This week I speak with Taylor from Ontario, Canada, and she shares a very honest account of dealing with her Type 1 diagnosis, learning to accept it’s a lifelong condition and getting to grips with managing blood sugar levels around exercise.  

Taylor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just 3 months before most of the world went into ‘lockdown’ and although it’s been tough she explains how the lockdown has given her the opportunity to slow down and learn more about managing the condition.

Diabetes research and technology have come a very long way over the past few decades and there are now so many amazing, advanced ways to help manage this challenging condition. 

In this week's episode I share some 'Diabetes News' I came across this week which includes a new partnership between FitBit and Diabetes UK.

I have personally started using the new Freestyle Libre2 Sensors in the past couple of months so I thought I would also share my honest opinion on those and what I feel the pro’s and con’s are.

Due to COVID-19, the restrictions and the lockdowns, the past year has been and continues to be a very stressful time for many. Whether its from fear of getting the virus, financial stress caused by the lockdowns or anxiety in isolation, all of these things cause stress in our bodies. 

You may already notice the impact that stress can have on your blood sugar levels but this isn’t the only physical impact it has on our bodies, it can also have a negative affect on our immune systems. 

Listen to this weeks show to learn how stress can affect your bodies ability to fight off infections and viruses and most importantly what you can do to help to relieve that stress and stay healthy.

To celebrate this is a very special episode! 

This week, not only can you learn Charlotte's 5 Fundamentals of being Diabetic and Healthy, but you can also enter our competition which has an amazing prize.

All you have to do is download and listen to this episode which tells you how to enter and you can win -

1 x 1:1 Lifestyle and Fitness Consultation with Charlotte 

1 x Personalised Fitness Plan based on your goals 

AND

2 x Healthy recipe guides including meal plans and shopping lists 

Details for competition page 

www.diabeticandhealthy.com/win 

What are Charlotte's 5 Fundamentals of being Diabetic and Healthy? 

Chris has a wife and 9 month old son and explains how he manages to stay fit and healthy around busy family life and work commitments. 

Chris has also very kindly gifted a 3 part video series especially for Diabetic and Healthy listeners which covers how to curb your cravings, boost your energy and put a training plan together. Available to download on the Diabetic and Healthy website.

For this I spoke to the wonderful Nic Wood who is a Mind Coach and has been a guest on previous podcast episodes. 

Nic explains some great exercises that you can use today to find your ‘why’ and find what truly motivates you. 

We also discuss what skills we have as Diabetics and how we can use those to help us reach our goals.

January blues will have kicked in for many and it can make it harder than usual to get motivated and stay motivated. On top of that we currently find ourselves in a challenging and unusual situation to say the least due to COVID-19. This has resulted in many people feeling demotivated and struggling to put many plans in place.

Today I share my top tips for finding motivation, the benefits of goal setting and techniques that you can start using today to help you set your own motivational goals and make sure you reach them!

Imagine...

Imagine maintaining the most incredible control of your Diabetes and your blood sugars for years only to then develop brittle Diabetes, Hypo Unawareness and be told you have 2 years to live if you can’t find 250 thousand dollars for a Pancreas transplant. This was the reality facing Brandon just a couple of years ago. 

In this episode Brandon Mouw shares his incredible journey from growing up from a young age with Type 1 to how he is living today, without the need of insulin injections or pumps but managing lots of new health challenges which come with being a transplant survivor.

In this week's episode I run through some impressive stats about the podcast this year including the top 3 most downloaded episodes. 

I say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved or supported Diabetic and Healthy this year AND let you know why you can’t miss the first episode of 2021!

After Nicole’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes when she was 17 she spent several years in denial of her condition. Unfortunately due to her blood sugar levels running so high for such a long period of time, it led to some very serious medical complications. Fast forward to today and Nicole has received life saving treatments including a kidney / pancreas transplant. 

Despite everything she has been through and ongoing treatments, Nicole has such a positive and inspirational mindset. 

Listen to the full interview to hear all about Nicole’s incredible journey so far.

Also watch the video version at:

https://youtu.be/4iYRijghKbM

Social media is an amazing resource and there is a great Diabetes Community online however recently I'm seeing a lot of posts suggesting that there are specific ways you should be managing your Diabetes. 

This condition is far from being a 'one size fits all' subject and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. 

In this episode I talk about my observations of 'Diabetes on social media' and how there's no right or wrong when it comes to how people choose to manage this, sometimes challenging, condition.

I speak to Diabetes Specialist Dietitian and part of the Diabetic and Healthy team, Isi Hooley. Isi talks all about the effect of different foods on blood sugar levels, different types of carbohydrates, how to help prevent large spikes in blood sugars and understanding the Glycaemic Index. 

Helpful link 

Learn more about the Glycemic Index and use the calculator to learn the GI of specific foods 

Glycemic Index

If you have Diabetes then having a hypo (low blood sugar) is likely to be one of things that you worry about but for some people it’s much more than just a ‘worry’. 

Hypo Anxiety is when the thought of having a hypo can actually cause you a lot of distress and can impact not only your blood sugar management but also your day to day life. 

25% of people with Diabetes suffer from Hypo Anxiety so if this is something you suffer from you may find some comfort in knowing you aren’t alone. 

Listen to learn more about hypo anxiety and some top tips to help you.

If you are a regular listener you will know Gemma from previous shows but if you are new to show here is a bit of background info for you! 

Gemma is a busy, working Mum to 3 boys and was diagnosed with Diabetes during her pregnancy. 

After years of not making the condition her priority and suffering from undiagnosed Diabulimia, Gemma has now completely turned her life around and is living a much healthier lifestyle. She has been kind enough to share her journey with us as she takes control of her Diabetes. 

This week we talk about Gemma’s new found love of lifting, the positive changes she has made to improve her relationship with food and how she is dealing with Lockdown 2.0.

Do you avoid alcohol due to not understanding how it might impact your blood sugar levels?

Have you ever had a few too many and struggled to keep your blood sugar levels stable the next day?

Listen, or watch, to understand how alcohol impacts your blood sugar levels, why people with Diabetes have been arrested whilst hypo AND my top tips on how to stay safe if you are drinking.

Guido lives a bodybuilding lifestyle and shows that with the right understanding you can most definitely build muscle with Type 1 Diabetes. 

Listen to learn more about fitness, nutrition and bodybuilding with Diabetes.

Do you ever wish you could just take control of your eating?

If your answer is yes to any of the above then listening to this weeks podcast episode is a must!

Mindful eating is all about taking control of your eating habits and having a healthy relationship with food. I believe that having Diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2, can lead us to become fixated on food which can have negative effects on our Diabetes control and our health in general.

In this episode I explain the concept of Mindfulness and Mindful Eating, discuss my own personal struggles with food and I give you techniques that you can start using right now to take control of your eating and improve your relationship with food.

I talk to Phil Cook from Michigan in the USA. Phil has a wife and a 2 year old Daughter and lives a busy life with Type 1 Diabetes. 

In this interview Phil speaks about his diagnosis and how Diabetes has changed his life over the past 5 years. 

Phil now has his own Diabetes Blog ‘Beetus Life’ and is a big advocate for Type 1 and mental health due to managing both anxiety and depression himself alongside his Diabetes. 

Listen to hear Phil’s story from pre diagnosis to his life today with Type 1 Diabetes.

This week's podcast episode is all about how, with the right perspective, Diabetes can actually be a positive thing. That might sound crazy but take a listen and I share what I’ve learnt  since my diagnosis and how I believe, in some ways, it has changed my life for the better.

In this very honest interview Jacob shares his story and how his life, and his mindset, have changed over the past decade.

Make sure you listen until the end as Jacob also shares 5 pieces of great advice for anyone who lives with Type 1 Diabetes.

Unexpected lows? Huge spikes? Or just generally all over the place?! 

These are my top 5 tips to how to get those crazy blood sugars back under control.

1. Prioritise blood sugars and check more often
2. Keep a diary of blood sugars, food insulin doses and then check for for patterns
3. Rule out other triggers
4. Take time out to destress
5. Try temporary reducing carb intake

For full details of how this can help you and the best way to follow these tips, listen to this episode now.

In this weeks podcast episode I talk about the benefits of eating breakfast if you have Diabetes and some examples of great brekky choices to set those blood sugars up for the day!

Listen to learn - 

• what a keto diet is
• what ketosis means 
• if anyone can maintain a keto diet
• the benefits of keto
• if keto is suitable or even possible if you have Diabetes 

And much more!

So I think we would be excused for sometimes forgetting the basics!

In this weeks podcast episode I talk about 5 things that are easy to forget but may well have an impact on blood sugar control 

Whether you are just interested in bodybuilding competitions or maybe would like to compete yourself then this episode is a must listen!

You will learn all about the process on show day and what can happen following a bodybuilding or fitness modelling competition. 

I talk about: 

• Getting stage ready …………...including THE stage tan! 
• Dehydration
• Carb loading
• The mental health aspect including Body Dysmorphia 
• The post competition binge 

Plus find out if I would compete again and much more!

In this episode, part 1, you can learn more about the process of preparing for a competition with Type 1 Diabetes including - 

What ‘bulking’ and ‘cutting’ means and consists of

How much time goes into the ‘prep’ stage

What has to be considered from a Diabetes point of view

AND

Whether Diabetes and being on insulin is an advantage or a disadvantage when it comes to building muscle

Nick had a rough start in life by anyone's standards and now manages not only Type 1 Diabetes but also Depression, ADHD and PTSD.

In this candid and honest interview Nick talks about growing up in care, the stigma surrounding mental health and how he manages both his physical and mental health on a daily basis. 

Despite Mental Health being a very serious subject, Nick and Charlotte manage to make this an enjoyable episode - maybe it may resinate with you.

Being a personal trainer, having Diabetes and also having done competitive bodybuilding in the past, I often get messages asking questions regarding building muscle with Diabetes and other weight training related queries..

Listen to this weeks episode to find out the answers to these top 5 commonly asked questions - 

• Why am I struggling to build muscle?
• Is it safe to exercise with high blood sugars?
• I’ve heard of non-Diabetic bodybuilders using insulin so am I at an advantage because I take insulin?
• Are protein shakes dangerous for Diabetics?
• Why does my blood sugar spike during weight training?

We rank across the world in the podcast charts, have a 4.7 star rating and this week so far we've been downloaded in 29 countries.

Have you only just found the Diabetic and Healthy podcast? 

Trying to catch up on all of the episodes so far?

In this week’s episode I give you a run down of the last 24 shows so that you can go and check out the ones that are the most relevant for you. 

I also highlight some of our most popular episodes to date, let you know which episodes have the best top tips and techniques in them and look back at some of the awesome people that have featured on the shows so far! 

Just some of the shows that I’ll put in the spotlight are - 

• Top 10 Tips for Living a Healthy Life With Diabetes
• Top 5 Nutrition Tips - with Isi
• Positive Mental Attitude with Paul Farquhar, hypnotherapist 
• Mind, Body and Diabetes with Nic Wood, mind and body coach
• An interview with Chris Ruden

You can learn more about - 

• What Diabetes Burnout is
• How ‘normal’ Burnout is 
• Signs and symptoms of Burnout 
• The pressures of social media 

AND how not to believe everything you see!

Amy is 18 years old and was only diagnosed as having Type 1 Diabetes a few months ago, just at the start of the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK. 

You can learn more about how Amy has coped with this shock diagnosis and how her positive attitude is already having an impact on her Diabetes Management. 

We discuss - 

• Symptoms pre-diagnosis 
• Why Amy ended up in HDU 
• Using lockdown to learn more about Diabetes 
• The importance of accepting your condition 
• How crucial the online Diabetes community can be 

“Limitations are self-imposed” is the strong message that Chris sends out and he is living proof of that.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Chris, he is an elite powerlifter despite the fact that due to a birth defect his left arm is shorter than his right and he only has 2 fingers on his left hand.

Chris was also diagnosed as having Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 19. He is now a very successful entrepreneur, model and a motivational speaker. 

Here are just some of the great things you can hear in this weeks episode:

• The power of a positive mindset 
• How Chris’s diagnosis changed his life 
• Blood sugar management and weight training 
• How there is more to life than Diabetes management 

You will also get to know more about Chris as a person as we discuss everything from his favourite food to what irritates him the most! 

Plus an exclusive story about how Chris was willing to get arrested rather than take his hand out of his pocket!

In this episode I share my top 5 tips for not only how to take those first steps and get started but also how to stay motivated. 

I’ll explain everything from why its so important to find someone to hold you accountable to learning how your big end goal could actually be what’s holding you back. 

So if you finally want to take the first step to reaching your goal, this episode is a must!

Nick shares his story about his journey with Diabetes, how it has changed his life and what advice he would give to anyone who is newly diagnosed or struggling with the condition. 

Including:

1. Move more - not talking about workouts, day to day.
2. Stay hydrated - so important, so simple.
3. Get enough sleep
4. Exercise
5. Fitness Journal
6. Eat a varied Diet
7. Don't expect perfection
8. Find a diabuddy
9. If it’s not working try something else
10. Be kind to yourself

I talk through each of these top 10 tips to tell you how quick and simply it can be to feel even healthier.

For those of you who are new to the podcast, Gemma is a working Mum of 3 who has had Type 1 Diabetes for many years. After a challenging time with the condition Gemma kindly agreed to share her journey with us as she takes on new healthy lifestyle changes. 

This week Gemma shares with us her ups and downs since being in lockdown, why she won’t be having a drink for a while and what advice she would give to anyone else suffering with the lockdown blues!

I speak in detail about the condition with Isi, who is a Specialist Diabetes Dietitian, and we discuss the following -

• Exactly what ‘Diabulimia’
• How common eating disorders are if you have Diabetes
• Why do these kind of disorders develop
• How to spot the signs that someone may be suffering with or developing an eating disorder
• What to do if you recognise some of these symptoms in yourself
• How to get help

I’ll be covering everything from exactly what a hypo is and why it occurs to the effect that a hypo has on the brain and how hypo unawareness can occur. 

I’ll also be talking about both the commonly listed symptoms of a hypo and also the not so commonly documented ones. How to recognise someone else is having a hypo and how you can help them. How long the body or brain in particular, takes to recover from a hypo and the best treatment options.

This week we are talking all about nutrition and how the current lockdown situation is affecting peoples usual eating habits. 

In this episode we cover:

• How the current lockdown situation has affected people's diet and also their Diabetes management 
• What seems to be the most common reaction, in terms of eating habits, to being in lockdown
• How the change in people's eating habits is having an impact on their blood sugar levels
• Isi’s top tips to help people make some positive changes to their diet

We'll have a brief recap on common reasons peoples diet and exercise goals often start well but then fail.

Also if you want to know what needs to be taken into account in terms of your blood sugar levels and adaptions you might need to make.

I’m going to explain the importance of making long term lifestyle changes and not always looking for a quick fix. 

PLUS 3 simple steps that will have an impact from day 1 AND I’m going to give you a super quick and simple fat burning workout to start your day with!

In this episode previous guest, Steve Witt takes over the show to interview Charlotte and find out why it's okay to not be okay, and why it's surprisingly common for mental health to be linked to diabetes.

1. People with Diabetes can’t eat sugar. 
2. There is no difference between Type 1 and Type 2 
3. Diabetes comes from eating too much sugar. 
4. Diabetes isn’t that serious or is a ‘mild’ condition.
5. You have to be overweight to be Diabetic.  
6. Insulin cures Diabetes. 
7. If nobody in your family has Diabetes then you aren’t at risk. 
8. If you have Diabetes you can’t have children. 
9. Diabetics have to eat ‘special’ food.
10. Diabetics should limit the amount of exercise they do.

In this episode we catch up with NLP Master Practitioner, Entrepreneur and health industry specialist, Paul Farquhar as we find out all about the concept of a 'Positive Mental Attitude'.

We cover a lot in todays episode PLUS there is a very special little exercise you can do to help put yourself into a positive state.

• Find out more about NLP
• Learn about how hypnotherapy can help with diabetes
• Impact of stress on the immune system
• Ref Tony Robbins 
• Importance of PMA in current situation (real life examples)

PLUS we give you 5 top tips and techniques to help you right now.

Important:

For the exercise, please ensure you are not driving or operating heavy machinery while listening, and please ensure you are in a safe place to listen.

If you have Diabetes and don’t want to get fit then this episode is DEFINITELY for you! 

In this episode I cover - 

• Common barriers to getting fit and how to overcome them
• The benefits of being more active 
• My own personal obstacles that I’ve overcome
• The importance of setting personal goals 
• The effect of exercise on your blood sugars 
• What you need to take into account when embarking on a new fitness journey 
• One quick activity that you can do today to get you started!

In this episode we find out:

• Was she scared?
• At what point Lisa knew she needed medical help
• What her blood sugars were like throughout
• What is was like once she got to hospital
• What the doctors explained to he
• How the recovery process is going and how she feels now

This episode may help you understand what you need to be doing right now to look after yourself.

With that in mind, I approached Nic to find out how her expertise could help people with diabetes, that might be finding it challenging. I really hope you enjoy listening to this interview.

In today’s episode of The Diabetic and Healthy Podcast we cover:

• The importance of mindset with diabetes
• How a mind coach can help
• How you can help yourself by thinking about your current mindset
• Some real practical tips which can make a difference to your life with diabetes TODAY!

This is the first in a number of podcasts where I look at tips and techniques to try and help with the mental aspect of being diabetic. I'm honest and confess I do find it tough, so in this episode I look at the techniques I use to ensure I remain positive and healthy in the process.

Including:

• The affect of running your blood sugar levels high
• Understanding it's ok to feel anxious at times
• Listening to the facts, and only the facts
• Having a social media detox!
• Learning to relax
• Talking to someone
• Planning your meals for the next week
• Plan activities in advance and schedule them
• Daily exercise

Listen to todays Diabetic and Healthy podcast to learn even more. Plus look out for our mindfulness series coming soon.

To help us learn more ,Charlotte asks her friend and fellow podcaster, Steve Witt to become the host for this episode and delve deeper into what it's like to live with diabetes.

Here are just some of the questions we learn the answers to:

• How did you discover you were diabetic?
• How bad did your condition get before you were diagnosed?
• Does being a diabetic hold you back?
• What are some of the biggest achievements you have made since being diabetic?
• What do other people think of you being a diabetic?
• How does being diabetic effect you mentally?
• Have you mastered diabetes?

Plus we learn lots more and Charlotte shares some great tips along the way.

We also talk about:

• Shopping habits
• Food cravings
• Remaining positive during tough times
• Diabetic diaries
• Biggest daily challenges

And lots more.

Find out what is holding Gemma back and Charlotte talks about how to keep on track with this new diabetic health plan.

As well as packing in a huge amount of 'food' related information into this show, we take a very refreshing approach to nutrition and find out why food is good but it doesn't have to be boring.

Isi reveals what her is the most common question she gets asked as a specialist diabetic dietician! Find out what this is.

We also look to bust some of those big diabetes myths about food and tackle some of those questions like "can I really eat that?". And we also bust a few myths about dieticians too!

We start with the obvious question for Isi which is...

What is a diabetes specialist dietician?

If you're a diabetic do you need a specialist dietician?

How important is nutrition to your blood sugar levels?

Should you eat 'diabetic' meals?

But we also tackle some obvious questions such as how to tell if a food is good or bad for you.

Plus, we ask Isi, our diabetic dietician, how would you describe a healthy eating? You might be surprised at the answer.

Last week I was talking about how we often try to make healthy changes for new year and the reasons why sometimes they don’t work. We were all going to try and make one small change and increase our step count each day so I really hope you have achieved that, big pat on the back if you have! 

Following on from talking about new fitness regimes last week, in today’s show I’m going to share with you part of an interview that I did with a lovely lady called Gemma. 

Gemma is a working Mum of 3 boys and has had Type 1 Diabetes for many years now. She was diagnosed 28 weeks into her first pregnancy with what the doctors originally assumed was gestational Diabetes but unfortunately after Gemma’s son was born it became clear that she actually had Type 1 Diabetes. So not only did Gemma have a newborn baby to look after she also had this shock diagnosis and new condition to manage.  

Gemma has been kind enough to share her story and agreed to let us follow her journey as she makes some real changes to her lifestyle. After the interview I’ll be talking about some of the challenges that Gemma has encountered and what advice I would give for anyone having similar issues. 

This is me catching up with Gemma after she had what felt like a rather frustrating gym session! 

Firstly, I’d like to thank you so much for listening, if you do like what you hear please hit subscribe below so that you never miss a show. 

My name is Charlotte, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes about 14 years ago and I am going to be the main host of the show. 

If you are wondering what the Diabetic and Healthy podcast is all about then let me give you a little overview. 

In a nutshell the Diabetic and Healthy podcast has been created to make life with Diabetes easier. It’s about not just living with Diabetes but thriving with it. You really can live a full, happy and healthy life with diabetes and I along with other members of the team want to teach you how. 

Whether you have Diabetes or you have a loved one with Diabetes and you want to learn more, without being baffled with the usual medical jargon, then you are 100% in the right place.

The shows are going to cover everything from fitness and healthy eating to mental health and mindfulness. 

It won’t just be myself talking you will also hear from my co-costs who include Isi, a highly qualified dietitian who specialises in Diabetes and Meggie who is a qualified counsellor.

Just to give a bit of background on me, I’m a fully qualified PT and I went on to do a level 4 Diploma so that I could specialise in working with people with Diabetes. 

I’m genuinely passionate about health and fitness and I’d love to share my own experiences, challenges and stories, some good, some bad, as I’m sure that many of you will be able to relate. 

At the end of this show I’m going to be sharing my email address with you all so that if you would like to share your own diabetes related stories or maybe you have some suggestions of subjects you would like us to cover then I would love to hear from you. As much as we have planned out our own content, The Healthier Diabetic exists to help you, so any ideas are welcome, we are open minded. 

I want this to be a safe place where we can all be honest, and no subject is off limits. As much as we are going to be discussing all the positive things you can add to your life to make having Diabetes easier, we also want to address some of the challenges that you may have experienced. In future shows we will cover some of the less talked about parts of Diabetes like Diabetes denial, burn out, depression, anxiety and even eating disorders like Diabulimia. 

Personally, I feel that having Diabetes does often make it feel like I’m being judged. Either from people that don’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 and therefore assume I either live an unhealthy lifestyle or that I was previously overweight or even being judged over my food choices. I definitely think the term ‘bad diabetic’ should be...]]>Welcome to the very first Diabetic and Healthy Podcast! 

Firstly, I’d like to thank you so much for listening, if you do like what you hear please hit subscribe below so that you never miss a show. 

My name is Charlotte, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes about 14 years ago and I am going to be the main host of the show. 

If you are wondering what the Diabetic and Healthy podcast is all about then let me give you a little overview. 

In a nutshell the Diabetic and Healthy podcast has been created to make life with Diabetes easier. It’s about not just living with Diabetes but thriving with it. You really can live a full, happy and healthy life with diabetes and I along with other members of the team want to teach you how. 

Whether you have Diabetes or you have a loved one with Diabetes and you want to learn more, without being baffled with the usual medical jargon, then you are 100% in the right place.

The shows are going to cover everything from fitness and healthy eating to mental health and mindfulness. 

It won’t just be myself talking you will also hear from my co-costs who include Isi, a highly qualified dietitian who specialises in Diabetes and Meggie who is a qualified counsellor.

Just to give a bit of background on me, I’m a fully qualified PT and I went on to do a level 4 Diploma so that I could specialise in working with people with Diabetes. 

I’m genuinely passionate about health and fitness and I’d love to share my own experiences, challenges and stories, some good, some bad, as I’m sure that many of you will be able to relate. 

At the end of this show I’m going to be sharing my email address with you all so that if you would like to share your own diabetes related stories or maybe you have some suggestions of subjects you would like us to cover then I would love to hear from you. As much as we have planned out our own content, The Healthier Diabetic exists to help you, so any ideas are welcome, we are open minded. 

I want this to be a safe place where we can all be honest, and no subject is off limits. As much as we are going to be discussing all the positive things you can add to your life to make having Diabetes easier, we also want to address some of the challenges that you may have experienced. In future shows we will cover some of the less talked about parts of Diabetes like Diabetes denial, burn out, depression, anxiety and even eating disorders like Diabulimia. 

Personally, I feel that having Diabetes does often make it feel like I’m being judged. Either from people that don’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 and therefore assume I either live an unhealthy lifestyle or that I was previously overweight or even being judged over my food choices. I definitely think the term ‘bad diabetic’ should be banned. None of us are ‘bad diabetics’. Having Diabetes is hard, and we shouldn’t be judged nor should we judge anyone else on how they manage the condition. We are all trying our best to get on with life and manage a very challenging condition that we didn’t ask for. So, let’s be kind to one another. There are no bad diabetics there are just some that may be struggling more than others and that’s ok. I want to help. I want everyone to know that you are already doing great because you are still here and even by deciding to listen to this podcast you are taking a step towards living a healthier life. So well done you for making a start. 

Whether you are newly diagnosed, or you have had diabetes for decades, I would like to think that you should still be able to take something away from each show. Whether it’s a practical tip to help you improve your health or just some piece of mind that you aren’t alone in your diabetes challenges, I will always try to give you something positive to take away with you.

Right well we can’t ignore it’s the start of the new year, a new decade in fact, I know I’m pretty late to be saying it but Happy New year everyone.

As much as I don’t really buy into the whole New Year resolution, ‘New Year New Me’ stuff I do still get that a new year feels like a good opportunity for a fresh start, to make some changes or start something new. Especially if you have had a rather indulgent festive period! 

So, lets talk about an obvious one, a new fitness regime. I’m going to give me honest opinion on this. We have all seen the quotes and memes about the gym being rammed in January and then empty in February. Although it’s a bit harsh there is undeniably a large element of truth to it. So in all seriousness why does this happen? 

People go in with all the best intentions but within a month the gym is raking in membership fees from hundreds of people who aren’t even using it anymore. It’s because we all try to do too much too soon. 

Sure be enthusiastic but nobody can go from couch potato to doing 3 weight sessions, 2 boxercise classes and 1 spin class a week just overnight. Or, if they can then they certainly can’t sustain it.

You pull muscles, you knacker yourself out, you have heaps of hypos and then feel like a failure and give up. Ok so I’m exaggerating slightly but you know what I’m saying. 

What you need to know is when it comes to physical exercise, everything counts. You don’t have to run marathons to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be extreme and it doesn’t have to take up hours of your time.

Just making small changes but being consistent with them is the way to succeed. Whether you want to lose weight or feel fitter and healthier you can start by just increasing your daily activity levels. Just making conscious decisions to move more. My blood sugar levels are at their worst when I’m having a lazy day. Just by making better decisions my blood sugars naturally even themselves out and I avoid the dramatic spikes and lows. 

An easy example of something you could do. You drive to the supermarket and naturally we take the laziest parking space ie the one closest to the supermarket entrance. 

Why not increase your step count by simply by parking on the other side of the car park. If you have a fitness tracker or a phone that can track your steps, it’s a great way of seeing how much simple changes like this can impact your daily step count. 

Just by being more mindful in your day to day life you can increase your activity levels so much.

They say it takes weeks to build a new habit so just by working on taking more steps for 3 weeks means that after that you could be making all these better choices without even consciously thinking about it. Then it’s time to start working on your next healthy lifestyle change. 

It could be meal planning, reducing refined sugar intake, doing a weekly workout, anything, but my point is you are more likely to succeed if you gradually make small, sustainable lifestyle changes rather than go all out in one go and burn yourself out. 

I’m saying this not just because studies have proven it works but also from my own personal experience. 

Ok it may not give you extreme, instant results but what is the point in fast results if you can’t sustain them. So, lets all start by making one small change, lets increase our step count. To be honest when you look at the benefits it should be a no brainer. 

It helps regulate your blood sugar levels. Any cardiovascular activity helps increase your bodies metabolism and the receptor sensitivity to the sugar in our blood. This means that your body then uses glucose more efficiently which naturally lowers your blood sugar levels. Ok you might not even care about the scientific bit but the main take away from this is that increasing your daily steps can help regulate your blood sugar levels. That alone should be enough to do it but there’s more. 

It improves your cardiovascular health, that means it has a positive impact on your heart, lungs, arteries and veins. 

It improves your mood. There is a strong link between diabetes and depression and other mental health conditions. It’s an area I’m going to cover and talk about in much more detail in future shows but yes, increasing your daily steps can help reduce stress and make you feel more relaxed. 

The list goes on so feel free to look into it further yourself but it really is a no brainer when you are getting so much benefit from what is really pretty minimum effort. 

Another reason that making small changes one at a time is the best way forward is that, from a diabetes point of view, its far easier to monitor and make adjustments. If you were to suddenly massively increase your activity levels and drastically change your diet its going to effect your blood sugar levels and insulin requirements substantially and it will be hard to know how and when to make adjustments. If you change one thing at a time it allows you to record any impact it has on your blood sugar levels and you can then make your insulin adjustments accordingly. 

Well we are coming to the end of the first show. 

If you want to know what to expect from future shows, we are going to be discussing everything you need to know to live a healthy life in terms of fitness and nutrition. From simple fitness tips to great recipes to try. We will be covering behaviour change tips so you can break the cycle if you feel you have developed an unhealthy relationship with food or need to break the habit of yoyo dieting. 

We are also going to be doing some fantastic interviews that you do not want to miss! 

We will take a look at the latest Diabetes gadgets and apps to see what’s worth getting and so much more! 

Thank you again for listening, I really do hope you have enjoyed it. If you have please leave a 5* review and hit subscribe. Also make sure you tell any friends or family about us if you think they could benefit from listening too. 

As promised my email address is charlotte@thehealthierdiabetic.com I would love to hear from you about your own experiences, challenges, subjects you would like to cover and also your thoughts on the show so far. 

Until next time, take care and have a happy and healthy time.