Ditching Diabetes with Diabetes Maven

In our first stress episode, we covered the basics. This time we're going deeper. I'll walk you through why your cortisol is supposed to rise and fall across the day, and why research shows that rhythm tends to flatten in type 2 diabetes. We'll talk about what happens when your body stops listening to cortisol and inflammation stays turned up, the biology behind stress eating, how job strain and childhood adversity are linked to diabetes risk, and why diabetes distress may matter more for your A1C than you'd think. Plus what research says actually helps, from self-compassion to mindfulness.

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This episode is for educational purposes only and isn't medical advice.

If the word exercise sounds like a bad word to you, this episode is for you. I'm sharing how I went from dreading the gym to finding the tiny habit that did more for my blood sugar than any membership ever did. It takes about 10 minutes, and you can do it in your pajamas.

You'll hear why moving muscles can pull sugar out of your blood even when insulin isn't working well. You'll also hear what happened when adults with type 2 diabetes walked 10 minutes after each meal instead of 30 minutes once a day, and how 3-minute "exercise snacks" every half hour lowered blood sugar after meals by about 39%. I'll share my own story, from dance classes to an 8-minute Tae Bo DVD at 5 a.m., plus simple ways to fit movement in at home, at work and on the road.

Your step this week is to pick one meal and walk for 10 minutes afterward.

If you take insulin or a medicine that can cause low blood sugar, talk with your care team before adding movement after meals, and keep a fast-acting carb with you.

Get The Sweet Spot, my free Monday newsletter: https://diabetes-maven.kit.com/f6eb6d89a5

This podcast is for education only and is not medical advice.

Does fasting mean you have to skip meals? If you have type 2 diabetes, the answer matters more than you think. In this episode I explain the difference between an eating window and skipping a meal, what happens to your hunger hormones and blood sugar when you skip breakfast, what the research on time-restricted eating actually tested, and a simple one-day experiment you can try this week.

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If your doctor has ever told you your blood sugar is normal and you walked out still feeling off, this episode is going to explain why. I'm Stephanie, a nurse practitioner and type 2 diabetes coach who lowered my own A1C from 8.1 to 5.4, and I want you to understand what your numbers actually mean, not just whether they fall inside a standard reference range.

In this episode I'm breaking down the full picture: fasting blood sugar, post-meal spikes, and A1C together. Because looking at just one number in isolation is exactly how early blood sugar problems get missed for years. You deserve to know what optimal looks like, not just what's technically "not diabetic yet."

In this episode:

• What fasting blood sugar, post-meal glucose, and A1C actually measure
• The difference between a "normal" lab result and a truly healthy number
• The blood sugar patterns that signal a problem long before a diagnosis
• What I look for in my own patients' labs and why it matters

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If you're on a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy, or you're thinking about starting one, this episode is going to give you what your doctor's appointment probably didn't. I'm Stephanie, a nurse practitioner and type 2 diabetes coach who lowered my own A1C from 8.1 to 5.4, and I want you to actually understand what's happening in your body when you take these medications.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how GLP-1 medications work to lower blood sugar, what that means for your A1C, and why the medication alone is only part of the picture. Whether you're already on a GLP-1 or still deciding if it's right for you, this episode gives you the clinical clarity you deserve.

In this episode:

• How GLP-1 medications lower blood sugar at the cellular level
• What to expect for your A1C on a GLP-1
• Why blood sugar control still requires more than just the medication
• What I tell my own patients before they start

The standard advice keeps most women stuck. I'm Stephanie, a nurse practitioner who lowered my own A1C from 8.1 to 5.4, and in this episode I'm sharing what actually moves the needle on blood sugar control and A1C reversal. If you're done just "managing" type 2 diabetes, start here.

Just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and feeling overwhelmed? In this episode of Ditching Diabetes, Stephanie, a nurse practitioner, type 2 diabetes coach, mom of six, and someone who lowered her own A1C from 8.1 to 5.4, walks you through what to do first.

We talk about what type 2 diabetes actually means, which numbers matter, how to start checking your blood sugar without spiraling, what to eat for breakfast, why a 10-minute walk after meals helps, and why medication is not a personal failure.

If your doctor told you to “eat better and move more” but did not give you an actual plan, this episode will help you take the first step without losing your mind.

Inside this episode:

• What type 2 diabetes means in plain English
• What A1C tells you and what it does not
• Why breakfast is the best place to start
• How to check blood sugar without using it to shame yourself
• What to ask your provider after diagnosis
• Why medication can be a tool, not a failure

Want help putting this into practice? Join Stephanie’s Skool community for real-life blood sugar strategy, food support, labs, habits, and diabetes education without the shame. The link is in the show notes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your heart is already in this conversation. Most women don't find out until something scary happens. I don't want that for you. In this final installment of the lab series, I'm walking you through the cardiac markers that actually matter, what your numbers mean, and the supplements I use personally and recommend to my patients. We're talking hs-CRP, Lp(a), ApoB, homocysteine, fasting insulin, and exactly what to do with all of it. Your doctor has 15 minutes. I've got more than that. Let's use it.

In this episode of Ditching Diabetes, Stephanie opens up about her own Function Health lab results and explains why three nutrient markers matter for blood sugar, inflammation, and long-term metabolic health: homocysteine, omega-3 index, and vitamin D. She breaks down what these labs mean in plain English, why standard lab panels often miss them, and what listeners can ask their provider about if they are managing prediabetes, diabetes, insulin resistance, or inflammation.

Most people leave their annual physical with two blood sugar numbers and zero real answers. In this episode — Part 1 of a three-part deep dive into my 80+ Function Health lab results — I'm covering the four markers that paint a complete metabolic picture: A1C, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and cortisol. One of these is almost never ordered by a standard doctor. One is controlled more by stress than by food. And together, they can reveal what's really happening in your metabolism years before anything shows up as a diagnosis. Let's get into it.