Rosie O’Donnell Recovering from Heart Attack

Emmy Award winner, Broadway actress and television personality Rosie O’Donnell suffered a heart attack last week, according to her blog at Rosie.com.

In O’Donnell’s Aug. 20 entry, entitled “my heart attack,” the actress explained that she felt sore after helping an “enormous woman” get out of her car in a parking lot in Nyack, NY, on Aug. 14.

“A few hours later my body hurt/i had an ache in my chest/both my arms were sore/everything felt bruised,” wrote O’Donnell, 50, who admitted to not calling 911 when the pain did not subside.

“I googled womens heart attack symptoms/i had many of them/but really? – i thought – naaaa/i took some bayer aspirin/thank god/saved by a tv commercial/literally,” she continued.

O’Donnell said she had a stent inserted the next day after doctors found that her coronary artery was 99 percent blocked.

O’Donnell’s representative Cindi Berger told People magazine, “She is now home and resting comfortably. She is very, very lucky.”

O’Donnell’s Emmy-winning talk show, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” ran from 1996 to 2001. The performer made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in the 1994 revival of Grease! Following Grease!, she went on to play a limited engagement as the Cat in the Hat in the Ahrens-Flaherty musical Seussical, and portrayed Golde in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof.

 

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

Phyllis Diller dies at 95

Phyllis Diller, whose sassy, screeching, rapid-fire stand-up comedy helped open the door for two generations of funny women, died on Monday at her home in Brentwood, Calif. She was 95.

Ms. Diller, who became famous for telling jokes that mocked her odd looks, her aversion to housekeeping and a husband she called Fang, was far from the first woman to do stand-up comedy. But she was one of the most influential. There were precious few women before her, if any, who could dispense one-liners with such machine-gun precision or overpower an audience with such an outrageous personality.

One chestnut: “I once wore a peekaboo blouse. People would peek and then they’d boo.”

Another: “I never made ‘Who’s Who,’ but I’m featured in ‘What’s That?’ ”

Ms. Diller, a 37-year-old homemaker when she took up comedy, mined her domestic life for material, assuring audiences that she fed Fang and her kids garbage soup and buried her ironing in the backyard. She exuded an image that was part Wicked Witch of the West (a role she actually played in a St. Louis stage production of “The Wizard of Oz”) and part clown.

In her many television appearances she would typically sashay on stage wearing stiff, outsize, hideous metallic dresses (she did this, she said, so she could lie to her audiences about the state of her body, which was really trim and shapely), high-heeled shoes or boots studded with rhinestones, and a bejeweled collar better suited to a junkyard dog or a fur scarf she claimed was made from an animal she had trapped under the sink. Slinking along onskinny legs, her feet invariably pointed outward, penguin-style, she originally carried a long bejeweled cigarette holder that held a make-believe cigarette from which she continually flicked imaginary ashes. (Ms. Diller, who did not smoke, later discarded the cigarette holder.)

Her hair was the blond flyaway variety, sometimes looking as if it was exploding from her scalp; her eyes were large and ferocious, her nose thin and overlong (she ultimately tamed it through plastic surgery). And then there was that unforgettable, ear-shattering voice, which would frequently explode into a sinister cackle that seemed perfectly matched to her image as the ultimate domestic demon.

Among Ms. Diller’s few female predecessors was Jean Carroll, sometimes called “the female Milton Berle,” who made numerous appearances in nightclubs and on Ed Sullivan’s variety show, where she mined her marriage and family for laughs. There were others: Minnie Pearl got laughs as an outrageous Southern spinster, Moms Mabley as a raunchily outspoken black philosopher.

But Ms. Diller’s hard-hitting approach to one-liners — inspired by Bob Hope, who became an early champion — was something new for a woman. Her success proved that female comedians could be as aggressive or unconventional as their male counterparts, and leave an audience just as devastated. She cleared the way for the likes of Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr, Whoopi Goldberg, Ellen DeGeneres and numerous others.

Although Ms. Diller used writers to help create her act, she estimated that she wrote 75 percent of the jokes herself. Her approach to humor was methodical. “My material was geared toward everyone of all ages and from different backgrounds, and I wanted to hit them right in the middle,” she explained in her autobiography, “Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy” (Tarcher, 2005), written with Richard Buskin. “I didn’t want giggles — I could get those with my looks — I wanted boffs, and I wanted people to get the joke at the same moment and laugh together. That way I could leave everything to my timing.”

She liked jokes that piled on the laughs in rapid succession. A favorite of hers was this one: “I realized on our first wedding anniversary that our marriage was in trouble. Fang gave me luggage. It was packed. My mother damn near suffocated!”

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

Summer Beauty’s Survival Tip: Think PInk!

The sensational Emma Stone shows off why pink is the hottest lipstick this season from the boardwalk to Broadway. Hot pink lips are one of Hollywood’s hottest trends this summer blockbuster season and here’s how to make it work: “Lip primer will create an even base to ensure that the lip color doesn’t become diluted,” says Kidd. To keep color in place, line lips with a transparent pencil, and then apply your pink of choice.

“The thing I love about bright pink lips is that they’re ultra-feminine, but very graphic and modern at the same time,” says makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, who has worked with Emma Stone. Adjust the shade you choose based on your skin-tone—and in this case, opposites attract. If you have a warm complexion like Olivia Munn, opt for a cooler pink. If your skin is cool like Gwen Stefani, a warmer, redder pink will work best. “Layering a hot pink lip stain under your lipstick will help it last all day,” Goodwin adds.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

Taylor Swift’s ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ Is Huge Hit

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” the first single from Taylor Swift‘s fourth studio album “Red,” appears headed for digital sales history. Wow!!!

The song is also blasting  onto multiple Billboard airplay charts following its first week of availability.

According to updated industry sources, the track will have moved more than 600,000 downloads by the end of the Nielsen SoundScan tracking week yesterday. Considering that its opening-week sales projection has grown to at least 600,000, “Never” will likely earn the largest week ever for a song by a female artist – and the second-biggest week ever.  You go, diva!

The song, which Swift wrote with pop hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback launches on Country Songs at No. 13, Adult Contemporary (No. 16), Pop Songs (No. 18) and Adult Pop Songs (No. 21).

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic featuring The Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Constance Brown Riggs, MSed, RD, CDE, CDN, Judi Wilcox, RD, CDE Lori Bednarz, RN BSN, CDE and Mama Rose Maire    http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help inspire you to overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

“Help! My Kids Only Eat Chicken Nuggets”

Every parent knows how difficult it is to get kids to eat healthy and try different foods.   Children will sometimes eat the same thing every day, for weeks, and refuse to try anything else. Eating habits are learned behaviors, so what they learn to eat at home early on, will stick with them into adulthood.  Foods should not be restricted, as that will lead to them wanting those foods more. You can sneak vegetable purees in baked goods as well as meats to be sure they’re getting enough, but how do you get them to actually make those choices themselves?

What to do?  Here are 5 ways to get kids to eat healthier and try more foods:

1.  Recruit your child’s help:   Ask them to help select fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods. Encourage them to help you prepare meals, cutting vegetables, setting the table, and making salad.

2. Make it fun: Making heart shaped or your child’s initial, blueberry or banana pancakes. Making ants on a log (celery with raisins and peanut butter.) Making Egyptian eyes (cutting a circle out of whole wheat toast and placing a fried egg in the cutout.) Eating breakfast for dinner.

3.  Stick to a routine: Serve meals at about the same time every day.

Information provided by Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, is the national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and author of The African American Guide to Living Well With Diabetes and Madeline Basler, Dietetic Intern, Queens College, New York.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic featuring The Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Constance Brown Riggs, MSed, RD, CDE, CDN, Judi Wilcox, RD, CDE Lori Bednarz, RN BSN, CDE and Mama Rose Maire    http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

Sparkle Shines At Weekend Box Office

Whitney Houston‘s final movie, the TriStar’s musical drama “Sparkle” — — came in No. 5 in its debut, grossing $12 million at the box office over the weekend.

The film received a glowing A CinemaScore and cost a modest $14 million to produce.

The remake of the 1976 film stars ”American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Cee Lo Green, Cameron Ejogo and Tika Sumpter and is about three sisters who form a singing group in Detroit during the Motown era. Houston plays their mother.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

Can Yoga Cure Chronic Back Pain?

People who suffer from chronic low back pain may want to try taking to the yoga mat to relieve their symptoms, a small new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of York in the United Kingdom found that back pain sufferers who participated in a group yoga program for 12 weeks had fewer medical costs and fewer missed days from work, compared with people who didn’t participate in the yoga program.

“We welcome the fact that not only has yoga been found to help people manage their back pain, but that it is also cost effective, and results in fewer sick days,” Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK said in a statement. “It is another option for people who are struggling to manage their condition, and one that encourages the move to self-management.”

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to Dr. “C” Corrine Morgan from Morgan Chiropractic Center in Philadelphia, PA about ways to keep your back (sexy) and healthy. Watch out, Justin Timberlake!

Check out Dr. Morgan’s funny, often enthusiastic responses to Divabetic’s ‘Wack or Wow?’ Healthy Back quiz with Mr. Divabetic.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hosts the free monthy podcast, Diabetes Roundtable featuring health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness experts, entertainment industry leaders and VIPs: women and men living with, at risk of and affected by diabetes.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Podcast Inspired By Beyonce http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/05/08/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-beyonce

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red TOMATO carpet at Central Farm Market, Bethesda, MD, Fashion’s Night Out, New York, NY, Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA the American Diabetes Association’s Annual Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in Fall 2012. For more glitter, games and glucose advice visit: www.divabetic.org