Aida Turturro Weight Loss: Aida was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2001, during the heyday of The Sopranos, which was transforming the landscape of dramatic television. In a 2007 interview with Skill Magazine, the actress discussed how she first found she had the disease and how it took her a long time to learn to live with the condition.
Excessive blood sugar levels
“It was discovered at a routine exam around five years ago that I had excessive blood sugar levels. My doctor prescribed an oral prescription, but I refused to take it since I was in denial. So, I found out I had diabetes and was quite unhappy, but after that, I completely forgot about the whole thing. I didn’t do any research or read anything about diabetes; I guess I just didn’t understand what it was or the dangers it entailed “Aida shared her thoughts.
She also went into detail about how difficult it is to manage: “It was a challenging period in my life. Some of my family members were sick, and I wasn’t concentrating on taking care of myself at the time. Instead of immediately going to the internet, reading a bunch of books, going on a diet, and losing 30 pounds, I chose to do the opposite. I’ve discovered that there are many diabetics who do not take good care of themselves.”
She went on to say that designing a diabetic diet requires a little more thought and planning than designing a diet for someone who is simply trying to lose weight:
“We could chat about food for hours about how important it is to be healthy. Eating healthy for a diabetic is different from eating healthy for someone who does not have diabetes — for example, someone who is only trying to reduce weight. If you have diabetes, it is critical that you understand how your body reacts to the foods you eat and drink. Some individuals believe that sugar is simply the table sugar that you use to sweeten your coffee.”
Aida stressed the importance of consulting with a nutritionist to assist in the creation of a healthy diet, even if one’s insurance does not cover visits. She went so far as to suggest that people make it a financial priority, even if their insurance does not cover visits: “Make a request for it on your birthday. Solicit donations from family and friends to fund six training sessions for you before the holiday season arrives. Alternatively, refrain from going out to dinner for a few nights and visit a nutritionist instead.”
She’s presently in Connecticut, where she’s working on a nun’s role for Phyllis Nagy’s next film Call Jane, but she felt the need to fill the time with something productive while she was quarantined. Her appearance on Cameo, she explained in an interview with Vulture, gave her the opportunity to “put on some lipstick and look over my script.”
Cameo is an internet business that allows users to pay “anything from $5 to thousands of dollars for a personalised video greeting from over 40,000 celebrities,” according to the website’s description.
Turturro charges $90 for each Cameo and believes that she has already created more than 450 messages for her followers.
After the lockdown, the quirky actress said she had a slew of demands to “Do Janice,” particularly from younger fans who binge-watched the program for the first time while it was off the air.
The Sopranos has had a 179 percent increase in viewership since the stay-at-home limitations were implemented, according to HBO data released last year. In April 2020, the channel also made several of their most popular titles available for free viewing, and the show was the most-watched of all the free series that were available.
Turturro expressed her delight at the show’s comeback and the return of her character on Cameo, saying, “It can be rather bizarre at times. However, this is just the way life is — it’s a cycle.”
Following the death of co-star James Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in 2013, the 58-year-old actress revealed she is hesitant to return to the role of Janice. She has also stated that she has not been able to rewatch the show.
Turturro to Cameo
Aida Turturro, who played Tony’s brash and foul-mouthed sister Janice Soprano Baccalieri in The Sopranos, has joined Cameo. Jamie-Lynn Sigler introduced Turturro to Cameo shortly before lockdown in March 2020.
Turturro, who is presently shooting a nun role in Phyllis Nagy’s forthcoming film Call Jane, needs something to do while quarantined. It helped her “put on some lipstick and look at my writing,” she told Vulture.
Fans may pay “anything from $5 to hundreds of dollars for a customised video greeting from over 40,000 celebrities” via Cameo. Aida Turturro is best recognized for her portrayal as Tony Soprano’s older sister Janice in HBO’s popular TV series The Sopranos.
Unlike Janice Soprano, who is an eccentric wanderer returning home after a 20-year absence, Turturro is everything but. She is a diligent, honest New Yorker who has remained close to home. Turturro has renowned cousins John and Nicholas Turturro. Her debut picture, True Love, was out in 1989. In 1999, she got a role on The Sopranos alongside long-time friend James Gandolfini.
Turturro was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 12. When she learned she had type 2 diabetes in 2001, she claims she went into “denial” for a few years, not understanding the severe health risks she was subjecting herself to. She now fully embraces diabetes treatment and has launched a national public education campaign sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, manufacturer of the long-acting insulin Lantus. Turturro recently paused campaigning to talk with ABILITY Magazine editor-in-chief Chet Cooper about her life, work, and learning to live with diabetes.
How did she get diabetes?
Aida Turturro: I was diagnosed with high blood sugar around five years ago. Oral medicine was prescribed but I was in denial. When I found out I had diabetes, I was devastated, but then I forgot about it. Never had diabetes, I didn’t understand what it meant or the dangers it posed.
It was a trying moment. My family members were sick, and I wasn’t focused on my own health. Instead of immediately going online, reading a lot of books, going on a diet, I didn’t. Many diabetics I know do not take care of themselves.
CC: So now you’re attempting to teach others, to share your knowledge?
AT: I’m trying to warn folks before they become ill. No need to panic. It takes effort, but it is doable.
CC: When did you decide to manage your diabetes?
AT: My doctor told me a few years back that my blood sugars were out of control. Do you realize that if you don’t take care of this, you risk renal disease, heart failure, blindness, neuropathy, and even death? And then it struck me.
In order to manage my diabetes, she advised me to start using insulin. Then I gained control of my illness for the first time. I was afraid of insulin, but would you refuse chemo if told you had cancer? No way.
I went to a diabetic endocrinologist, got a pedometer and started exercising, started taking Lantus long-acting insulin, and worked with a nutritionist to learn more about carbohydrate consumption. —I’m still learning.
CC: One reason people don’t take diabetes seriously is that it doesn’t always produce symptoms. Did you have any diabetes symptoms before taking control of your illness?
AT: In retrospect, I recognized I was becoming grumpy, weary, and irritable, or crying at the drop of a hat. And I’m not like that. My blood sugars would swing extremely high or very low, causing me to be moody. Common with diabetes.
Turturro charges $90 for each Cameo and has produced over 450 for fans.