to win.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris (The Diabetic Pastry Chef) taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.

“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in a How 2 Type 2 article.

She adds,” To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. Her customers frequently say, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

How it works: Once you register, we will send you the unique code to sign in to our Zoom Video feed. You will need a camera. We’ll all get acquainted and share niceties before the baking demonstration begins.

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated. Paypal Click HERE Paypal

REGISTER NOW

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Sugar-Free Yellow Sunflower Cake Recipe by the Diabetic Pastry Chef 

Sunflower Cake
If you’re an avid Divabetic baker like we are, you’re always on the lookout for tips to help improve your skills. Recently, we learned that parchment paper is an essential baking tool because it creates a nonstick surface. So if you want brownies to lift out of the pan or cookies to slide off the sheet, parchment paper is a must. It can be a little pricey, but it’s 100% worth it— when your cake slides right out of the pan.
Sunflower Cake

Sugar-Free Yellow Sunflower Cake Recipe by the Diabetic Pastry Chef 

Ingredients 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups dry sugar substitute of your choice

4 large eggs, room temp

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temp

1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles, reserved for topping

Directions 

Grease and flour your pan; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, cream the butter, oil, and sugar substitute until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; mix well. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined, being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven onto a baking rack and unmold after about 10 minutes. Cool and fill the center with mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles.

Note: My sugar substitute was erythritol. I used a Nordic Ware Sunflower Cake Pan to make this cake.

Traditionally, Sunflower cakes are made in a Nordic Ware Sunflower pan. However, this Sunflower Cake can also be made in a round bundt pan. Fill in the center hole with mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles and use a sugar-free, thick, yellow glaze ladled around the top of the cake to look like cascading petals.

Join us for Divabetic’s upcoming free Baking Party with The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom and you’ll be automatically entered into our random drawing for Divabetic’s prize giveaway.

Elizabeth is one of our past prize winners. Sh

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!  Register now for Divabetic’s Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic raises awareness for living a full, fabulous diabetes life at the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City, NY. Special guests Carla Cravens, Catherine Schuller, Amy Goldin, and Jean & Valerie from Life Dressing: The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas. The New York City Easter Parade has been an annual tradition since Civil War days and features marchers in elaborate Easter finery, including some of the fanciest Easter bonnets imaginable.

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Divabetic Mysteries: Swan Wake, Part 1

Mr. Divabetic heads to the Gotham City Ballet Company’s box office to fix a mix-up with his ‘Swan Lake’ tickets and he’s faced with an even bigger problem – a MURDER! To make matters worse, one of his latest culinary creations, a gluten-free cheesecake, seems to be covering the victim’s face. Even more shocking are the numerous scandals swirling around the Gotham City Ballet and its members that have everyone walking around on tiptoes.

Could our happy healthcare host’s wacky culinary skills make him an accessory to the crime or even a possible side dish?

Now Mr. Divabetic with the help of his team of Certified Diabetes Educators, a Best-Selling Mystery Author, and his own nosy Italian Mom must whip up his own crime-solving recipe, and fast–before a hearty dose of intrigue and a deadly dash of danger ends his diabetes advocacy and healthy catering career once and for all.

FEATURING Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Maryann Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, We Are Diabetes Founder Asha Brown, Mama Rose Marie, Chef Robert Lewis (The Happy Diabetic), and Seveda Williams.

Join us for Divabetic’s upcoming free Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom and you’ll be automatically entered into our random drawing for Divabetic’s prize giveaway.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr.’s Remedy Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings on April 28, 2022. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Chandra joined our last virtual Baking Party and won! Like 96 million other American adults she’s living with pre-diabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% don’t know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Take the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s Prediabetes Risk Test NOW.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION 

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You Can Be A Divabetic Prize Winner in April!

Join us for Divabetic’s upcoming free Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom and you’ll be automatically entered into our random drawing for Divabetic’s prize giveaway.

Elizabeth is one of our past prize winners. She was one of 5  Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream winners.  This foot cream helps with dryness, cracking, rough heels, and more. Menthol and eucalyptus emit a soothing aroma during application while providing a cooling and refreshing sensation on contact that immediately begins to help ease the look, feel, and discomfort of dry feet. Shea butter is infused into this formula due to its known abundant nourishing benefits. The shea butter helps to add moisture and hydration to your depleted, dry skin. Coconut oil is combined with shea butter to provide additional moisturizing and hydration. It helps to condition the thick bottom skin of the feet. Your feet will thank you!

“Look forward to checking out the Mother’s day virtual party,” says Elizabeth.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr.’s Remedy Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings on April 28, 2022. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Chandra joined our last virtual Baking Party and won! Like 96 million other American adults she’s living with pre-diabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% don’t know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Take the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s Prediabetes Risk Test NOW.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

During our Baking Party, The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Mother’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe, demonstrates her favorite kitchen tools, and shares expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes. Plus, Divabetic Style Icon, Catherine Schuller presents easy ways to add Spring’s hottest colors and accessories to your wardrobe.

Enjoy diva-savings on Peak 10 Skincare. It’s pure, clean, and effective. Peak 10 Skin’s founder, Connie Elder has been a loyal Divabetic supporter for years. She’s participated in several Divabetic outreach programs helping women to boost their confidence about managing their diabetes.

Once you register, we will send you the unique code to sign in to our Zoom Video feed. You will need a camera. We’ll all get acquainted and share niceties before the baking demonstration begins.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!  Register now for Divabetic’s Baking Party on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated.

 

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Meet Divabetic Prize Winner: Sandra Living With Type 1 Diabetes

Our recent Divabetic Baking Party’s Peak 10 Skin giveaway winner, Sandra is a tech-savvy diva who relies on several diabetes self-care tools to live her best life!

“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2006”, says Sandra. “After 6 years of injections, I was put on an insulin pump and then later got a Continuous Glucose Monitor.”

Many people with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps. Insulin pumps work by delivering a basal, or set, rate of insulin through a tube called a cannula.

The insulin pump is attached to a thin plastic tube (an infusion set) with a cannula (like a needle but soft) at the end of which insulin passes. This cannula is inserted under the skin, usually on the abdomen. The cannula is changed every two days. Your doctor works with you to determine the amount of insulin needed each day. Insulin pumps can also deliver an insulin bolus.

A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a wearable sensor that automatically measures glucose levels 24 hours a day. A thin, disposable needle called a sensor stays under your skin. The sensor is removed and changed every few days. Glucose readings are provided at specific intervals, every five minutes or so. It also shows how your glucose levels are trending in the form of a trend arrow. You can tell if your glucose level is rising or dropping and treat yourself accordingly. 

“My current pump communicates with the CGM and automatically adjusts my insulin when my glucose readings are out of range, she adds.  

“Thank goodness for technology! It has made my diabetes easier to manage, and I can be more discreet. (no more finger sticks or insulin syringes!).”

Since Sandra participated in our Baking Party, we asked her about her sweet tooth. 

” I still watch what I eat (I read the nutrition label for everything I eat) and take the dog for walks twice a day (4 miles total), but I do NOT deprive myself of dessert.”

We love her attitude!

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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

 

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