From the peak of health and becoming a bikini competitor to being hospitalized with DKA and dealing with a life changing diagnosis. This week I speak with Taylor from Ontario, Canada, and she shares a very honest account of dealing with her Type 1 diagnosis, learning to accept it’s a lifelong condition and getting to grips with managing blood sugar levels around exercise. Taylor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just 3 months before most of the world went into ‘lockdown’ and although it’s been tough she explains how the lockdown has given her the opportunity to slow down and learn more about managing the condition.

Diagnosed as having Type 1 Diabetes at just 3 years old, today’s guest Brandon Mouw, shares his incredible and inspirational story. Imagine maintaining the most incredible control of your Diabetes and your blood sugars for years only to then develop brittle Diabetes, Hypo Unawareness and be told you have 2 years to live if you can’t find 250 thousand dollars for a Pancreas transplant. This was the reality facing Brandon just a couple of years ago. In this episode Brandon Mouw shares his incredible journey from growing up from a young age with Type 1 to how he is living today, without the need of insulin injections or pumps but managing lots of new health challenges which come with being a transplant survivor.

Wow! What a year 2020 has been! In this week's episode I run through some impressive stats about the podcast this year including the top 3 most downloaded episodes. I say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved or supported Diabetic and Healthy this year AND let you know why you can’t miss the first episode of 2021!

We are all completely unique and so is our approach to our Diabetes management. Social media is an amazing resource and there is a great Diabetes Community online however recently I'm seeing a lot of posts suggesting that there are specific ways you should be managing your Diabetes. This condition is far from being a 'one size fits all' subject and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. In this episode I talk about my observations of 'Diabetes on social media' and how there's no right or wrong when it comes to how people choose to manage this, sometimes challenging, condition.

As requested by the listeners, this week's episode is all about nutrition for blood glucose control. I speak to Diabetes Specialist Dietitian and part of the Diabetic and Healthy team, Isi Hooley. Isi talks all about the effect of different foods on blood sugar levels, different types of carbohydrates, how to help prevent large spikes in blood sugars and understanding the Glycaemic Index. Helpful link Learn more about the Glycemic Index and use the calculator to learn the GI of specific foods https://www.glycemicindex.com

This week’s episode is about Hypo Anxiety. If you have Diabetes then having a hypo (low blood sugar) is likely to be one of things that you worry about but for some people it’s much more than just a ‘worry’. Hypo Anxiety is when the thought of having a hypo can actually cause you a lot of distress and can impact not only your blood sugar management but also your day to day life. 25% of people with Diabetes suffer from Hypo Anxiety so if this is something you suffer from you may find some comfort in knowing you aren’t alone. Listen to learn more about hypo anxiety and some top tips to help you.

In this weeks episode I catch up with Gemma Davies. If you are a regular listener you will know Gemma from previous shows but if you are new to show here is a bit of background info for you! Gemma is a busy, working Mum to 3 boys and was diagnosed with Diabetes during her pregnancy. After years of not making the condition her priority and suffering from undiagnosed Diabulimia, Gemma has now completely turned her life around and is living a much healthier lifestyle. She has been kind enough to share her journey with us as she takes control of her Diabetes. This week we talk about Gemma’s new found love of lifting, the positive changes she has made to improve her relationship with food and how she is dealing with Lockdown 2.0.

This week’s podcast episode (which was going out live on Facebook) is all about Alcohol and Diabetes. Do you avoid alcohol due to not understanding how it might impact your blood sugar levels? Have you ever had a few too many and struggled to keep your blood sugar levels stable the next day? Listen, or watch, to understand how alcohol impacts your blood sugar levels, why people with Diabetes have been arrested whilst hypo AND my top tips on how to stay safe if you are drinking.

In this weeks episode, I catch up with Guido who owns and runs his own gym in Germany. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and finding his love for fitness, Guido trained to become a personal trainer, a nutrition coach and a mindset coach so that he could help others to not only achieve their goals in the gym but also help them understand the power of the right mindset. Guido lives a bodybuilding lifestyle and shows that with the right understanding you can most definitely build muscle with Type 1 Diabetes. Listen to learn more about fitness, nutrition and bodybuilding with Diabetes.

Do you struggle with your weight? Are you an emotional eater? Do you ‘binge’ on food Do you ever wish you could just take control of your eating? If your answer is yes to any of the above then listening to this weeks podcast episode is a must! Mindful eating is all about taking control of your eating habits and having a healthy relationship with food. I believe that having Diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2, can lead us to become fixated on food which can have negative effects on our Diabetes control and our health in general. In this episode I explain the concept of Mindfulness and Mindful Eating, discuss my own personal struggles with food and I give you techniques that you can start using right now to take control of your eating and improve your relationship with food.

This weeks podcast episode is another in the Your Stories series. I talk to Phil Cook from Michigan in the USA. Phil has a wife and a 2 year old Daughter and lives a busy life with Type 1 Diabetes. In this interview Phil speaks about his diagnosis and how Diabetes has changed his life over the past 5 years. Phil now has his own Diabetes Blog ‘Beetus Life’ and is a big advocate for Type 1 and mental health due to managing both anxiety and depression himself alongside his Diabetes. Listen to hear Phil’s story from pre diagnosis to his life today with Type 1 Diabetes.

Having the right mindset can be extremely powerful, especially when it comes to managing a long term health condition like Diabetes. This week's podcast episode is all about how, with the right perspective, Diabetes can actually be a positive thing. That might sound crazy but take a listen and I share what I’ve learnt since my diagnosis and how I believe, in some ways, it has changed my life for the better.