My second watercolor class was about washes. It proved to be just as challenging as the first class, but it was still a blast from start to finish. We used a large brush and loaded up with the paint mixture in a smooth, sweeping motion side to side. The three main types of watercolor washes are flat, graded, and variegated. You can attempt them with a wet brush on dry paper or a wet brush on wet paper. My goal was to create transparency with the paint.
I adore my instructor, Eva, from Bulgaria. She’s passionate about art and teaching art. When she travels back to Bulgaria, she doesn’t like to take photos because she feels photos can’t capture your memories. I’m paraphrasing, but I love her thoughts. I arrived early so I could ask her about her artwork. She is a chemigram artist. A chemigram has been called ‘the ultimate adventure of gelatin silver bromide’. It’s made by painting with chemicals on light-sensitive photography paper. According to Eva, you can’t see what you’re creating until you process the paper, and there’s a high probability that it might not work out. Eva likes it because you can’t control it.
Drinking water can help dilute blood sugar levels, but no single food or drink can directly reduce the amount of sugar in your blood. Different foods affect your blood sugar differently, creating bigger or smaller rises for longer or shorter periods. High blood sugar—known as hyperglycemia—can lead to dehydration, as the body tries to eliminate excess glucose through urine. Excess urination is one symptom of diabetes.
When dehydrated, your blood becomes more concentrated, including glucose. Drinking water can help rehydrate your blood and dilute the sugar, which can help lower blood sugar levels. Water can also help your kidneys filter out excess sugar through urine, which can further help flush sugar from your body.
Taking fast-acting insulin medication is the fastest way to lower blood sugar. Talk to your healthcare collaborators about the best self-care plan for you.
Whose TEAM are you on? Team REESE or Team INA when it comes to habits????
We get it INA, it’s hard to start healthy habits. It’s super easy to slip back into old habits. But when it comes to building healthy habits, small decisions add up over time.
Drinking more water instead of soda, iced tea or any other sugar-sweetened beverage is a great way to start.
Water will not raise blood glucose levels, which is why it is so beneficial to drink when people with diabetes have high blood sugar.
Water also helps keep your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and gets rid of wastes through urination, sweat, and bowel movements. If plain water isn’t your favorite, you can add flavor to your water to help up your intake.
We feel the way to make healthy habits stick is by imagining the future, rewarding yourself, being patient, and above all, treating yourself with kindness
Listen to Divabetic’s free monthly podcast on-demand featuring music from Teddy Pendergrass‘s album, Life Is A Song Worth Singing,and guests: Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Build Jake’s Place Executive Director Arthur Anston, and Yoga For Diabetes Author and Founder Rachel Zinman
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 Valentines-themed Baking Party on Zoom with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chefon Wednesday, February 9, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST.
During this virtual Baking Party on Zoom,The Diabetic Pastry Chefwill prepare a Valentine’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe and share expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and flours in your favorite recipes.
Over 150 people registered for our recent Divabetic Baking Parties on Zoom so don’t miss out!
Extreme heat can cause both unexpected highs and lows in blood-sugar levels. The heat can also cause dives in blood-glucose levels. As the temperature rises, the body’s blood vessels expand, speeding up insulin absorption and increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Here are some tips to help you beat the heat this Summer:
1. Protect Your Self-Care Gear
Keep your insulin pump covered and your insulin cool! Heat makes insulin less effective and can cause pumps to malfunction. There are cooling cases specifically for insulin that can help you manage your supply.
2. Drink Plenty of Water!
Most experts agree when it comes to hydration, water is the best option for people with diabetes. That’s because it won’t raise your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can cause dehydration. Drinking enough water can help your body eliminate excess glucose through urine.
Summer Squeeze Fruit-Infused Water
Bored with the taste of water? Then why not make some fruit infused water? Fruit infused water is water that has been infused with fruits, vegetables or herbs. Drinking infused water may help you and your family with weight loss by replacing drinks high in sugar and calories.
Toast the warm weather with this minty, berry (and sugar-free!) twist on lemonade that’s one of our favorites: ‘Summer Squeeze’. Ingredients: Strawberry, Lemon, Mint
Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fishes. What it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand.
Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea? Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months. USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, Mama Rose Marie and Poet Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit clad sleuth in this seaside adventure. This year’s mystery podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Instead of a frozen strawberry daiquiri, drink water!
Most of us would sooner roll our eyes than adhere to this helpful, overzealous healthy eating advice. But does that mean we’re not taking our diabetes seriously? Or are we a bad person?
Although water is the obvious healthier option, the two choices aren’t even comparable which doesn’t seem to bother our well-intentioned friends, co-workers and family members aka ‘The Food Police’. They like to share stringent suggestions while strictly adhering to a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ code of conduct at family gatherings or celebrations. But our their good intentions helpful or hurtful?
The ‘Food Police’ is the topic of July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast entitled ‘I Know What You Ate Last Summer’ on Tuesday, July 12, 2018, 6 PM, EST. Those well meaning friends, family members and co-workers in your life who like to imply you’re good or bad for choosing a certain food. Their ‘helpfulness’ can lead to guilt and shame over food choices and make you loathe your diabetes self-care. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros’ Foundation, and Mama Rose Marie.
Confused about Food?
If you are, you’re not alone. When you go online to seek advice you’ll find a dozen different ideas on the right way to eat to manage your blood sugars and they all contradict each other. It is very confusing, but it will all fall into place eventually, especially if you connect with a Registered Dietitian(RD) who’s a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). You can find such a person at EatRight.org.
A Registered Dietitian (RD) can help you to create a personalized nutrition care plan to help manage your blood sugar levels throughout the day, prevent further health complications, and feel your best,
Have you got a blood glucose meter? If not, we recommend that you get one. You can use it to test out your meals by check before you eat then again 2 hours after your first bite. The difference in the readings will show you how that meal affected your blood sugar levels. You may have some shocks, and you may have some nice surprises, but it is the only way to learn. Our bodies are all different. We are all on different (or no) medications, at different stages of the disease, so what is right for one may not be right for another.
What’s a healthy alternative to a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri?
1. Make your own Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri at home. Most home-cooked meals have less calories, sugar, and fat than meals out and the same holds true for stay at home cocktails. The main ingredients are frozen strawberries, lime juice, lemon juice and a bit of sugar or honey. And, if you opt for alcohol you can decide how much rum to use. Don’t forget that a frozen strawberry daiquiri, made from strawberry schnapps, rum, lime juice, sugar and strawberries, contains about 220 calories and 34 grams of carbohydrates. If you’re trying to lose weight than drinking a few of these isn’t the best option.
2. Opt for a nonalcoholic version. You won’t save many calories but you will cut down on the added sugars from the liqueurs.
3. Alternate between a frozen strawberry daiquiri and a glass of water. As an added bonus, drinking plenty of water at the bar will likely reduce the chance of waking up with a hangover.
Keep in mind, while moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level — sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels, especially for people with type 1 diabetes. Alcohol can interfere with the positive effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin.
What’s moderate alcohol consumption?
Moderate alcohol consumption is considered 2 drinks/day for men; 1 for women. One drink contains 14 grams of alcohol meaning: one 12 oz beer (5% alcohol), one 5 oz glass of wine (12%) or one 1.5 oz of hard liquor (40% or 80 proof). It does appear that alcohol itself, and not the source, is responsible for the benefits.
