Diabetes Nerd

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Can diabetes change your relationship with food without you even realizing it?

In this episode, I’m joined by registered dietitian and certified eating disorder specialist Lauren Newman to talk about the side of diabetes care that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough: when managing blood sugar starts affecting how you eat, think about food, and feel about your body.

We talk about food guilt, fear of carbs, restrictive food rules, binge cycles, compulsive exercise, insulin omission, insulin stacking to “earn” food, and the pressure to chase a perfect CGM graph at any cost.

We also get into the gray area between disordered eating and eating disorders—and why people with diabetes are so often missed or misunderstood.

Lauren explains why hunger, fullness, and intuitive eating can be especially complicated with diabetes, what she sees most often in her practice, and how GLP-1 medications can affect food noise and disordered eating behaviors.

I also share some of my own experience with restriction, rebellion, and learning to approach food with more flexibility while living with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.

Most importantly, we talk about what to do if you recognize yourself in these patterns—and why you don't have to wait until things become “bad enough” to get help.

Lauren Newman is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes care and education specialist, and certified eating disorder specialist. Through her virtual practice, she and her team support people across the country with diabetes-related food struggles, body image concerns, and the overlap between diabetes care and disordered eating.

Learn more at LaurenNewmanRD.com.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

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GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

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Sleep, blood sugar management, and recovery are more connected than most people realize. Especially when you live with a chronic illness like type 1 diabetes (T1D)! 

In this episode, I talk with Josh Webb about what a year of wearable data can reveal about T1D, overnight blood sugars, and the patterns that shape the next day.

We break down how sleep quality, heart rate, recovery, and activity may influence blood sugar stability, and why more personalized diabetes management could change the way we make decisions.

If you’ve ever felt like diabetes is unpredictable, this conversation offers a clearer way to understand the cycle. It doesn't have to be so chaotic after all!

Want to learn even more? Read more about Josh's experiment here: https://integrateddiabetes.com/what-a-year-of-data-taught-me-about-my-type-1-diabetes/

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 
• FACEBOOK

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

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SENSITIVE TOPIC WARNING: This episode discusses disordered eating, insulin restriction, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating or insulin restriction, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional.

Insulin restriction is not a safe or effective method for weight loss. It can lead to severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), DKA, hospitalization, and life-threatening complications and should never be encouraged as a weight-loss strategy.

--

In this episode of The Diabetes Nerd Podcast, I sit down with Carly Lynette, a 21-year-old diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at age 3, to talk candidly about her experience with disordered eating, insulin restriction, and recovery.

Carly shares how concerns about food, body image, and weight eventually led her to restrict insulin for several years, resulting in severe chronic high blood sugar, repeated episodes of DKA, hospitalizations, isolation, and significant impacts on her health and education. She also discusses the decision that helped her begin moving forward and the challenges of maintaining recovery.

We also talk about Carly’s experience using a GLP-1 medication to manage the intense food-related thoughts and appetite challenges that contributed to her disordered eating. Carly explains why this treatment has been helpful for her, while we discuss the complexities of using GLP-1 medications in people with T1D and why individual medical guidance matters.

Throughout the conversation, we also discuss the relationship between T1D, appetite regulation, food noise, body image, and disordered eating, as well as the gaps Carly encountered when trying to get support.

Carly is open about where she is today, including her return to school, her interest in a career helping others, and her desire to advocate for people living with T1D and disordered eating.

--

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 
• FACEBOOK

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Most people believe exercising in a fasted state with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is dangerous, but I know that's not the whole story!

In this episode, Sami Parker and I break down how we make fasted workouts work without living in fear of lows or highs. If you are tired of workout advice that feels too cautious, too vague, or just plain wrong, this conversation is for you.

Sami, a registered nurse (RN) and personal trainer with 14 years of T1D experience, shares her simple approach to exercising on an insulin pump in a fasted state without turning it into a whole production. I talk about how understanding insulin, basal rates, and exercise science can make movement feel safer and more manageable. Together, we get real about insulin on board (IOB), activity mode, and the freedom that comes from learning what actually works for your body.

You will hear why aggressive carb loading can make exercise messier, how quick glucose can help when you need it, and why paying attention to your own patterns matters more than waiting for perfect rules. If you have ever worried that working out will wreck your blood sugar, this episode offers a smarter, more confident way forward.

This episode is for active people with T1D, parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants straight talk instead of sugar-coated advice. If you want to feel more in control of exercise and less afraid of blood sugar swings, this one is worth your time.

Thanks for tuning in! And thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. See if Eversense is right for you!

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 
• FACEBOOK

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Most people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) struggle not just with blood sugar management, but with weight loss and sustainable health habits—and too many are left to figure it out alone.

In this episode, Leanne Matthews and I get real about what actually makes T1D weight management so hard, and why quick fixes keep falling apart.

We talk about fear of lows, unpredictable insulin needs, and the truth about building a routine that lasts. There are no magic tricks when it comes to weight loss, just the practical, real, sometimes hard stuff that actually makes a difference.

Want to learn more? Follow Leanne on Facebook.

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 
• FACEBOOK

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

High blood sugar doesn’t just affect your body—it may also quietly shape brain health, memory, and energy.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. John Lewis about the surprising ways chronically elevated blood sugar may impact the brain, including the science behind “caramelizing the brain,” neuroplasticity, brain fog, and the afternoon crash. 

Together, we explore the connections between diabetes, sleep, inflammation, and dementia, along with practical nutrition ideas and a broader conversation about how everyday choices can support long-term brain health.

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 
• FACEBOOK

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

If you've ever wished your CGM or insulin pump could do just a little more, this episode is for you.

I'm joined by Greg Badros, founder of Gluroo and father of a son with type 1 diabetes, to talk about how he built an app to fill the gaps left by today's diabetes technology.

Together, we dive into everything from logging meals, exercise, insulin, and low treatments to identifying patterns that can help you better understand what's affecting your blood sugar day-to-day.

We also talk about how Gluroo works alongside your existing diabetes devices, why it was designed to reduce the mental burden of diabetes rather than add to it, and how its companion apps, Got CGM and FlashSnack, make managing diabetes even easier.

Whether you're living with type 1 diabetes yourself or caring for someone who is, I think you'll come away with a better understanding of how the right tools can help you spend less time managing diabetes and more time living your life.

Let me know in the comments: What's one feature you wish your CGM or insulin pump could do that it doesn't today?

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What does the stock market have to do with curing type 1 diabetes?

Actually...a lot.

In this episode of the Diabetes Nerd Podcast, my friend Julia Flaherty joins me to pull back the curtain on the business side of diabetes research. We talk about how biotech companies raise money, why investors get excited about clinical trial results, what happens when a company gets acquired, and why so many people living with T1D are becoming shareholders themselves.

If you've ever wondered why a company's stock jumps after a promising study—or how someone could potentially invest in the future of diabetes research—this episode is for you.

This isn't investment advice. It's simply an honest, easy-to-understand conversation about the money that helps fund the race toward better treatments and, hopefully, one day, a cure for type 1 diabetes.

🎧 Watch or listen now and let us know what you think!

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

YOUTUBE

BOOKS

ARTICLES 

INSTAGRAM 

LINKEDIN 

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes

Stop Overeating During Lows

Exercise with Diabetes

Dealing with Diabetes Burnout

Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes

Emotional Eating with Diabetes

When I Go Low

Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 

Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

• WATCH PART 1—Former Biotech Scientist with T1D Explains Why Eledon’s Therapy Isn’t the Universal Cure: https://youtu.be/WxKdbNhQ4GU 
• WATCH PART 2—T1D Scientist Explains Why Curing 12 Patients Isn't Enough: https://youtu.be/QFIAauTz7PI  

What would a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D) actually look like, and when might it be available? These are pressing questions within the diabetes community following recent Eledon trial news. People are beginning to be cured. But when will this become a reality for the many?

In this special two-part episode, Dan Heller, a highly knowledgeable scientist who has been living with T1D even longer than I have, explains everything. Grab your coffee, settle in, and turn up the volume—you won't want to miss a word he shares!

• Check out Dan's Substack: https://danheller.substack.com/about 
• Check out Dan's Instagram: @T1DHumor 

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

• WATCH PART 1—Former Biotech Scientist with T1D Explains Why Eledon’s Therapy Isn’t the Universal Cure: https://youtu.be/WxKdbNhQ4GU 
• WATCH PART 2—T1D Scientist Explains Why Curing 12 Patients Isn't Enough: https://youtu.be/QFIAauTz7PI  

What would a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D) actually look like, and when might it be available? These are pressing questions within the diabetes community following recent Eledon trial news. People are beginning to be cured. But when will this become a reality for the many?

In this special two-part episode, Dan Heller, a highly knowledgeable scientist who has been living with T1D even longer than I have, explains everything. Grab your coffee, settle in, and turn up the volume—you won't want to miss a word he shares!

• Check out Dan's Substack: https://danheller.substack.com/about 
• Check out Dan's Instagram: @T1DHumor 

Thanks for tuning in! Join the Diabetes Nerd Network.

Thanks to Eversense for sponsoring the Diabetes Nerd Podcast. Eversense is home to the world's only 365-Day CGM. See if it's right for you at eversensecgm.com/ginger.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not medical advice. Ginger Vieira is not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

FIND MORE FROM GINGER VIEIRA

• YOUTUBE
• BOOKS
• ARTICLES 
• INSTAGRAM 
• LINKEDIN 

GINGER's DIABETES BOOKS

• 🔥 NEW RELEASE: Every Day with Diabetes
• Stop Overeating During Lows
• Exercise with Diabetes
• Dealing with Diabetes Burnout
• Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Emotional Eating with Diabetes
• When I Go Low
• Ain't Gonna Hide my T1D

GINGER’S FAVE DIABETES-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

• Treat Lows Fast with Glow Gummies 
• Enjoy Donuts Guilt-free with Good Journey

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT DIABETES EDUCATION

👉 If you found value in today's episode and want to support independent diabetes education, advocacy, and storytelling, you can leave a tip at buymeacoffee.com/diabetesnerd. 

Every contribution helps keep the podcast going and allows us to continue bringing important conversations to the diabetes community. 

Thank you for being here. 🧡

DISCLOSURE: Ginger is an affiliate of Glow Gummies and Good Journey Donuts. By using her links to purchase, she may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Enjoy!

Support the show