Episode summary
Whitney Lewis, known online as Happy Pancreas, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 26, about a year before moving from Annapolis, Maryland to San Diego. She describes an early period of denial and hours spent researching the disease, which turned into a passion for understanding the body's variables. She talks about starting CrossFit weeks after her diagnosis as a mental outlet that also brought close friendships. She explains a holistic approach to management that includes gut health, naturopathic and Ayurvedic practices, and living with Hashimoto's alongside type 1. She also covers swapping coffee for matcha, why she distrusts copying someone else's exact diet or routine, and her hope to build a career centered on diabetes education.
Key takeaways
- Whitney Lewis says understanding your body's variables builds trust in managing blood sugar, which is why her tool is "Knowledge is Power."
- She started CrossFit about two months after her diagnosis and says it became a mental anchor and a source of lasting friendships.
- Whitney credits gut health work, including swapping coffee for matcha, with improving her blood sugars and how she feels overall.
- She has Hashimoto's in addition to type 1 diabetes and takes a holistic approach that includes naturopathic and Ayurvedic practices.
- Whitney warns against copying someone else's diet or workout routine exactly, since what works depends on the person and their activity level.
Show notes
Name: Whitney Lewis
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Date of Diagnosis:
Tool: Knowledge is Power
Diabetes Devices/Treatment Methods: Multiple Daily Injections & Dexcom
Animal Personality: Panda
Questions this episode answers
What is Whitney Lewis's tool for living with type 1 diabetes?
Her tool is "Knowledge is Power." She says the more you understand your body and the variables affecting your blood sugar, the more free and confident you feel managing it.
Does Whitney Lewis have other autoimmune conditions besides type 1 diabetes?
Yes, she also has Hashimoto's. She says healing her gut and reducing inflammation has helped her manage both conditions.
What diabetes devices does Whitney Lewis use?
Per the show notes, she manages type 1 diabetes with multiple daily injections and a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor.
What lifestyle change has helped Whitney Lewis the most?
She says switching from coffee to matcha made the biggest difference, since coffee was a culprit for her gut issues and matcha gives her an energy boost without that effect.
Full transcript Searchable, with timestamps
Rob Howe: Tools of Type 1s podcast. Rob Howe here. We're into month 3. Hard to believe that we're already now 16 episodes into Tools of Type 1s. Don't worry though, there's a ton more to come, really over the next two months. So get ready for some really awesome interviews with some awesome people living with diabetes. Today's episode, Whitney Lewis, Happy Pancreas, episode 16, her tool, Knowledge is Power. Whitney is one of my good friends from the diabetes community, just an awesome, awesome person. My family and I are going through some tough stuff last year, just her nice messages, encouragements meant so much to us, and I'm just grateful for her friendship. She is an awesome resource in living with diabetes in a balanced way. Also, any sort of naturopathic, homeopathic remedies. She's big into kombucha, big fan, gut health. She also has challenges that she's doing periodically in closed Facebook groups and in email. So check her out, HappyPancreas on Instagram. Her episode today is super insightful, and I'm really grateful that she took the time. So without further ado, tools of type ones, hashtag tools of type ones on Instagram. Whitney Lewis, knowledge is power. Big news on the Tools of Type 1 podcast. We have a sponsor. You've heard of them before. They've sponsored the podcast in the past, Real Good Foods. Real Good Foods at Real Good Foods on Instagram, realgoodfoods.com. You can actually order Real Good Foods products online and using code ROBHOWE, that's me, ROBHOWE, R-O-B-H-O-W-E, at checkout. You can save 10% and get free shipping. And I believe the shipping is the biggest piece there because it can be quite costly at times to ship frozen products, but you get free shipping when you use code ROBHOWE. So don't forget that. One thing that's really important to me are companies like Real Good Foods who are designing products that they don't know necessarily are perfect for people with type 1 diabetes, but then they discover and they get really involved and they kind of dive in with both feet. And Real Good Foods has done that. During National Diabetes Awareness Month, they donated a ton of money to Beyond Type 1. They design products that are great for our lifestyle and also tastes great. So pizza is obviously one of many guilty pleasures that I have. But also, I know a lot of people in the type 1 community have anxiety about eating pizza because it can be really tough. You know, high spikes, you know, the fat and the crust, difficult to count the carbs correctly and for the fat as well. Especially if you're eating it at night, it can be very difficult. So Real Good Foods pizza, 4 grams of carbs per serving. That's crazy. So I believe in one of their pizzas, it's three servings in a single pizza. Guys, that's 12 carbs. And you know what? Counting those carbs, injecting for that pizza, it's right. My levels stay flat. And it's really cool to just have that sense of well-being and confidence when you're eating a product. So highly recommend that you try it. Also, very good. When I was on vacation with my girlfriend over Christmas, we ran out of food in our Airbnb. and B were like, well, we got to go to the store. We got to get some food. I'm craving pizza. Lucky enough in the frozen food aisle, Kroger, Walmart, your general grocery stores, check online if your local grocery store has them, but we were easily able to find the pizzas that we liked. And they also have these poppers that are made with chicken. They have jalapeno and they have pizza flavored, pepperoni pizza flavored. And they've changed the recipe on those. I pop them in the air fryer. They're delicious. So if you want to try a low carb, low glycemic index, easy to manage with diabetes, delicious food, check out Real Good Foods. They're in your frozen food section in your local store. And if you do try them, let me know. Give me a tag on Instagram. We'll chat about it. Okay, guys. Hope you guys are enjoying Tools of Type 1s. Let's get back to the
Whitney Lewis: episode. Hi, Rob. It's Whitney. Thank you for your patience on this. And I'm grateful to share a bit of my tools. So first question, who am I? My name is Whitney Lewis, also known as Happy Pancreas, if you follow me on Instagram. I am from Annapolis, Maryland, grew up there, and I've been in San Diego, California for four years now. I have been type 1 diabetic for coming up five years. um so yeah I was diagnosed about a year before making the move out west I was diagnosed when I was 26 years old um things that I like to do I like to do a lot of things you follow my Instagram you know I love going to the grocery store specialty grocery stores um I love um spending time with my husband I love going to the beach with my dog Sable Um, I love grabbing dinner with friends and catching up and just going deeper, um, with those that I'm closest with. Um, my husband and I also volunteer with our church and lead, um, couples, small groups, which are very encouraging and they are probably the happiest part of my week. Um, when it comes to diabetes and I guess my expertise with type 1 diabetes, when it comes to my expertise with type 1 diabetes, um, I guess it would be kind of like a holistic approach to it. Just spending a lot of time and energy reading and educating myself, um, to live, um, the best that I can with a disease that I'm likely going to have for the rest of my life. Um, I'm all about learning. Um, and that's a part of my diagnosis story initially, just because I was in denial for so long. So, um, as a problem solver, you know, I spent hours on Google talking with people, um, learning about people that supposedly had type 1 and reversed it by doing, um, something. So I was on the hunt to learn how to do that. And I was on a mission. And in that, despite, you know, still having this, this illness, I've learned so much. And my denial kind of segued into this passion of learning some of the whys behind it and how to truly manage it and just live life to the fullest despite having to manage it 24-7.
Rob Howe: What is your tool of type ones and what's the one thing that a person living with T1D could
Whitney Lewis: learn from you or your experience? My tool would be that you should educate yourself. I love just the simple. I love the idea of knowledge is power because when it comes to this disease, the more that you know about your body, the more you know about which foods affect your body and grasp that it's bigger than just carb counting and, um, and dosing it's, it's multi-layered. and the more work you put in and understanding that, the more free that you're going to feel in it. It hurts my heart when people reach out to me and fear some simple things that fear flying, fear traveling, fear going to the gym, all of these things that of course there are stress behind it when you're dealing with a disease that can just, um, that changes every day, essentially. Um, you know, a lot of days, um, can just be different. You can do one thing one day and do the exact thing the next day. And your blood sugars are different just because there's so many variables at play and, um, your blood sugars get better and your trust in yourself gets better when you understand your body and you understand more about those variables. So again, knowledge is power. Connect with people that inspire you and follow them closely and see what they're doing. But you have to do the work. And I think the work starts with learning.
Rob Howe: What is the simplest thing you've done that has helped you with the management of your type 1
Whitney Lewis: diabetes? Where did you learn it or who showed it to you? The simplest thing that I've done, this would be more of like a mental focus and that's just my workout routine. I started doing CrossFit a couple months, maybe like two months after my diagnosis. It was a pretty dark place for me and I was just clueless as to like, what am I going to do now if this isn't going to go away. And I just really wanted to serve my body and find a community of people to get me accountable. And with a push and inspiration from my husband, um, uh, I joined a local CrossFit and some of my best friends came, um, came from it. Uh, that was almost five years ago. And no matter where I am, whether I'm in Thailand or Paris and now San Diego, um, I find a CrossFit gym. And again, some of my best friends, um, have come from that. And I guess I learned it from my husband. And he opened my eyes to the dark side.
Rob Howe: What failures or apparent failures with T1D have made you better at living the rest of your life or made you more well-rounded as a person?
Whitney Lewis: I'm struggling with thinking of a failure with type 1. I think I'd rather use the word obstacles. I think type 1 diabetes brings obstacles every single day, whether that's a number or a mindset of feeling that you're not being good enough. So I think overall in managing it for the past five years, it has taught me to be more patient with myself. So sending myself grace, but also just doing the work. Like, I think a lot of times we, we look at somebody, whether it's, you know, somebody in the fitness industry or somebody, you know, in a, in a position at work that you just admire and you would just love to be that or anything out there really. And that person is there most likely because they have put in the work. They've done it. They showed up. They're consistent. They're up late. They're up early. And consistency is key. And that's just a big, I guess, thing that I've learned in, you know, the days that are really difficult in managing that I just kind of go back to the roots of what I know to be true. And that's just keep pushing forward, stay consistent and keep learning because that's what makes me better in managing this disease. and it also carries over in other areas of my life, professionally, relationships. Yeah, so.
Rob Howe: What unusual or absurd opinion or approach regarding your diabetes do you have?
Whitney Lewis: Oh man, I wanna make this funny, but I feel like it's gonna be a bit lame. And after some thought, I guess it would be like a holistic approach. I think that would be unusual for a lot of people because I do get a lot of messages on what this entails and what does my naturopathic doctor do, um, and Ayurvedic practice and, and how does that really help your diabetes? Um, and I just think in learning the body and preventative, um, health care just really supports, um, managing my diabetes just because again, diabetes is multifaceted and there's so many layers within it. It's not just, I have type 1 diabetes, how do I manage it? And how do I move forward with my life? But it's also this idea of digging into the why. Sure. We won't always know, um, a hundred percent. Why do we have this, this illness, but there is a lot of work to be done, um, behind the scenes when, when we, um, blah, blah, blah. Okay. Sorry. Um, there is a lot of work to be done, um, when it comes to learning more about what's going on within our body. One huge thought, um, at least for me personally, um, is gut health and how that's related to autoimmune disease. I've had gut issues my whole entire life ever since I could remember. Um, and they have correlated gut issues with type 1. So part of me, you know, again, I think it's probably this perfect storm, the genetic disposition end of things. But restoring my gut has been a huge factor in managing my blood sugars, feeling better and really healing my body from other other attacks like blah, blah, blah. Sorry. Um, and, uh, healing my gut has really helped me and just like my overall wellness journey, apart from type 1 diabetes. Um, we are at risk for other autoimmune diseases. I do have Hashimoto's as well. Um, and this effort and this approach to really heal my body, um, from just inflammation and stress has really, um, has really, really helped me and empowered me to continue to the work just because the work that I've done, I've seen and felt a really big difference.
Rob Howe: What's your favorite thing? What gets you to smile or laugh almost every time?
Whitney Lewis: Apart from my husband, because he's the sweetest and loves me so deeply in the midst of my, in the midst of me being me, which can sometimes be difficult to deal with. um, I'd have to say Sable, my dog. Um, I think just because it's just her ability to just be so lighthearted and love so deeply and I could be having the worst day and she just wobbles in and, um, she's just so, um, she's just so in tune with me and I love her so much. Um, and I don't know if you watch my Instagram stories or not, but I do try to get her out of bed in the morning and she's not a morning gal. Um, so I feel like every single morning I laugh because she stares at me with the corner of her eyes. Like, don't wake me up. Like I need my nap time. It's like, she half wants to come to the gym because she really wants to hang out, but then she half doesn't want to get out of bed or get in the car. So it was just this weird, but something that's so, so funny. I love it. Um, it's a great way to start my morning.
Rob Howe: In the last five years, what new adjustment to your lifestyle has improved your life with
Whitney Lewis: diabetes the most? I'd say just diet. Thinking deeper than just calorie intake, you have to think about the types of foods that you eat. Learning what foods serve my body best, minimizing coffee, that was a huge culprit for my gut issues and how I felt in the morning. So, um, matcha is my BFF and I love it so much. It gives me that boost, but it doesn't affect my gut like coffee does. Um, so if I had to choose one thing, it's, um, minimizing the coffee and drinking the matcha.
Rob Howe: What bad advice regarding diabetes do you see or hear that you'd like to address?
Whitney Lewis: Um, it's hard because there's so much knowledge out there, especially on Instagram. I think we're all guilty of looking at how somebody lives their life and what they eat and how they work out and then just take that exact, try to take their, what am I trying to say? And we try to take their learned and tried routine and then plop it onto ours. and then we fall off the bandwagon and then it's kind of like searching out for the next thing. So I think when there's just lack of transparency out there that everybody is different, you know, eating low carb, your body and your mindset might not do well on low carb. If you are doing high intensity training and weightlifting, you will need carbs to get you through your workout and to recover properly. So it's just, there's so many variables at play. Um, and I'm just a huge advocate of everybody's different. Um, everybody like internally just needs different things. Um, uh, nutrition, nutritionally, uh, everybody needs different things. Um, whether that comes to nutrition, um, or, or the routine and what works for them even in the morning. Um, so yeah, I guess just trying to put this cookie cutter approach to how to master diabetes when it's something that has to be tailored. What priority are you focusing on in
Rob Howe: your own life currently? This can be diabetes related or not. I'm really trying to figure out
Whitney Lewis: where I am my best. I love to help. I love to serve. I know that's not always fulfilled in your career. Um, but I struggle when most of my day is doing something that feels a bit purposeless. So I'm on this journey career wise, whether that's diabetes mentorship. Um, I have taken on some, some clients with just helping them and their journey and sharing my knowledge and helping them sift through all of the, all of the noise out there. And I do love it. Um, but I just would love to do something on a bigger scale. So I'm just kind of in this, um, I don't know. I'm just kind of in this adventure. I'm on an adventure, just keeping my eyes open, um, and just hoping and trusting that a door will open for me professionally because I'm ready to step into
Rob Howe: something new. What are you most hopeful for? This can be diabetes related or not.
Whitney Lewis: I'm hopeful that my next step professionally will be aligned with something that I'm passionate about, um, in the wellness field and caring and sharing knowledge, um, to people that just feel a bit lost, um, and tired in their health journey. So I'm hopeful that I will continue to be able to share and give hope to others because I have an amazing support system around me. Um, and I've done a lot of work on, on myself and I'm just full of knowledge and excitement, and just love and I just want to give it out.
Rob Howe: What advice would you give someone who has T1D and is trying to pursue a career in your line of work?
Whitney Lewis: Okay, well, part-time I do property management and then part-time I have been taking on new diabetic clients. So I guess I could just focus on property management. And, um, what advice would you give someone who has type 1 diabetes? Um, or I could focus on either one of those. If you are interested in property management, um, it has to, has a lot to do with sales. Um, it has a lot to do with connecting and following up. Um, ultimately you are helping somebody find a home. Um, and I do like it. Um, so it is a, an interesting and fun industry, but truthfully it's not my favorite. Um, but, um, I don't really know what advice I would give if you like sales and, um, if you want to make pretty good money, then try property management. Um, I guess it makes my soul happier talking about a career and, um, educating others and type 1 diabetic wellness and how to balance their blood sugars and feel their best. And I think if you want to try to pursue a career in that, whether it's building your own business or working for a diabetic startup, there are so many in San Diego, um, to just stay consistent, to keep learning. Um, and if it's just wanting to start your own business, whether that's coaching, or something. And that line is just to keep giving, to keep giving, to keep listening to others and what they need. And in that, you're going to learn how to serve them best.
Rob Howe: What's the one facet or trait that you think makes you uniquely you? Explain why.
Whitney Lewis: I feel like I'm like the ultimate encourager. If there is a need, um, I love to go alongside of people and encourage them to get them, um, exactly where they want or need to be. Um, it's hard because I rarely do this to myself, um, or rarely do this for myself. I think we all kind of, um, are guilty of this. We're so good at caring and loving on others, um, and giving people advice. But when it comes to ourselves, we tend to put ourselves last. And that's something that I, um, am trying to work on, but I love to, um, empathetically encourage and love others, um, through whatever it is, whether it's something at work, um, something that's going on personally, professionally. Um, and I guess my main focus, uh, through happy pancreas is, um, dealing with type 1 diabetes. It's, it's a, um, it's a heavy load some days. Um, and I always, um, get inspired and encouraged by people that reach out and say that I am helpful in any way, just because that's my goal. Even if it's just with a few words or a few small tips, um, that's what makes me happy.
Rob Howe: Plug yourself. Tell us where we can find you in the diabetes online community.
Whitney Lewis: Um, so that's me. That's happy pancreas. What am I up to? I am. So yes, you can find me over on Instagram primarily at happy pancreas. Um, and my focus there is just loving the diabetic community and listening and trying to, um, to serve you guys best. Um, I do a lot of my content on Instagram stories. Um, I tend to overthink photos and truthfully they're just not my favorite. it. So I just do a lot of storytelling. Um, that is something that I love and I'm passionate about. I'm love, I love telling stories. Um, hence the, the story feature on Instagram is everything. So you can see a lot of my day and a lot of my tips on there. Um, I share a lot of things, whether it's the day to day of, um, of dealing with type 1 diabetes, um, my preferred method of insulin and why, um, my diet and what that looks like and why, um, my naturopathic journey has been, um, something that a lot of people are really interested in. So I am working on something, um, that's kind of compiling a lot of information on that journey since it's been ongoing for about two years. And I've learned so much in that. Um, but yeah, I'm just kind of in this, uh, stage of, of just still giving, listening and giving and just being present, um, on Instagram and just being me, what that's going to turn into one day. Um, I don't know. Um, I guess what it already is. I need to be grateful for that. Um, but yeah, go find me at happy pancreas. Um, message me for any tips. Um, I'm here always here to guide and help and encourage you, um, in the good days and the bad.
Rob Howe: Where do you get plugged into the T1D community the most?
Whitney Lewis: Um, truthfully, I'm not really that great because of time getting involved locally. I work most weekends. And, um, yeah, it's kind of a time thing online, uh, is my biggest outlet of connecting with our community. It's been such a gift to me. Um, and I'm so grateful for everybody that I've met, including you, Rob. Um, so yeah, just through type 1 diabetes, uh, I mean, I guess type 1 diabetic hashtags. Um, I just think it's kind of the snowball effect as we kind of like connect and and share each other's stories and advocate for each other. Just the family continues to grow. So, yeah. Thank you for listening. Hopefully my answers to Tools of Type 1 questions help and encourage you. Okay, bye.
Rob Howe: Thank you for listening to the Tools of Type 1's podcast on diabetics doing things. I'm Rob Howe. And every Tuesday and Thursday in 2019, we are posting the next Tools of Type 1 episode. So follow us on Instagram, hashtag Tools of Type 1s, or just on Diabetics Doing Things. We will post those regularly every Tuesday, every Thursday. My favorite Type 1s are answering the questions I want to know the answers to. And hopefully you'll learn a few things as well. If you like this episode, be sure to review us on iTunes. And if you didn't like it, go ahead and let me know that too. I want to know. All the feedback is good to me. Thanks again for your time. I value that more than anything you could possibly give me. Thanks so much. Bye-bye. RobHowe, R-O-B-H-O-W-E, at checkout. You can save 10% and get free shipping. And I believe the shipping is the biggest piece there because it can be quite costly at times to ship frozen products, but you get free shipping when you use code RobHowe. So don't forget that. One thing that's really important to me are companies like Real Good Foods who are designing products that they don't know necessarily are perfect for people with type 1 diabetes, but then they discover and they get really involved and they kind of dive in with both feet. And Real Good Foods has done that. During National Diabetes Awareness Month, they donated a ton of money to Beyond Type 1. They designed products that are great for our lifestyle and also taste great. So pizza is obviously one of many guilty pleasures that I have. But also, I know a lot of people in the Type 1 community have anxiety about eating pizza because it can be really tough. You know, high spikes, you know, the fat and the crust. Difficult to count the carbs correctly and for the fat as well. Especially if you're eating it at night, it can be very difficult. So, Real Good Foods pizza, 4 grams of carbs per serving. That's crazy. So, I believe in one of their pizzas, it's 3 servings in a single pizza. Guys, that's 12 carbs. And you know what? Counting those carbs, injecting for that pizza, it's right. My levels stay flat. And it's really cool to just have that sense of well-being and confidence when you're eating a product. So, highly recommend that you try it. Also, very good. when I was on vacation with my girlfriend over Christmas we ran out of food in our Airbnb we're like well we got to go to the store we gotta get some food I'm craving pizza lucky enough in the frozen food aisle Kroger Walmart your general grocery stores check online if your local grocery store has them but we were easily able to find the pizzas that we liked and they also have these poppers that are made with chicken they have jalapeno and they have pizza flavored pepperoni pizza flavored. And they changed the recipe on those. I pop them in the air fryer. They're delicious. So if you want to try a low carb, low glycemic index, easy to manage with diabetes, delicious food, check out Real Good Foods. They're in your frozen food section in your local store. And if you do try them, let me know. Give me a tag on Instagram. We'll chat about it.
About Whitney
Whitney Lewis, known as Happy Pancreas on Instagram, grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and has lived in San Diego, California for four years. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 26 and shares a holistic, education-focused approach to managing the disease, including gut health and naturopathic practices.