Episode 107 - Diabetics Doing CBD

By now you’ve probably seen dozens of articles, social media posts or videos talking about CBD (cannabidiol). CBD is having its moment, it’s popping up across the country in various forms, from tinctures in vape shops to medical journals to coffee shops and bakeries each claiming to offer one or more of the many benefits linked to CBD.

In typical Rob Howe fashion, before I offered an opinion on CBD, I wanted to make sure the many claims were substantiated not only by my own experience, but by people I trust as well. So I reached out to 7 of my friends from the Diabetes online community and asked them to give me their experience with CBD products, in and out of Diabetes.

I was fortunate enough to partner with an awesome CBD company in Green Helix who helped me get started on my CBD journey and experience different products to aid in my research. They even let me pass the value on to our listeners, so any orders where you use code: RobHowe will get 20% off.

Thanks to my friends Mitch Green, Libby Russell, Whitney Lewis, Mariel Schofield, Erik Douds, Paulius Podziunas and Leila Prevette for making this one of the most unique and exciting episodes in the Diabetics Doing Things journey. Take a listen as you hear my thoughts on CBD as we all work collectively to educate past the stigma of cannabis products in the pursuit of a more holistic approach to wellness. Enjoy!

Episode 106 - Diabetics Doing Cookbooks and Community with Taylor Riggs

Taylor Riggs (@Taylor__Riggs on Instagram) joins the pod to talk about her life with Diabetes. Diagnosed at the age of 10, Taylor shares great small details like missing a field trip because of her diagnosis, which I feel we can all relate to.

Taylor even gets me to share my story for how I drank a Doctor Pepper on my way to the urgent care for “my nausea.”

We talk about everything from learning about what Diabetes is, to the strain parents take on when you’re diagnosed, to my theory about the different emotions associated with when you’re diagnosed with Diabetes as a child and Taylor shares her struggles adjusting to life with Diabetes as a kid.

Taylor also gives great insights on the mental strain of living with Diabetes, for kids, parents and adults and we both dish on how we’re glad the conversation is coming more into the fold of everyday life with T1D.

Taylor also shares how T1D affected her decision to become a Dietician, and is an inspiring example of using T1D as a catalyst for doing good in your career. Her cookbook is “Real Food, Real Simple” and is available on Amazon! Give her a follow and dig deep into her insights in this episode.

This episode is sponsored by HealthIQ, who is rewarding people with Diabetes who actively manage their A1C and live an active lifestyle with lower rates on their life insurance. I also cover why it’s important on the Diabetics Doing Things blog

Episode 105 - Diabetics Doing A Game Plan with Sam Benger

It’s a T1D Athlete’s dream interview. I go 1 on 1 with the great Sam Benger (@gameplan_t1d on Instagram) and we talk about his journey growing up with Diabetes, to Diabetic Collegiate Athlete, to Diabetes Podcaster.

Sam talks about the importance of sports and Diabetes in developing his workhorse mentality. Never a guy to make excuses, Carnegie Mellon University’s All-Time leading Rusher dishes on overcoming challenges and outperforming expectations.

He also talks about he’s recently become more involved in the T1D community through podcasting and instagram, something I really relate to. Sam really dove-in feet first to help tell the amazing stories of athletes with T1D and their amazing accomplishments.

And if you want to hear Rob on the GamePlan T1D Podcast, just follow this link.

Episode 104 - Diabetics Doing A Second Chance with Dave Maher

There are some stories which you have to hear firsthand to fully comprehend, and Dave Maher’s story (@thisisdavemaher on Instagram) certainly falls into that category.

BeyondType1 approached me with the opportunity to interview a fellow Type-1 Diabetic comedian, but I had no idea how much more there was to Dave’s story.

Mismanagement of Dave’s Type-1 Diabetes put Dave into a coma from High Blood sugar, and doctors weren’t sure he would ever wake up. After a wild Facebook outpouring, chronicled here by This American Life.

The good news, Dave did wake up, and he and I talk about the differences in his life & diabetes management before and after his coma, and how he’s using his second chance as an opportunity to look at the bigger issues beyond Diabetes which nearly caused him to lose his life. This is an incredible, honest, endearing interview and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dave Maher.

Episode 103 - Diabetics Doing Life Down Under with Luke Armstrong

Luke Armstrong (@Lukey_Armstrong on Instagram) joins the podcast for one of the more open, casual and fun interviews of all time.

Luke is a T1D from Australia, and he takes us through much of the Aussie slang throughout his interview, so be prepared to learn a lot.

Luke also digs deep into the struggles of young people with Diabetes who are working to be normal and go out and have fun drinking and partying with their friends. We take a good hard look at some of the things we’ve learned about that type of life and hopefully can pass along some wisdom to people out there dealing with a similar journey.

Luke also has a tremendous fitness and sports background, and talks about living his life as a trainer with Diabetes and tips and tricks he’s learned along the way.

Give Luke a follow and be sure to shout out his mom, who I have owed this interview to for a long time.

Episode 102 - Diabetics Doing Wild Child in the Tree T1D with Celia Johnson

Celia Johnson (@wildchildinthetreet1d on Instagram) joins the podcast to talk about her journey with Type-1 Diabetes. Diagnosed at the age of 16 in New Hampshire, Celia remembers all the general symptoms that many T1Ds experience at diagnosis and even recorded her number of times she had to use the restroom, and recorded 40 urinations in one day.

She also outlines the struggles that many of us relate to because at the outset of her diagnosis, her doctors educated her how to treat Type-2 Diabetes, so even though she had the correct insulin, she wasn’t properly prepared to know how to live with T1D until she switched hospitals and found a new endocrine clinic months into her life with T1D.

We also talk about Wilford Brimley (lol) and how I think he would be the best person to break down the differences between Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes. You definitely need to check out the beginning of this interview.

Celia is an inspiring member of the Diabetes community and I’m grateful she shared her story. Be sure to follow her journey on Instagram.

Episode 101 - Diabetics Doing Youtube & Community in Canada with Michelle Lord

Michelle Lord (@miche_lo on instagram) joins the podcast to talk about her journey into the Type 1 Diabetes community. She takes us through her inspiration behind her AWESOME YouTube channel, and how she evolved it from a Vlog channel to a channel about Diabetes Tips and information for people living with T1D.

Michelle and I also discuss the importance of the global community and how she is working to bring meetups and other types of events to Canada. I’m very fortunate to get to interact with lots of T1Ds from Canada on Instagram, and we both talk about how social media has brought us all together.

I work with Michelle on the Beyond Type 1 Global Ambassador Council and she recently hosted her first meetup in Toronto with many other Canadian T1Ds who have been on this podcast! Check out her video on the meetup here.

Michelle’s YouTube Channel is one of my favorites in the T1D space, and she has incredible videos on her life with Type 1, including this video below which is one of my favorites:

Michelle is such an awesome member of the T1D community, and I’m grateful to get to work with her with BeyondType1 and glad T1D brought us together.

Episode 100 - Diabetics Doing Incredible Support and Community Building with Marie Diaz

We are KEEPING IT 100!!!! 

Today’s guest is Marie Diaz (@nerdscanfight on Instagram) and when I was thinking of who would be the 100th episode, I thought of Marie immediately and I’ll tell you why! 

She was one of the first people I didn’t know that shared that she was listening to this podcast, and I just remember being so encouraged by someone enjoying this podcast and sharing it publicly. That could have been the end of the story, but Marie always outdoes expectations. 

The first time I met Marie, she DROVE 3 hours from Austin, where she was attending the University of Texas, to attend JDRF Dallas’ Type One Nation Summit in January 2018, and then 6 weeks later she drove AGAIN from Austin to San Antonio where I was speaking at another Type One Nation. 

She’s an incredible friend, fanatic and FREAK ATHLETE because she’s running with team Beyond Type Run in the New York City Marathon this fall. In fact, if you want to donate to her race fundraiser, follow this link and give her back some of the support she gives to our amazing community.

I’m not gonna spoil the episode any further, but please enjoy this awesome conversation with an AMAZING person with Diabetes Marie Diaz. 

Episode 099 - Diabetics Doing T1D Community in Canada and Vegan Lifestyle with Abby David

99 Episodes! Special thanks to all our listeners and guests for all the support over the years. Today's guest is Abby David (@abbyjdavid on Instagram) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada! 

Abby's Diabetes story begins with her Diagnosis at age 16, and we continue our theme of diagnosis stories running the full spectrum, as the doctor who diagnosed Abby didn't know how to use a glucometer and Abby had to wait 24 hours for her glucose test results. 

Abby and I have a unique discussion about the emotional response of parents when their children are diagnosed with T1D. Both of our parents had the initial response that they may have done something wrong and caused our diabetes, so we discuss how each of our parents worked on acceptance. 

Abby also tells us about the Diabetes community in Canada compared to the US, where the patients are more scattered and the organizations less focused on patient engagement. It made me happy to see the first BeyondType1 meetup in Toronto this past weekend, to see how far things have come since Abby and I spoke earlier this year. 

We also discuss Abby's vegan lifestyle and the impact it's had on her Diabetes. I'm so grateful Abby joined the show to share her story, and I'll apologize a million times for how long it took for me to post her episode. 

Episode 098 - Diabetics Doing Handball with Mikkel Moldrup

Please welcome Mikkel Møldrup (@mmoeldrup on Instagram) from Dusseldorf Germany. Mikkel is a Professional handballer in the 2nd Budesliga in Germany, and has been living with T1D for just over 7 years. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the sport of Handball, I highly encourage you to do a quick YouTube journey, because it is super exciting. It's a team sport that is highly popular throughout Europe, though not as much in the United States. Mikkel explains it better than I do, but my best comparison would be a combination of Basketball, Volleyball and Hockey. 

Mikkel was diagnosed in 2012 at the age of 18, and felt as though he was overloaded with information at his diagnosis. He discusses the frustrations and feelings associated with having to learn so much in such a short time, in addition to adjusting to a new lifestyle. 

However, he maintains a positive attitude and mentions “Diabetes is not a sickness to me, it’s a healthy sickness. Because you learn how to live healthy. Before Diabetes I never would’ve looked at what was in my food or lifestyle. You learn so much about yourself.” 

I'm inspired by Mikkel's story so please take a listen and enjoy me stumbling over the pronunciation of his last name multiple times ;)

Episode 097 - Diabetics Doing Improv at Dallas Comedy House

I've been either taking classes, performing, teaching or just hanging out at Dallas Comedy House for the past five years. I've made lifelong friends, had crazy experiences and learned more there than I could've known when I signed up for classes 5 years ago. Better still, I met some of my first Type-1 Diabetic friends at DCH, so even before I started this podcast, the community of DCH was impacting my life with Diabetes. 

When I started the podcast, Scriven Bernard and Lindsay Power were kind enough to be among the first interviews, and in the years since, Eric Van Leeuwen joined our T1D comedy family. 

So last spring, we had a Casual Comedy Gala to raise money for JDRF, and did an Improv4Humans style improvised podcast. We'd always talked about doing this type of podcast, and I'm so glad we finally did. Check it out! 

Episode 096 - Diabetics Doing Mission & Advocacy with Dr. Nicole Johnson

This is a very special episode of the Diabetics Doing Things podcast featuring none other than Dr. Nicole Johnson, the Director of Mission for JDRF. If you haven't heard her speak, she frequently speaks at JDRF Type One Nation Summit's throughout the U.S., so if you have a chance to hear her and meet her, I'd encourage you to do it! 

Dr. Johnson's T1D story begins as many do, where she knew something was wrong but her doctors hadn't landed on Type-1 Diabetes as her illness. So in one of her first preliminary Miss America pageants, she passed out on stage! 

After finally being diagnosed T1D, Nicole's doctors started off her life with Diabetes by listing all the things she wasn't going to be able to do: work in the field she wanted, pursue her dream to be Miss America or have a family! Nicole takes us through the very daunting personal journey of what it's like to hear a physician tell you that you need to change the dreams you've had for your life, and how she started the process of proving them wrong. 

Get a big dose of motivation from Dr. Nicole Johnson and listen to a story that starts with a T1D Diagnosis and turns into a story of passion, success and advocacy from the first person with Diabetes to be crowned Miss America, but who also finished her PhD, started a family and became JDRF's first Director of Mission. 

This episode was recorded in Tampa, Florida on the conference floor of the Students with Diabetes Conference, Nicole's incredible summit for young adults living with Diabetes. 

Episode 095 - Diabetics Doing Balance in New Zealand with Samantha Northcott

Today’s guest joins us from New Zealand! Samantha Northcott (@findbalance.nz on Instagram) takes some time to join Diabetics Doing Things and share her story. Samantha was diagnosed at age 24, but felt it was a long time coming. After some blood work, the hospital called and told her to pack a bag. Since then, she’s been part of the T1D family!

Samantha and I discuss what she’s learned along the way, such as: taking on her own journey, managing her body, and how to care for her well-being through the process. Her experience goes hand-in-hand with her career, as she is a nutritionist, and gets to share some of that wisdom today.

Further, we get into different forms of exercise and how to find one that works for you. We talk about food and diet and some simple ways to ensure that you are feeding your body what it needs. We also talk about finding balance and how to make sure you are happy in the present, but also in the years to come.

Most importantly, Samantha tells us that everything is going to be alright. Hit play and show her some love!

Episode 094 - Diabetics Doing Diabetes Strong with Christel Oerum

Welcome Christel Oerum to the show! (@diabetesstrong_ig on Instagram) Christel is the co-founder (along with her husband Tobias) of Diabetes Strong, which began as a personal blog in 2015 to share her experiences as a fitness enthusiast living with Type-1 Diabetes and grew into the largest website about health and Diabetes with expert contributors from all over the world. It's an incredible resource for anyone looking to make sense of T1D, exercise and an active lifestyle. 

Christel and I discuss her diagnosis in Denmark, where she was diagnosed after experiencing extreme fatigue (accompanied by the other usual symptoms), by her primary care physician. Christel also takes us through the challenges of moving to the United States and discovering her love for strength training. This 20-year T1D veteran is full of knowledge that ranges from traveling across foreign lands, to T1D technology, to health, fitness, and wellness.

Be sure to check out Diabetes Strong for tons of resources on how to live fit and healthy with Diabetes, and keep on the lookout for more Diabetes Strong and Diabetics Doing Things content in the future! https://diabetesstrong.com/

Episode 093 - Diabetics Doing Representation, Diversity & Inclusion with Ariel Lawrence

The DOC is an amazing space for many of us; real-life T1D’s connecting on social platforms to share their story, motivate, and educate, creating a chain reaction of inspiration and confidence for the newly introduced to do the same.

While we often think about and highlight advocacy and education in the community, race, culture, and background aren’t always discussed as much as they should be. Today’s guest, Ariel Lawrence, or as you may know her, Just A Little Suga’ (@justalittle_suga on Instagram), shares her passion for bringing to light the underrepresentation of people of color in the diabetic online community.

Ariel shares her diagnosis story and we discuss how interesting the event can be. We break down the idea of diagnosis and how it can become three separate moments; the first diagnosis (diagnosis by a doctor), the second (the moment of acceptance), and third (diagnosis from an activism/advocate standpoint). The conversation continues as we chat about topics such as: parents overcoming their children living with diabetes, T1D children learning to be resilient from such a young age, and to always looks for the silver lining.

Ariel’s creation of Just A Little Suga’ began after the passing of her grandmother (a type 2 diabetic) as she wanted to find a community of diabetics who could empathize with her grief and help her take better care of herself, but found that voices of people of color were few and far between. Just A Little Suga’ takes that issue head, motivating herself and others to be resilient in the face of diabetes and to enlighten the friends and family of diabetics so they’ll be encouraged to better support them.

Ariel Lawrence + Diabetics Doing Things = One incredible episode

Diabetics Doing Blogging and Travel with Beatriz Estay

A warm welcome to Beatriz Estay (@theletter_bea on Instagram), today's guest on the Diabetics Doing Things podcast. Beatriz is a marketing guru and lifestyle blogger, who enjoys engaging with the T1D online community. 

As a 13 year old girl, Beatriz found herself enjoying YouTube videos of the Jonas Brothers. Beatriz quickly realized that she had more in common with Nick Jonas than she ever knew. Immediately after, she self-diagnosed herself as a Type 1. Beatriz went to a doctor the following day, where she was officially diagnosed with T1D. As if getting diagnosed isn't complicated enough, her family had to find a doctor who spoke English. Three months prior to this event, Beatriz and family had moved to Tokyo, Japan.

Beatriz shares how managing T1D can vary depending on where you are geographically and situationally. Learning to be nicer to yourself and realizing that you don't always have to be perfect is key. However, setting goals and finding balance helps Beatriz manage her way through life with T1D. We also discuss the importance of support, whether you achieve that through a partner, friend, family or an online community. Support makes all the difference.

Take a listen to everything Beatriz has to offer and connect with her on Instagram, @theletter_bea!

Diabetics Doing Hollywood 2 with Jen Bartels

You may know her as Diana from American Woman on Paramount Network, but the woman in character is Jen Bartels (@jenbartels on Instagram); today we’re bringing Hollywood to the booth as Jen joins us on this episode of Diabetics Doing Things.

Jen and I dive into her diagnosis story and she explains how she asked herself, after noticing some weight loss, “Is this the life of an L.A. actress, or is it diabetes?” For Jen, it was Type-1 Diabetes. Throughout the episode, we talk about what it means to be a T1D and how big of a role the diabetic online community plays in encouraging you to go above and beyond and connect with others. The more we share, the more we learn, the more we know.

Jen and I discuss the implications of T1D, how there are no off days and how it’s more than just not drunkenly eating pizza on a Friday night. Further, we talk about being diagnosed later in life and the changes that it brings. As Jen says, it’s like "packing a diaper bag for a child that never grows up."

Be sure to give this episode a listen and reach out to Jen if you need some advice or just want to chat.

Episode 090 - Diabetics Doing User Experience, Jiu Jitsu and Everything in Between with Paulius Podziunas

Let’s give a big welcome to Paulius Podziunas (@impaulius on Instagram), today’s guest on another episode of the Diabetics Doing Things podcast! Paulius and I go on a conversational journey of diabetes, technology and stoicisim. We begin by getting to know Paulius as he shares his diagnosis story and then we dive into his entrepreneurial free-thinking mind, trained in user experience (UX), systems and martial arts.

This episode covers everything from finding the motivation to succeed to simple ways to breakdown the effects of diabetes into manageable problems. Paulius shares his love of Jiu Jitsu and working out, including some stories from the days of “Meathead Paulius Podziunas,” but also talks about focus and simplicity. We further discuss life without insurance and the way of Walmart insulin.

Prepare to be motivated to take that next step (whatever it may be), because Paulius will get you going.

Episode 089 - Diabetics Doing Spoken Word Poetry with Nichole Acosta

We welcome Nichole Acosta (@nicholeacosta on Instagram) on today’s episode of Diabetics Doing Things. Nichole is a spoken word poet and photographer, and shares with us several of her poems regarding the diabetic lifestyle.

But before we hear her inspiring poetry, we get to hear her diagnosis story. She shares with us her difficult relationship with food after her diagnosis and how she has worked to have #sugarfreedom. #Sugarfreedom is to live life freely, such as life before diabetes, but to still be in control.

Nichole preaches the importance of not feeling controlled by diabetes and we discuss how she manages her physical and mental well-being through eating and outlets, such as creating her own art. Be sure to check out her awesome poetry about halfway through this episode and give her a shoutout with #sugarfreedom on social media. 

Episode 088 - Diabetics Doing Through Hiking with Joey Chapman and Julian Tapia aka the Hangdog Days

The Hangdog Days (@hangdogdays on Instagram) are in the house! Brothers, Joey Chapman and Julian Tapia, join us for today’s episode of the Diabetics Doing Things podcast. Joey is the younger of the two and also our T1D guest. Julian, being the incredible older brother he is, took Joey’s diagnosis in stride and has been a major part of his support system ever since.

“Is this how it’s going to be forever?” 10-year-old Joey Chapman asked his mom while drawing an insulin shot soon after diagnosis. She knew the answer, and he soon did too. Moments like these, even when young, play a major role in directing the course of someone’s actions and it is evident that he wasn’t going to let anything hold him back.

Joey and Julian are diehard outdoor extraordinaires and self-coined dirtbags. Their infectious positive attitudes and commitment to pushing themselves and others to test their limits is showcased in this episode. We talk about their future 2,650 mile trip up the Pacific Coast Trail, beginning May 4. We dive into what it’s going to take, how they are preparing, and everything that has come before to lead up to this exciting point. We catch a glimpse of their motivation behind the trip, including how the walk allows you to think all your thoughts, leaving you in the present, and enabling you to enjoy what’s around you in the now.

Be sure to check out the Hangdog Days website and podcast, The Diabetic Dirtbag (found on any major podcast platform