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:




















