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

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

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

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.

Support the show

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

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.

Support the show