Tag: The Diabetic Pastry Chef

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Ozempic And Kidney Disease: What’s The Scoop?

The Morning Talk shows announced a new study shows Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic may delay the progression of kidney disease in diabetes patients.

By now, everyone knows that the injectable Ozempic can help manage blood sugars and reduce weight. Its growing popularity in Hollywood as a ‘miracle weight loss drug’ limited supplies and made it difficult for people with Type 2 diabetes to refill their prescriptions.
Keke Palmer, Amy Schumer, Stassi Schroeder, and more celebrities who’ve talked about their use — or hate — of semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Tracy Morgan, who is living with type 2 diabetes, said,” “I went and got a prescription, and I got Ozempic. And I ain’t letting it go … It cuts my appetite in half. Now I only eat half a bag of Doritos” on Today with Hoda and Jenna.
Novo Nordisk is asking health professionals not to prescribe Ozempic to new patients unless there are no suitable alternatives or there is a compelling clinical reason to do so to conserve supply for patients who are already stabilized on this medicine and who do not have suitable alternatives.
Sadly, one-third of people with type 2 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease because of damage to blood vessels and filtering cells in the organ, according to reports. So it makes sense that Ozempic can help reduce one of the health complications related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes: kidney disease progression. 
 
The once-weekly injection already has Food and Drug Administration approval as a preventive treatment for heart attacks and strokes, a major cause of death and hospitalization in people with Type 2 diabetes.
 
The trial, which began in 2019, enrolled 3,500 people with diabetes and kidney disease and assigned them to either Ozempic or a placebo for up to a planned five years. Researchers followed the enrollees to detect a drop in kidney filtering rates, end-stage kidney disease, or death from either kidney or cardiovascular disease.

 
The newscasters also mentioned that Ozempic may help with addiction issues. 

Join us for Divabetic’s Menopause & Diabetes Panel Discussion  & SugarFree Baking Demonstration on Zoom in honor of World Menopause Day on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 PM. It’s FREE.

Catherine Schuller moderates a panel featuring Dr. Julianne Arena, MD, FACOG, ABAARM,  Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love And Intimacy With Diabetes co-author, COO for Diabetes Sisters Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, and photographer, Amparo.

After our panel, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrates how to make her famous Sugar-Free Rum Cake Recipe and shares baking tips using popular sugar substitutes in your favorite recipes.

The purpose of World Menopause Day is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options = for improving health and wellness.

FREE PROGRAM – REGISTER NOW

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Sleep And Diabetes

We’re talking about sleep and nighttime diabetes self-care management with musical inspiration from Gladys Knight & The Pips on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night regularly, your diabetes will be harder to manage. Too little sleep can increase insulin resistance.

People with insulin resistance have built up a tolerance to insulin, making the hormone less effective. As a result, more insulin is needed to persuade fat and muscle cells to take up glucose and the liver to continue to store it.

If you have insulin resistance, you want to become the opposite—more insulin sensitive (cells are more effective at absorbing blood sugar, so less insulin is needed).

Mr. Divabetic discusses insulin resistance and sensitivity with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, in this video.

A lack of sleep makes you hungrier the next day and reduces how full you feel after eating.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Children and teens need more.

Gladys Knight, known as The Empress of Soul, doesn’t have diabetes, but the disease is close to her heart. Her mother, Elizabeth Knight, died of complications from the disease in 1997. A five-time Grammy award winner, Gladys Knight is as busy as ever gracing the entertainment world with her exceptional voice. Yet she 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.

Podcast guests include Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Mary Ann Hodorowicz, RD, LDN, MBA, CDE, CEC,  the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, SleepyHead Central founder Tamara Sellman RPSGT, CCSH, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

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Sugar-Free Baked Rice Pudding Recipe by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Divabetic wants to encourage you to indulge in the creative side of Halloween this year.

Instead of feasting on loads of candy, why not listen to our short audio ghost story about the Van der Voort Sisters who haunt Central Park as you enjoy this sugar-free recipe from the Diabetic Pastry Chef?

Sugar-Free Baked Rice Pudding by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup dry sugar substitute of choice

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins

sprinkle of nutmeg for garnishing

nutmeg for garnishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Garnish the top with a light sprinkle of grated nutmeg.  Bake until the pudding is firm in the center, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold with cream or whipped cream.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s Note: The pudding mixture can be baked in small greased ramekins or mini casserole dishes instead of a large casserole dish.

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, born in the 1800s, were two wealthy sisters whose father rarely let them leave the house unaccompanied. The one place they were allowed to visit was Central Park’s Wollman Rink, where they went ice skating in the winter. The two sisters never married, were lifelong best friends, and died a few months apart. Since their death, their ghostly spirits have been seen periodically skating together on the Central Park Pond, wearing the same red and purple outfits they wore over 100 years ago.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, November 10, 7-8 PM EST.

During this Extra-Special Baking Party on Zoom, we invite you to bake along with The Diabetic Pastry Chef as she prepares her delicious Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe. Once you register, we will send you the recipe’s complete list of ingredients so you can prepare before our program begins.

The Diabetic Chef will also demonstrate her favorite kitchen tool and share expert tips for using sugar substitutes and alternative flours in traditional recipes.

Free Prizes! Mr. Divabetic will host a Baking Trivia Contest and Prize Drawing during the program. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our prize drawings to win a Splenda Baking Kit, Tonya Kappes Cozy Mystery and PEAK 10 SKIN SAVE MY SOLE foot rescue cream.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

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Divabetic Prize Winner Allison Promotes Self-Care Saturdays

Prize Winner
Divabetic’s recent Sugar-Free Baking Party prize winner, Allison, shares her secrets to a healthier way of life in this post.
Living with multiple health issues, the doctoral student makes Self-Care Saturdays a priority. Learn more about the fascinating founder of Living Chronic Faith and how she manages the ups and downs of diabetes life. Allison was the winner of a fantastic vegan leather Arthel Neville Design Tote bag!
Prize Winner
Q: When were you diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?
Allison: I was diagnosed in 2008, but I started taking it seriously and managing it effectively in 2010. In doing so, I lost 75 pounds, and my A1c went from 14.7 to 6.9!!! It changed my life so much that I even served as an ambassador for the American Diabetes Association (Indiana chapter) for a couple of years.
Q: What other chronic conditions are you living with?
Allison: I am diagnosed with lupus SLE, fibromyalgia, PCOS, psoriasis and PsA, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative disc disease/herniate disc, and Sjogren’s syndrome.
 
Q: What do you do to pamper yourself?
Allison: I do self-care Saturdays–that includes sleeping late, a long shower, the extended version of my skincare routine, and no work (I am self-employed, so it’s easy to work constantly). If I can, I try to get my homework done before Saturday, too (I am a doctoral student). I also engage in my favorite hobbies: writing plays, trying new recipes, and crocheting gifts for loved ones.
 
Q: And share the name of your organization and its mission.
Allison: The organization is Living Chronic Faith–we are a faith-first organization serving people living with chronic diagnoses and the people who support them. We provide support, education, and resources to help them maximize their quality of life and live toward their God-given purpose.

 

We host workshops, low-impact seated exercise sessions with a licensed physical therapist, and an annual conference.  We also have a bi-monthly members-only meeting to address personal issues candidly.  All of our programming is virtual and free of charge.
Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?
During this Extra-Special Baking Party on Zoom, we invite you to bake along with The Diabetic Pastry Chef as she prepares her delicious Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe. Once you register, we will send you the recipe’s complete list of ingredients so you can prepare before our program begins.

The Diabetic Chef will also demonstrate her favorite kitchen tool and share expert tips for using sugar substitutes and alternative flours in traditional recipes.

Free Prizes! Mr. Divabetic will host a Baking Trivia Contest and Prize Drawing during the program. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our prize drawings to win a Splenda Baking Kit, Tonya Kappes Cozy Mystery and PEAK 10 SKIN SAVE MY SOLE foot rescue cream.

REGISTER NOW – IT’S FREE 

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Divabetic Remembers B. B. King

“I’m diabetic, bad knees, bad back. Ladies, I’m old but I ain’t dead.” Blues legend B. B. King.
We’re remembering B. B. King on the anniversary of his birthday. We applaud his openness about living with type 2 diabetes for over 34 years.
Diabetes didn’t dim his dazzle or stop the music. For over half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – defined the blues for a worldwide audience. It was widely reported that he gave over 15,000 performances since his career began in 1949.

As B. B. King explained in a Diabetes Health magazine profile, he took charge of his diabetes shortly after his diagnosis. King tested his blood sugar often and changed his eating habits. He realized diabetes probably ran in his family, but no one knew it. He thinks his father might have had it when he died while suffering from gout and “high blood glucose.” King’s mother was blind when she died at age 9 and likely had undiagnosed diabetes, he says. Not only did B. B. King keep on top of his diabetes, but he spread awareness about it, working as a high-profile spokesperson in the fight against diabetes. Later in life, he admitted the life of a touring musician made it difficult to manage his daily diabetes self-care.
B.B. King was one of the best-known blues singers and guitarists in the world. He recorded more than 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, won a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1988, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1990 and a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991.
In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris,The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, September 28, from 7-8 PM EST.

REGISTER NOW

 

Join us for Divabetic‘s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything is hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir. Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

 

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Less Sugar Peach And Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

My friend, Stacey Harris, known as ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’, who co-hosts our Divabetic Sugarfree Baking Parties on Zoom has inspired me to experiment in the kitchen. Specifically, I’ve been replacing half of the amount of the sugar needed with Splenda brown sugar and substituting almond flour for white flour in dessert recipes. In most cases, I used a combination of sugar and sugar substitutes.  Trust me, I won’t be appearing on The Great British Bake-Off show anytime soon but if I can do it, so can you!

Since I’ve been working on lyrics for a new song tentatively entitled Peach Cobbler, I decided to take on this dessert with my limited culinary skills.  I started with the Original Bisquick™ Peach Cobbler recipe, like food blogger Karlynn Johnston, but added oatmeal (more fiber) and fresh blueberries and substituted some of the sugar with Splenda brown sugar. The result was surprisingly good!

Less Sugar Peach & Blueberry Cobbler Recipe 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Original Bisquick™ mix
  • 1/2 cup of oatmeal
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 Splenda Brown Sugar
  • 1 can (29 ounces) sliced peach, drained
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 °F.
  • Whisk together the baking mix, oatmeal, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add in milk. Pour in the melted butter and mix again. Pour into an ungreased 8×8 pan.
  • Combine the peaches, and blueberries with sugar and Splenda brown sugar, tossing to coat them well. Spoon onto the top of the Bisquick mixture in the pan carefully, trying to keep them on top if you can.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown. You can insert a toothpick into the baked part and see if it comes out clean.

 

Oops, I added some Whipped Cream too!

From time to time I like to sprinkle my R & B playlists with country music. One of my all-time favorite country songs is Deana Carter’s Strawberry Wine. The song was released in August 1996 and became Carter’s first number 1 hit on both the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. The song follows a young girl as she falls in love for the first time, and Carter drew inspiration from her own first love to sing it.

My new unfinished song, Peach Cobbler, is about a woman’s first experience with heartbreak and her mother’s comforting words. Here are the lyrics to the first verse and chorus that inspired me to get in the kitchen and alter the Original Bisquick™ Recipe. 

Peach Cobbler by Max Szadek
verse
I was crying so hard
when I crept home
didn’t see mama
standing by the stove
 
she was cooking peaches
but her pot got cold
the minute she saw 
my teardrops rolling 
 
down my cheeks
when I tried to speak
she hushed me
saying, Oh, Child, Please!
 
you know, I wasn’t born this old 
back in the day, when I was your age 
I met a few Romeo’s
had my share of heartaches
now it’s your turn to learn 
what your grandma told me
when my heart was first broken 
 
chorus
you can’t hurry love
any faster than you can 
speed up a pan,  cooking cobbler
 

so don’t bother with fools

who promise the moon
to get you to do
what you don’t wanna
 
they’ll steal your stars 
leave your nights a whole lot darker 
take it from me
I wasn’t any smarter
 
until my mama taught me 
you can’t hurry love
any faster than you can 
speed up a pan, cooking peach cobbler

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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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Mr. Divabetic Gets His Energy Up!

This photo was taken in 2012 when I worked on the amazing national nonprofit organization, Energy Up! Program promoting healthy attitudes in young women with my friend and mentor, High Voltage.
The mission of Energy Up! is to prevent childhood obesity. Energy Up! is the only health and wellness childhood obesity program built on the Energy Up! Addiction model with a published medical study.
At the time, I was also working full-time on Divabetic ‘s ongoing outreach programs and podcasts. It was an amazing moment in my life to be working on two programs to encourage women of all ages to stay healthy and upbeat about their wellness. High Voltage and I share a passion for glamorizing good health. She loves to add sparkle to her events just like I do! 
 
Fast-forward to this year. High Voltage still continues to motivate and inspire me every step, every day in my personal wellness journey.
 
I’m thrilled to announce that High Voltage joins the cast of Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast entitled Tomorrow’s Not On The Menu, debuting in Fall. She is helping us raise awareness of the high amounts of added sugar in our diets. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day.

 

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day.
For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day or about 9 teaspoons. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars without singling out any particular types, such as high-fructose corn syrup.

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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