The Healthy Diabetic

In today's episode, I sit down with Sara Lerner, Director of Community Engagement at Blue Circle Health, to talk about what it really takes to live well with Type 1 Diabetes—and why the current healthcare system often falls short.

Sara shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) as an adult at age 25, including the fear, missteps, and challenges that come with adult-onset diagnosis. Drawing from both her lived experience and her professional background as a social worker, Sara explains how access, education, mental health support, insurance navigation, and community all play critical roles in diabetes success.

The conversation dives deep into why so many adults are misdiagnosed, why “compliance” is the wrong word in diabetes care, and how Blue Circle Health was created to close the massive gaps between what people with T1D need and what they can actually access.

If you’ve ever felt unheard, unsupported, overwhelmed by insurance, or unsure where to turn for help with diabetes—this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

• Why adults are frequently misdiagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
• The emotional and mental health toll of living with T1D
• Why “compliance” is an outdated and harmful term in diabetes care
• How access to education and support directly impacts outcomes
• The role community plays in day-to-day diabetes management
• Why primary care alone often isn’t enough for T1D
• How Blue Circle Health helps bridge gaps in diabetes care
• Why empowerment and advocacy are essential skills for people with diabetes

🌐 Learn more & check eligibility:
https://www.bluecirclehealth.org

Blue Circle Health - Instagram

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

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In today’s episode, I sit down with Ty Gibson, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in the 1970s—long before CGMs, insulin pumps, or modern tools existed.

Ty shares an incredibly powerful and honest story that spans decades of living with diabetes, including:

This episode goes far beyond diabetes management. It’s a conversation about resilience, mindset, choice, mental fortitude, and what’s possible on the other side of adversity. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, burnt out, scared of complications, or unsure whether you can truly live a full life with diabetes—this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

• What managing diabetes looked like before modern technology
• Why perspective matters when we talk about complications
• The reality of kidney and pancreas transplants—and what people don’t talk about
• How mental resilience plays a bigger role than perfection
• Why technology is a tool—not a permission slip for unhealthy habits
• The importance of ownership, choice, and personal responsibility
• How adversity can become purpose when you’re willing to share your story
• Why thriving with diabetes starts in your mindset, not your devices

Ty's Resources:

• Website
• Podcast

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In this today's episode, I sit down with Aurelian, CEO and co-founder of SNAQ, a mobile app designed to make meals less guesswork for people living with Type 1 diabetes.

SNAQ was born out of lived experience. Aurelian’s wife was diagnosed with T1D over a decade ago, and like many people with diabetes, she constantly faced the same daily questions:

• How many carbs are in this meal?
• How heavy is this portion?
• How will this food affect my blood sugar later?

From that frustration came the idea behind SNAQ — an app that allows users to take a photo of their food, estimate carbs and macronutrients, and connect meals directly to CGM, insulin, and activity data to uncover real-world patterns.

• Carb counting and portion estimation are major pain points for people with T1D.
• Taking photos of food can provide a practical starting point — not perfection.
• AI works best when paired with human awareness and lived experience.
• Logging some meals can still provide valuable insights — it doesn’t have to be every meal.
• Connecting meals with CGM and insulin data reveals patterns that numbers alone miss.
• Technology should reduce overwhelm, not create it.
• Expectation management is essential with any AI-based health tool.
• The future of diabetes care likely blends AI support with human connection.

📌 Resources:

• SNAQ's website

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In this powerful and deeply human episode, I sit down with Jillian, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 7 years old in 1991 — growing up in what many now call the dark ages of diabetes care.

Jillian’s story is layered, emotional, and incredibly insightful. Raised by a mother who also lived with Type 1 diabetes, she navigated childhood, adolescence, eating disorders, evolving technology, and eventually three healthy pregnancies— all while learning what actually works for her body through Dr Richard K. Bernstein's teachings.

• Growing up with T1D shapes your relationship with food, control, and self-trust.
• “Eat whatever you want and dose for it” is incomplete advice for many people.
• Protein and fat do impact blood sugars — often hours later.
• Low-carb works well for some people, but restriction is a fast path to burnout.
• Diabetes management must feel livable, not punishing.
• Pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes is absolutely possible — even multiple times.
• Hormones (puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum) dramatically affect insulin needs.
• Algorithms and automation can help — but they’re tools, not solutions.

• Low-carb & high-protein nutrition strategies
• Protein and fat delayed glucose spikes
• Extended boluses & pump features
• CGM accuracy & algorithm limitations
• Dr. Richard K. Bernstein & The Law of Small Numbers
• Pregnancy & insulin resistance
• Breastfeeding and blood sugar variability
• Diabetic retinopathy treatments
• Self-advocacy in medical settings
• Diabetes stigma around motherhood

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In this solo episode I dive into one of the most important — and most misunderstood — concepts in diabetes management: SUSTAINABILITY.

After reflecting on my own recent challenges with blood sugar fluctuations, stress, sleep, nutrition, and routine, I break down why even people who “know what they’re doing” can fall out of alignment — and why that’s not failure, it’s reality.

This episode challenges the obsession with A1C and Time in Range as the main metrics of success and instead how reframing the conversation around blood sugar stability, mental health, flexibility, leads to longer diabetes stability. 

• Sustainability matters more than perfection in diabetes management.
• A “good” A1C or Time in Range doesn’t automatically mean your diabetes is going well.
• Blood sugar stability is a better long-term goal than chasing numbers.
• You need a specific target blood sugar, not just a target range.
• Most blood sugar issues start with basal insulin, not food.
• Restrictive eating and over-exercising may work short-term but often fail long-term.
• Mental health, nutrition quality, sleep, movement, and dosing strategy all work together.
• Burnout often comes from rigidity, fear, and unrealistic expectations.
• The Five Pillars provide a simple framework to troubleshoot any diabetes issue.
• You’re allowed to experiment, adjust, and change your approach over time.

1. Mental Health
2. Strategic Dosing
3. Consistency & Routine
4. Nutrition Quality
5. Physical Well-Being (Sleep, Hydration, Movement)

Every diabetes challenge fits into one (or more) of these pillars.

About the Host

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Sign Up for a Free Call: Book Now
👕 Apparel Store: Shop Here

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In today's episode, I sit down with Ashley Sparks, who was diagnosed with T1D at just 14 years old—during the first days of her freshman year of high school. What should have been a straightforward diagnosis quickly turned into a traumatic experience when doctors dismissed her symptoms and wrongly accused her of being pregnant instead of running basic diagnostic tests.

Ashley shares her powerful journey from misdiagnosis and dismissal to becoming a confident self-advocate in her diabetes care. She opens up about navigating high school as the only student with T1D, being denied basic accommodations, and learning—often the hard way—how to speak up for herself in medical settings.

• Misdiagnosis and dismissal—especially for young women with diabetes—still happen far too often.
• You are allowed to question doctors, change providers, and advocate for yourself.
• Living with diabetes every day gives you insight no textbook can teach.
• Insurance barriers can directly impact health outcomes and emotional well-being.
• Movement, routine, and mental health support can dramatically improve diabetes stability.
• There is no “perfect diabetic”—and chasing perfection often leads to burnout.
• Eat the cookie. Bolus for it. Live your life.
• Community connection can be one of the most powerful tools for mental health with T1D.

Ashley's Instagram:

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In this episode, I sat down with Carrie Neher, who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1981 — long before CGMs, pumps, carb ratios, or even finger-stick meters were available. Diagnosed at 14 and hospitalized for two weeks, Carrie learned to manage diabetes in what she calls “the dark ages.”

She shares what it was really like growing up using urine testing tablets, one daily shot of mixed insulin, and zero real-time glucose feedback — and the emotional weight that came with high A1Cs despite doing everything “right.

• Diabetes management before CGMs and meters required intuition, resilience, and guesswork.
• Shame and confusion were common because the tools simply didn’t exist to understand blood sugar.
• Exercise dramatically improves circulation, insulin sensitivity, and long-term health.
• Fear of lows is often rooted in one traumatic low event — and can be reframed with a plan.
• Gradually lowering your comfort range (ex: 150 → 130 → 110) is a powerful way to rebuild trust.
• Modern T1Ds often underestimate how life-changing today’s tools truly are.
• Community, encouragement, and support matter just as much as insulin and devices.
• “Bloom where you are planted.” Your circumstances don’t define your potential.

Carrie's Instagram:

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Adriana Wright, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just four years old and has now lived with T1D for nearly 35 years. Her story begins in the early 1990s — the “dark ages” of diabetes care — when blood sugar testing required giant blood drops, no CGMs existed, and kids with T1D often felt isolated, limited, or misunderstood.

Adriana shares what it was like to grow up with diabetes before modern tools existed, how her family adapted overnight, and how resilience became the thread that carried her through childhood, adolescence, motherhood, and adulthood.

• Diabetes management has evolved dramatically — but the emotional challenges remain real.
• Kids diagnosed young often internalize “limitations” they never chose.
• Asking for help is difficult for many people with T1D — even when support is readily available.
• Resilience is built through decades of adapting, learning, self-advocating, and experimenting.
• High blood sugars are often harder to treat than lows — influencing personal fear patterns.
• Afrezza works differently for everyone, and real-world lived experience matters just as much as clinical instruction.
• Doctors are tools — not the sole source of wisdom. Real diabetes learning happens through lived experience and community.
• You are allowed to redefine your care team, your tools, and your approach.

Connect With Adriana - Instagram

About the Host - Coach Ken

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In today's episode, I break down one of the biggest debates in Type 1 diabetes: Insulin Pump vs. MDI. But instead of comparing the features, tech, and tools — I flip the discussion completely. Because it’s not really about which method is better — it's about which one supports your personality, your lifestyle, your mental bandwidth, your confidence, and your understanding of insulin.

I explore why some people thrive on a pump and others feel more confident with injections, why technology can sometimes increase mental load instead of reducing it, and most importantly: why no device can fix diabetes without strategy, awareness, and ownership.

This episode is an empowering, reflective coaching-style breakdown that will help you make a decision based not just on tech — but on who you are.

• Why choosing between MDI and pump has more to do with self-awareness than features.
• Technology does not reduce decision-making — it only changes it.
• Pumps don’t give you control — you create control with understanding, not devices.
• Why starting on MDI often builds stronger decision-making skills.
• When pump switching is motivated by FOMO, burnout, or false expectations.
• Why doctors talk about technology, but don’t teach you mindset, ownership, or insulin strategy.
• The most important question to ask:
  👉 Does this tool support my confidence — or steal it?
• You can make either method work — if you understand your insulin, mindset, habits, and needs.

About the Host

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Sign Up for a Free Call: Book Now
👕 Apparel Store: Shop Here

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show

In today's episode, I sit down with Brooke Lee. Brooke was diagnosed with T1D as a baby and if that isn't crazy her sugar was almost 1000. We talked about her time growing up with T1D and the trials she has faced living with diabetes and moving from MDI to technology. 

Brooke's Instagram

About the Host - Coach Ken

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
💪 Work with me: More Than A1C - 1on1 Coaching
📩 Join my newsletter: Subscribe
📞 Schedule a Free Call: Book Now
🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement and a reminder that they’re not alone in their diabetes journey.

Ways to Support the Show

• Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
• Share this episode with a diabuddy
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheHealthyDiabeticPod | @CoachK3n

Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.

Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode.

Support the show