{Interview} Dan Newman, Type 1 Diabetes Blogger + Podcast Host

The T1D Inspiring Interviews Series is back!

Well, hey - hasn’t it been a hot minute since I did an interview with someone marv from the type 1 community?

Fear not, we’re back with a bang!

Dan Newman developed type 1 diabetes at the age of 10. He went on to experience diabetes distress in his teenage years and then developed chronic kidney disease in 2013. He places emphasis on being open in discussing his complications in a bid to reduce stigma and shame that can engulf these challenges. I for one (& I know there are many others) am extremely grateful for his honesty.

I first came across Dan on Jen Grieves’ podcast Type 1 on 1 - a pod where she interviews people doing wonderful things in the type 1 space. Dan’s episode is here. His wisdom and perspective shines through and his calming voice is a total tonic for the soul - you’ll be pleased to know you can hear more of his wisdom (& soothing voice) on his own fantastic podcast, The Talking Type 1 Podcast. Give it a listen (after you’re done with this blog post, of course!)

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Without further ado, on to the reason why you’re all here - the interview with Dan!

Hey Dan! Welcome. Please tell us your type 1 journey! What age were you when you were diagnosed / what symptoms did you have? 

I was diagnosed when I was 10 years old during the summer holidays. I remember that I was drinking a lot but because it was hot outside my family didn’t think anything of it. My aunt took myself and my cousins to the cinema (movies) and I was unwell and that continued during the rest of the evening. My mum called the emergency doctor and he said you need to take him to accident and emergency (emergency room) now. What seemed like many hours the doctor told me that I had diabetes. I think I was in the hospital for a week or two but I can’t remember because it was so long ago!

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

That there would be difficult times particularly the mental aspect that comes with living with type 1 diabetes. I think just seeing type 1 diabetes as a physical condition didn’t help me because it’s a physical, mental, and emotional condition all wrapped into one.

What is the worst thing about type 1 diabetes?

The, at times, unpredictable nature of type 1. The fact you can do the same activities, eat the same foods two days in a row and have two different results can be frustrating at times.

(Curveball) What is the best thing about type 1 diabetes?

The best thing for me is the skills and qualities it has taught me as a person. These qualities include me being more resilient, understanding of others and determined to succeed in whatever I do in life.  

What are the main challenges of living with type 1?

The challenge is that it’s an unpaid full-time job which you didn’t ask for, with no annual leave and you are the only employee. Type 1 is always there in the background no matter how much you tell yourself it isn’t. One challenge for me was to overcome trying to be the perfect diabetic who was always in range no matter when I tested my levels. I would think as the numbers as either good or bad and not just what they are - which is numbers.

How do you deal with these challenges?

I learnt to realise that trying to always have perfect levels whilst living with type 1 diabetes just isn’t possible. I learnt that the data from my blood glucose monitor was giving me information on what I needed to do next and that I was attaching emotion to the numbers.

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

The diabetes online community, in particular Instagram. I enjoy speaking to other type 1s from all over the world and speaking about the ups and downs of living with type 1. It’s nice to speak to people who just ‘get it’.

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs (as well as your own)?

One of my favourites is Type 1 on 1 | Diabetes Stories by Jen Grives. Jen is a great host and interviewer and I had the pleasure of being interviewed for her podcast. There’s also Emily and Miriam at Pancreas Pals and Brandon and Matt at Bolus Maximus both great podcasts. Finally, I have a podcast called The Talking Type 1 Podcast.

Have you ever 'hidden' your type 1 diabetes?

Definitely. I found type 1 particularly during my teenage years, so I would not tell many people at school. I’d inject under the table in class or go to the toilets to do my injection just so that I could appear normal to everyone else. I’ve hidden it in the workplace so in some jobs I only told one or two people who I felt needed to know just in case but I never actively spoke about my type 1.

How do you think type 1 diabetes has affected your relationship with your body?

I think being diagnosed at 10 I went through many life stages with type 1 so it was always part of my body. It has had a positive impact because I’m more aware if something isn’t quite right for example my levels usually go out of sync a week or so before I come down with a cold.

How do you think type 1 diabetes has changed your approach to life and living? 

It’s taken a long time to get here but I now aim to do my best every day when it comes to managing type 1 which I use in my everyday life. Type 1 has also shown me that I can get through the worst situations, it’s not easy or pleasant at times but there is an end and I also use this in my approach to life and living.

Type 1 diabetes is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

I’ve had diabetes distress and diabetes burnout particularly in my teenage years and early 20s. I never knew that there was a reason for how I was feeling at the time it was just how I felt. I had two changes in my life which put me on the right path to coming out of diabetes burnout and I’m thankful that they happened when they did. I also set myself small goals of testing my levels once a day and build on it. If I missed a test that day I wouldn’t be hard on myself and start again the next day and build-up momentum. A big challenge related to this is that I had to overcome (still occasionally do) is not attaching emotion to my blood sugar levels. I’ve learnt that the numbers aren’t judging me they are just giving me information on what I need to do next. I do think it’s important to celebrate when your hard work being a pancreas has paid off, for example, if you lower your HbA1c, you hit your target time in range.

When did you launch your podcast, The Talking Type 1 Podcast, and what was the reason behind that?

I launched my podcast in March 2020. My reason was to help others living with type 1 by interviewing different people about their lives with type 1 and sharing their experiences with others who live with type 1 diabetes. I like learning about people and believe that everyone’s story of living with type 1 is unique and can help another person.

I remember how I felt alone at different times when living with type 1 and I don’t want anyone else to experience that feeling. Overall, It has been a rewarding experience to speak to each guest.

Do you have a favourite episode, or one that you're particularly proud of?

Good question! An episode that I’m proud of is episode 10 called Black, Diabetic and Proud. I speak to other black people living with type 1 diabetes about their experiences living with type 1. We cover a number of topics including diabetes and health discussions within the black community, representation within the diabetes community and more. I like this episode because it was an opportunity to amplify the voices of other black people living with type 1. I have other episodes which I like; I’ve spoken to someone who had a pancreas only transplant, someone who has recovered from diabulimia, someone who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 47 years and a mum who wrote a letter to her son on his first diaversary which spoke about their experiences as a family during that first year. I’ve spoken to some great people.

BONUS quick-fire round:

Pump or pens?

Pump

Finger pricks or CGM?

Finger pricks

Juice box or jelly babies?

Both, but if pushed, juice box

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?

Balmy summer nights

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Diet Coke

Morning bird or night owl?

Night owl

Porridge or pancakes?

Porridge

Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Dinner

The smell of insulin, love or hate?

Love

Thank you so much, Dan, for your wisdom and light in this T1D community of ours!

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Nutritionist-approved banging summer salad

Nutritionist-approved banging summer salad

Like me, you may love salads (guilty as charged) but perhaps - also like me - you get a bit bored of your current rotation?⁣⁣

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Welcome into your arms and your kitchens, this little beauty.⁣⁣
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Firstly, it's delicious. ⁣⁣
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Secondly, it's rich in lycopene (from tomatoes) which has antioxidant properties and is loaded with fibre and micronutrients. ⁣⁣

Ingredients:

Serves 2

• 3 large on-the-vine tomatoes⁣⁣

• 1 pack of mozzarella⁣⁣

• 2 cups of edamame beans (I use frozen)⁣⁣

• Handful of roasted hazelnuts⁣⁣

• 6 mint leaves⁣⁣

• Handful of basil, chives, tarragon, parsley⁣⁣

• Dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, zest of 1 lemon, salt + pepper⁣⁣

How to:

1. Slice up tomatoes and pop onto plates⁣⁣

2. Boil the edamame for 4-5 minutes (or whatever your packet instructions say)⁣⁣

3. Once done, drain and add to the tomatoes⁣⁣

4. Slice mozzarella and add

5. Chop up the herbs and stir through the dressing, then add this to the tomatoes⁣⁣

6. Garnish with the hazelnuts (go on, FLOURISH)⁣

Enjoy! Let me know if you make the recipe in the posts below - and tag me in your pics on Instagram!

{Interview} Jen Grieves, Type 1 Diabetes Writer + Podcaster

The T1D Inspiring Interviews Series with Jen Grieves

Hey all, I’m super thrilled to welcome Jen Grieves, type 1 diabetes writer and podcaster, onto the blog.

I. Am. Excited.

Jen was one of the first people I found in the diabetes online community. I’d pore over her blog, gathering strength from every insight, experience or feeling she’d bravely share about living with a compromised pancreas.

Jen then began creating videos about a host of important topics (mental health and type 1, navigating hypos, travelling with type 1, lockdown + type 1).

I eagerly await for her newsletter notifying me of a new video!

In 2019, Jen launched her podcast Type 1 on 1 where she interviews people doing wonderful things in the type 1 diabetes space. I recently listened to the episode with Claire from Organising Chaos. It’s raw, open and a tonic for any weary type 1 soul.

[I interviewed Claire back in May - you can read that great blog post here]

Jen’s a true superstar in the diabetes community. If you want to follow her online [you should], check out her Instagram here, her website here.

Without further ado, on to the reason why you’re all here - the interview with Jen! [FYI I had a little cry at some of Jen’s answers. I felt so heard + seen. Have your tissues at the ready.]

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Let’s dive into the diabetes questions

Hey Jen! Welcome. Please tell us your type 1 diabetes journey! What age were you when you were diagnosed / what symptoms did you have? 

My diabetes journey is currently 24 years long, and it’s an ever-evolving process of learning, understanding and tuning into my body. I was diagnosed in 1996 at the age of 8 and embarked on a life laden with injections, finger picks and glucose tablets, but apart from this extra physical baggage I carried on doing all the things I was already doing - sports, school clubs, sleepovers - and I think that shaped my outlook around diabetes from the get go. I’m grateful to my parents for not being afraid to let me live my life.

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

It’s hard to say as I’m sure if I’d been told much more when I was diagnosed it would have been overwhelming. I definitely shouldn’t have been told I could never eat sweets again - that was not fun for an 8-year-old to hear, nor was it true.

I wish I’d been told at some point how much type 1 diabetes is an emotional condition as much (If not more) than a physical one. I didn’t find that out for over a decade and I was very much scrambling in the dark with the toll my condition had taken on me at that point and had no idea why I was struggling so much.

What is the worst thing about type 1 diabetes?

For me I struggle with how it can’t be defined because each day is so different. Some days I feel like it’s absolutely fine, and others I just want to throw it out of the window. There’s a duality between how ‘manageable’ it can be and how huge and permanent it also is. I find that a difficult line to walk and figure out each day, and that’s also quite hard to articulate to others.

(Curveball) What is the best thing about type 1 diabetes?

I honestly believe it’s made me a better, kinder, more compassionate human being and I’m really thankful for that. Type 1 has given me an acute awareness of what other people might be going through without you realising. I am aware that I have a lot of amazing things in my life and I think the struggles of living with a chronic illness have also conversely made me much more positive and hopeful in general. I also can’t not mention the connections I’ve made with amazing people all over the world that I wouldn’t have otherwise had!

What are the main challenges of living with type 1?

‘Doing’ type 1 diabetes day in and day out really can get boring! The mundanity of waking up, checking your sugar, starting from scratch again each day, dosing, correcting, the admin of diabetes and most of all the space it takes up in my brain. It’s always in the back of my head and often it’s right at the front when I’d rather not have to think about it.

How do you deal with these challenges?

I focus on the fact that I’m doing the best I can and I don’t berate myself when my blood sugars go awry. One ‘bad’ day in a lifetime of trying to replicate a pancreas is not a big deal, even though it can make you feel rubbish. Making room for my diabetes has allowed me to live a much happier, healthier life and that means I can do more things that make me feel good and have nothing to do with type 1, which then makes the frustrations of type 1 seem less significant.

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

The type 1 online community has been an incredible source of support and knowledge over the past 10 or so years. We’re all dealing with this wild condition in our little packets of the Earth so it’s nice to connect and know that other people get it. My friends and family are also amazing; they’ve absorbed so much just by virtue of being in my life. I rely on my friends when I want to think about things that aren’t diabetes - chatting about life, going on adventures, just having fun. That’s a huge source of support in itself.

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs (as well as your own)?

The Talking Type 1 Podcast is great, by @t1d_dan. He is such a considered, calm interviewer and he’s had some really interesting guests.

Have you ever 'hidden' your type 1 diabetes?

There was definitely a period in my final year of university where I wasn’t engaged with my type 1, but it wasn’t necessarily a conscious thing; I wasn’t in a great place in general and I was struggling with various hormonal imbalances and so ability to manage my type 1 diabetes suffered.

I’ve never hidden it as such, but some days I feel more willing to open up a conversation about it than others. Dating is where I feel like I have to repeatedly ‘reveal’ it but it often comes up fairly quickly, either because I’m talking about my podcast or we’re eating/drinking and I need to check my blood sugars or take insulin. There was one date, years ago now, where I remember heading to the toilet to fix a hypo because it hadn’t come up in conversation yet and I was scoffing sweets in the cubicle - gross!

How do you think type 1 diabetes has affected your relationship with your body?

Oooofff that’s a big question! It’s been a long road for me - my diagnosis is definitely the reason I started to properly notice my body for the first time. I put on a fair bit of weight after diagnosis and my puberty seemed to be affected in the years after (I was 8 years old) so it definitely set the stall for a more complicated relationship with my body. Now I think my body is bloody incredible - it hasn’t failed me, it’s working so hard to keep me alive and we work together so that I can live my life and think and feel and love, which is such an amazing thing when you think about it. I’m so much more in tune with my body because of type 1.

How do you think type 1 diabetes has changed your approach to life and living? 

I’ve touched on it a few times but it’s given me such an appreciation for the simple things, and I take nothing for granted. Getting through each day is an achievement because we work so hard to keep ourselves alive. At the other end, I definitely am an adventurous person who lives for experiences and I feel like every time I travel or do something that takes more planning because of my diabetes I’m showing myself what’s possible. Working in the TV industry is not a 9-5 and I’m proud that I’ve figured out a lot of diabetes hurdles and challenges to have some amazing work opportunities.

Type 1 diabetes is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

It’s just a constant low level consumption of my headspace and I didn’t realise this for years so I therefore didn’t understand that over time it had started to take its toll. I think the emotional side of things is often a greater load than the physical aspects like injecting or testing your blood sugar. It’s just so complex, so personal and so constant.

In the past couple of years I’ve set a lot more boundaries and stopped trying to do everything all the time - I have a tendency to spin a lot of plates and try to do too many things. I’m OK with telling people that I need a day to myself to reset, which is something I never would have done before. Exercise has also been key - I used to exercise for my body, but now I exercise for my mind. And it’s not about running marathons - I just do what makes me feel good that day.

When did you launch your blog and what was the reason behind that?

This is actually very much linked to the emotional burden of type 1 diabetes. Once I realised that my condition was having an emotional impact, it was like a lightbulb and I suddenly wanted to learn more about my condition outside of my bi-annual clinic appointments for the first time. This was about 14 years after my diagnosis and I’d just embarked on my career. I had a new life in a new city and I felt like I was coming back to life, and I didn’t want to jeopardise all of that by not taking care of my health - on reflection I maybe felt like I suddenly had something to lose.

I’ve always been a writer so I started a blog to try and make sense of all the information and as a form of catharsis after so many years of feeling quite sad and lost. It was the first time I realised there were hundreds of other people out there living through similar experiences, and here we are, 10 years later.

We love your vlogs! Do you have a favourite video?

Aw thank you! I honestly can’t believe anyone watches them, I ramble so much (as these answers are illustrating very well!). The ones that people find the most useful are the explainers around diabetes technology so it’s great to know that you’re helping people because that’s the whole point of the channel, but my favourites to make are the vlogs because they’re so creative. I really love the process of putting a story together through the filming, words, music and editing, even though it takes much longer! Hopefully it’s helpful for people to see someone living their life going through similar feelings, experiences and struggles because of type 1. Shameless plug - here’s a recent one!

You launched your podcast Type 1 on 1 last year. What have you learned from your guests along the way?

It’s something I’d wanted to do for so long because unlike on social media where there’s not much room, in a podcast you get an hour of really intimate, open conversation and I just felt like that could be really helpful to people who feel isolated with their condition, and for those that don’t interact with other people online. I feel so lucky to have spoken on that deep level to other people about their personal experiences - I’ve learned that this condition has SUCH a varied and huge impact on those living with it, and it’s not often people really get to reflect on that. I’ve also learnt that as unique as each person’s experience is, there are so many similarities in what we go through. It’s an ongoing process for each person who lives with type 1 - you can’t ‘complete’ diabetes. Ultimately, people are incredibly inspiring and resilient - at the risk of sounding cheesy there is just so much inner strength that people don’t realise they have. The podcast is definitely something special to me.

BONUS quick-fire round:

Pump or pens?

Pump now, but I was happily on pens for a long time

Finger pricks or CGM?

CGM! Gamechanger

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice box

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?

Ohhh, balmy summer nights

HIIT classes or running?

HIIT classes

Meditation or yoga?

Meditation (if only to get me to sleep!)

Porridge or eggs?

EGGS FOREVER

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Neither

Novorapid or Fiasp?

I want to try Fiasp! But for now, Novorapid

Morning bird or night owl?

Night owl

Pip n Nut or Meridian?

Hahaha SO ON BRAND. Can I say Aldi own brand? It’s SO GOOD

Podcasts or vlogs?

ARGH I CAN’T CHOOSE. Podcasts because I get to chat to amazing people

Sorry, apparently I can’t even answer quick-fire questions quickly!

Thank you so much, Jen, for shining brightly in this little T1D community of ours!

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{Interview} Michelle Lord, Type 1 Diabetes YouTuber

T1D Inspiring Interview with Michelle Lord

Hey pals, I’m super thrilled to welcome Michelle Lord, T1D YouTuber, onto the blog. As times get even stranger, even sadder and even more bleak, community remains incredibly important. I’m proud and pleased to be able to share more voices from the type 1 community and spread insights of what life is really like with this chronic condition.

Michelle was mentioned several times by other guests on the blog (here in the interview with Andrea from She’s Diabetic and here in the interview with Myrthe from girl0ninsulin) and just knew I had to get her on.

We discuss her T1D journey, how she deals with the roller coaster days of living with this condition, diabetes burnout, the anxiety that often comes with T1D and her reflections on how T1D has made her a more driven person.

Michelle’s a superstar in the diabetes community. If you want to follow her online [you should], check out her her fantastic YouTube channel here.

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Show me the questions!

Hey Michelle! Welcome. Please tell us your type 1 journey! What age were you when you were diagnosed / what symptoms did you have? 

I was diagnosed Dec 13, 2002 at age 12 (Friday the 13th... spooky). My symptoms were not typical. I had oral thrush (yuck!) a couple months before I was diagnosed, then in November, I started to have the urge to pee frequently, so my mom took me to get tested for a bladder infection. It was then that my doctor found an elevated level of sugar in my urine, which ultimately led to an official diagnosis. I guess you could say my T1D was caught early, as my blood sugar was only 10 mmol/L when diagnosed and I required very little insulin for the first year. My first cousin was diagnosed a few years before me, so my family and I had a lot of support from my aunt.

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

One of the biggest things I wish I’d have known is the power of the T1D community. It wasn't until my mid 20's when I started connecting with other people living with type 1 diabetes. In fact, I was a bit resistant to the idea in my teens because I had "enough diabetes" in my life. Having a friend with T1D brings a sense of comfort, knowing that you aren't alone in this journey. There is an instant connection and understanding of each other because you both face the same daily challenges. 

I actually have a video called "Things I Wish I Knew when Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes" on my Youtube channel, which I am going to shamelessly plug here.

What is the worst thing about type 1 diabetes?

My answer for this will change depending on what I'm dealing with at the time, but at the moment my answer is the fact that T1D makes everything more complicated. As people living with type 1 diabetes, we can lead a fairly normal and fulfilling life, however, most things we do require more work than an individual without T1D. This can really frustrate me sometimes. For example, my husband and I will eventually want to start a family in the next few years, and knowing all the extra work that goes into a pregnancy with T1D makes me frustrated that I won't be able to experience a "normal" pregnancy. It will totally be worth the work of course, but I can't help but feel this way.

(Curveball) What is the best thing about type 1 diabetes?

For me, the best thing about T1D is how it has made me hardworking and motivated, which has translated into my schoolwork. When I was doing my PhD, my supervisor once pointed out that she thought my work ethic and discipline towards my PhD was in part due to me growing up with T1D and having to be disciplined with taking care of myself. I never realised that a chronic illness could shape me in a positive way.

What are the main challenges of living with type 1?

Dealing with the roller coaster days! It's funny how some days we have such stable and manageable blood sugars. Then on other days we are on a complete roller coaster ride, yet we did nothing different from the day before! Diabetes really has a mind of its own sometimes.

How do you deal with these challenges?

When I'm having these bad diabetes days I like to remind myself that that these days happen, and that it is OK to have a bad day. I think to myself - tomorrow is a new day, a fresh start, and I get a chance to start over with my blood sugars. 

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

I find support in my family, especially my husband. I started teaching him about T1D when we began dating over 8 years ago. I would say he is an expert now! I also find support in my friends from the Diabetes Online Community, most of which I met through Instagram! 

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs (as well as your own)?

My favourite podcast is Pancreas Pals, which is run by my friends Emily and Miriam! These two ladies are hilarious and I love listening to them.

A couple of my favourite YouTube Channels are She's Diabetic and Nerdabetic. These are both very helpful and entertaining channels run by my friends Andrea and Kamil.

Have you ever 'hidden' your type 1 diabetes?

Definitely!! Grade 9, first year of high school! I went to a high school where I only knew 2 people, so I pretty much had to start fresh and make all new friends. Being 14 at a new high school, the last thing I wanted people to know is that I have diabetes. I would check my blood sugar inside my locker before eating lunch with my friends, and at the time I was on NPH insulin, so I didn't need to give insulin at lunch. They had no idea! I grew out of that after about a year and I eventually became more open as I got older. Now I'm like an open book, especially since I'm putting my type 1 diabetes on YouTube!

How do you think type 1 diabetes has affected your relationship with your body?

I'm overall more aware and more in touch with my body. I know when something is off, with respect to both diabetes and other health related things. 

How do you think type 1 diabetes has changed your approach to life and living? 

I definitely live life to the fullest. When I was diagnosed, I never thought that something like that would happen to me. It was a wake up call at a very young age that life is fragile and that anything can happen. I try to live more in the moment and appreciate what I have.

Type 1 diabetes is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

To make a long story short, I have dealt with a lot of anxiety that stemmed from having type 1 diabetes. I spent 2 years going to weekly psychologist appointments to work on coping mechanisms, which I am so grateful I had access to. My experience in therapy plus the addition of my Dexcom CGM helped me greatly. I still deal with anxiety from time to time, but I'm able to cope with it so much better now that I have the tools.

When did you launch your type 1 diabetes YouTube channel and what was the reason behind that?

I launched my channel in late 2016. I have always loved making videos, and as a child I used to force my cousins to film videos with me. At the time of starting my channel I was really into watching daily vlogs. I always thought it would be cool to watch a vlogger who has type 1 diabetes, living their life, but also doing the same things that I do - such as testing blood sugar, carb counting, and pump site changes. I had thought about starting a "diabetes lifestyle channel" for quite awhile, then I finally mustered up the courage to film my first few vlogs (which no longer live on my channel because they were so bad haha).

The overall goal for my channel was, and still is today, to make content that other people can relate to. I want people to watch my videos and feel less alone on their diabetes journey, and if they learn something from me along the way, then even better! I'm no expert on diabetes, but I love entertaining people and connecting with others through my channel. 

Do you have a favourite video, or one that you're particularly proud of?

This is a tough question! I personally like my vlogs where there is a happy memory. I am proud of any video that has helped others. For example, I filmed my first Dexcom G6 insertion and I had a lot of comments on that video from people saying that it really helped them to feel less scared for their first insertion.

BONUS quick-fire round:

Pump or pens?

Pump

Finger pricks or CGM?

CGM

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice Box

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?

Balmy all the way

Waffles or pancakes?

Pancakes

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Neither lol

Yoga or meditation?

Yoga

Dark chocolate or granola?

Granola

Morning bird or night owl?

Morning bird

Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Dinner

Thanks Michelle for a great type 1 interview! If you’re looking for more inspiring interviews with people in the type 1 diabetes space, check these out: Jen Grieves, Diabetes by Design, and She’s Diabetic.

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Raspberry ripple breakfast / snack / dessert

Raspberry ripple breakfast / snack / dessert

This little corker of a recipe works well at any time of the day - either as a great breakfast, a perfect afternoon pick-me-up treat or a dessert.

The soaked oats make it deliciously creamy, pairing perfectly with the sharpness of the raspberries.

Easy to make, even easier to eat.

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4

• 1 cup of oats

• juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

• 125ml milk of your choice

• 1 frozen banana

• 1 vanilla pod

• 200g raspberries (frozen or fresh)

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

How to:

1. Cover the oats with warm water and the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Let it sit overnight or at least 4 hours

2. In the morning, drain the oats well under fresh water

3. In a food processor, blend the raspberries and maple syrup until they are liquid. Spoon about half into a bowl and set aside

4. Leave the remaining puree in the blender and add the oats and the rest of the ingredients. blend until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter

5. Serve the porridge in bowls or little glasses with the raspberry ripple swirled in. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days

Enjoy! Let me know if you make the recipe in the posts below - and tag me in your pics on Instagram!

Nutrition Q&A with Claire Cole from Movement for Minds

A few weeks ago, Claire Cole (founder of Movement for Minds) invited me onto her platform to discuss all things nutrition. We chatted about ways to build proper plates, how to fall in love with your freezers and larders, especially when sourcing fresh food can be challenging, my favourite snacking tips + we drool over our favourite Friday night indulgences (spoiler alert, mine’s a beef burger with sweet potato fries and lots of mayo).

Enjoy watching!

The top 5 things I wish I'd known at T1D diagnosis⁣

The top 5 things I wish I'd known at type 1 diabetes diagnosis⁣

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a fair while now, but I kept getting stuck on where to begin, how much to include, whether this is valuable. Anyway, I put that self-doubt away and decided that even if these points make a difference to only ONE newly diagnosed person with type 1 diabetes, then that’s a good thing.

Plus, for the people around here who’ve lived with type 1 for a while now (the old hands, as I like to say!) this provides a chance to reflect on your own diagnosis and what you would have liked to know.

Let me know if the comments if you agree with me, or what pieces of advice you’d add to my list.

1. There will be a grieving process.

   Even though people with type 1 diabetes can go on to live their best healthy lives (no really, you can) there's no getting away from the fact that the body has malfunctioned in some way. That's a loss and it's OK to feel sad about it. ⁣

2. There's more than 1 way to manage your condition.

   Maybe you'll use an insulin pump, or injections. Perhaps you eat in a certain way, maybe you'll be private about your condition. It's diverse and it's all good. ⁣

3. It's (usually) a family affair.

   T1D mostly (but not always) is diagnosed in childhood/adolescence/young adulthood. That means most people with type 1 are living at home. In my case, I was 9 and even though I did my own injections from day 1, my parents had to navigate meal times, my food intake and making sure I was safe overnight. My brother had to get used to taking a backseat as my health became more important for a moment (thank you, David 🧡).⁣

4. You'll be so preoccupied with the physical stuff in the beginning, the emotional side of the condition won't hit you until later.

   T1D doesn't always play by the rules (fickle, beast) and it takes a lot of resilience to dust yourself off after a bad day and do it all over again. You'll surprise yourself that you can do this (& I'm proud of you that you do). ⁣

5. You might not believe it right now, but your T1D can give you many good things.

   It gives you a lifetime pass to the wonderful #DOC where you'll be able to connect with other T1Ds and find your tribe. I never expected I'd make my illness my business, but I'm so glad that I did. ⁣

So for the newly diagnosed T1Ds - read and take comfort. For the old-hands among you, what do you think, any tips you'd add?⁣

Let me know in the comments below!

{Interview} Claire, Founder of Organising Chaos

Time for another T1D interview with Claire

Roll up, here’s another interview with type 1 diabetes superstar. I spoke to Claire, founder of Organising Chaos, a diabetes accessories brand. Claire and the Organising Chaos team offer products to decorate your diabetes supplies make managing the condition a little easier and a little more fun.

We discuss her T1D journey, what diabetes burnout can feel like, Claire’s favourite blogs/pods/places to find support and - my favourite - a quick-fire round at the end.

Claire’s a bright star in the diabetes community. If you want to follow her online [you should], check out her Instagram here, her blog here and her online shop here.

Without further ado…

Hey Claire! Thanks for coming on. Can you start by telling us your T1D journey? 

I was 6 when I was diagnosed with diabetes so have reached diabetes level 22. My parents tell me I had flu-like symptoms along with erratic behaviour. I would be fine one minute and slump the next. So they decided to take me to the doctors who agreed it was a cold and sent me back home. But when we arrived home another doctor had checked my notes and thankfully called us back in. After doing some tests I was sent to the hospital in DKA, but they weren't equipped to care for me so I was transferred by ambulance twice before ending up 50 miles away from home in a hospital that had an ICU equipped to deal with me.

Wow, Claire, I’m sorry - that sounds like a really distressing time for you.

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

Since I was so young, I wish my parents were given more support and education on diabetes. It wasn't until I was an adult that I learnt about the impact of nutrition and how to carb count. It would have been great to have been taught this growing up. It would have avoided many years of burnout.

What is the worst thing about T1D?

For me it's the emotional burden. Dealing with T1D 24 hours a day, 7 days a week can really take its toll and I regularly find myself trying to avoid burnout. 

(Curveball) What is the best thing about T1D?

It might be surprising but there are several things for me... Top of the list has to be the diabetes online community. Becoming part of the community saved my life, having other people who understand what it's like to have diabetes and having a support system is invaluable!

This also led me to start Organising Chaos and after working in jobs that I hated and organisation that never supported or understood my diabetes I'm now doing something I love and get to be my own boss! 

What are the main challenges of living with type 1?

Just as easy as it is to become complacent with my control, I can also become obsessed with my numbers and this can quickly lead to burnout. Having a CGM is a blessing but as a perfectionist I want to always see a 5.5mmol on my screen. I find it quite challenging to find the right balance. 

Me too! How do you deal with these challenges?

Speaking to my diabetic team (my DSN rocks!) and reaching out the online community, I realised I wasn't alone in seeking for perfection all the time. Any time I have a high/low I tell myself that it's okay! It's okay not to have perfect BGs all the time and I am doing my best! I also give myself "days off" where I don't constantly look at my blood sugars.

Where do you find support and how do you access it?

I struggled with this for years! After not seeing a diabetic team for about 5 years and completely ignoring my diabetes, when I finally wanted the support I had no idea where to turn. I began at my GP, who referred me to the local diabetes team. I then asked to be referred to a consultant to get more support but it took a lot of fighting and waiting before I was referred. Now I am on a pump I see a pump consultant and a DSN regularly. But honestly the biggest support is the online community and my diabuddies!

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs?

There are some great blogs and podcasts out there for diabetes depending on what you are looking for...

• Mastering Diabetes (Insta account) is amazing for nutritional support

• Nerdabetic does YouTube videos centred around diabetes tech.

• Kerri from Six Until Me is the OG diabetes blogger and whilst the blog is no longer updated, it was one of the first blogs I came across and has archives of great information!

Have you ever 'hidden' your type 1?

Omg yes! I hid my diabetes for most of my life! I went through at least 10 years of burnout from my early teens to my early twenties. I rarely checked my blood sugars or took my insulin and I definitely hid my diabetes from the world. It wasn't until I joined the online community and saw other people embracing their diabetes that I decided to do the same! I took back control and I've been wearing my diabetes with pride ever since!

How do you think type 1 has affected your relationship with your body?

This is a tough one! I remember as a teenager a nurse, who noticed I had lost a little bit of weight, asked me whether I had been avoiding taking my insulin because that can make you lose weight fast! And from that day on, I regularly avoided taking shots to shed those extra pounds. I have always been "bigger" and I guess for years I blamed my diabetes. When I finally got back in control, I piled on so much weight and honestly resented my diabetes for it. But now I embrace who I am, injection bruises, pump scars, extra weight and all!

 How do you think type 1 has changed your approach to life and living?

I think diabetes has made me value things more. Value having a slice of cake with friends or doing a work out without going low! I have become more compassionate about what other people are going through and realised that we are all fighting invisible battles!

T1D is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

As I mentioned before, I regularly sit on the edge of burnout after becoming obsessed with my numbers and striving for perfection. It can be really hard sometimes, but I have a list of things I do regularly:

RESET: I take it back to basics. I use a diary to log my blood glucose, carbohydrate and insulin. It's great for accountability and getting back on track with carb counting and injecting correct doses.

SELF-CARE: I take some time out for myself! Things I love to do...read a book, listen to a podcast or take a bath.

THINK: I remind myself of the diabetic related complications and the horrible laser treatment I had for background retinopathy. I think of all I've already put my body through and how awful I used to feel before I took care of myself!

EXERCISE: This a new found concept for me... exercising to feel good and be healthy and not to lose weight! Going for a swim or taking a walk with the Diahubby & Bolus (my Cavapoochon puppy) are great stress relievers and do wonders for my BGs.

ACCEPTANCE: Knowing that it is okay not to be okay! It's alright to have a high blood sugar now and then. Not having perfect blood sugars does not make you a bad diabetic. 

Amen to that. When did you launch Organising Chaos and what was the reason behind that?

I launched Organising Chaos in 2018, right after I suffered my first miscarriage. I had the idea for starting a diabetes related company for a while, I saw companies in other countries decorating diabetes but there wasn't anything similar in the UK and I was tired of paying the postage! I used my grief and loss and decided to channel it into something positive.

That’s amazing, Claire. What is your favourite product from Organising Chaos online shop?

Hmm, that's a really hard question! I love the enamel pins, I think they are pretty unique and are great for decorating diabetes kitbags or clothing!

BONUS: Quick-fire round!

Pump or pens?

Both ;) (I'm on a pump but use pens for large boluses)

Finger pricks or CGM?

CGM

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice box

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings? 

Balmy summer nights

Porridge or pancakes?

Pancakes

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Diet Coke

Novorapid or Fiasp?

Fiasp

Morning bird or night owl?

Night owl

Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Dinner

Thank you, Claire, for your wisdom, your honesty and your insights!

On why you should always eat the chips

On why you should always eat the chips

Oh hai pals! Here I am filling my chops with the most delicious frites + mayo in Bruges.

Did I think twice about eating these? No
Would I have done 8 years ago? Yes
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is progress - it's about finding balance. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

My relationship with nutrition used to be all about:
- clean eating
- cauliflower rice
- spiralised everything
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Now I'm all about moderation, fuelling my body with nutritionally-rich food AND soulful food. What can I say? I'm greedy for both. I want food that puts a fire in my belly. The raw food diet just doesn't do that for me.

So, all praise balance! Yippee for creating your own food stories! Let's celebrate going beyond nutritional values -because enjoying food is so much more than that. Eating scolding chips in Bruges' main square with the sun on my face and a chill in the air is *part* of the holiday. It makes up the rich tapestry of a weekend away enjoying a new culture.

There is no way I'm going to deny myself of that. Nor should you.

Are you looking for some nutrition support?

Find out more about my clinic work here, and book a free call here. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Pret-style almond + coconut bites

Pret-style almond + coconut bites

These almond + coconut bites [resonant of Pret's] are often necessary to get me through Monday.⁣ If you are feeling similarly to me -

in need of a little pick-me-up and feeling a mixture of joy and sadness that you can't spent lots of money on Pret's snack selection -⁣ ⁣

I have the perfect recipe for you.⁣ ⁣

Ingredients:

- 200g almonds⁣

- 2 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup⁣

- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil or olive oil⁣

- 1 tsp vanilla⁣

- 100g unsweetened desiccated coconut⁣

- 200g dark chocolate (70%)⁣ ⁣

How to:

1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment⁣

2. Blitz the almonds in a food processor for 5 minutes

3. Add the honey or maple, the coconut oil, vanilla and a good pinch of sea salt and blitz for a few minutes⁣

4. Add the desiccated coconut and blitz again until you have a rough dough-like mixture⁣

5. Press the dough into the lined baking tray to even it out into a square about 2cm thick and place in the freezer for 5 minutes

6. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gentle simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water)⁣

7. Take the almond/coconut mixture out of the freezer and cut it into 24 bars⁣

8. Place back into the freezer to chill⁣

9. Once the chocolate has melted, take it off the heat and allow it to cool and thicken, stirring occasionally⁣

10. Dip the bars into the melted choc using two forks, then lay them onto another lined baking sheet ⁣

11. Once all the bars are coated, place back in the freezer to set⁣

12. I tend to store these in the freezer (wrapped in the used parchment).

Enjoy! Let me know if you’re also in need of a little snack-attack-pick-me-up!

5 clever tricks to eat well whilst home-working

[Originally written for Sylk Magazine]

5 clever tricks to eat well whilst home-working

As you read this, it’s very likely you’re staying at home, self-isolating and in full lockdown mode. Along with the massive shift in how we work, how we relate and how we communicate (virtual Hinge date, anyone?), how we eat has had to change too. For most of us, we’ll be consuming all three meals at home.

Working from home is a bit like having one two many wines: the fantasy is so much better than the reality. It can be easy to slip into bad habits: hurriedly eating food over your laptop, working late into the evening and skipping dinner or letting two coffees become a satisfactory breakfast. 

That’s why it’s super important to put your best fork forward and ensure you’re eating as well as you can during these uncertain and solitary times. Maybe you have more time on your hands (no commute) and you want to level up your cookery game? Perhaps you’ve realised a new-found importance for your body and keeping it well? I hear you.

I’m not here to discuss coronavirus, there is plenty of information out there, but what I *can* offer are nutritionist-approved tips & tricks, help & hacks to ensure you’re eating as well as you can to optimise your mind, body and soul.  

Home-working Hacks

Get into your Groove

Our bodies and minds love routine. It’s hard when everything else is up in the air, but I would really encourage you to find structure where possible. If you’re anything like me, my new normal is a working day that revolves around food. It keeps me motivated, divides my day up nicely and means I avoid any hangriness.

Top tips:

-       Establish set mealtimes and stick to this throughout the week.

-       Take proper breaks, move away from your desk and power down your laptop. Use this time to connect with someone or do some deep breathing or read a book: just make sure you properly stop working.

Eat Real Food

Prioritise, where possible, whole foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, good quality meat & fish) and avoid heavily processed and nutritionally-void foods. At the end of the day, this is about balance – if you fancy some chips, go for it, but why not make them yourself using sweet potatoes and a bit of cinnamon? (The cinnamon is a game-changer BTW).

Top Tips:

-        Limit processed foods (biscuits, shop-bought cakes, sweets) and enjoy as occasional treats.

-       Focus on whole foods; aim for eight portions of fruits & veggies per day.

-       Try cooking every meal from scratch.   

Prep like a Pro

Remember all those times you wished you’d been able to make a proper lunch at home? Well now’s your time. With a bit of forethought, you can have delicious lunches fit for a Queen!

Top tips:

-       Batch cook some recipes at the weekend (curries, stews & soups are a good shout, see recipe inspo below) and eat throughout the rest of the week.

-       Fire up your oven at 9am, pop in some baking potatoes, and come 1pm you’ll have a warming and nourishing jacket spud. 

-       Stretch meals: if you’re roasting a chicken, have leftovers in a stir-fry the next day and make stock out of the carcass.

Get Creative

When you think of where to buy food, supermarkets probably spring to mind first, but there’s a whole range of other options out there – veg boxes, recipe box companies, milk delivery services. Now is the perfect time to sign up, or dig out your old subscriptions.

Top tips:

-       Use recipes box companies like Mindful Chef or Farm Drop.

-       Find a local greengrocer, butcher or fishmonger.

Love your Larder, Fawn over your Freezer

With isolation looming over you, it’s a good idea to make use of cupboard staples and freezer favourites. They keep longer than fresh, naturally, and are often cheaper. Plus, freezing food locks in vitamin and antioxidant content. This is all about feel-good food in a cinch.

Top tips:

-       A handful of frozen blueberries in porridge or on pancakes.

-       Some frozen peas in a stir-fry.

-       Frozen spinach in a smoothie.

-       Tins of pulses and beans offer up great plant-based sources of protein and high fibre amounts.

Larder & Freezer Friendly Foods Shopping List

I am most definitely not encouraging any panic buying, but if you did need to restock your larder or have an online shop due, these are my go-to cupboard staples that also pack a nutritional punch.

Canned oily fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herring).

Excellent for a boost of omega 3 (an essential fatty acid that we can only find in food). Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties & fish is also a great source of protein.

Tinned tomatoes

A nutritional powerhouse full of vitamins C, E & K & high in lycopene, a bright red carotenoid that has powerful antioxidant activity. Tinned tomatoes often have higher amounts of lycopene compared to fresh.

Kidney beans

These legumes are packed with fibre & offer a good source of protein. They provide a range of B vitamins, including a healthy whack of folate. Try adding these to tomato-y soups, stews or blending them up in soups.

Frozen cauliflower

Packed with vitamin C & fibre. Offers liver support (cauliflower belongs to a group of vegetables called cruciferous, known to support detoxification pathways). An excellent addition to any curry or stew, or – my new fave trick – adding them to smoothies to create a rich & creamy texture.

Green tea

Contains high amounts of L-theanine, an amino acid which can support anxiety & concentration. Rich in polyphenols & EGCG, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound.

Frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)

Aka the darlings of my freezer! These guys are packed with antioxidants (molecules involved in protecting your cells from the effects of damaging free radicals). They're such a versatile staple, adding colour & nutrients to any smoothie, porridge or 9pm yogurt bowl. 

Rolled oats

Loaded with fibre & beta glucans, a naturally-occurring polysaccharides (fancy way of saying starchy carbohydrates). Beta glucans can be useful in many immune conditions, including infection prevention, immune enhancing effects & as an antioxidant.

So there we have it, my top nutritional tips for eating well at home, some superstar foods to have in and some top-drawer recipes to power up your health and cooking.

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5 mood-boosting ways to exercise when you really don’t feel like it

5 mood-boosting ways to exercise when you really don’t feel like it

I know you’ll be busy juggling home life, work, managing your type 1 diabetes and trying to keep it all together. I understand, you’ve got a lot on your plate.

But, there’s this little magical bullet that will make it all feel a lot better – exercise.

Those feel-good endorphins aren’t mucking around. The proven benefits of exercise on concentration, improved sleep, energy levels etc. are hard to refute.

And I promise you, no one cares about:

-       how you look

-       how fast you run

-       how much you wobble in yoga

-       how much your face goes red [I go a yummy shade of tomato]

-       how sweaty you get

OK, let’s get moving.

Yoga

Such a wonderful way to move, to breathe and to feel connected to your body.

With the temporary closure of studios, many classes and teachers are moving online – either offering classes over YouTube or IG lives or studios providing Zoom classes with their regular teachers.

After years of yoga-phobia, I’ve finally clicked and found my feet. This was mostly down to finding the teachers I clicked best with.

Katy Bateman is one such teacher. She’s warm, soothing and explains everything so clearly. When she says, ‘you might be feeling your X lifting like Y’, I’m always like ‘yessssssssss’.

I also adore Steffy White’s IG lives. Gentle, nourishing, kind.

Finally, an old favourite – Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. She has an extensive catalogue so you can choose a class to suit your mood / the area you want to work on. I’m always trying to straighten out my tight hammies.

Walking

Hands down one of my favourite forms of movement is the humble walk. Why? It’s accessible to all (pavement + shoes permitting), it’s free, you can go at whatever pace feels good to you.

BONUS: For my type 1 pals out there, walking is awesome at lowering blood sugars if they’re high. Just 30 minutes is all you need to get those sugars back to a normal range. And it happens gently too, so you can make sure those sugars don’t drop too low.

Dancing!

One of the best ways to move IMO, dancing is an ‘any time, any place’ kind of thing. Very accessible! A few things you’ll need:

-       A playlist or excellent radio station

-       Singing to accompany said dancing, optional

-   Enough space to fling your arms around 

Getting your groove on is a great way to get those steps in, if that’s your thing, raise your heart rate and get you feeling good.

I am a personal fan of this playlist on Spotify  and the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show on Radio 6 Music.

Do an online class

Home workouts have become the norm now. There really isn’t cause for concern if your neighbours see you jumping around in your garden, or wearing lycra to put the bins out.

Some of my favourite classes:

-       Claire from Movement for Minds offers free lunchtime workouts via her Facebook and Instagram platforms. No equipment necessary! I always feel better after a bit of movement with Claire.

-       POPSUGAR Fitness videos are perfect if you’re looking for something cheesy [with added Mr Motivator vibes. If you don’t get this reference, send me a message and I’ll enlighten you.]

Running

Not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but even 10 minutes is enough of a leg-stretch to get you away from your desk and get your blood pumping.

Top tips:

-       Don’t think you need to do a half marathon. Go at your own pace. 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 50 minutes – you do you

-       Put on some good tunes to bounce along to

-       Remember to breathe

-       Do a mix of running and walking if that’s more comfortable

That’s a wrap

You deserve to find ways to move that suit you. It’s important to move in ways that nourish, not punish, you. In doing this, and finding movement that works for you, you’ll be able to boost your motivation and continue to exercise regardless of how cosy the sofa seems.

Let me know how you get on below! I’d love to know your favourite ways to exercise!

How to eat breakfast without stepping on the blood sugar rollercoaster

How to eat breakfast without stepping on the blood sugar rollercoaster

Despite eating breakfast, do your energy levels ever crash at 11am and you feel hungry again? Despite your best breakfast efforts, you just don’t feel like you’re ‘doing it right’?

I get it – it’s frustrating that you’ve fuelled up with breakfast, but then feel yourself reaching for the coffee and croissants mid-morning.

However, it doesn’t need to be this way. With a few simple tips and tricks, you’ll be able to create a breakfast that’s so nourishing, you won’t even be thinking of lunch until, well – lunchtime.

Yes, really!

I’ll share my number 1 top tip to keep blood sugars stable throughout the morning and finish up with a banging recipe to keep you fuller for longer.

The trio of glory (macros)  

Any meal, but breakfast especially, needs to contain the three macronutrients:

-       complex carbs (oats, berries)

-       protein (chia seeds, Greek yogurt)  

-       healthy fats (flaxseed, nut butters)

The reason why? Well when we eat carbohydrates with protein and/or fat, the breakdown of carbs – into glucose is slowed down.

This means that glucose is absorbed into your blood streams at a slower rate too, giving you a steady stream of energy throughout the morning.

Winner!

The problem with Cheerios

The typical western breakfast is normally a carbohydrate-heavy breakfast, without any protein or fat – cereals with milk, toast with jam.

This means that the glucose from these carbohydrates is broken down super quickly and hits your bloodstream. This gives you an initial boost of energy, but this quickly wears off – hence the drop in blood sugars at 11am and the rising hangriness.   

Blood sugar loving overnight oats

I’m a massive of fan of oats. They’re a great source of complex carbohydrates and fibre and if you want more #oatporn, follow me over on Instagram for regular pictures and recipes.

This is my go-to overnight oats recipe. It’s packed with nutrients, blood sugar loving foods and tastes pretty darn good too.

Ingredients

-       1 cup of oats

-       2 cups of plant milk (I like oat by Rude Health)

-       Handful of frozen berries

-       1 tsp ground cinnamon

-       Half a banana

-       Dash of coconut oil

-       1 tbsp nut butter

Method

1.    The night before, mix the oats, berries, milk and cinnamon in a bowl.

2.    In the morning, add the coconut oil to a pan and gently fry off the banana until golden brown (approx. 3 mins on each side).

3.    Top on to the oats with the nut butter.

4.    Enjoy!

Ta da!

So there we go. My golden tip for eating breakfast like a queen, preventing that blood sugar rollercoaster and keeping you powered up ‘til lunchtime.

Meaning: more productivity in your morning and fewer growling tummies!

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{Interview} Myrthe Heida, Founder of girl0ninsulin

Hello everyone!

Happy weekend - boy do I have a treat in store for you!

I first came across Myrthe [aka girl0ninsulin] on Instagram and I LOVE her approach to living with T1D. Her honesty and openness is always so refreshing. She describes herself as ‘positive and real’ and I can attest to that! Myrthe is also a diabetes advocate and public speaker and she wrote her university dissertation on type 1 diabetes and user engagement - but more of that below…

I knew she’d offer some excellent insights into life with type 1 diabetes, so we did an interview together. We discuss diabetes burnout, the Diabetes Online Community and the challenges of being a type 1 diabetic AND a teenager.

As ever, we end with a quick-fire round, my favourite.

If you want to follow Myrthe online [you definitely should] you can check out here blog here and follow her on Instagram here.

Onto the interview!

Hey Myrthe, great to have you on here. Please tell us your T1D journey! What age were you when you were diagnosed / what symptoms did you have? 

I was a little 5-year-old when I got diagnosed whit type 1 diabetes. I don’t remember much, except for my mum who started crying when we were in the GP office. After that, we had to rush to the hospital and I didn’t understand why it couldn’t wait a day. I remember thinking: ‘isn’t one doctor a day enough?’.

My parents took me to the GP because my energy level was far below what it used to be, I drank an incredible amount of water every day and I visited the bathroom more often than any other room in the house. It was a scary time. I was afraid of needles, doctors and hospitals. Nowadays, I can be quite friendly with healthcare professionals luckily. Needles are still my biggest fear though!

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

I wish someone told me that diabetes is about more than counting carbs and checking ‘numbers’. And that it’s OK to not feel OK. No one ever told me about the mental impact of diabetes. Not when I was diagnosed at 5 years old, nor when I was growing up and becoming a teenager. I was constantly fighting with myself and my negative thoughts. It led to a diabetes burnout when I was around 14 years old.

What is the worst thing about T1D?

You can do everything in your power to manage your diabetes and to feel good. Sometimes it still isn’t enough. Diabetes can be incredibly frustrating. Waking up in the middle of the night with a random high blood sugar, the low blood sugar at work that I did not see coming, it can be very difficult. And again: the impact it has on my mental health. When my  blood sugars are all over the place, my anxiety gets worse. I also experience more panic attacks when my blood sugars are high for a longer time.

(Curveball) What is the best thing about T1D? 

The Diabetes Online Community. I’ve met so many incredible people with diabetes through Instagram. It makes me feel empowered. I gain so much more knowledge than at the endo appointments and I feel way less alone. The community and my diabuddies seriously changed my life! Not only mentally, my A1c has dropped significantly since being active in the community.

What are the main challenges of living with T1D?

I would say building relationships with other people, building a healthy relationship with yourself and the fact that you can always ‘do better’. Like I said, you can do everything you think you can do and still end up with high blood sugars. That makes me feel as if I should’ve done more. Like I could’ve done better. Although I now know how to deal with those feelings, it was really hard during my teenage years.

How do you deal with these challenges?

I talk to a professional about my mental health. Besides that, I changed my mindset. It took me a few years, but blood sugars aren’t ‘bad’ or ‘good’ to me anymore. They’re just the information I need to manage my chronic condition. 

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

On Instagram and YouTube. I search for hashtags such as #t1dlookslikeme, #t1d and #diabadass. The amount of support I receive from the Diabetes Online Community [DOC] is absolutely incredible. I also talk to a professional but the DOC is the most valuable to me.

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs?

I prefer YouTube videos, to be honest. I love watching Michelle Lord’s videos. For more information about diabetes technology I watch Nerdabetic’s videos.

Have you ever 'hidden' your T1D?

Yes, and for a long time. During high school, I pretended I didn’t have diabetes. Not talking about it and hiding my insulin pump made me feel a little bit more ‘normal’. Although I soon realised that it didn’t help me, I kept on hiding my type 1. I felt horrible and exhausted all the time. It was a very difficult time in my life.  

How do you think T1D has affected your relationship with your body?

Immensely! For years I genuinely hated my body. It didn’t do its job properly and that made me upset. It made me unhappy. However, because of that, I was forced to do something about it. I tried to figure out what makes my body feel strong and healthy. For example, I eat plant-based most of the time and I feel great! I realised I have the power to change my relationship with my body. Which has helped me a lot!

How do you think T1D has changed your approach to life and living? 

I honestly don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t have type 1 diabetes. I even started my own business called girl0ninsulin which is all about diabetes. Diabetes has taught me to be strong and positive. Because of my diagnosis, I’ve met so many incredible and inspiring people and I’m lucky to call them my diabuddies now. Although I’d rather be cured, diabetes has made my life the way it is and I’m pretty happy with it!

T1D is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

I think type 1 diabetes is as much a mental condition as a physical one. It’s a 24/7 job. And although you give 150%, it’s not always enough. Of course that has a massive impact on your mental health. It’s incredibly important we talk about that. For years I thought I was the only one with mental health struggles and I thought it was my fault. I wasn’t and it isn’t. Diabetes is about more than just numbers [blood sugars, A1c, etc.]

When did you start to work in type 1 diabetes advocacy and what was the reason behind that?

2.5 years ago I thought I had this super creative and unique idea to start an Instagram account about my life with T1D. I wanted to show the world what it’s really like to live with T1D. After only a few hours on Instagram I realised there were SO many diabetes related accounts! That’s the first time I saw diabetes advocacy was a ‘thing’. It was never my goal but I’m happy I get to spread to message and I get to help so many people living with diabetes. It’s also for selfish reasons to be honest; the DOC has helped me and supported me when I needed it.

You wrote your dissertation on type 1 diabetes and user engagement - please tell us more about that!

I did! Finding a topic to write my dissertation about was quite difficult. I soon realised I should write about something I know better than anything: diabetes (in relation to communications, which I studied). I reached out to Roche Diabetes Care and I wrote my dissertation for their blog Leven Met Diabetes (which translates to ‘live with diabetes’). I advised Roche Diabetes Care NL about how they can create more engagement on their website. My advice was to start a bloggers team to write the content on the website. After all, the only people who know what it’s like to live with diabetes, are the people with diabetes themselves! I’m now part of the bloggers team for Leven Met Diabetes.

BONUS quick-fire round:

Omnipod or Medtronic?              

Omnipod DASH!

Finger pricks or CGM?

CGM

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice box! My favourite hypo treatment is apple juice!

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?   

Balmy summer nights!

Yoga or running?

Running

Meditation or yoga?

Meditation

Porridge or pancakes?

Porridge (with raspberries, soy milk and sunflower seeds!)

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Diet coke. Always

Novorapid or Fiasp?

Novorapid

London or Paris?

LONDON! I lived in London for a year

Morning bird or night owl?

Night owl, definitely

Nanchos or watermelon? [trick question, I know you love both!]

This is SO difficult. I think it depends on my mood. Right now I crave nachos

Thank you, Myrthe, for shining brightly in this little T1D community of ours!

{Interview} Andrea Deck, Founder of She's Diabetic

Hello everyone!

I’m proud to be building up my little community of people with type 1 diabetes and people who care about their nutrition. I’m continuing to create content, blog posts and articles that will resonate and offer insights into the ups and downs [PUN KLAXON] of what life is really like with this chronic condition.

We need community more than ever right now and I’ve got just the person you need to have in your T1D circle - Andrea, type 1 diabetic + founder of the She’s Diabetic YouTube channel. If you haven’t watched any of her videos yet, I implore you to do so. Andrea’s wit, charm and honesty is a balm for the soul on any day, but is particularly welcome right now.

We discuss her T1D journey, the omnipresence of the condition, how she connects to others with T1D and why she decided to launch the She’s Diabetic channel.

As ever, we end with a quick-fire round, my favourite.

If you want to follow Andrea online [you definitely should] you can check out here Instagram here and her YouTube channel here.

Onto the interview!

Hey Andrea, great to have you on here. Please tell us your T1D journey! What age were you when you were diagnosed / what symptoms did you have? 

I was diagnosed at 15. It was a crazy time! I was in my freshman year of high school, and just getting to grips with the entire “new school” transition (in the US you physically switch buildings for high school and thus it can be a whole new way of life to get used to). I was very involved in Show Choir (which involved a lot of dance and, of course, singing) which meant I was EXTREMELY active. My symptoms were weight loss, excessive urination, thirst and fatigue. All of those in hindsight scream diabetes, however, because I was a growing teen, involved in a huge amount of physical activity and going through puberty, they didn’t flag immediately. 

It was on a road trip with my family where we finally clocked that something was wrong because I had a difficult time making it from rest stop to rest stop to go to the bathroom. Because my Dad (and brother) are both type 1s, my Dad simply put a new lancet into his machine and tested my blood sugar himself. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the reading ended up being around 400 [22.2mmols].  We called the paediatric endocrinologist who had initially worked with my brother when he was diagnosed and got booked into the hospital for a week stay where I learned what it was like to have type 1 diabetes and how to manage the disease.

What do you wish you'd known when you were newly diagnosed?

I wish I had known that the swing from being uncontrolled to controlled would involve a lot of emotional and physical manpower on my behalf. Everyone constantly told me “oh, you’ll just feel so much better once you’re on insulin!”, and indeed I did, but I also felt a flood of hormonal shifts, weight gain, and difficulty with hunger cues, just to name a few. No one really explained to me that this feeling of getting into control would be a growth process, and one that ultimately did feel heaps better, but was just that: a process. It wasn’t like a switch; one day you feel bad, the next you’re golden. I think that’s the concept that’s perpetuated and it’s not 100% accurate [at least it wasn’t for me].

What is the worst thing about T1D?

Being forced into behaviour that I don’t like/desire. Like when I have a high blood sugar, all I want to do is basically take a nap - but that’s not realistic or possible all the time. Or when I have a low blood sugar right after a meal and the last thing I want to do is eat, but I have to eat because, you know, gotta save my life! 

(Curveball) What is the best thing about T1D? 

T1D has given me way more positives than negatives. Firstly, I know more about myself, and am far more attuned with my body, health and fitness as a result of living with T1D, than I would ever have been without the disease. T1D has given me a keen sense of respect for what the human body can do, and a continuous healthy and gentle reminder of the fact that life is fragile and to be respected, because our bodies are so so incredible and intricate. And also, the community. Through Instagram and YouTube I have had the absolute pleasure of getting in touch with some of the most wonderful people, who just happen to live with T1D. The immediate bond that gives us, to know what the other deals with, is just extraordinary. T1D has given me what feels like a free pass into one of the most elite groups of people with some of the most wicked sense of humour and resilience.

What are the main challenges of living with T1D?

I think the main challenge is just the omnipresence of it all. It’s a 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year commitment. Even if you ignore it, it’s there [even more so], there’s never ever any escaping it, and there’s no vacation or time off for good behaviour.  

How do you deal with these challenges?

Because it’s always there, the only thing (I’ve found) effective at dealing with its omnipresence is how I personally relate to it. So for me a lot of mindfulness towards and within the disease helps a lot. It helps to separate myself from the numbers, and remind myself that I am doing the best I can (when I actually am) and to be realistic with myself when I’m not doing the best I can and to try my best to alter that behaviour and address why that might be the case. I try to practice as much kindness with myself as possible. 

Oh, and on a practical note: to also have low blood sugar treatments with me and around me wherever I go. Preparedness, and being organised helps me deal better with the chaos of the condition and frees my mind up for other things, like, you know, the rest of my life!

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

I’m very, very “lucky” to have been raised in a family of three T1Ds (my Dad, Brother and me) so I feel like I’ve always had a wealth of support built right within the walls of my family home, and for that I’m extremely grateful. But when I moved out of the house, and especially overseas to London [I’m American] I found that support distinctly lacking, so I took to the inter webs! Instagram and YouTube have seriously been so life changing for me. Because T1D is relatively rare it’s unusual to meet another T1D  by chance, but [on Instagram especially] you can meet a whole tribe of them within a couple of clicks! Just seeing what others post and how others interact with the disease is so inspiring to me and makes me feel less alone. 

Also, when I’ve had emotional wobbles with the disease [feelings of burnout and overwhelm] I’ve not been shy at all to speak to my GP and reach out for support in the professional sense. I had 8 wonderful sessions with a counsellor within the NHS that was specifically trained to deal with the overwhelm associated with T1D, which was facilitated by my GP and diabetic nurse.  My ability to honestly reach out and say when I’m struggling has been the biggest gift of support I can give myself.

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs?

Michelle Lord [YouTube]

Lauren Bongiorno [Instagram, Diabetes Health Coach]

Chris Bright [Instagram, The Diabetes Football Community]

Jillian Rippolone aka T1dchick [Instagram, hugely inspiring T1D advocate in the US]

Jen Grieves [Instagram and YouTube]

Just to name a few...!

Have you ever 'hidden' your T1D?

Oh yes, I certainly have! Actually when I first started dating my now boyfriend I was intensely private about my T1D and found it very difficult to share it with him. This behaviour caught me by surprise within myself because I was running my YouTube channel and everything by that time!! I even took a pump holiday when we first started dating so I didn’t have anything physical on my body that marked me as a T1D! But over time, that got exhausting and he was clearly very open and interested and made me feel safe to share that side of my life with him, and those walls came tumbling down. 

Honestly though, that hiding behaviour was much more prevalent in my younger teenage years. Now, I feel like it’s empowering to talk about, and honestly an interesting fact about myself that I’m rather proud of. I also like to remember that in order to keep myself safe, those around me need to be informed about my condition. And furthermore, I’ve found that 100% of the time people are lovely, and WANT to help, WANT to support you in whatever way necessary. I truly believe humans want to help other humans and therefore that makes me feel more confident about being out and about with my T1D.

How do you think T1D has affected your relationship with your body?

Honest answer: massively. In both good and bad ways. I think I’m way more connected to my body as a result of my T1D, which is fantastic, but I also get frustrated with my body too. Like when my numbers aren’t doing what I think they should be doing or my body feels tired and bloated as a result of a high or low that I feel like I did everything in my power to avoid.  

Because T1D is a constant balance that is very rarely balanced, I feel my body is in a steady state of flux, and that can be really frustrating. But at the same time, I often look at T1D as a bit of a game, where the more I put in the more positives I get out, and because I can generally rely on that formula, I feel more in control, connected and empowered by my own relationship with my body and the positive impact that is within my power to implement. 

Honestly it’s a constant balance for me in terms of loving my body and appreciating it for what it is, and has done for me, and then on the flip side sometimes feeling betrayed by it and frustrated and needing to pull myself out of that place.

How do you think T1D has changed your approach to life and living? 

It’s given me, from a very young age, an appreciation for life and both the fragility of life, but also the robustness of it too. Because this organ in my body doesn’t function properly and I have to do the job of that manually, I feel like I have a bigger and more total appreciation for what it means to be alive and how hard our bodies work for us, despite the crap we often throw at them!

I also feel like T1D has helped me find balance in my life, by way of the disease. I’d say I’m a pretty impatient person on the whole and impatience + diabetes = disaster. Rage bolusing, low BG binges; they’re all things I’m guilty of now and again because I have that impatient streak, but diabetes doesn’t reward that streak in the slightest. So it’s taught me on the whole to be far more patient, and to let go of my perfectionist tendencies too.

T1D is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

OMG YES! I would argue that T1D is equal parts physically and emotionally demanding. I’ve had intense periods of burnout where I just felt like I had nothing left to give. But because there’s no vacation from this disease I’ve just had to sit within the intense unrest and ride though it. Not nice.

Also, as mentioned above, when I was going though a particularly rough time I actually reached out to my diabetic nurse and sought out counselling for my particular struggles. But the thing is, with all of these experiences they’ve been transient, and I’ve been able to move though them and grow as a result. And I know they will return from time to time, and I’ll just continue to try my best and remember this is natural and normal and I am not alone.

When did you start your YouTube channel She's Diabetic and what was the reason behind that?

I started my YouTube channel back in June 2018. It was something that I had wanted to do for ages (I’m talking years!), but honestly I just never plucked up the courage or motivation to do it. Then one day, I just thought, I should do this, one step at a time, and see what happens.  

The response has been so overwhelmingly positive and supportive it’s honestly still astounding to me. The kindness I’ve felt from people across the globe and from all different walks of life is just everything to me. I truly think the channel gives me more than the people get out of it. Every interaction is so, so valuable to me, and gives me so much strength and inspiration to carry on and keep doing it. It’s something that I so value and cherish and am so proud of.

What is your favourite video on the She's Diabetic channel?

Okay - I’m gonna cheat here - I have two videos, since they’re kind of part of a series. Firstly, is a video entitled “Type 1 Diabetic for over 60 Years”, in which I interview my Dad and chronicle what it’s been like for him to live with T1D for, you got it, over 60 years! Next is the “Parenting a Type 1 Diabetic (Discussion)” video, in which I interview both my parents about what it’s like to parent a T1D child. My parents have taught me so much and are such a source of inspiration for me and I love that they were generous enough to sit down with me and share their perspectives. 

I always want to make sure I’m creating unique and genuine content, where I feel I’m being truly vulnerable and raw with the community and for me, these two videos couldn’t be more personal or meaningful and I’m really proud of them [as an aside, these are two of my favourite She’s Diabetic vids too!!]

BONUS quick-fire round:

Pump or pens?

Pump

Finger pricks or CGM?

CGM

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice Box

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?   

Oh! Those Summmmmer Nightttttsssss!! (Sung a la Grease)

Yoga or running?

Yoga

Meditation or yoga?

Meditation

Porridge or pancakes?

Porridge (but oh, SO hard to bolus for!!)

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Kombucha

Novorapid or Fiasp?

Novorapid

Morning bird or night owl?

Morning Bird

Intermittent fasting: yes or no?

Yes, but not all the time.

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Looking for more support?

Why not grab one of my self-led support guides, or reach out to see if my 1:1 t1d clinic work is right for you.

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The Domestic Creep of the (Female) Freelancer | Restless Magazine

Published in Restless Magazine in December 2019.

Imagine you’re ordering coffee in your local café. You look up, what do you see? Aside from streams of flat whites and delicate displays of Danishes, you’ll see freelancers. The sacred plug socket pilgrims, the nursing-one-cup-of-Joe demographic. You would see me. I am part of the freelance generation.

My journey into self-employment was like plopping into a warm bath (or, as the 21st century equivalent goes, popping on an episode of RuPaul in my lunch hour – #selfcare #slipperyslope). I’d already been side-hustling alongside a full-time job and when my permanent contract came to an end, the freelancing took centre-stage. By dint of my demographic, I’m predisposed to enter the freelancing world. The number of freelancers aged 26-29 has risen 66% since 2008, according to the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-employed (IPSE). With only whispers of the promising multi-hyphenate lifestyle and a heady mix of anticipation and adrenaline, I made myself my own boss.

These days, I don’t tend to work in coffee shops. Call it ‘sole-trader-guilt’ for sitting in the same seat for 8 hours on end and barely ordering a decaff, gluten-free, no-fun (small) Americano. Coffee shops, quite rightly, are made for drinking coffee and from my freelancer cup, it’s started to taste a bit bitter. But there’s no point crying over spilt milk – I’ve relocated my office to the spare room in my flat. I’m working from home now!

It started off so well. No commuting, no office politics, more time in bed. However, despite my efforts at strict boundary-setting – taking lunch at a reasonable lunchtime (not 11am) etc. – the blur between my professional work and my domestic work is becoming increasingly opaque. Popping on the kettle forces me to engage with last night’s soaking pans. Going for a wee offers up a 3-minute window of scrutiny over the cleanliness of my bathroom. The thing is, this domesticity creeps in so slyly and under the guise of good intention, too. It makes sense for me to put a wash on over lunch or go grocery shopping at 3pm to miss the rush-hour checkout horrors. Yet, I am feeling anxious. Why do domestic when I should be at work?

Perhaps by virtue of my gender, I’m primed to see domestic jobs. In September 2017, Gemma Hartley wrote an article about emotional labour for Harper’s Bazaar. She called it ‘Women Aren’t Nags – We’re Just Fed Up’. Within in it, she describes that all she wanted for Mother’s Day was a professionally cleaned house. Instead, she got a necklace. Don’t get me wrong, a necklace is nice and all, but when we get into the nitty gritty, Hartley wanted what we all want – someone else to bear the emotional load. Speaking explicitly, she wanted her husband to research cleaners, call them, confirm prices, arrange a date and pay them.

This article went viral. It was shared by nearly one million people, most of them women, and it sang to me. I read more. Specifically, the work of American sociologist Arlie Hochschild, who wrote that, “every ‘I’ comes with a ‘we.’ We depend on others and stand ready to be depended upon.” In her 1983 book, The Managed Heart, Hochschild’s approach to emotional labour focuses on the professional. For example, occupations like nurse and childcare worker, often filled by women, require a component of emotional tenderness – listening, smiling, being attentive, caring.

This got me thinking. The unnoticed emotional labour that we, as women, tend to take on more than men, is not our only problem. Unnoticed domesticity is just as much of an issue, especially given that the number of female freelancers has grown more than men in recent years (55% since 2008 compared to 36% for men). Hence, more women might be letting their personal workload creep into their professional day. Like me. 

No wonder we’re increasingly anxious and on the edge of near-constant burn-out. Crucially, this is subtle. As Hartley also acknowledges, my husband is a feminist (hurrah!) and neither of us subscribes to the heteronormative gender divides, except, in this area of our co-habitation, I will clean the bathroom at lunchtime, and he will have no idea. When I tell him, he feels guilty and I feel braggy. Lose-lose.

So what can be done? Well, it is time to reclaim our professional space and time for professional ventures only. We must resist the urge to don the marigolds and start planning dinner. We must save domesticity for after work. Boundaries are not only important for freelancers, but also for women, and we must ensure ours are steadfast. Just because our workforce is changing, our domestic load doesn’t have to.    

{Interview} Dr William Polonsky, President + Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute

Hello one + all!

I am beyond excited to be sharing today’s blog post with you. As someone who lives with T1D day in, day out (as I know many of you do too), it’s not usually the physical stuff that gets to me.

Sure, a bleeder that ruins a pristine white shirt, or a screaming Omnipod aren’t on my list of Top 5 Fun Things, but they’re much easier to manage than the psychological burden.

This is why I am so in awe + grateful for the work done by Dr Bill Polonsky (diabetic clinical psychologist) + his team at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute in San Diego. For the last 30 years, Bill has listened to the frustrations, struggles + challenges of living with this funny old chronic condition + is now able to advocate on our behalf. That may be providing communication training for health care professionals, or offering direct clinical services for people with diabetes (e.g. diabetes-specific psychological support programs and behaviourally-based education + training in diabetes self-management).

Bill very kindly jumped on a Skype call with me - I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting.

Click here to listen.

To find out more about Dr Polonsky’s work, please visit the Diabetes Behavioral Institute’s website here.

I’d love to know your experiences of living with T1D - does it affect you emotionally? Have you ever suffered from burnout?

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Interview} Libby Aurigemma, Founder of The Sugars

Introducing the T1D Interview Series!

I hope you’re easing into 2020 like a knife slicing through a block of room-temperature butter. Weird that my brain went to that simile, but we’re ROLLING WITH IT.

Boy, have I got a new year treat for you! I spoke to Libby Aurigemma, founder of the online boutique shop for diabetes merch The Sugars. We discuss her type 1 diabetes journey, her highs and lows with the T1D life (pun very much intended), where she finds support and why she decided to launch The Sugars.

And oh yeah, we end with a quick-fire round, my favourite.

Libby’s an all-round babe. If you want to follow her online, check out her Instagram here and her online shop here.

Without further ado…

Hey Libby! Thanks for coming on. Can you start by telling us your T1D journey? 

I was diagnosed at 17 when I was a junior in high school. Confusingly, I had very few symptoms aside from excessive thirst and peeing every 43 seconds. Thankfully, my mom has a spidey sense and caught on to something not being right and took me to my paediatrician right away. I was rushed to the hospital later that afternoon, but for no real emergency other than getting me on insulin right away. I only had to spend two nights in the hospital, but the whole experience was so sudden and surprising that it really threw me. 

What do you wish you’d known when you were newly diagnosed?

That it’s okay to be a person with “a thing”. My whole life, I had been extremely fortunate to have experienced minimally disruptive adversity. I was very used to being comfortable in my life and body, and to suddenly have such a label and commitment to an illness was so daunting and overwhelming. It took me years to learn to feel pride in being someone who carries a challenging burden. 

What is the worst thing about T1D?

The challenges around spontaneous physical activity. I always tell myself if I wasn’t a T1D I’d be a competitive endurance athlete because without the stress of diabetes management, I’d be in the best shape of my life. I mean…that or like a total bagel-a-holic! Trust me, I know and believe that if I really put my mind to it, I could do that now, but the additional stress of training on top of managing my diabetes would take a lot of the joy out of the experience for me personally. 

(Curveball Q…) what is the best thing about T1D? 

The toughness and patience it has taught me! Like I said before, I had a smooth sail through life until this point, and having diabetes has taught me to love and appreciate how much I can do everyday despite having diabetes. 

What are the main challenges of living with T1D?

That it’s ALWAYS on. Who knew that the amount of glucose in my bloodstream impacted every element of my life from my ability to focus at work, go for a run, go out to eat, have a drink, enjoy wearing a swim suit or even have sex. It’s an ever-present nag to have my act together, and that can be very tiring!  

How do you deal with these challenges?

I’ve practised (for years) detaching emotion from numbers. After a lot of practice, I’ve learned to just react and move on. I do my very best to remove judgement or sadness from what I see on my Dexcom. If I’m high, there are multiple solutions to that problem. A meltdown is not one of those solutions.  

Where do you find support/how do you access support?

My Instagram community! Every time I spend time in there chatting with other people facing what I do, I feel a little better. I also have an amazing husband who is very much a problem solver. He gives me space when I need it, lets me cry when it’s necessary, and brings me my supplies when I forget it at home.  

Can you recommend any great podcasts or blogs?

There are loads! I’m a huge Rob Howe fan, and I think his podcast is top notch: DiabeticsDoingThings. There’s also the The Juice Box Podcast and Pancreas Pals that are really fun! I don’t really read blogs as much as I used to…I think Instagram has taken over!

Have you ever ‘hidden’ your T1D?

OOOOOH yeah. After college, I was dating for the first time in a long time (I had a bf all through college — ugh) and had just switched to an insulin pump from pens. This was when I first started hiding my diabetes because I couldn’t bear to share what I thought was an embarrassing side of me with someone I’d just met. My now husband, on the other hand, offered to wear an infusion site of my Medtronic pump for a whole night when we first started dating because he so desperately wanted to know what it felt like. Guess I chose a good one.  

How do you think T1D has affected your relationship with your body?

At first, it wasn’t a great combo. I was already very insecure about my size as a teenager. I always had the biggest hips and chest out of everyone even though I felt like I was just as fit and ate the same as everyone else. I was not very nice to myself, and adopted the common thought of “my body betrayed me” when I was diagnosed. However, as I’ve gotten older, I now believe the exact opposite! I feel the utmost need to protect and care for my body because I am playing a “woman down” on my body’s team without my pancreas. It’s not my fault that this happened to me, so why would I punish myself for it? I deserve to treat myself with respect, feel proud and be compassionate towards myself, always always always! 

How do you think T1D has changed your approach to life and living? 

It’s made me a kinder person. It’s also made me realise what is and isn’t a big deal. Both of these things have made me a better, more grateful person. I used to be extremely impatient (ok, fine, I still am sometimes), quick to temper, and judgemental of other people. But now I understand that everyone is struggling with something in their life, and it’s important to always assume the best in other people’s intentions. We’re all just doing our best. 

T1D is classified as a physical condition, but we all know there is an emotional burden too. Could you describe your experiences?

Oy, how much time do you have!? My experience, like most people’s, has had its fair share of ups and downs. About three years ago, I had the scariest low of my diabetic career (was in the 20s/1.1mmols), and it scared the living sh*t out of me. This caused me to go into about a year of just … darkness. I was sad, I was lethargic, I was afraid of everything and I really couldn’t muster up the strength to feel anything other than anxiety. It took a pretty big toll on me, but with a lot of self-care, work and therapy, I finally pulled myself out of it. 

After that storm, I have felt a renewed sense of self, strength and appreciation for my resilience. I am able to cope with tough or frightening experiences with a much leveller head, and work my way through without experiencing such debilitating fear. It’s quite refreshing, and I constantly work to maintain a clear headspace about my diabetes. Leaning on community, practising cognitive behavioural therapy, simplifying my life and spending time with myself were really the keys to putting me in a better headspace. 

When did you launch The Sugars and what was the reason behind that?

I launched The Sugars in 2011ish. It started as a blog because I needed a space for my ramblings. I was a very lonely diabetic in college because I was so put off by the label of having diabetes, that I didn’t have an ounce of desire to meet anyone else with T1D. After college, I realised that there had to be other 20-somethings going through exactly what I was, and if I created a forum that was more appropriate for our age and lifestyle, maybe I could make a difference. That’s when I started making apparel with funny lines on it. At the time, there was nothing like it out there — now, there are hundreds of shops! I wanted to bring some levity and humour to the space to help empower young women to feel more proud of having T1D, and less embarrassed by how medicinal and sterile everything felt. 

Fast forward 9 years and here we are! It’s been a huge journey, I’ve met so many incredible people, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of the doors it has opened for me. 

What is your favourite product from The Sugars online shop?

OOh this is a tough one. Well, I love all my children equally, but I especially love the new line of retro tees. I’m obsessed with all things 60s & 70s right now, and these tees are super comfy while being on-trend.  I also love the hats and totes because you can just throw them on without planning your whole outfit around a diabetes slogan on your shirt. It’s just a “pop of diabetes” if you will.

BONUS quick-fire round:

Pump or pens?

Pump! Team Omnipod!

Finger pricks or CGM?

Dexcom, all the way!

Juice box or jelly babies?

Juice!

Balmy summer nights or crisp wintry mornings?

Crisp, wintry mornings

Yoga or running?

Running. I always have a 10K of sorts on my horizon. (Me too, Libby).  

Meditation or yoga?

Yoga…still honing my fairly poor meditation skills

Porridge or pancakes?

What an adorably British question. Pancakes! (Ha!)

Diet Coke or Kombucha?

Kombucha

Novorapid or Fiasp?

I’ve never tried either!

Perfect Bar or Justin’s PB?

Perfect Bar omg yum

Morning bird or night owl?

Night owl

‘Will test for tacos’ or ‘Make my pancreas great again’?

Will test for tacos. I LOVE me some tacos, and hate me some Trump. 

Thank you, Libby, for shining brightly in the T1D community!

Why Do Women Feel So Much Guilt? | restlessmagazine.net

Published in Restless Magazine in October 2019.

It all started with Fleabag. Naturally.

Like any good Waller-Bridge devotee, I was merrily tucking in to the second series with relish. Like everybody else, I was struck by that scene. I’ll never hear the word ‘kneel’ in the same way again. The Sexy Priest and Fleabag’s frisson came after a monumental build up, with me desperate for it to happen, yet when it did, all I could feel was guilt.

Despite me having no involvement in these fictional characters’ lives, I couldn’t avoid it. It made me realise how often I feel guilty (spoiler alert, almost always), and got me thinking – guilt really is the most useless kind of emotion. You can’t do anything with it. Unlike fear, anger or happiness, emotions that generally motivate and drive change, guilt is retrospective and impotent. It tends to curdle.

As a woman in her 30s, conscious of wanting to ‘get things right’ and eager to please, I am guilt’s prime candidate. Guilt creeps into every aspect of my life, on an almost daily basis: should I have given my seat to that (possibly pregnant) woman on the tube? Did that joke come out more cutting than witty? Am I working too hard? Or not enough? Have I called my grandmother lately? Guilty as charged. I watched Love Island – and felt guilty for enjoying it. Hell, I feel guilty about feeling guilty. I struggled to write this article. If that’s not the biggest dose of ironicl guilt, then I don’t know what is.

A guy I was dating once tried to tell me that feelings of guilt fade, but regret stays with you forever. I thought he was wrong at the time and I still think he’s wrong. All those years ago I missed the subtext of his words: he was trying to break up with me. The kicker is that it was me who took on the guilt and he left without regret. How is that fair?

Well, women tend to feel guiltier than men. As the concept of ‘guilty women and guilt-free men’ has no physical or evolutionary benefit, researchers have speculated that social conditioning drives this gender disparity. For example, the female predisposition towards empathy and compassion allows women to readily take on the emotions of others, blurring the boundaries of ‘what’s mine’ and ‘what’s yours’. This would tally with Estrada-Hollenbeck and Heatherton’s 1998 theory that feeling guilty may occur when someone feels responsible for another person’s negative state. I know that I often shoulder the guilt (and blame) if someone else feels bad, even if wasn’t my fault for making them unhappy.

Now, I’m not saying that all women fall foul to the never-ending loop of inadequacy or that some men will never suffer from joy-robbing feelings of remorse. However, my anecdotal experience as a guilty woman does correspond to the theories and research outlined above. It seems we, as women, set personal goals as high as some of the tallest mountains, that – in all seriousness – would need an aeroplane to reach. But it’s also the smallest things we give ourselves a hard time over. I’ve sat with female friends feeling the bitter burn of despair after eating a Yorkie that wasn’t on their nutrition plan. I’m yet to sit with a male friend who’s chastising himself for not cleaning his bathroom.

Of course, female guilt is multifactorial and as layered as any proverbial onion. It is made manifest at different life stages and through individual circumstances. I couldn’t write this piece without mentioning that slice of guilt reserved solely for mothers. It seems women can’t do right for wrong at a time when their bodies have undertaken a marathon, their minds fraught and their sleep deprivation at a level similar to a form of torture – and yet, there is an open-door policy for everyone to critique, judge and comment on women’s parenting style. Last December, my male friend was carrying his new-born from his house to a restaurant. It was a short walk and the baby wasn’t particularly wrapped up. We passed a group of middle-aged women who all started to coo, not just at the babe-in-arms but also the father – look, here is a man carrying his child! – yet I couldn’t help wondering what sort of reception these women would have given us if the baby had been carried by her mother – loud whispers and tuts about inappropriately dressing her daughter, perhaps?

Maybe I’m being unfair on these middle-aged women. Maybe not – evidence shows that women are often the main perpetrators of making other women feel bad. A study from the University of Arizona found that women are often meaner to each other than men are to women. These researchers also found existence of something known as “Queen Bee Syndrome” – the phenomenon of powerful women being disliked disproportionately more by other women than by men. One reason behind this is because powerful women are seen to violate gender expectations. A good example is former Democratic presidential nominee Hilary Clinton, whose fan base was higher when she was in her supporting roleas First Lady, than when she ran for office.

There is also the guilt projected onto women who do not have children. I won’t go into the multitude of reasons why women might not be mothers. What I will say is that Western culture perceives these women to have done something wrong. Either too selfish for putting their careers ahead of family, too slow for leaving it too late or so socially deviant they should be labelled ‘spinster’ or ‘crazy cat lady’, as Jody Day (a childless woman) discussed during her 2017 TedX talk.

The social sphere is another territory rife for female guilt. Not supporting friends enough when they’re having a rough time, not celebrating friends enough when they want you to partake in their hen parties / birthday trips abroad / weddings / recent promotion. Juggling family needs, maintaining satisfactory friendships and work-based interpersonals all require energy. We can’t be everything to everyone. For those guilt-prone, when someone shows dissatisfaction with you, you’re more likely to feel guilty – even if you didn’t do anything wrong.

What about productivity guilt? Let me set the scene: a completely clear day with a ginormous to-do list and a headstrong attitude. Fast forward to 10pm when you’ve achieved less than a quarter of your allocated tasks, which has made you agitated and feeling distinctly ‘less than’. With reflection, you realise that the to-do list was setting you up to fail – an impossible amount to complete in one day – yet you (like most) embody the self-flagellation with gusto. In reality, we know we’re not robotic, yet the continuous, female-targeted messages of ‘having it all’ are not lost on us. Raising a family, having a successful career, maintaining an enviable fitness regime and keeping up with fashion trends (hello, Zara polka dot) is often an impossible juggle, leading to guilty feelings when we fail to pull it all off.

This begs the question – what can be done with guilt? If female guilt is so rife and the emotion so stubbornly stagnant, do we simply chalk it up to experience, as the bread-and-butter of the human condition and learn to live with it? Or is there a way over it? I hope so.

It’s important to address our individual guilty feelings. To question them, to interrogate them. To dismantle their power and function. It is not until we give a big middle finger to worrying about what others think, or until we dismiss societal roles that we can reject the guilt imposed on us by people that do not accept the varied paths that women can, and should, take in their lives. Guilt is so wrapped up in how others view our decisions and choices, we must ignore those who undermine and belittle, and those who question our lifestyles simply because they are different from their own. Once we do that, we can stop rebuking ourselves and start living the way we want to.

After all, if I were caught up in a confessional with Fleabag’s Sexy Priest, I really hope guilt would be at the back of my mind.

Photograph by Sydney Sims @ unsplash