Diabetics Doing Things Podcast

By Diabetics Doing Things

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Diabetics Doing Things Podcast episodes

April 08 Episode 349 - The Movement Menu & Exercise for Real Diabetes Life with Amanda Mueller (@bolusandbiceps)
Exercise is one of the most recommended tools for living well with diabetes
and one of the most complicated to actually start. In this episode, Rob
sits down with Amanda Mueller (aka @bicepsandbolus), a certified personal
trainer, corrections exercise specialist, and CPA who was diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes at 26. Amanda's honest about the years she spent afraid to
move her body after diagnosis, the roundabout way she fell in love with
strength training (spoiler: she married her trainer), and why she thinks
the whole "exercise is good for your diabetes" conversation is being framed
wrong.
The centerpiece of this conversation is Amanda's "Movement Menu", a
practical framework for building a sustainable exercise life that actually
accounts for bad blood sugar days, low energy, decision fatigue, and the
reality that most of us are not elite athletes trying to optimize every
workout. The goal isn't the perfect workout. It's the one you come back to.
They also go a little deeper and discuss why exercise shouldn't feel like
punishment, how chronic stress and blood sugar are more connected than we
talk about, and why going low in a Pilates class doesn't mean the class
didn't count. If you've ever used a bad diabetes day as a reason to skip a
workout and then felt guilty about it, this episode is for you.
They close things out with a live "Exercise with Diabetes Draft", each
picking three movements they'd want on their personal movement menu, and
why. It's fun, it's practical, and you might find your new favorite workout
buried somewhere in it.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Amanda's background
02:31 Adult diagnosis and the fear that followed
04:27 Losing weight in DKA and what came after
06:22 Meeting her trainer husband and rediscovering movement
08:08 Why the right people are force multipliers
09:45 Wanting to feel strong again: what that really means
13:36 Why exercise is a behavior, not a personality trait
16:04 The Movement Menu explained
18:09 The best workout is the one you actually do
20:13 Releasing judgment around imperfect workout days
24:40 The calorie math trap: why your class still counted
27:48 Exercise as a stress reset in 2026
29:32 You don't need more time, you need less friction
31:22 The Exercise with Diabetes Draft begins
40:27 Keeping it simple, sustainable, and fun
Resources:
Amanda Mueller on Instagram: @bicepsandbolus
Movement Menu Document: Comment "MENU" on the podcast post on Instagram
(@diabeticsdoingthings) and Rob will send it to you.
Atomic Habits by James Clear: referenced in conversation around small,
compounding habits: atomichabits.com
45 min
April 01 Episode 348 - Claude vs. T1D - I asked Claude 10 Questions about Type 1 Diabetes
Rob Howe has lived with type 1 diabetes for 21 years. So when he sat down
to interview Claude as a newly diagnosed patient, he expected a pop quiz.
What he did not expect: Claude passing the test on the first try by
answering as Rob himself. Because Claude thought it been hosting this show
all along.
This is Diabetics Doing Things Episode 348: Claude vs T1D — an experiment
in AI health literacy, a genuinely funny accident, and a real question
about what AI-powered diabetes care means for everyone.
Guest Bio
Claude is Anthropic’s large language model and this episode’s unusual
guest. Rob runs the interview twice: first with his regular Claude (which
has absorbed 21 years of his diabetes story and all DDT content), then in
an incognito window with a clean slate. The contrast is the episode.
Key Topics and Timestamps
1:43 — Why Rob is interviewing AI: the Bernie Sanders moment and the AI
zeitgeist of early 2026
2:53 — Round 1 begins: Rob plays newly diagnosed patient, Claude plays
diabetes educator
7:07 — The plot twist: Claude reveals it has had T1D for 21 years and
started Diabetics Doing Things
8:56 — Rob catches it: Thats my LLM. Resets to incognito mode.
9:30 — Round 2: Fresh Claude, no prior context, same 10 questions
10:37 — Claude covers patient assistance programs, 340B pharmacies, free
insulin for the uninsured
13:40 — What you actually cannot do with T1D (shorter list than most people
think)
17:22 — The reveal: I have had T1D for 21 years. I think you passed.
18:30 — Robs closing question: Is AI advancing faster than humans on
diabetes care?
Notable Quotes
Okay, I have got to stop Claude there — because clearly that Claude is me.
— Rob Howe
I started Diabetics Doing Things because I realized there was not enough
honest conversation about living with type one — the medical stuff, but the
real life stuff, the mental load, the wins, all of it. — Claude (Round 1,
in Robs voice)
Is the future of diabetes care, no matter who you are or where you are,
made better by AI? Really something to think about. — Rob Howe, closing
From there, the conversation gets tactical and evidence-driven: why
breathing is uniquely powerful because it’s both autonomic and voluntary,
how airflow through the nose can influence brain activity and calm states,
and how slow breathing can improve markers tied to autonomic function (like
heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity) that are often reduced
in people with diabetes. Rob connects this to modern diabetes
stress—constant data, alerts, and decision fatigue—and why breath is a
fast, accessible tool for resilience. Nick addresses the “woo vs. science”
tension by grounding claims in research and meta-analyses while staying
open to whatever “gateway” gets someone to practice safely. They close with
simple starting protocols (using an app, 4-in/6-out pacing, diaphragmatic
breathing), and emphasize nasal breathing and mouth taping at night as
high-leverage habits—“passive income of health”—with a reminder to keep it
safe and consistent over perfection.
Chapters:
00:15 Insulin Sensitivity Playbook + Meet “The Breathing Diabetic”
01:27 Diagnosis Story: Age 11, DKA, and the “Diet Coke” Moment
02:48 The “Second Diagnosis”: Mid-20s Wake-Up and Lifestyle Control
03:58 From Air Quality Scientist to Breath Nerd: Discovering Wim Hof
04:51 The Oxygen Advantage: Nasal Breathing, CO₂, and a Breakthrough
08:52 Breath Goes Mainstream: James Nestor Validation + Confidence to Share
11:50 Why Breath Is a Superpower: Autonomic + Voluntary = A Lever
15:11 The Brain Angle: Nasal Airflow, Brainwaves, and Calm States
18:06 Diabetes Physiology: HRV, Baroreflex, and Slow Breathing Benefits
35:52 Practical Protocols: 5-Min Minimum Dose, Apps, Ratios, Mouth Tape
Resources:
The Breathing Diabetic Instagram
The Breathing Diabetic Website
19 min
March 05 Episode 347 - The Insulin Sensitivity Playbook: The Breath and Diabetes with The Breathing Diabetic, Nick Heath
Rob welcomes Dr. Nick Heath—an atmospheric scientist living with type 1
diabetes for 27+ years and known online as “The Breathing Diabetic”—to
explore how breathing can become a practical lever for living well with
diabetes. Nick shares his diagnosis at age 11 and how his “second
diagnosis” moment came in his mid-20s when nutrition changes improved his
control and opened his mindset to other tools within his control. That
curiosity eventually led him into breathwork, first through Wim Hof and
then more deeply through Patrick McKeown’s The Oxygen Advantage, where the
science around nasal breathing, slower breathing, and CO₂ tolerance
clicked—followed by a noticeable improvement in his blood sugars after a
few months of consistent practice.
From there, the conversation gets tactical and evidence-driven: why
breathing is uniquely powerful because it’s both autonomic and voluntary,
how airflow through the nose can influence brain activity and calm states,
and how slow breathing can improve markers tied to autonomic function (like
heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity) that are often reduced
in people with diabetes. Rob connects this to modern diabetes
stress—constant data, alerts, and decision fatigue—and why breath is a
fast, accessible tool for resilience. Nick addresses the “woo vs. science”
tension by grounding claims in research and meta-analyses while staying
open to whatever “gateway” gets someone to practice safely. They close with
simple starting protocols (using an app, 4-in/6-out pacing, diaphragmatic
breathing), and emphasize nasal breathing and mouth taping at night as
high-leverage habits—“passive income of health”—with a reminder to keep it
safe and consistent over perfection.
Chapters:
00:15 Insulin Sensitivity Playbook + Meet “The Breathing Diabetic”
01:27 Diagnosis Story: Age 11, DKA, and the “Diet Coke” Moment
02:48 The “Second Diagnosis”: Mid-20s Wake-Up and Lifestyle Control
03:58 From Air Quality Scientist to Breath Nerd: Discovering Wim Hof
04:51 The Oxygen Advantage: Nasal Breathing, CO₂, and a Breakthrough
08:52 Breath Goes Mainstream: James Nestor Validation + Confidence to Share
11:50 Why Breath Is a Superpower: Autonomic + Voluntary = A Lever
15:11 The Brain Angle: Nasal Airflow, Brainwaves, and Calm States
18:06 Diabetes Physiology: HRV, Baroreflex, and Slow Breathing Benefits
35:52 Practical Protocols: 5-Min Minimum Dose, Apps, Ratios, Mouth Tape
Resources:
The Breathing Diabetic Instagram
The Breathing Diabetic Website
0 min
March 04 Episode 347 - The Insulin Sensitivity Playbook: The Breath and Diabetes with The Breathing Diabetic, Nick Heath
Rob welcomes Dr. Nick Heath—an atmospheric scientist living with type 1
diabetes for 27+ years and known online as “The Breathing Diabetic”—to
explore how breathing can become a practical lever for living well with
diabetes. Nick shares his diagnosis at age 11 and how his “second
diagnosis” moment came in his mid-20s when nutrition changes improved his
control and opened his mindset to other tools within his control. That
curiosity eventually led him into breathwork, first through Wim Hof and
then more deeply through Patrick McKeown’s The Oxygen Advantage, where the
science around nasal breathing, slower breathing, and CO₂ tolerance
clicked—followed by a noticeable improvement in his blood sugars after a
few months of consistent practice.
From there, the conversation gets tactical and evidence-driven: why
breathing is uniquely powerful because it’s both autonomic and voluntary,
how airflow through the nose can influence brain activity and calm states,
and how slow breathing can improve markers tied to autonomic function (like
heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity) that are often reduced
in people with diabetes. Rob connects this to modern diabetes
stress—constant data, alerts, and decision fatigue—and why breath is a
fast, accessible tool for resilience. Nick addresses the “woo vs. science”
tension by grounding claims in research and meta-analyses while staying
open to whatever “gateway” gets someone to practice safely. They close with
simple starting protocols (using an app, 4-in/6-out pacing, diaphragmatic
breathing), and emphasize nasal breathing and mouth taping at night as
high-leverage habits—“passive income of health”—with a reminder to keep it
safe and consistent over perfection.
Chapters:
00:15 Insulin Sensitivity Playbook + Meet “The Breathing Diabetic”
01:27 Diagnosis Story: Age 11, DKA, and the “Diet Coke” Moment
02:48 The “Second Diagnosis”: Mid-20s Wake-Up and Lifestyle Control
03:58 From Air Quality Scientist to Breath Nerd: Discovering Wim Hof
04:51 The Oxygen Advantage: Nasal Breathing, CO₂, and a Breakthrough
08:52 Breath Goes Mainstream: James Nestor Validation + Confidence to Share
11:50 Why Breath Is a Superpower: Autonomic + Voluntary = A Lever
15:11 The Brain Angle: Nasal Airflow, Brainwaves, and Calm States
18:06 Diabetes Physiology: HRV, Baroreflex, and Slow Breathing Benefits
35:52 Practical Protocols: 5-Min Minimum Dose, Apps, Ratios, Mouth Tape
Resources:
The Breathing Diabetic Instagram
The Breathing Diabetic Website
46 min
February 11 Episode 346 - The Insulin Sensitivity Playbook: Vinegar and Glucose with Dr. Carol Johnston
Dr. Carol Johnston—Arizona State University nutrition professor and
registered dietitian known online as “The Vinegar Lady”—joins Rob to break
down what decades of research actually say about vinegar, blood glucose,
and metabolic health. Johnston explains how her work began with an obscure
1988 rat study and led to a landmark 2004 Diabetes Care paper showing
vinegar could blunt post-meal blood glucose spikes in people without
diabetes, those with pre-diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes. They dig
into why vinegar still gets treated like “fringe” advice despite strong
replication across countries—and why the mechanism overlaps with a major
target of metformin.
The conversation gets highly practical: why liquid vinegar matters (pills
don’t), how timing at the start of a meal changes outcomes, and the two
core mechanisms—reduced starch digestion plus increased glucose uptake into
muscle via GLUT4, similar to the effect of post-meal walking. Johnston also
connects vinegar to the gut microbiome and acetate’s growing role in brain
and energy metabolism, sharing her own routine (on vegetables) and emerging
findings on cognitive/depression measures supported by metabolomics. You’ll
also hear real-world implementations like homemade vinaigrettes (flip the
ratio to 2:1 vinegar to oil), mustard as a stealth vinegar vehicle, and
even “pickle sickles,” plus safety notes around dilution, enamel, and
gastroparesis risk.
Chapters:
00:01 Intro: “The Vinegar Lady” + why vinegar is on the table for diabetes
01:35 Johnston’s background + why she studies simple, sustainable nutrition
strategies
03:03 The 1988 rat study discovery → the first human trials with bagels +
vinegar
04:32 Publishing in Diabetes Care (2004) + replication across the world
05:53 Why clinicians resist vinegar (“we have drugs for this”) + metformin
overlap
10:28 Acetic acid, fermentation, and the gut microbiome connection (why it
matters)
14:04 The two key mechanisms: starch digestion interference + faster muscle
glucose uptake
22:46 Practical + safety: pills don’t work, dilution, enamel/aspiration
risk, timing with meals
25:53 Johnston’s personal protocol + brain/cognition/depression angle +
metabolomics support
46:47 Athletic applications: pickle juice, “pickle sickles,” mustard hack +
where research goes next
53 min
January 28 Episode 343 - Doing Well with Diabetes: Jyotsana Rangeen
On episode 3 of Doing Well with Diabetes Season 2, Rob and Jyotsana Rangeen
discuss the journey of living with type 1 diabetes, focusing on the
challenges of stigma, the importance of community support, and the
transformative power of advocacy. Jyotsana shares her personal experiences
from diagnosis to becoming a prominent advocate, emphasizing the need for
positive language and self-acceptance in managing diabetes. The discussion
highlights cultural perspectives on diabetes, the role of community in
empowerment, and the significance of turning personal challenges into a
purpose-driven life.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Diabetes Journey
01:07 Facing Diagnosis and Stigma
04:59 The Power of Language in Diabetes
08:52 Finding Motivation and Confidence
12:06 Embracing Public Advocacy
16:59 Cultural Perspectives on Diabetes
21:28 Transformative Advocacy Journey
25:19 The Importance of Community and Support
28:20 Reflections on Growth and Purpose
Resources:
Jyotsana’s Instagram
https://idf.org/what-we-do/advocacy/advocacy-networks/blue-circle-voices/bcv-stories/jyotsana-rangeen-india/
https://www.instagram.com/diabetes_india_youth_in_action/
32 min
January 21 Episode 345 - Leading with T1D featuring University Presidents Dr. Sally Kornbluth (MIT) and Ron Daniels (Johns Hopkins)
Summary
In this episode, two university presidents, Dr. Sally Kornbluth (MIT) and
Ron Daniels (Johns Hopkins) join Rob to talk about adult-onset Type 1
(LADA), leading in high-performance environments, and the single most
“practical” diabetes upgrade: making a friend with diabetes. What stands
out isn’t prestige—it’s how candidly they describe the everyday realities:
managing highs and lows during major speeches, checking pumps in meetings,
and staying open about diabetes to normalize it for everyone around them.
The conversation also connects diabetes progress to the university research
engine—past (insulin’s discovery era) and future (stem cell/islet
replacement, closed-loop algorithms, and emerging trials).
Chapters
* 00:26: Diagnosis stories through high-performance leadership lens +
“patients first” approach
* 01:02: Sally Kornbluth’s adult-onset Type 1 (LADA) diagnosis
* 02:55: Ron Daniels’ adult-onset Type 1 diagnosis
* 06:08: Adult-onset Type 1, LADA, and misdiagnosis risk
* 08:29: Carbs, discipline, and the real lifestyle tradeoffs
* 10:19: The biggest adjustment: mental load + fear of lows
* 13:30: How they found each other + why “a friend with diabetes”
changes everything
* 21:41: Universities power diabetes progress (and what’s next)
* 42:45: Closing lessons: openness, resilience, and gratitude
Resources
Dr. Sally Kornbluth
Ron Daniels
55 min
January 15 Episode 344 - Doing Well with Diabetes: Kerry Murphy
Episode 4 of Doing Well with Diabetes Season 2 features Kerry Murphy, wife
and mother to multiple people with type 1 diabetes and founder of Follow
T1Ds, who explains how her long, layered exposure to T1D—from her
sister-in-law and husband to her niece and daughter—pushed her from
terrified observer to frontline advocate. She describes the collision
between modern diabetes tech (CGMs, pumps, data-driven care) and school
systems still operating on 1990s protocols, culminating in nurses refusing
to follow CGM data during the school day.
After discovering Department of Justice rulings that treating CGM follow as
a reasonable ADA accommodation applies nationwide, she built Follow T1Ds
around three demands: follow T1D CGMs, follow parent input, and follow
federal law. The conversation covers how parents can move from raw fear and
frustration to strategic advocacy, why labeling kids “non-compliant”
ignores context and equity, and why school nurses are often the only line
of real safety for some students. Kerry’s long-term aim is systems change
so that parents don’t have to become de facto lawyers and policy experts
just to keep their kids safe at school.
Chapters
00:40 – Kerry Murphy and Follow T1Ds
01:47 – Kerry’s Deep Family History With Type 1 Diabetes
04:58 – Screening Her Sons, Avoiding DKA, and Early Symptom Hindsight
08:32 – Watching From the Sidelines, Then Becoming a Caregiver Herself
09:38 – Kindergarten Clash: Modern Tech vs 1990s School Protocols
14:27 – DOJ/ADA Rulings and the Three Pillars of Follow T1Ds
23:22 – How Parents Navigate Fear, Gaslighting, and Hard Conversations With
Schools
30:32 – “Non-Compliant” Kids, Equity, and Why School Nurses Must Step Up
38:21 – Long-Term Vision: Systems Change So Parents Don’t Have to Be
Lawyers
Resources:
https://followt1ds.org/
Kerry’s Instagram
43 min
January 07 Episode 342 - Doing Well with Diabetes: Overcoming Stigma in Sports
Episode 2 of Doing Well with Diabetes Season 2 focuses on “Overcoming
Stigma in Sports,” highlighting two elite athletes living with type 1
diabetes outside the traditional Western spotlight.
In part one, Rebeca Jara, a Costa Rican pole vaulter, shares her diagnosis
at age seven, the transformational impact of attending diabetes camp as a
teenager, and the long process of learning how stress, food, and insulin
affect performance. She describes major competitions where high blood
sugars, lack of fast-acting insulin, and broken vials wrecked her meets—and
how she initially leaned on diabetes as an explanation for poor results.
The turning point comes when a coach tries to keep her off a Central
American team “because she has diabetes,” and she not only makes the squad
but wins gold. That moment flips her internal narrative from “I can’t
because of diabetes” to “I’m capable, and I won’t let others use diabetes
as a reason to exclude me.”
In part two, Ousman Ceesay from Gambia recounts being discriminated against
and effectively cut from a football team because of his diabetes. Instead
of quitting, he helps form a new team of players with diabetes, is named
captain, and scores a decisive header in their first official match—against
the very coach who rejected him. From there he becomes a leading advocate
in Gambia, attacking myths about diabetes (like “it’s only caused by
sugar”) through social media, TV, and radio, while mentoring younger people
with type 1 who are afraid to be seen. His motto, “All Is Well Like Never
Before,” comes from a night of severe hypoglycemia, a morning spike, and
the realization that despite diabetes, he can walk, see, and live
independently—privileges many hospitalized people don’t have.
Together, Rebeca and Ousman show how stigma in sport can be confronted with
preparation, persistence, and visibility, turning diabetes from a reason to
be excluded into the engine for leadership and change.
Chapters
01:36 – Meet Rebeca: Costa Rican Track & Field Athlete with T1D
02:53 – Diagnosis, Early Years, and Finding Diabetes Camp
06:31 – First Track Competitions and Stress-High Blood Sugars
09:21 – Central American Championship: Broken Insulin Vial and DNS-Level
Highs
15:05 – Overcoming Lows and Highs in Competition
18:28 – Coach Tries to Exclude Rebeca Because of Diabetes
20:01 – Winning Gold and Changing the Narrative
22:19 – Advice to Her Younger Self and Enjoying Sport
23:22 – Rebeca’s Online Presence: “Rebebetes”
24:12 – Meet Ousman: Gambian Footballer with T1D
24:49 – Being Cut for Having Diabetes and Forming a New Team
26:06 – First Game, Captain’s Armband, and the Winning Header
28:58 – Beating the Coach Who Discriminated Against Him
29:32 – Misconceptions About Diabetes in Gambia
31:56 – Building a Public Advocate: Social Media, TV, and Radio
33:54 – Mentoring Young People and Normalizing Visibility
36:58 – Origin Story of “All Is Well Like Never Before”
40:31 – Turning Hypo/Hyper Swings into Gratitude and a Clothing Brand
42:31 – Health, Perspective, and Redefining “Well”
43:24 – Closing Reflections and Future Vision
Resources:
Rebeca’ Instagram
Young Leaders in Diabetes
Young Leaders in Diabetes Instagram
Ousman Ceesay Linkedin
Ousman Ceesay Instagram
45 min
December 18, 2025 Episode 341 - Doing Well with Diabetes: Global Nutritionist Panel
On episode 1 of Doing Well with Diabetes Season 2 Rob opens with a global
nutritionist panel featuring three voices from three continents—Ravi
Subramanian (India/Australia), Sally Anne Shirto (Zimbabwe/South Africa),
and Marina Cavalin (Brazil). Each shares how diabetes shaped their lives,
their careers, and the way they support others in their communities. The
episode tracks the realities of type 1 and type 2 diabetes across vastly
different health systems, highlighting gaps in education, access to insulin
and supplies, food insecurity, misinformation, cultural nutrition
challenges, and the emotional and physical toll of the condition worldwide.
Through personal stories—from childhood polo matches with royalty to
managing a teen’s diabetes in an under-resourced setting—the conversation
reinforces a central theme: education, movement, and community support
remain the strongest levers for improving global health and wellbeing for
people with diabetes.
Chapters
01:23 – Meet Ravi: Pilot Dreams to Type 2 Diagnosis
02:05 – Two Decades of Uncontrolled Diabetes & Complications
06:11 – Going Back to School: Becoming a Nutritionist
08:49 – Carbs, Fats, and the Omega-6:3 Problem in Indian Diets
11:39 – Portion Control, Festivals, and Insulin as a Double-Edged Sword
16:15 – Walking, Sweat, and Safe Exercise for Blood Pressure
19:14 – Resistance Training as Medicine
20:35 – Polo with Prince Charles: Childhood, Horses, and Loss of Function
23:03 – Meet Sally Anne: Mom, Coach, and Advocate in Zimbabwe & South
Africa
24:08 – Learning Diabetes From Zero as a Parent
27:02 – The Affordability Crisis: Insulin, Strips, and Food
31:11 – Education Gaps: Fixed Doses, Hypers vs Hypos, and No Corrections
33:09 – Doing the Most With Very Little: Education as the First Line of
Care
39:19 – Tackling Stigma at School and on the Netball Court
39:55 – Glucobuddies: Building Community in Under-Resourced Settings
42:08 – The Missing Link: Diabetes Educators, Not Just Dietitians
47:11 – Fighting Misinformation About “Healthy” Foods
50:42 – Meet Marina: Insulin Girl from Brazil
54:38 – Living With Type 1 in Brazil: Access and Inequality
58:46 – Brazilian Food Culture and the Carb-Counting Gap
1:02:54 – Learning to Count Carbs and Choosing Nutrition as a Career
1:05:24 – Mental Health, Burnout, and the Role of Exercise
1:11:42 – Young Leaders in Diabetes and Impact at Human Scale
1:15:40 – Self-Acceptance, Complications, and Redefining “Doing Well”
Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/guriadainsulina/
[email protected] - Ravi Subramanian’s email
Blue Circle Voices
IDF
Glucose Buddy
Sally Anne Shirto LinkedIn
1 hr 22 min

About Diabetics Doing Things Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by T1D Rob Howe, Diabetics Doing Things tells amazing stories of people with diabetes from across the globe, digging deep into everything it takes to Live Well with Diabetes and sharing…