The two-time Emmy-nominated actress is best known for her work in HBO's The Sopranos and has an impressive resume of acting credits since 1989. In 2017, she booked a recurring role in The Blacklist as Heddie Hawkins and fans of the show were shocked to see her physical transformation in newer episodes of the long-running series.
In 2001, when The Sopranos was blowing up the landscape of dramatic TV, Aida learned she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The star spoke with Skill Magazine in 2007 about how she first discovered she had the disease and how it took her a while to learn to cope with it.
"About five years ago it came up in a checkup that I had high sugar in my blood. My doctor put me on an oral medication, but I was basically in denial. So, I found out I had diabetes and I got really upset, and then I basically forgot about it. I didn’t read about diabetes or study it — I guess I just didn’t realize what it meant or what risks it brought," Aida said.
She also delved into the difficulty of managing it: "It was a difficult time for me. Some of my family members were ill and I just wasn’t focused on taking care of myself. I wish I’d gone right away to the internet, read a bunch of books, gotten on a diet, and lost 30 pounds, but I didn’t. I’ve found there are many people with diabetes who do not take care of themselves."
She added that nutrition for diabetics takes a little more careful planning than crafting a diet for someone who is just looking to lose weight:
"Nutrition is everything — we could talk about food for hours. Eating healthy is different for a diabetic than for someone without diabetes — for instance, someone who’s just trying to lose weight. If you’re diabetic, you really have to understand what your body does with the foods you eat. Some people think of sugar as just the table sugar you put in your coffee."
Aida highlighted the importance of speaking to a nutritionist to help in crafting a healthy diet, going so far as to state that, even if one's insurance doesn't cover visits, to make it a financial priority: "Ask for it for your birthday. Tell your family and friends to save up and give you six training sessions for Christmas. Or don’t go out to dinner for a few nights and go to the nutritionist instead."
