In this episode of The MADLOVE Your Life Show, Mary Dee sits down with Chris Reade, longtime tech founder, community builder, and author of Beating Diabetes. Chris is the president and founder of Carrollton Enterprise Services and LookFar, two Gulf South technology firms behind major disaster recovery and government-scale projects.

After a routine life insurance screening, Chris went from "totally fine" to a full-blown diabetes reading in under a year. His doctor called it a progressive, incurable disease and immediately reached for medications. Chris' programmer brain wasn't having it. Instead of accepting that future, he dug into the science, built a simple system around soluble fiber, movement, stress reduction, and forgiveness, and brought his A1C back into a normal range without insulin or extreme dieting.

Together, Mary and Chris explore how you can apply the same "systems over willpower" approach to your own health, even if you've struggled with food, stress, or consistency for years.

You'll hear:

• How a botched life insurance renewal became Chris' wake-up call on diabetes

• Why soluble fiber is a game changer for blood sugar (and where to actually find it on a menu)

• How to spot where sugar is "hiding" in everyday meals and swap it without feeling deprived

• Simple food shifts like beans, edamame, guacamole, and sweet potatoes that support blood sugar and satiety

• The 5-minute post-meal movement habit that can significantly lower blood sugar

• Why stress, sleep, and meditation (including Transcendental Meditation) directly affect your glucose levels

• How "habit stacking" and forgiveness make healthy routines stick, even if you don't see yourself as a willpower person

• Why diabetes doesn't have to define your identity or lock in your future

If you're living with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or just suspect sugar is messing more with your life than you realize, this conversation will help you see that change is possible, practical, and doesn't have to revolve around fear or perfection.

👉 Connect with Chris Reade

• Diabetes site & book: beatingdiabetes.us

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/readec

• Instagram: @chrisreade1

• Tech & startup work: www.lookfar.com

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations that blend science, story, and soul to help you create a life that feels aligned, grounded, and truly yours.