Defining Diabetes: Type 1 Terms Explained
Defining Diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes Terms, Explained
The vocabulary of Type 1, one clear term at a time — bolus, basal, A1C, and dozens more, defined simply.
What is Defining Diabetes?
Defining Diabetes, with Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES, takes the words you hear constantly and explains each one in plain language. Short, focused episodes that give you the language to understand everything else.
Each episode is a conversation you can listen to, revisit, and share — part of the Juicebox Podcast's free library on life with Type 1 diabetes.
You cannot act on advice you do not understand. Defining Diabetes hands you the vocabulary one short episode at a time, so every other series and every doctor visit suddenly makes more sense.
Who Defining Diabetes is for
It is for the newly diagnosed, caregivers, grandparents, and anyone who wants the diabetes vocabulary to finally click.
Frequently asked questions
What is Defining Diabetes?
Defining Diabetes is a series from the Juicebox Podcast. Defining Diabetes, with Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES, takes the words you hear constantly and explains each one in plain language. Short, focused episodes that give you the language to understand everything else.
Who is Defining Diabetes for?
It is for the newly diagnosed, caregivers, grandparents, and anyone who wants the diabetes vocabulary to finally click.
What terms does Defining Diabetes explain?
Core terms like bolus, basal, A1C, insulin sensitivity, glycemic index, and many more — each in its own short, plain-language episode.
How long are the Defining Diabetes episodes?
Each one is short and focused on a single term, which makes them easy to search, revisit, and share with family who want to understand the language.
Is this medical advice?
No. The Juicebox Podcast is education and personal storytelling, not medical advice. It is meant to help you understand Type 1 diabetes and feel less alone — always talk with your own medical team about your care.
Where can I listen to Defining Diabetes?
You can stream Defining Diabetes on the Juicebox Podcast website or follow the playlist on Spotify. Episodes are also on Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen.
What listeners say
"My 11yo was diagnosed 6 weeks ago. Listening to the Defining Diabetes series, Bold Beginnings series, and Pro Tip series was a game and life changer. Applying what I've learned has already produced noticeable results and makes so much sense."
"Start with the Defining Diabetes series, Pro Tips series, and the series for beginners. Once you've listened to those, the older episodes have great diabetes tips. His diabetes management is spot on!"
"When you have a newly diagnosed child, you are given so much info it's overwhelming. When diagnosed as an adult, information is scarce. This podcast breaks diabetes down into bite sized pieces. I highly recommend the ProTips and Defining Diabetes series."
Listener reviews from Apple Podcasts. Individual experiences vary; nothing here is medical advice.
Related Juicebox series
If Defining Diabetes resonates, these pair well with it:
Listen to Defining Diabetes
With Scott Benner and Jenny Smyth, RD, LD, CDCES
Read the full disclaimer
Bold Beginnings: Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Guide
Bold Beginnings: Type 1 Diabetes for the Newly Diagnosed
The series for the newly diagnosed — the questions everyone has in the first days and weeks with Type 1 diabetes, answered with warmth.
What is Bold Beginnings?
Bold Beginnings, with Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES, walks through the foundation a new diagnosis demands: terminology, honeymooning, the emotions of diagnosis, the first conversations, and how to start building a working understanding of Type 1.
Each episode is a conversation you can listen to, revisit, and share — part of the Juicebox Podcast's free library on life with Type 1 diabetes.
The first weeks after a Type 1 diagnosis are a blur. Bold Beginnings slows it down and answers the questions you did not know to ask, in a warm, unhurried way that makes the start feel survivable.
Who Bold Beginnings is for
It is for the newly diagnosed and their families — and for anyone who has felt lost since day one and wants a gentle, clear place to begin.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bold Beginnings?
Bold Beginnings is a series from the Juicebox Podcast. Bold Beginnings, with Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES, walks through the foundation a new diagnosis demands: terminology, honeymooning, the emotions of diagnosis, the first conversations, and how to start building a working understanding of Type 1.
Who is Bold Beginnings for?
It is for the newly diagnosed and their families — and for anyone who has felt lost since day one and wants a gentle, clear place to begin.
Is Bold Beginnings a good place to start after diagnosis?
Yes — it is built for exactly that moment. It covers the basics and the emotions of a new diagnosis before you move on to deeper series like the Pro Tips.
Is Bold Beginnings only for the newly diagnosed?
It is built for them, but many longtime listeners use it to start over and finally understand the why behind their care. After it, the Pro Tips and Defining Diabetes go deeper.
Is this medical advice?
No. The Juicebox Podcast is education and personal storytelling, not medical advice. It is meant to help you understand Type 1 diabetes and feel less alone — always talk with your own medical team about your care.
Where can I listen to Bold Beginnings?
You can stream Bold Beginnings on the Juicebox Podcast website or follow the playlist on Spotify. Episodes are also on Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen.
What listeners say
"Hours and hours of great training and tips that your doctor does not have time to give you. The series such as Pro Tips are amazing. I have been type one diabetic for 58 years and have learned so much from this podcast."
"I am so grateful for this resource that Scott puts out for free. It has helped in tangible ways to improve my son's life with diabetes, and provided a sense of community through the huge emotional toll diabetes takes on a caregiver. He was diagnosed at 12 and is headed to college."
"Get on the Juicebox train and be changed for the better. I listened to the bold beginnings and pro tips series after the fog of the hospital days with my son. Scott's play at your pace style was just what I needed to be the best caregiver."
Listener reviews from Apple Podcasts. Individual experiences vary; nothing here is medical advice.
Related Juicebox series
If Bold Beginnings resonates, these pair well with it:
Listen to Bold Beginnings
With Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES, RD, LD
Read the full disclaimer
Diabetes Pro Tip Series: Type 1 Management | Juicebox
The Diabetes Pro Tip Series
The core education series of the Juicebox Podcast — simple strategies and easy-to-understand concepts that change how you think about Type 1 diabetes management. Start here to learn how insulin actually works, and so much more.
What is the Diabetes Pro Tip series?
The Diabetes Pro Tip series is the practical backbone of the Juicebox Podcast — a complete, plain-language series about Type 1 diabetes management built by Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, RD, LD, CDCES, a certified diabetes educator who has lived with T1D for more than 35 years. What began as a planned 10 episodes grew into a 27-episode library that has been downloaded more than half a million times.
Each episode is a focused, single-topic deep dive you can listen to, revisit, and share. Together they answer the question almost no one gets a complete answer to at diagnosis: how does insulin work, and how do I use the right amount at the right time? That one idea — timing and amount — is the thread running through every episode in the series.
This isn't medical advice and it isn't a lecture. It's the working model of the disease that a doctor rarely has time to give you — pre-bolusing, basal testing, insulin-to-carb ratios, correction factors, fat and protein, CGM literacy, and the mindset shifts that make all of it stick.
Who the Pro Tips are for
Two kinds of people tend to find this series. The newly diagnosed — whose world just changed and who have a prescription but no map. And the "starting over" crowd — people who have lived with Type 1 for years, often flying blind, who have realized it doesn't have to be this hard. Both need the same thing: a clear, honest, usable understanding of how insulin and blood sugar behave. The Pro Tips are designed to give exactly that, whether you're on multiple daily injections (MDI) or an insulin pump, managing your own diabetes or caring for a child with T1D.
Episode highlights to start with
The full series runs in order from foundations to advanced variables (remastered episodes #1000–#1025, plus #1447). If you're not sure where to begin, these are the ones listeners come back to again and again.
Newly Diagnosed or Starting Over
The very first priorities after a Type 1 diagnosis — and why there are no universal rules.
EP #1002All About Insulin
How insulin actually works, why lows happen, and the conversation about getting past the fear of using it.
EP #1003Pre-Bolus
The episode on timing insulin ahead of a meal — the gap between "told" and "works."
EP #1010Setting Basal Insulin
The foundation of every other setting, and what "correct" basal looks like.
EP #1012Fat & Protein
Why a carb-counted meal can still spike for hours — and the idea of bolusing for it.
EP #1008The Perfect Bolus
Putting timing and amount together so meals feel less like a guess.
Other episodes cover Temp Basal, Insulin Pumping, Mastering a CGM, Bump & Nudge, Variables, Exercise, Glucagon & Low BGs, Long-Term Health, Glycemic Index & Load, Female Hormones, Pregnancy, Postpartum, Weight Loss, the Honeymoon period, and Insulin Resistance (#1447). See the full episode list →
Frequently asked questions
What is the Diabetes Pro Tip series about?
It's a 27-episode educational series from the Juicebox Podcast that teaches the practical fundamentals of managing Type 1 diabetes — how insulin works, pre-bolusing, basal rates, insulin-to-carb ratios (ICR), insulin sensitivity factor (ISF), bolusing for fat and protein, using a CGM, exercise, hormones, and more. Each episode is a short, single-topic deep dive with Scott Benner and Jenny Smith, CDCES.
Where should a newly diagnosed person start?
It depends on where you are. If a Type 1 diagnosis is brand new and you're still finding your feet, the Bold Beginnings series is often the gentler place to start — it walks through the same foundation for people who are just getting oriented. Once the basics feel familiar and you're ready to dig in, the Pro Tips are where you go deeper: begin with #1000 "Newly Diagnosed or Starting Over," then #1002 "All About Insulin" and #1003 "Pre-Bolus," and #1010 "Setting Basal Insulin" for the foundation every other setting depends on.
Is this medical advice?
No. The Pro Tips reflect Scott's lived experience and Jenny's expertise as a certified diabetes educator. It's meant to give you a working understanding of Type 1 diabetes so you can have better conversations with your own medical team. Always talk to your doctor before changing insulin doses or settings.
Who are Scott Benner and Jenny Smith?
Scott Benner is the host of the Juicebox Podcast and the parent of a child diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes; he has spent 15+ years translating complex diabetes management into plain language. Jenny Smith, RD, LD, CDCES, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for more than 35 years.
How do I listen to all the Pro Tip episodes?
You can stream the full series on the Juicebox Podcast website or follow the Diabetes Pro Tip playlist on Spotify. Episodes are also on Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen.
What listeners say
"I learned early on to be bold with insulin, bump, nudge, and pre bolus - all of the things not taught as we left the hospital. Because of the knowledge you have shared, my son has an A1c to be proud of and is in range. Forever grateful."
"The info, the laughs, the guests and the tips are all amazing. Listened to about 50 episodes so far. Pre-bolusing has helped my A1c with my T Slim and you are to thank. Keep it up and thank you."
"I'm 25 and have had diabetes for about 9 years and never knew about pre-bolusing. The host has informed me on things I can adjust to help lower my A1C that no doctor has ever explained to me, and gotten me more into the diabetes community. Thank you for this show."
Listener reviews from Apple Podcasts. Individual experiences vary; nothing here is medical advice.
Related Juicebox series
If the Pro Tips resonate, these pair well with them:
Start the Pro Tip series
Listen in order or jump to the topic you need. There's also an in-depth Pre-Bolusing guide to go deeper on timing.
Read the full disclaimer
Dexcom G8 News
Dexcom just announced a lot. Here's what actually matters.
A new sensor called G8. A glucose-plus-potassium sensor for kidney and heart disease. Smart Bolus. Smart Basal. A hospital product. A new T2 sensor called Flex. Stelo going international. I read the deck so you don't have to.
Dexcom held their Investor Day earlier today. Usually these events are for Wall Street and they're mostly about gross margins and cash flow conversion. But this one had real product news in it — more than I expected, honestly — so I wanted to walk through it for you.
I'm going to skip the financial chart talk and focus on the things that actually affect the person wearing the sensor: what's shipping now, what's coming, and what to make of it.
G7 15 Day: the rollout, by the numbers
Dexcom shared four concrete updates on the G7 15 Day:
~50% by year-end
Dexcom expects about half of their US customer base to be on the 15 Day platform by the end of 2026. If you haven't switched yet, that's the wave you'd be joining.
All US partners now live
15 Day is now available with all US pump partners. If you've been waiting on Tandem or another integration, that's done.
Launching 2H 2026
International rollout of the 15 Day begins in the second half of this year. Specific country sequencing wasn't broken out.
15 Day is now baseline
Dexcom called it directly: 15 day wear is the new baseline for their product portfolio. Everything they build going forward assumes that as the floor.
Smart Basal and Smart Bolus
Dexcom highlighted software features that use CGM data to do something, not just show you the number. Two named products:
Smart Basal
For people starting or optimizing basal insulin — primarily a Type 2 use case. Today, when a doctor starts someone on basal insulin, getting the dose right typically takes about 12 weeks of back-and-forth: log review, dose adjustments, follow-up visits. Dexcom is saying Smart Basal can shrink that to fewer than 30 days with personalized dosing recommendations driven by the CGM data.
That's the kind of thing that sounds incremental until you imagine it happening millions of times a year. Faster time to a working dose means less hyperglycemia exposure during the titration period, which is a real health outcome.
Smart Bolus
This one is more relevant to the T1D community. Smart Bolus uses CGM trend data to inform bolus calculations — the goal being to reduce hypoglycemia risk, reduce missed doses, and avoid insulin stacking. The feature is described as under review and not currently available, but it's on the roadmap and Dexcom is being public about it.
The framing here matters. Adding the trend — is your glucose rising fast, falling, flat? — is what humans already do mentally if they're paying attention. Building it into the device is a meaningful step.
If Smart Bolus ends up working the way it's described, it's the kind of feature that helps the person who isn't already a power user. That's a lot of people.
— My takeMeet G8
A sensor that adapts during wear
This is the headline product news from the day. G8 is the next-generation Dexcom sensor, and it's expected to launch in late 2027 or early 2028. The big idea: existing CGMs are optimized in the factory through calibration and process control. Once it's on you, the sensor is doing its best with what it knew at the moment it was made. G8 changes that.
Dexcom is describing G8 as self-adapting — updated sensor electronics and algorithm innovation that lets it adjust in real time during wear. The company says G8 represents technology in development for nearly two decades. They're claiming significant accuracy improvements over G7 and a reduction in outlier readings. They also say G8 is 50% smaller than G7.
Why this matters for you
Two things. First, accuracy and reliability are the things CGM customers consistently ask for above everything else. In Dexcom's own research, those two attributes top the list of what customers expect — above ease of use, support, brand, anything. The top two reasons people stop using a CGM are both about reliability. If G8 delivers what Dexcom is claiming, it directly addresses the thing the community has been asking for.
Second, smaller hardware matters more than people give it credit for. Pediatric use, lean people, athletes, anyone wearing the sensor on the arm — a smaller sensor is a more wearable sensor, full stop.
This won't ship for roughly two years. But it's the thing to keep an eye on.
Two more G8 notes from the Q&A
Two items from the Q&A session that didn't make the slides: Dexcom expects to submit G8 to the FDA in 2027, on the way to that late 2027 / early 2028 consumer launch. And ketone monitoring is planned to be part of the G8 platform — not at launch, but on the roadmap.
The glucose + potassium sensor (CGPM)
Continuous glucose and continuous potassium, in one sensor
This is the one I want you to pay attention to even if it doesn't apply to you today. Dexcom announced they're working on a multi-analyte sensor — one that measures glucose and potassium continuously. They're calling it CGPM.
Why potassium? Because for people with Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are massive comorbidities. About a third of people with Type 2 have CKD; about a third have CVD. In those populations, potassium imbalances are associated with higher rates of ICU admission, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality. Dexcom's data says roughly 20% of annual costs for people with T2D plus CKD are tied to potassium problems.
A sensor that watches both glucose and potassium in real time could change how those patients are managed.
What this means for the T1D community
If you have Type 1 and no kidney or heart involvement, CGPM is interesting but not immediately for you. But — and this is worth saying out loud — kidney disease is a long-tail risk that anyone with diabetes can develop. A sensor that watches potassium continuously could matter to a lot more people than you might think today.
Dexcom didn't give a CGPM timeline. They positioned it under "what's next" and "we can do more."
Other things on the way
A few more product announcements that didn't get headline space but are worth knowing about:
- Dexcom Flex A new sensor designed for people with Type 2 diabetes — both basal-insulin and non-insulin users. Launching soon in Germany. International only for now. This is part of Dexcom's effort to tier the portfolio so different products fit different reimbursement environments.
- Stelo going international The over-the-counter biosensor (no prescription needed, aimed at the wellness market and people with T2 not on insulin) is launching in Australia, the UK, South Korea, and New Zealand in late 2026 / early 2027.
- A Dexcom hospital CGM system Dexcom plans to launch an inpatient hospital product by the end of 2027. If you've ever had a kid or family member admitted with a DKA and had to advocate for keeping the CGM on, this is relevant. There are roughly 14 million annual dysglycemic events in hospitals.
- Direct EHR integration More than 320 health systems are now live or onboarding with Dexcom's direct EHR integration (which works across multiple platforms, including Epic / MyChart). Translation: your CGM data shows up in your endo's chart alongside your labs, without your endo needing to log into a separate platform. This is a slow-burn quality-of-life improvement that pays off over years.
Why coverage expansion changes everything
One last thing worth understanding, because it's the engine behind everything else: Dexcom is expecting CMS (Medicare) to expand coverage to all people with Type 2 diabetes — including those not on insulin — by mid-2027. They expect a CMS proposal at the end of 2026 and final coverage by mid-2027.
That single change is expected to roughly double Dexcom's covered lives in the US, from about 15 million today to about 30 million by 2027. In plain terms: a lot more people will have a CGM paid for by insurance.
Why that matters to you, even if you're already covered: when a sensor company has 30 million covered lives instead of 15 million, the math on every R&D dollar, every algorithm improvement, every manufacturing optimization changes. The same Dexcom that's developing G8 and CGPM is going to be a meaningfully larger company a year from now, with more resources to invest in the things you actually use.
So what do I think?
I think this was a real Investor Day. It had actual products on it, with names and dates, and the dates aren't ten years out. G8 is roughly two years away. Smart Basal already has data behind it. CGPM is further out but it's the most interesting bet in the deck.
The thing I keep coming back to is the slide where the company says "we want to be the premier glucose sensing solution for all" — and this deck pairs it with a roadmap of specific products. For a community that has spent a decade waiting for things, that's worth noticing.
If you have questions about any specific product, send them my way through the private Facebook group or the contact form. I read everything.
Read the full disclaimer
‘Live Tech Support’ Companion
A companion to the Juicebox Podcast conversation with Danette from episode 1845.
Quick frame before we start. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a CDCES. I'm a dad of a kid with Type 1, a podcast host, and somebody who's spent twenty years thinking about this. Nothing in this post is medical advice. Everything below is a story about one family's conversation and a set of questions worth bringing to your care team. What's here is meant to help you ask better questions — not to replace your team.
Danette emailed me one morning from her job. Five years into managing her daughter's Type 1. A1c 6.9. Time in range around 50%. She'd cycled through MDI, the original Omnipod, the Omnipod 5, and the Tandem Mobi. Working with a CDCES. Reading everything. Listening to the podcast. Doing the work.
And she was breaking.
I didn't write back. I asked her on the show. We recorded for an hour. She cried for part of it from a maternity room at work — the only place she could close a door.
By the end we'd done two things. Looked at her daughter's numbers together, the way a friend would. And talked about why she wasn't sleeping.
If this sounds like you, this post is for you. Not as a checklist to follow. As a story that might point you toward a better conversation with your own team.
You Haven't Failed
This is the part I want most people to hear.
A 6.9 A1c with 50% time in range isn't failure. It might not be where you want to be. But it's the kind of number that often lives downstream of a settings imbalance — not a personal failure of the caregiver.
Most of the families who email me in Danette's state aren't bad at this. They're working with a framework that was never going to be enough.
The framework that's worked for our family is in the Diabetes Pro Tips series. It's free, it's a long conversation between me and my friend Jenny Smith — who is a CDCES — and it's the deeper context behind anything in this post.
What Danette and I Looked At Together
I want to be careful here because this is the part that can get prescriptive fast. I don't want it to.
On the show, Danette described her daughter's overnight pattern: once she got her in range, the line didn't plateau. It kept drifting down for hours after the last bolus. Lows in the high 60s. Rebounds in the morning.
That kind of pattern is one of the things a care team can help you make sense of.
There are tools to help frame that conversation. The Total Daily Insulin estimator on my site is one. The A1c calculator next to it is another. They're back-of-the-envelope tools. They give you a rough sense of what bodies a given size might be using, so you have a number to compare against what your kid is actually getting.
For Danette's daughter — a 60-pound kid using 20-25 units a day — the estimator's standard profile suggested a much lower total. Switched to "highly resistant," it matched. In that profile, the basal share was much higher than Danette had been giving.
That isn't a diagnosis. It's a number that started a conversation between Danette and her care team.
That's the only thing a number like that is for.
If your numbers don't seem to line up with what your kid is doing, the question worth asking your team is: is this worth a look together?
Not "I'm going to change it." Is this worth a look together?
What I'd Ask Your Team, In What Order
Not "what to do." What to ask.
Basal first. When basal isn't sized right, every other setting compensates for it. A care team can help you figure out whether basal is sized for your kid's day. Bring data — CGM screenshots from overnight, between meals, school days versus weekends. Tell them what you're seeing.
Carb ratio with basal, not after. This is the part most families don't get told plainly: basal and carb ratio are coupled. When one moves, the other often needs to move too, or you trade one problem for another. That's a conversation for your team, not math you solve in a notebook.
Correction factor last. Trying to set this one before the other two are close is how families end up chasing their tail. Your team will know.
The order matters less than the conversation. The point of this section isn't to hand you a protocol. It's to give you language to ask about settings in a way that gets past "you're doing fine."
The Other Half: Sleep
There's a caregiver burnout guide on the site that goes deeper. Read it if this part is hitting close.
Here's the part I'm comfortable saying flatly, because it's not medical and I'm allowed an opinion: caregivers who don't sleep make worse decisions than caregivers who do. That's true in diabetes. That's true everywhere.
A few things I've watched help families I've talked to:
Trading nights with a partner. One person sleeps Friday. One person sleeps Saturday. Even one full night a week makes a real difference.
Holding diabetes decisions for daylight. A CGM line that's wiggling at 2 AM rarely needs a setting change at 2 AM. Write it down. Look at it rested.
Reducing the variables you're solving at once. Settings, pumps, cannulas, school nurses, recess, illness — you can't solve all of it simultaneously. Most people who try end up solving none of it.
None of that is medical advice. It's the kind of thing a friend would tell you.
A Starting Place For This Week
Not a prescription. A starting place.
Write down your kid's weight, total daily insulin, current basal, and current carb ratios.
Bring those numbers to your team. Tell them what you're seeing on the CGM. Ask whether the basal-to-bolus balance is worth a look together.
That's not asking your team to do something risky. That's asking them to engage.
A Note on Care Teams
Different teams work differently. Some are aggressive. Some are conservative. Some engage with numbers in detail. Some prefer to give general guidance and let you live with it.
There's no wrong style — but there's a fit question. If you've been trying to engage your team on settings and feel like you keep hitting a wall, it's reasonable to look around. The community in the private Facebook group trades names of providers families have had good experiences with, in basically every region.
One More Thing
If you listened to the episode and recognized yourself, you're not alone. You're in a really common spot.
The way out isn't a new pump or more vigilance. It's fewer moving parts, a better conversation with your team, and enough sleep to think clearly.
Danette is coming back on the show in a few weeks to tell us how it went. If you're working through the same thing alongside her, let me know.
Nobody does this alone for very long if they don't have to.
Nothing in this post is medical advice. I am not a physician, a nurse, or a certified diabetes care and education specialist. I share my family's experience and the conversations I have on the podcast in the hope they help other families have better conversations with their own care teams. Always consult your physician before making changes to your healthcare plan, settings, or insulin doses, or becoming bold with insulin.