Tag: testimonials

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63 Year Old Type 1 Diva Is A Poster Child For Fitness

Judith

Since her initial diabetes diagnosis, Judith, a 63-year-old inspiring figure living with type 1 diabetes, has never stopped moving. She participates in aerobic dance and Tai Chi classes, bicycles, and walks 16 miles every Sunday. Despite never considering herself athletic, Judith’s can-do attitude is a source of inspiration for everyone around her.

“When I turned 40, I was so surprised just to be alive and healthy, it was its own celebration,” Judith laughs. “I think we’re given things in our lives that shape our lives, like diabetes has shaped mine. On a trip to Canada, I realized diabetes was going to go with me wherever I went, so I may as well become friends with it. Life is so short, and I’ve learned to enjoy both living with moderation and gusto!”

Judith was a long-time star at our Divabetic Club, always poised, stylish, and friendly. You might even start to wonder if she ever had a hair out of place. But let’s not forget the time she bravely shared her own experience with a low blood glucose episode. Picture this: she went shopping and, to her surprise, completely blanked out on how she managed to get home. When she arrived, she found a pineapple on her coffee table and thought, “Oh great! I’m home, and apparently, I’m also a tropical fruit enthusiast now!” Her openness about her diabetes misadventures made her relatable and, honestly, the life of the party.

Living with diabetes is like navigating an obstacle course filled with judges who all have differing opinions on how to manage it. Admitting that your self-care journey is anything but straightforward is both brave and liberating. So here’s to Judith, the queen of turning life’s surprises into dance breaks! Cheers!

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Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes Pilot Program Smells Like A Failure in Atlanta, GA!

Divabetic

The first pilot program of Divabetic’s “Makeover Your Diabetes” at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, was a disaster—until the last thirty minutes!

A month or two before, I had somehow miraculously managed to convince BioSector 2, Novo Nordisk’s healthcare communications agency, to take a chance on my bold, flashy, and glamorous approach to diabetes outreach. My idea involved combining free makeover services with one-on-one diabetes education focused primarily on women. (I had once presented a much smaller version of this idea in New York City.)

Now, there I was in Atlanta, with my newly created national team, which included diabetes educators, a plus-size image consultant, and a celebrity makeup artist, providing free outreach at the Fox Theatre. We stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Novo Nordisk’s calendar. However, two hours into our program, my ambitious dreams of touring cities and venues where my boss, Luther Vandross, had performed—helping to educate and empower Luther’s fans on preventing diabetes-related health complications—were sinking faster than a lead balloon. I was sweating bullets as I hosted this expensive diabetes outreach event for women in a grand ballroom, looking out at a crowd of fewer than a hundred attendees. Talk about a nightmare! I had underestimated the sheer logistics needed to travel, market, and activate any semblance of a diabetes community in Atlanta, a place where no one had ever heard of “Divabetic” before. I mistakenly assumed that if we built it, they would come. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

So, how did I manage to flip the script in those crucial last thirty minutes and transform our Atlanta flop into a surge of interest that made it the first stop on our national diabetes outreach tour? I did what I often did backstage at the DLife TV tapings and our Divabetic support meetings at the YMCA: I started talking to women about their diabetes. I took to the stage, grabbed the microphone, and began giving away gorgeous gift baskets to women who bravely shared their personal stories of living with type 1, type 2, and LADA diabetes. Ironically, our original “Makeover Your Diabetes” plan hadn’t even included a stage show or my role as the fabulous MC extraordinaire. It wasn’t even on my radar! If you ever attended any of the subsequent programs I hosted, which featured elaborate performances without interruptions, you might find this hard to believe.

Back then, in Atlanta, my role was serving as the Production Director for the event. Our education—encompassing five educational stages (diabetes A, B, C, fitness, nutrition, goal setting, and image)—formed what we called the infamous Makeover Maze, surrounded by a ring of complimentary makeover services (makeup and chair massage). A week before the event, I enlisted my parents to host a Divabetic merchandise table. I also recruited my friend, photographer Winston Kerr (who had worked with me on Luther Vandross tours), to set up a “Pass The Boa” Diva Photo Booth and my Gotham’s Writers Workshop friend, Toni Gadsden. These last-minute ideas truly made the program shine.

Now, back to those final thirty minutes of an underperforming attempt at diabetes outreach diva-style. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a row of beautiful, untouched gift baskets sitting behind our Divabetic merchandise table. Not wanting to disappoint the vendor who donated them, I had to act fast to give them away before the event ended. I figured the best way to accomplish that was to give them away on stage. The catch? To receive a basket, you had to come up on stage and share your experience of living with diabetes with me in front of the audience. Dressed in my trusty Divabetic t-shirt and jeans (since I hadn’t designed a fruit suit yet), I hopped on stage with a basket in hand and asked, “Who wants to win a gorgeous gift basket?”

My offer proved too tempting, and slowly but surely, women began to line up to join me on stage. One woman candidly shared how she woke up one day, shocked to discover she was twenty years older and twenty pounds heavier. She realized that if she wanted to see the next twenty years, it was time to tackle her diabetes head-on.

After giving away the last basket and waving goodbye to our new impromptu stars, I returned backstage to assist my team with the load-out. I didn’t think much about my on-stage antics; it felt like just another typical Divabetic gig where sharing testimonials came as naturally as breathing. However, Novo Nordisk’s representative, Susan J., had a different perspective. She told me those poignant testimonies were powerful and enlightening—like a TED Talk but with more pizzazz. Captivated, and even with the low turnout, she was ready for round two. Against her better judgment, she approved our next Divabetic pilot program scheduled for Philadelphia, PA. But there were three conditions: I had to don my stage persona and coax women into sharing their stories again, and I needed to compensate my parents and Winston, who turned out to be the unsung heroes of the evening.

I was over the moon! But hold your applause—now, my team and I had less than a month to rally over a hundred women at risk, living with, or affected by diabetes, in Philadelphia, PA. Plus, I had to put together a stage show. Was that even possible?

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Divabetic House Tours: Diabetes Advice Room By Room

We’re taking you inside some of the most beautiful homes to raise awareness for diabetes in a new way with our new podcast series, Divabetic Home Tours.

From the kitchen and bathroom to the family room and bedroom, diabetes affects all aspects of your home life.

We’re sprinkling between pictures of rooms with diabetes advice and videos from Homeworthy’s most gorgeous homes to spark your interest in self-care.

Welcome to the Divabetic House Tours: the Kips Bay Show House New York edition.

Celebrated interior designers transform a luxury Manhattan home into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art, and technology each year.  This event began in 1973 when several dedicated Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club supporters launched the Decorator Show House to raise critical funds for after-school and enrichment programs for New York City children. Over the decades, the project has become a must-see event for thousands of design enthusiasts and is renowned for sparking worldwide interior design trends.

Throughout our tour, enjoy Divabetic’s exclusive audio of wall-to-wall diabetes advice and conversations room-by-room to help you keep your house a home.

Start in our state-of-the-art kitchen and meet Jill Weisenberger RD, CDCES, who chats about how to make your food environment less stressful.

Outside stress triggers our drive for comfort food, including excess sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets such as baked goods.  At the same time, during stressful moments, we tend to lower our intake of whole foods, fruits, and vegetables.  This, in turn, leads to a higher risk of insulin resistance, excess visceral fat, and type 2 diabetes.

MaryAnn Nicolay talks about reading nutrition labels. One tip for people with diabetes or prediabetes is to focus on the total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and calories to help reach your health goals.

Plus, before you, treat yourself to Paulette McWilliams’ soulful song, Mama’s Kitchen Table.

“Mama's Kitchen Table” Paulette McWilliams
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1. Songwriters: Max Szadek, Paulette McWilliams, and Ivan Hampden Jr.
3:53

Gospel Singer Pat Lacy shares how she practices portion control. One option is to reduce your carbohydrate portion sizes and keep them to less than a quarter of your plate. Still hungry? Fill up on green vegetables and eat lean protein and healthy fats instead.

Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.

Stroll through the spacious family room where Lorraine Brooks and Rachel Zinman get comfy on the sofa and talk about the feelings related to managing diabetes in today’s world.

Clarence Waldron tells how acting F.A.S.T. after experiencing a stroke was the key to his recovery.

Don’t leave before clicking on the LINK to share a free pre-diabetes test with our loved ones.

The Center for Disease Control offers a National Diabetes Prevention Program to help people with prediabetes make lasting lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Relax in the luxurious spa-inspired bathroom, where you can pick up tips from beauty and style tips experts and find out how diabetes can affect your skin, hair, and teeth.

For instance, hair loss can be a symptom of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Experts believe it is caused by hormonal imbalances, poor circulation due to hyperglycemia, or an autoimmune disorder. Hair loss can often be reversed with medications and by tighter blood sugar management.

Falling can be a concern if you live with diabetes and have peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage (loss of sensation in the feet, legs, and hands), retinopathy (damaged blood vessels in the eyes), and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Mama Rose Marie offers an easy tip for anyone afraid of falling in the shower.

Crawl into bed for some pillow talk on addressing and overcoming intimacy and sexual health concerns.

Even though people with diabetes are at a higher risk for sexual problems, a study in Diabetes Care found that only about half of all men with diabetes and 19 percent of women with diabetes have broached the topic with a doctor.

Dr. Janis Roszler PhD opens our eyes to what intimacy can mean for people affected by sexual health issues related to diabetes.

Many men with erectile dysfunction, for instance, later learn that they have diabetes. For people with diabetes, sexual problems can indicate nerve damage, blocked arteries, and even out-of-whack hormones.

Ambrice Miller founded Relic Interiors, a dealing company that curates incredible art, antiques, and beautifully handcrafted furniture. She gives a tour of her English countryside home.

Men and women experience low libido as a result of poorly managed diabetes. If your sex drive is stalled, look at your diabetes management and take steps to lower your blood glucose levels. Then, consider your medications. Certain drugs, such as antidepressants, can reduce sexual desire, so be sure to talk to your doctor.

Divabetic’s Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide To Love And Intimacy With Diabetes is available on Amazon

BUY NOW

Finally, if you don’t stumble on any surprises, crawl into bed for guidance on overcoming sexual health and intimacy concerns.

Plus, at the end of the tour, you can get a copy of Divabetic’s Top Questions to discuss at your next Doctor’s visit.

Divabetic: It’s All About Attitude!

This Homeworthy episode features the beautiful Connecticut home of renowned interior designer Bunny Williams.  Bunny graciously invites us to tour her 1860s Falls Village home and discover her converted barn that was originally a garage, but is now filled with many of her and her husband John Rosselli’s extraordinary antiques.

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Sound Bites: Jill Weisenberger

We’re sharing excerpts of interviews from our favorite Divabetic podcasts over the years.

This excerpt is from our Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Turnaround podcast with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel singer Pat Lacy.

Jill Weisenberger is recognized internationally for her expertise in nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes. She worked as a nutrition counselor, diabetes educator, and health coach in hospitals, research, and private practice settings.

Jill helps leverage resources, recipes, and scientific insights to find better ways to improve eating and smart living, reduce the risk of mismanaged diabetes health-related complications, and support better health.

Jill Weisenberger is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition, Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal Planning Crash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 Eating Guide, and a Stick With It Video Course.

Gospel Singer Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blackness and Luther Vandross, shares her experience living with type 2 diabetes and how she modified her lifestyle to take charge of her health.

This podcast features music from Pat Lacy’s upcoming gospel album, I’m Taking You To Church.

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Divabetic Prize Winner, Eugenia Reviews Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes And Salivation Snackfoods

Eugenia won a lovely Gift Basket courtesy of Splenda at our recent Divabetic Sugarfree Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef.

Eugenia’s Splenda Gift Basket contains Splenda Naturals Stevia, Splenda Sweetener, Splenda Diabetes Care Shake (Milk Chocolate), an apron,  a hot mitt, a strainer, measuring cups, and more.

Throughout the program, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef demonstrated how to make one of her famous sugar-free desserts, answered questions, and shared her favorite kitchen tools. Click HERE for her Sugarfree Strawberry Pie recipe.

Here’s Eugenia’s testimonial for the Splenda Gift Basket including the new Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes. She admits the Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes  (Milk Chocolate) contains a lot less sugar than their competitors. Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes contain a diabetes-specific nutrition formula that has the right nutrient balance with 16 grams of high-quality protein, 15 grams of carbohydrate including 6 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of monounsaturated fats.

After two sips, Eugenia says, “this is a really good shake!”

Eugenia also tried the Salivation Snackfoods’ Keto Dark Chocolate Brownies. After one bite, Eugenia admits “I would definitely buy it. It’s a really good brownie!”

Salivation Snackfoods Brownies are rich, flavorful, and complex with only 3g net carbs.

During our Sugarfree Baking Party, we played baking trivia along with our participants. Here’s one of our questions:

Q:  In the process of cake baking, which of the following is NOT a raising agent?

A. Steam
B. Yeast
C. Powdered Sugar
D. Baking Powder

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts another upcoming fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, in September. 

Divabetic Baking Party Question #1: ANSWER: C. Powdered Sugar

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‘Facing The Challenges of Living with Diabetes Everyday’ by Jessica Clark

Facing the challenges of living with diabetes everyday can be tough! And we’re not afraid to talk about it. You shouldn’t feel afraid either to express that ‘the struggle is real’ to friends, family and co-workers. 

Need some inspiration for living ‘out loud’ about your diabetes?

 Our Divabetic friend, Jessica Clark will stop by the studio to share her experience of living with the up’s and down’s  of type 1 diabetes on November’s Diabetes Late Nite. Join us here on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 – 7:30 PM. CLICK HERE

Recently Jessica shared a very personal post on FB describing one of her saddest and most sincere diabetes moments. Below is what Jessica wishes you knew about her, the diabetes edition:

Every minute of my life is a calculation. And if it wasn’t, or I did it wrong, it can mean long-term tragic consequences. Even death.

I don’t feel good. Ever.

If I tell you I don’t feel good, then I REALLY don’t feel good.

It never works the way I want it to.

I can do the same thing every day, every detail, and have it still come out differently or wrong.

No one understands it.

But everyone is an expert on it.

I get judged for it.

It ruined my self-esteem.

Nothing is easy or straightforward

It changed me as a person, and sometimes I hate that.

I wonder how things could have been different if I didn’t have it.

I wonder what I would physically look like if I didn’t have it

I’ve been made fun of by my family and those closest to me regarding it

No matter what, I am seen as a complainer, wet blanket, trying to get attention, etc.

I go to bed every night not really knowing if I will wake up

I’m treated medically by people who learned how to care for me in books that are decades old

It’s fucking expensive to keep me alive

I feel like a burden physically and financially on people

I spend more to stay alive than people realize, even with insurance.

Giant for-profit corporations dictate the care I can receive and my quality of life.

A cure wouldn’t be profitable

My life is “managed” or “controlled”

Once you aren’t little or cute, few people genuinely care or help.

I’ve lost feeling in all of my fingertips.

I am diagnosed as “significantly visually impaired” because of it. Poor vision and night vision in my left eye. No peripheral vision, depth perception, or night vision in my right eye.

It isn’t easy or simple

It isn’t just eating well or working out

People judge and criticize my food choices.

My skin doesn’t get thicker or tougher to harsh remarks

I have to be “rude” and turn down items I can’t or shouldn’t have. (But then if I do have them, get judged or questioned, see above)

I subsequently make people feel “shitty” once I tell them why I can’t have said item.

But mostly, it’s lonely.

It’s really really lonely.

Here are several more of Jessica’s FB posts illustrating how ‘the struggle is real’ for millions of people living with type 1 diabetes:

“Diabetes awareness month real life post! Today was so shitty. Cracked windshield, dead (expensive) battery, so many things. I’m exhausted! Buuuut it’s 11pm and my blood sugar is 48 and I’m TIREEEDDD. But I can’t go to bed, because I might die. Sooo I’m not hungry or thirsty, but I’m drinking a juice box, eating to save my life. And this isn’t a once in a life time dramatic post. This is weekly, monthly. This is my ugly tired 11pm post of diabetes. This is T1D life. Jdrf one walk shirt was not planned lol.” – Jessica, November 2, 2018, 10:07 PM

“Most days, you control the diabetes. Some days, it controls you. Today was that day for me. It’s scary, and painful, but it’s not often. Bad enough I had to leave work, BG high enough I *probably* should have seen an ER (I didn’t, can’t afford healthcare costs. That’s another story. Lol) Shout out to all of my diabetic friends out there living through this shit we have to deal with.” – Jessica, October 10, 2018 at 4:16 PM

“This is the diabetes you don’t see. Tired, ready for bed, low blood sugar. Every time you test it drops lower and lower, and you keep treating and treating. You can’t breath, you’re confused, and your tired! But you can’t sleep, because if you sleep before it’s safe, you might not wake up. This is real. This is my life, every minute, of everyday, to some degree. This is the me you don’t see.” – Jessica, September 30, 2018

“Waking up to messages, comments, shares, from around the world is amazing, and I thank all of you. The gratitude I have, to have this life, and all of you in it is amazing. It is no secret that I am a “loud and proud” diabetic. A sometimes (unapologetically) open book. I love being able to help share moments that are common threads in the Diabetic community, but that little or no one vocalizes. I love being able to express what others cannot, for various different reasons. I would like to continue to do more for the community, in any way I can. I plan to work on more blogs, podcasts, events, whatever. If you would like to join me, come on in!” – Jessica, November 7, 2018

“My reason for sharing these moments is not to put a rain cloud over Diabetes or Diabetics. It’s simply to show how STRONG and how Human we really are. Most diabetics face challenges no one will ever see or know. Giving a voice to some of the moments and emotions is so important. Letting others know your feelings, and offer their help is crucial in being able to LIVE this wonderful life.”– Jessica, November 10, 2018

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We’re celebrating World Diabetes Day with musical inspiration from Aretha Franklin on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6 PM, EST. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong’s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup”Author Suzanne Perez, Jessica Clark, Coach the Cure Health Educator Trisha Artman, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’ courtesy of SONY Music.  TUNE IN

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a  lot.”

https://youtu.be/tcpky_48Z7g

 

 

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