#1980 Three Years Low Carb
Three Years Low Carb
Diliara's daughter was diagnosed at eight. The family went low carb for three years and it worked — until it didn't. She and Scott talk honestly about what that community gets right and where it goes wrong.
Jump to a moment
- Rhythmic gymnastics hid the symptoms. Leila was diagnosed at eight. The girls were at practice all day in the heat, so constant drinking and weight loss read as sport. Diliara remembers running a bath the night it clicked. The hospital told her another couple of days would likely have meant DKA.
- She filled the gaps herself, immediately. Discharged with the big follow-up appointment six weeks out, she went to school with her daughter for three months because she was afraid to leave her alone, bought a CGM out of pocket rather than wait for insurance, and asked her doctor only for a letter of medical necessity. She credits contacts at a diabetes center for explaining what the hospital hadn't.
- Low carb worked, and she says so plainly. Three years of it produced stable blood sugars and a more peaceful house, and she still believes it's a reasonable way to eat. Her critique is about the culture around it rather than the food — feeling judged reading posts about other people's A1cs, and a tone she describes as iron fist, do it or get out.
- Scott's counter-argument, and her agreement. His position is that people who were drowning and found one thing that saved them become evangelists for it, and that the evangelism costs the movement people who would otherwise stay. Her point back is the one he concedes: there's a mental health cost to focusing only on numbers, and she was feeling it.
- The turning point was her daughter's health, not a change of mind. Diliara describes her daughter developing an eating disorder in a sport environment where teammates were routinely body-shamed. She's careful to say low carb didn't cause it but didn't help once her daughter was struggling, and that a friend who knew the field is the reason she caught it. That is what moved the family away from restrictive eating. Support resources are below.
- National Alliance for Eating Disorders — Free support, a clinician-staffed helpline, and treatment referrals for anyone affected by an eating disorder.
- Diabetes Pro Tip series — Episodes 1000-1025 — settings, insulin timing, and food impact.
- Mental wellness series with Erika Forsyth — The emotional side of type 1, including food and diabetes distress.
- Juicebox Podcast Facebook group — The private community discussed in this episode.
Every word of the conversation
Cold open & sponsors0:02
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My name is Delara, and I'm a mom of two teenage girls. My younger daughter, Leila, was diagnosed with type one diabetes about five years ago when she was eight. And I've spent the last five years just learning everything about diabetes I could possibly learn and trying many different things, many different approaches as Leila has grown, as our family has changed. Wow. And I'm here to share it.
Leila, diagnosed at eight2:06
Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time. Like the Eric Clapton song or you got it somewhere else?
Oh my gosh. I get that all the time. And the other day, she actually asked me. She's like, what is this Eric Clapton song that everybody talks about? Because I didn't know the song once I came up with the name.
So... But everybody thinks it's because of the song.
Does she like this... Did you have to show her the song?
Yeah. Yeah. I I shared the song. So she liked it. She liked it.
She's like, oh, okay.
That's why people keep... So I only said it because my son's teaching himself the guitar. And recently, I've been hearing Layla in the house. So... Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Well, I'm Russian. My origin is Russian. So I really tried to come up with names that were pretty universal, that were easy, that my family in Russia had no hard no hard time pronouncing.
Okay. So... Oh, I heard it there? I... No hard time.
I... There... That...
The accent?
Well, not just the accent, but the phrasing. Ah.
Yeah. I... Yeah. I get a little... Like, when I
get a little nervous, my accent definitely comes out more.
Okay. Yeah. I know you... I was gonna say you sound like you're trying to sell me perfume on the street all of sudden. Oh, that's a reference everyone who doesn't live here would get.
So, actually, when this, when this when we're done at the end, I'm actually gonna ask you to pronounce your last name for me because I can't wrap my head around it.
Oh, sure. It's actually a lot easier than my first name.
No kidding. Okay. Alright. We'll we'll do that later because that's your own private business. So five years ago, she's diagnosed.
Mhmm. You told me prior to being recorded that you're divorced. Correct. Were you married at the time?
Yes. Yes. I was married for fifteen years. And, yeah, we were married at the time.
Okay. So how does it come on? What do you notice? Is it a thing you were expecting?
Definitely not expecting. Both of my girls are gym... They were gymnasts at the time. So, they were training at a very high level, like, every day for five five hours every day. It was summertime.
They were pretty much at gymnastics practice all day every day, and it was hot. So, you know, the typical symptoms, drinking lots of water, losing weight, it wasn't... Like, we didn't think anything of it other than just, oh, it's gymnastics related. But, yeah, other than typical sentence, losing weight. And I think at some point, people at gymnastics, like like, her coaches started commenting Mhmm.
Gymnasts, and symptoms that hid in plain sight4:45
On her weight that she was so thin. And I remember the night she came home that day, after complaining that she was really tired, really thirsty, I remember, like, making a bath for her and running water in the bathtub, and then she gets undressed. And I look at her, and I was in shock. Like, her bones were sticking out. Like, her, like, ribs were sticking out.
It was... I just knew something was wrong that night. So I made a appointment to go see a pediatrician the next morning, but that night, I sat down at my computer and started researching it. And I just... You know, I had this gut feeling that, you know, she might be diabetic.
I haven't mentioned it earlier, but I am in health care. So I'm in... I've been in health care for over twenty years. And I'm a software analyst, so I've worked for many hospitals in my career. And I've actually worked with Barbara Davis Diabetes Center when I lived in Colorado.
So You had enough
background that that it kinda led you to that? Is that what happened?
The what?
Did you have enough background with diabetes? Had heard enough things that it made sense that that's how it
got to you? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But I didn't...
The only thing that was missing from that, I still thought that it had to be somehow genetic. I didn't realize, and we have no history of it in the family. So I was still, like, in disbelief. Mhmm. But, anyways, the next day, we go to the pediatrician's office.
They test her blood, and it was, like, 40. So they called the ER, and we packed our bags, went home, packed our bags, and got admitted to the hospital. So we, I guess, caught it early. But at the hospital, they did say that, you know, in a couple more days, she would've probably been in DKA. Yeah.
Well, thank god somebody said something and you looked in... Hey. Not that I'm saying she should have, but I'm interested. Did she know she was losing weight? I know she's only...
What? She was, like, eight at that point?
No. Yeah. She was eight. She didn't she didn't know. Again, like, they were gymnasts.
Right? They were in the environment where being thin was praised.
Okay.
So, yeah, it was just like, I I I even remember peep... People commenting, like, oh, she's gonna look really good in the leotard without a skirt, you know, because she's so thin.
That's what people are excited about. Yeah.
Yeah. People are excited about her her her body shape at that point.
It's funny. My my wife did gymnastics as a young person for a long time, and she's told me that one of the most demanding people in her life was a a Russian gymnastics coach that she
had. Yeah. Uh-huh. The the... It's...
And they... My my girls were in the rhythmic gymnastics, so I don't know. Your wife was probably in the regular gymnastics. Yeah. Rhythmic gymnastics is even worse.
I don't know if you're familiar with it, but...
No. Like, the dancing and the ribbons and that kind of thing?
Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because it came out of ballet, essentially.
So they're super thin. They're they're they're not supposed to be muscular, but super thin, very lean, very flexible. And, yeah, I mean, all of our coaches were Eastern European
Mhmm.
Whether it's Russia or Ukraine or Bulgaria. And, yeah, it was a very, very abusive environment
for sure.
I'm... Now I I... You listen to the podcast. Right? You said something earlier that made me think you used to...
Okay. So why are people from that part of the world... Like, why why are they fans? I have a lot of fans from that part of the world. Is there something about my personality that, like, tracks for you?
Really? I had no idea.
Yeah. I... It's it's okay if Okay.
I don't know. I only know of maybe a couple of Russian friends that are in the diabetes community.
Okay.
And... But, yeah, this is this is a surprise to me. So you're saying that people on that side of the world
I
listen to your podcast?
Well well, the the podcast is... This isn't why I brought it up. The podcast charts in, like, 40 countries every day. But Mhmm. But people from, like, that...
Like, kind of that eastern block there, they seem to like my personality. And I don't know. Yeah. I... I'm trying to figure...
I'm try... Oh oh, why? What's the of course there? That's the thing I don't get. Contournext.com/juicebox.
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Well, I don't know. I can't speak for them. I could speak for myself. You know, you you're like... You're super...
I think it's the sense of humor. It's gotta be a sense of humor.
Okay.
Because we... Because you have that type of sense of humor. That's... It it just...
It fits with whatever you grew up with.
You're very direct because Russians are very direct.
Okay. Because what people won't know is that you and I chatted for a few minutes. Like, we had the most inappropriate conversation in the first five minutes of knowing each other that we were both clearly very comfortable with, but it was it was lovely. I felt like I knew you my whole life. And so
Oh, I've known you for five years. I feel like you're my therapist.
Oh, okay.
I mean, this podcast was literally my therapy Oh, okay. In the beginning.
My gosh. Okay. We'll we'll find out more. So you get to the ER. She's not in DKA yet.
That's great. I imagine you weren't there for super long, but it's five years ago now. Do you leave with what kind of direction or technology or idea of what was about to happen? Like, what was
your...... Horrible experience in the hospital. And me having experience of working for hospitals, I was... I I mean, I let them have it. We were there for three years.
It was absolutely horrible. No education provided. We were discharged with, you know, just the generic discharge paperwork. We were sent home with with... Without really knowing what the hell we were doing.
Mhmm. So... And then our big follow-up appointment that you typically have when you meet your endocrinologist and the whole team, that wasn't scheduled until a month and a half away from when we got discharged. So we were sitting, like, not knowing anything, and it was terrifying. So me having connections in the medical world, I started reaching out to people, and I reached out to Barbara Davis Center.
Six weeks until the real appointment13:20
At the time, I... I mean, I'm in San Diego. So I reached out to Barbara Davis Center in Colorado, and I knew people there. And they really helped me figure things out. Like, we were discharged on a p...
Miles per hour. So...
What's the......
Like, Basil and Miles per hour, and it was awful. Like, she couldn't go back to school for a month. And then for the next three months, I literally went to school with her, and I just worked out of her school because I was terrified to leave her alone.
Yeah.
They gave me a conference room. I brought my laptop. I literally came there, you know, and just tried to manage her diabetes from school on my own.
Can can I... I... I'm sorry if I if I flaked and I didn't hear, but what state were you in at that point?
California.
You were in California. Southern, Northern, Central?
I'm in San Diego.
Oh, so a place where you might think there's reasonable health care? Yeah. Okay. Gotcha.
Yeah.
NPH?
Yes. And I didn't know better. Right? I just went home, and it wasn't until I started talking to people from Barbara Davis Center. They're like, what?
You're on on on NPH? This was just five years ago. So we were like, absolutely call the Endo, have them send a prescription for, you know, Humalog, and here's the sliding scale and start doing that.
So do you think the idea was that keep her alive till she gets to the appointment? Is that...
Maybe. I think they... The idea was, like, they didn't wanna stress parents out more than they have to.
Or or maybe they didn't have... They weren't gonna give you directions. They didn't wanna give you the faster acting insulins because they just thought, like, we're not gonna really tell them what to do with this. So the Miles per hour will keep her blood sugar. I don't know.
Like, I don't understand the...
Plus plus she was a kid that was terrified of needles, so they... Maybe this was a way for them to, like, not, you know, to lessen the amount of injections and pokes that she had to do. Yeah. I don't know. But one one good thing that happened in the hospital, the doctor was like, hey.
Buying a CGM herself15:38
I have a sample of Dexcom in my office. Would you like to try it? So he put a Dexcom on my daughter while we were in the hospital. He helped me download the app and set everything up, and that's when I started, like, monitoring her blood sugar.
Mhmm.
And when we got discharged, you know, of course, it takes insurance, like, a long time to get everything authorized. So I was like, wait. I can't, like, I can't be be without Dexcom, so I just went and bought it myself until the insurance company
Yeah.
Authorized everything. But, yeah, that first the first six months were horrible. I was just, like, in the worst place of my life. And I'm a pretty bubbly person. I'm very happy normally, but I was in such a dark, dark place, and I felt so alone.
And I found you a podcast. Mhmm. And I literally, every day, would put my earbuds in and go for a very long walk. And then during that walk, I would listen to your podcast.
And how did it help you? Did it just help you feel grounded, or were you learning things? Was it a mix?
All of it. I mean, learning, I couldn't believe how much information I was learning. I was like... Because at at that point, like, by the time I showed up for our first appointment, I knew everything.
Oh, cool.
Telling the doctor, I'm like, yes. We want a pump because we're gonna be looping. You know? Like, I don't need to talk to dietitian. All of that.
Like, I've already researched everything. I've already learned everything. So
Wait. You Plus? You went in there asking to loop?
Yeah. I... She was she was diagnosed in September. She was looping in December.
That's why that... That's why those winters can't kill your people, by the way. Right? Whatever that whatever that is.
We're very resilient. No
kidding. I'd cry I'd cry and fall over. I know that for sure. I'd be like, I don't know how I got here, but I'm gonna die now. And then I would just lay down.
You you, you just didn't... You went out, got your own information, came back, told them what you were doing. You weren't there asking, I would imagine. Right? You were there explaining to them what you're about to do.
I was just like, all I need from you is a letter of medical necessity so that the insurance doesn't give me a hard time.
Mhmm. Yeah. You had it worked out by then. Do you...
Yeah.
I... I'm gonna be a little indulgent for a half a second. Would you have figured that out without the podcast?
No. Okay. Absolutely not. You know, I I mean, I... So, basically, what was happening, I started listening to your podcast.
And about the same time... You know, of course, I joined some groups on Facebook, and it was the same time where low carb people found me, and I joined their group. So I remember listening to you, reading their stuff, and just agonizing and trying to make a decision on how I wanted to manage Layla's diabetes. So I went with low carb at first, and we were low carb for probably three years.
Going low carb, and why it worked18:57
Okay.
It was a huge change for our family, but they were incredibly supportive. And I also... You know, there was a mom at Layla's school who also had a a kid with type one diabetes, and she was a huge support. And she was part of the low carb community, so I think I just felt supported there. Plus, Leila was an athlete, and it just seemed like it was gonna be easier.
So I was just like, let me try it for a few days and see how I like it before I make a decision. Mhmm. And sure enough, you know, it was definitely more peaceful because her blood sugars were pretty stable. But the anxiety of her blood sugar was replaced by anxiety over having to completely change our lifestyle and always having to be two steps ahead by providing alternatives for her, whether it's birthday party or traveling or just cooking in general. I always have anxiety over her food.
So you you traded one worry for a different worry?
Exactly. But you... I just think... Yeah. I just made my life so incredibly complicated by doing that.
But you you do... There were benefits from the low carb, though.
Oh, absolutely. For three years, you know, it was peaceful. It was peaceful because there were no major spikes, and I was terrified of insulin. I was terrified of big amounts of insulin. So the whole concept of little doses...
I I forget what it stands for. It's like little insulin, you know, causes less chance for
Yeah. The less you
use or something like that.
The less you use, the less likely you are to have, like, a big swing in a direction. Right?
Yes. Yes. I think that concept really resonated with me. And the fact that Layla was always practicing, you know, four hours a day competitions, it just felt... I just felt more safe when there isn't a lot of insulin running through her body.
Mhmm. So... And it worked pretty well. I think she adjusted really well. Our whole family adjusted pretty well.
It's just that I had to work so hard all the time doing that.
Did you, like, make an announcement one day? Like, we're not doing this anymore? Are you still low carb now?
No. No. We haven't been low carb for a couple of years now.
Couple of years. So what precipitates the change again? So I understand how you get to it the first time. It's actually interesting the way you put it is that you were diagnosed. You got...
Your daughter's diagnosed. You get online, and you found a person saying, this is how you use insulin. Like, go ahead and apply it to your life. And you found people saying, if you don't use as much insulin, then you might not have as many swings, and you'll you'll get to that by eating a very low carb diet. And you you made it sound like they won.
They got your they got your attention. Like like Yes. Yeah. So what... How did they how did they get your attention?
Like, what what did they say or do that got you?
I think it was mostly my lack of knowledge of how to use insulin and how to... Lack of understanding in nutrition. I really understood the concept of low carb. You know, the protein causes a slower rise and, you know, less chance of causing a significant low. It wasn't until we started looping, I started really understanding how insulin was working.
Okay.
I think lot of... I don't know. I really don't remember exactly why.
Because it's two it's two different pitches,
really. Two different pitches. Yeah. Yep. I I think it was, like, the fact that...
I think of the... I was thinking of it as two different extremes. Right? Because they always said, oh, you don't have to eat cake to be healthy. So I always thought that it was either one extreme or another.
You have to be the low carb or, like, super high in carb. Yeah. Who who... What happened, really, we just found a balance.
You found a bal... Well, yeah. Who who says you have to eat cake to be healthy? Is there people saying that?
No. No. People were saying you don't have to eat cake to be happy.
Oh, to be happy. Okay. Alright. Well, I mean, yeah, I I I... You don't have to eat cake to be happy.
That's pretty true. But I mean, like, it's a weird... I I find it to be a weird line to draw. Like, I don't know what the... I don't understand why balance isn't okay.
Exactly. And that's where that's where I drew the line. I felt like, I felt, you know, and don't get me wrong. People have fantastic stories and incredible results. And if people could really live that way and manage their diabetes that way, that's that's incredible.
I agree.
You know, if it was... If it were me, I would probably do that, you know, just because I'm I'm I'm that way. You know, I would probably choose an easier way of managing my diabetes. But when it came to a child and just the way... And then I'll get to this later, another child who was in the mix, it was just...
It was... I felt so much pressure. I felt so much pressure from the group, and I think they're incredibly judgmental, which was not working well for my mental health. So... And then that's another thing I realized in this journey is I was focusing so much on numbers and, like, thought that this would would keep my daughter safe and healthy, but the mental health of it all is just as important.
Feeling judged in the group25:06
And I felt like it was, like, destroying me, destroying our relationship, and just... It wasn't worth it.
Wait. The the the eating low carb was destroying it?
Mhmm.
It was. And when you said they were judgmental, you mean the writ large people eating low carb online?
Uh-huh.
How how are they judgmental?
Well, like, all... Like, every time I would, like, read, you know, posts in that group, people bragging about how they eat and their a one c's, I just felt judged. Like, I was I felt like if I wasn't doing that exact same thing that I would be judged.
Were they saying that or is that how you felt?
That's that's how I felt.
That's how you felt. So people weren't you you didn't have people who are saying, like, if you're not doing this and you're doing it wrong and shame. Wasn't like that.
Yeah. It wasn't like that. But it...
I thought that they would if I... You felt... Oh, you felt like if you... If they had the opportunity, they they might say that to you.
Oh, Yeah. Certain individuals. I wouldn't say all of them, but there were
A few.
A few key members of the group that were particularly harsh
and So as a so as a collective, you find the low carb community to be lovely, except there's a there's a few loud voices that make it in hospital before you.
Yeah. And I think they really... Those members drive a lot of people away from what could be a really lovely, wonderful thing for parents.
Yeah.
I think that they focus so much on numbers and the lifestyle that they they just don't think about the mental health of a newly diagnosed family. You know?
Okay. Just... Yeah. Well, it's it's... Listen.
It's sad because, also, I really genuinely believe that low carb is a a very reasonable way to eat.
Oh, absolutely. We still lead by protein and vegetables, and I'm super lucky because both of my kids love every vegetable, love every protein that's out there. So it's... It... It's easy for me.
It was actually pretty easy because my kids have always eaten really well. It's just, you know, we don't just eat protein and vegetables anymore. You know? We've added other things. So we still live...
You know, lead by protein and vegetables, but we just... We know how insulin works, first of all. And Yeah. My my daughter's a one c is 5.7.
Listen. It's 01:00 in the afternoon. I haven't had a carb yet today. I I wouldn't call myself low carb, but I don't eat a lot of carbs. And and I'd...
You know, I don't... I I... It's just... It's strange to me. So here's how I feel like it happens.
I think you've said it, and that's why I really just let you talk and I tried not to interject. I think that people get diagnosed and they don't know how insulin works.
Mhmm.
And then carbs come and highs come and then they don't know how to get the highs down and they put in too much insulin. They get low and then they're dizzy and then they have to eat more and they get high again. And, like, it all just seems untenable.
Mhmm.
And then someone comes along and says, if you just don't eat carbs, none of this will happen. Yep. And you're so out of your mind that you're like, whatever. I'll do I'll do whatever you need me to do, like, as long as this will stop. Right?
But you... Your whole life, you haven't been eating that way. It's not your choice, Dieter. I'm I'm not wrong about this. Right?
You didn't want to be low carb. No. Right. You wanted to stop the problems. And and then you go find people who are like, hey.
Look at my look at my graph. Look at how flat it is. My a one c is 4.8. Yep. You you know what I mean?
And so see it works. And then when you say to those people, well, I think you could probably accomplish that and have a few more carbs, they go, no. That that can't possibly happen. Now is that because they don't know how to do it? It...
Why converts become evangelists29:16
Are they are they one of those people who were, you know, like, thrown into this thing unfairly, didn't know what was going on, found low carb, low carb saved their lives, and now they're evangelists about it because it's the thing that saved them, which by the way would be......
A religion. It's like a cult and religion, and then they, know, they, like, they don't wanna preach anything else.
No different than if somebody found AA and it helped them. They're gonna tell you AA is the only way through this. You have to do it this way because it's what worked for them and it saved their life and they are genuinely out there trying to help other people. I I I believe that wholeheartedly that I think that when people find something that works for them, especially when they were in a dire situation that they couldn't find another way out of, they will evangelize it at that point. And Yeah.
All I've ever said was, I think if you know how to time the insulin and use it correctly, you could probably have those outcomes and eat whatever you want. Not saying you should eat whatever you want. I'm not saying go, you know, spend your day, you know, working down carbs. Like, that's not my point. My point is that if you...
I think my point is the rest of your point, which is that there is a mental aspect to this too. Mental health is important as well. And if you're a person who's running around with a four eight and you're super low carb and that's the thing you're comfortable with, then God bless. I think that's wonderful. But if it's you and you're out there trying to do the same thing and it's making you crazy and tearing your family apart, then to tell you to stop doing it is gonna kill your kid is a...
I mean, that's too much pressure, I think.
It is. And that's exactly what was happening. Yeah.
Yeah. No. I've been watching it
for a while.
I see how it goes. And I and I have no... Like, somebody will take this the wrong way. I I I... You eat any way you want.
I couldn't possibly care less. Like, you you know, like, just do whatever you think is right. What I'm saying from my perspective is, I think if you understood these tools, you might be able to eat a different way and and have still reasonable health outcomes.
Yeah. It's just it's just willingness to learn, and I and I think that's how I am. Right? And then that's what your... I I did not stop listening to your podcast.
And and it's funny because I actually have to hide the fact that I was listening to you.
You mean from the other people online?
Yes. They... Some of
them don't like me. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. I know that. But I was religiously, like, listening to you every day, and I... You know, even though I made a choice to low carb, I think I was just listening to you for the therapeutic effect. You know?
I just really enjoyed listening to how you were asking questions, listening to other people. I think it just made me feel less alone in this. And then your podcast is still the place I go to for information. So, like, if I wanna find out something something about something, I'm like, oh, I should probably search in Scott's podcast. He probably has talked about this.
So I save myself time researching and filtering through information online, and I just go to your podcast because I trust it.
Thank you. Don't don't miss the frequently asked questions page on the website now too, by the way. Just really fantastic place to ask questions. Well, by the way, not to be... I'm not sour.
I don't I don't really care. But, like, if you're in the the... You know, if you're part of that, like, low carb community and you're part of how it works, like, listen to what she just said. She she opted for a place where she didn't feel judged. You could have made her feel that way.
There's there's no doubt that there could have been an ecosystem that talks more about low carb and is is prescriptive about how to do it that would have felt supportive, and you'd probably still be there doing it if you felt supported. Yep. And you're not... Listen. I'm not just talking from your...
If you think you're the first person to tell this story on here, you are certainly not. Yeah. Exactly.
I know. I'm not. Yeah.
No. I mean, again, most of the people I've met who eat low carb are lovely. I've... No... I've no trouble saying that.
I'm still friends with with a lot of them.
A ton a ton of them, honestly. And... But to your point, like, the few that feel like they might be unhinged, like, they really they really feel unhinged.
And... They are in the leadership
of it, so that's what's sad. And I and and I
also wanna say that I... I'm assuming that right now people think, oh, I'm thinking of a person. I don't know anybody's name. I don't care. Like, if you're listening to this right now, I don't know who you are.
I I I couldn't... Again, I couldn't possibly care less. Like... But what I can tell you is that the vibe coming from your movement is that of iron fist do or get out. That's that's the feeling people have from it.
The iron fist problem34:01
And and listen to what what this person is telling you. Some of the people you have there that you're counting as, like, loyalty or membership or a measure of see this works, they're being held hostage Mhmm. Because they're afraid. They'd love to leave, but they're afraid to. You've scared them into thinking they're gonna kill themselves or their kid if they leave.
So instead, they're gonna stay behind and be miserable, and you're counting that as a win. I'm telling you, I think there's probably a way to support those people and let them feel like not only are they there by their choice, but it's a comfortable happy place to be. Yeah. Yeah. But I don't know.
Listen. I can make a joke here, but maybe if they had a cookie. You know what I mean? They...
Oh, boy.
Just chill out a little bit.
Oh, absolutely.
I don't know. I don't know them. I mean, maybe they... You know, they might be lovely people. Maybe they just come across poorly online or have...
You know? But I... I've intersected a few people over my over my time, and I thought, wow. That's aggressive.
I think it was also, like... I'm not saying everybody, but some of those parents truly viewed the success of their child's blood sugar as their own accomplishment. Oh. It's like almost, like, borderline narcissistic behavior.
That's... That I don't know about. That's a different problem. That that exists in all different spaces too. Also It does.
Also, the thing you just described, trust me, we could go to a guppy breeding Facebook group, and the same stuff would be going on. Like, I... I'm... I just picked the most ridiculous thing I could think of just now. There's a group of people out there somewhere, I guarantee you, who breed guppies, and they they probably have every one of these problems in the group.
I've purposely and painstakingly... Are you laughing about the guppy stuff? I've I've purposefully and painstakingly set up my Facebook group not to work that way.
Even... I... I'm not like... I don't read anything in the groups anymore. I don't go.
I don't feel like I really need it. I don't feel like I need the support. I don't feel like I need the information. All I do, if I need something, I just listen to the podcast. Yeah.
That's all.
Oh, listen. Also, I'd like to thank all those people for not knowing how to be open and and supportive because eventually, they all make it to me. Like, the... Yeah. Yeah.
So you're fine. Like...
I think they're secretly all listening.
I... Well, maybe it's their goal is to make everybody come to me. I don't know, but they're doing it. My group is so active. It's insane.
Like, when I tell people how... Like, when I tell people the activity level in that group, people who don't know what they're talking about are like, that sounds like a lot. People who are actually in that space, like, the the marketing people, which you can't market in a group, which is nice because then they... You know, you you actually... There...
That might be one of the things Facebook has right is you... Groups are not a place where you can market to people, which I think is Mhmm. Is good. But even when you just share it as, like, the the idea of, like, well, this is how many people the podcast reaches. This is how many people the Facebook group reaches.
This is kinda like the ecosystem of the... Of JuiceBox and what it touches. When you tell people who are in that in that, like, profession, they're like, I don't know how you have that much. How are you doing that? And, like, and how have you been keeping it going for so long?
Like, big secret. Make it a nice supportive place.
Mhmm.
Not that hard.
Exactly. It's not... It's really not that hard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's it. And and we probably...
As long as you're kind. As long as you're kind to people.
We've probably kicked out or banned fewer people than any group in Facebook. Like, I swear... Percentage of people who have been set... Have been told, you're not welcome back here versus the percentage of people that are there. It's insane how low the number is.
Aw. Yeah. Because we also rehabilitate people. Like, we'll be like, look. Hey.
Be cool. Like, what are doing? Just chill out. Like, you know, you don't you don't have to yell at everybody. Like, you don't to get upset.
And the people... And sometimes I get notes. People are like, oh, I'm not upset. I'm like, well, you should read what you wrote. It feels like you're upset.
You you you know? And then the... And other people are reading it that way. And you spend a couple minutes with people saying, like, maybe you're not communicating the way you think you are. And, you know, like, give that some consideration.
And then then if they don't, then kabam. They're gone. But, like, but you're not... And you're... It's not free speech.
You're not welcome to come into the middle of the party and sit on the floor and run away and laugh. Like, that's not okay. You you know what I mean? Like, if if that's what you're gonna do, then you get to leave. And, it's just not that hard.
Anyway, I I... There is a note in here from you. You didn't put a ton in your intake, but Mhmm. Did eating low carb cause an issue for a family member, not the type one? Mhmm.
Yes. What happened there?
So, I have an older daughter who is 16. She's turning 16 on Thursday, actually. So, and she was my, big time athlete. So she was, like, competing on national level, you know, traveling internationally. And she...
Well, first of all, right, I mentioned it earlier. It was in the environment that she was in. It was very toxic, very high pressure. She never struggled with weight. She was always very, very thin and athletic, but she was in the environment where her teammates were constantly scolded and body shamed, and it was awful.
The turning point39:28
So I think that was a really big trigger for her. But this... I'm not saying that the low carb triggered her eating disorder, but it certainly did not help when she started to struggle given the environment that she was in.
Oh, I'm sorry.
So, yeah, it was probably the turning point for me to move away from such a restrictive eating lifestyle. It was pretty scary. I I... I'd like to say that I caught it early. Thankfully, I have friends.
My... Actually, one of my best friends. She's very knowledgeable in that area, and she was like, Dee, she's, like, dying in front of you. Like, you need to do something. So she had gotten an injury at one point.
She broke her toe, and she started restricting her food intake. And it got to the point where she realized she was, like, crying on the floor to... Because her coach and I told her that she would need to gain at least two or three more pounds to be able to continue gymnastics. She was crying on the floor, bargaining with me. Could we make it only one pound instead of two...
Three pounds? So that's the time I knew that it was really bad. The next morning, I called Centers for Discovery. It's like an eating disorder center. And went through screening.
She had actually qualified to go into the residential care, but there was a two week wait for the spot. And I told her about it, and she started begging me, of course, not to send her there, that she was gonna turn things around, and she did. She did. So it's like operation feed Chloe. She...
I wouldn't I wouldn't say that you... I don't think that you ever get cured from it. It's it's a con... Constant work, but she's doing way better. She's not in that environment anymore.
She retired from her junior career last summer, and she decided not to go into the senior category. She went into a regular high school because both of them weren't homeschooled for a few years. She went into normal high school, and she's living the life. Wow. That's awesome.
That was pretty much the turning point for me because I'm like, okay. I'm trying to keep one child safe by restricting her food intake while I'm killing my other child by having this philosophy in our household. And here I am in the middle of it too, you know, struggling with how do I eat. You know? Like, I'm an early perimenopause, and I'm, like, having all this stress in life and having a hard time losing weight, and I'm super conflicted as to how I'm supposed to be eating.
Yeah. What's the right thing?
It's Sophie's choice. Yeah. Yeah. You're supposed to pick, like, one of them gets to be healthy is how it must have felt. Oh, jeez.
And then it's like, I think she just... I mean, I'm not saying that, you know, low carb triggered the whole thing. No. I it was mostly the environment. But when she would come home, you know, she she felt like carbs were bad.
Carbs were killing her sister. Mhmm. So, of course, you know, she developed this unhealthy relationship with with carbs as well. So not only she was restricting, but she was, like, eliminating carbs. You know?
She started ordering burgers without a bun. And I'm like, Chloe, why are you doing that? You don't have to do that. She's like, well, I don't wanna eat carbs. And it was probably because in her head, it was it was like poison.
Yeah. No. I I don't I don't not understand what you're saying. It's it's incredibly unfortunate, obviously, that that she maybe had a predilection to begin with and then all this got kinda wrapped around her and probably whisked her right away. You know?
It's Yeah. It's... Listen. You... Diabetes, I think, it it puts you in a bizarre relationship with food immediately.
A bizarre relationship with food43:50
Mhmm. Like, there's just... You know, food is now medicine. Food is now punitive. What'd you eat?
What'd you do? What happened here? Why is this number like this? You know what I mean? Like, that's...
You're gonna have a weird relationship with food one way or the other if you have type one diabetes. And and if you're on the, you know, if you're on the borderline of something like this to begin with, I think that's why, you know, eating disorders with type ones is is more prevalent, I think, than in the in the general population. And and so be aware of that. It's always sort of been my point. Like, you know, listen.
There are plenty of people who don't eat healthy. And if if you were a dietitian with a magic wand, there are plenty of people who you'd go, hey. Look. Don't eat that. What are you eating this for?
This is... Don't... That's not even food. Like, you know what mean? Like...
But but it's not it's not a thing you can just wave a magic wand at. If it was, the whole world would be healthy. We'd all be out jogging and eating the right amount of protein every day and the right amount of vegetables and all the, like, things that would be nice and balanced for our bodies, etcetera. Just stuff doesn't work that way. And I think what I did was I recognize is that that's not how people work.
You don't you don't just get to tell them this is the right thing to do and then they do it. So in the meantime, they still have to live their lives. And to me, the only thing that makes sense is understanding how to get your settings right and how to time insulin so that you have fewer spikes, fewer lows, more calm in your day, as much tranquility as possible so that you can kinda ride through this thing, whatever the hell this all is. You you know what I mean?
Yeah. And also knowing what to do at every given situation, that's... That that was the realization for me. I'm like, I don't know if Layla's gonna wanna be low carb when she grows up. She might as well...
She she might choose that lifestyle, but I've really wanted to give her an opportunity to learn everything. You know? I want her to know how to bring her blood sugar down, and we know. Like, she knows that a walk never fails. You know?
If we have a high that we can't bring down, she knows that if you just inject a little bit of insulin, drink water, and go for a fifteen minute walk, it never fails.
Here's what happens.
Always brings your blood sugar down. So I just want her to know all of those strategies and how to, you know, understand how insulin works, understand the nutrition, understand the exercise so that she could make the choice. The more you know, the better you're off in making those choices later in life.
I just always imagined, like, what if you what if you raised a child low carb and, you know, everything's fine and you're kind of in control of things so it's working. And like you said, there's a lot of pivoting and a lot of, like, how do you make sure there's something there when they needed it up, you know, at an event or something or out out to dinner or whatever. Imagine you send that kid off to college and you just got...
You don't know what to do.
And they... And you just, like, keep eating low carb. And one day they go, I'm gonna have pizza with everybody.
Uh-huh.
Imagine all the functional diabetes things that they don't understand now.
Yep.
Yeah. And and so I don't say that you can't go eat low carb at college. I say, what if that doesn't happen and now you don't have the skills and the understanding? Like, gather up the skills and the understanding and then go eat low carb if you want to. Like...
Or worse. You know, like, my mind catastrophes of things. I always think I'm like, what if there's, like, some sort of emergency or, like, some sort of catastrophe, right, in the world that happens?
You're a mom. Like, you you got a different you got a different gear than I'd have. Like, trust me. If it if it gets......
Is, like, you know, like bread. I wonder if
you know what to do for that bread.
Yeah. Listen. If zombies come and we're all stuck eating Wonder Bread, there's gonna be larger problems than your kid's
blood sugar.
You know what I mean? So... But but but I hear... I take your point. You know what I mean?
I Yeah. And I and I also think it's brave of you to come talk about this because I've seen that community be punitive to each other publicly before. And Yeah. And I I I think that's shameful, by the way. Anybody that...
I I literally heard stories about people having to get restraining orders against local Oh, god. Against people Wow. Online. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So imagine that. Imagine imagine that your your online crazy finds its way into the real world. Like, you're like, oh. Yeah.
It's happening.
Speak of mental health. I
mean, you know, it's a it's a strange... Or I've I've I've seen people told, like, directly online, you're gonna kill your kid, or you don't... Or or they call... Or they'll call me an insulin pusher or a carb
pusher or something like that.... Really harsh things.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, oh, wow. Jeez. You should find a therapist.
You know? Also, I know people who have that level of, like, energy, and I know other people that know them that say that... They'll say, look. These these are good people. They just...
They're very and then they can't find a word to describe it. Because they they know them and they like them, so they won't call them aggressive. They mean it.
They're passionate. They're, like, super passionate.
They call... They'll end up calling them passionate at the end. But if you... But you... That's not what they mean.
You can hear in the pause Yeah. What they mean.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So, anyway, like, I think
you guys have
a great message. I'd go deliver it better and stop stop making people have to get restraining orders.
Exactly. It's about the delivery. You're right. It's not so much about the message. It's just the the the style and delivery.
It's a great message.
Nicer.
I find it to be great...... Supportive.
I find it to be a great message. Lower lower intake of carbs means a lower amount of insulin, means less chance you're gonna get high. I say it. Like, I mean
Especially for kids. I think it works really well for little ones. You know? And I think that's kinda why a lot of parents kinda fall into that category.
Right. But you don't get to get out of pitchfork and chase me through the streets if my kid has a cupcake. Or I say online that, like, I was thinking of maybe, like, going to 40 cars a day Mhmm. Or whatever. I don't know.
I've I've seen it from afar. I've... You know, a couple of times, they've tried to bring it to my doorstep. I just... I I don't open the door.
I go whatever. What else do you wanna talk about? You got anything else?
Okay. So we looped for three years. You know, wonderful community. I found a mentor who essentially mentored me through looping from the low... Low carb community.
Nice. And
developed great friendship with her. So looping was amazing, which is why when my daughter told me this past December, she wanted to take a pump break. I freaked out. I thought it would only last for a couple of weeks, and then she would go back, but she's still MDI.
Still on injections, by choice50:54
Oh, good for her. And she found a nice rhythm with it? Is it working?
She did. She's wonderful. Her last a one c was 5.7.
Look at her.
And two weeks ago, we tried GLP.
Oh, yeah?
Yep. And I... I've been using GLP for nine months myself and have had amazing results with it. And I talked to Leila's endocrinologist, and I was like, I think she's incredibly insulin resistant, which she probably was. She was taking, like, fifty units of basal on top of probably closer to forty to 45, just like rapid insulin.
So she was... And she was still not super stable. Mhmm. Probably because of puberty and whatever. So her endo was super supportive, and we have an endo who is also type one herself.
So she's like, yeah. I've been taking GLP for two years, and I've had great success. And we injected Leila with her first GLP couple weeks ago.
Yep.
And, oh my god.
As a result,
I did not ex... I did not expect this.
What's the percentage decrease in insulin needs, do you think?
Well, we're still adjusting. Right? Because it's still... It's only been, like, a week and a half. Mhmm.
But she's now on 30 to 35 basal, and she barely has to even inject her food. Maybe one unit at a time for things like breakfast even. Yeah. That's something. Huge reduction.
Is she able to...... Not even done yet.
Is she able to eat? She's on a low dose, I imagine.
She is on a total of two milligrams so far, which might be a little too much because she is struggling with, like, her appetite.
Mhmm.
You know, she's like, I'm not hungry, especially in the mornings. So we might reduce it even more.
Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. Keep going. Get...
I think there'll be, not a doctor, not advice. I think there's a tipping point between hunger and impact on blood sugar. You'll be able to find it. Just keep kinda going down.
Hold on, Scott.
Let me, I think my AirPods died, and I need to put you on the speaker.
That's okay. You're fine with that.
One second. Do that. Can you hear me?
Yeah. Absolutely.
Okay. Sorry. My AirPods died.
No. You're fine. I... There's a... I think there's a balance point between hunger and insulin impact.
And Yeah. You just gotta keep going down, like, very slowly. I I don't know, like, what needles they gave you if it's milligrams at a time, but you could also try using, like, insulin needles so you can use less.
Yeah. I have insulin needles, insulin syringes, and vials of of that bound. So Yeah. We definitely have the flexibility of, her dose. Her end also told us to do microdosing.
So instead of injecting once a week, inject twice a week.
Oh, look at you. Your endo is using it herself. Right? Yep. Yep.
She knows. Okay. Yeah.
I She
knows. I'm I'm of that opinion to some degree too that you just Mhmm. There's in a way to impact the insulin resistance without impacting the hunger, and I think that that's where the answer is. It might be more frequent, much smaller doses. There's, there are studies going on right now about it for type ones.
So you'll see... You're gonna see hopefully better... I mean, god, I I I like to say that it's gonna come sooner or later, but it takes, you know, it takes forever for doctors to figure stuff out. But, like, eventually, you're gonna see better guidance on usage. I imagine that you'll see GLP usage for type ones be talked about more the way you talk about insulin dosing, which is there's an amount you need and a timing that...
That's right for it, and you'll find it at some point. Like, I I hope that's how it gets just, you know, at some point.
I hope so too. I'm super stoked that it worked so well for us. And, yeah, I'm I'm looking forward to to, finding our new settings and getting some stability, but I am super pleased. Super pleased.
How'd it work for you? I'll let you go in a minute. You're probably at work. But Nope. I'm good.
Oh, you're good? Okay. You said you started using it nine months ago?
Yep. Yep. I started using it nine months ago. And it's funny because when, I decided that I wanted to try it, I listened to a few episodes on your podcast. Like, let me let me hear what Scott has to say about that.
So after learning everything I wanted to learn about it and getting confidence in it, I, scheduled an appointment with my OBGYN, and she was incredibly supportive. She's like, yeah. You, you're not obese, obviously, so the insurance is not gonna cover it. So... But if you want, I could add you to, like, a direct to consumer program with Eli Lilly.
Her own GLP, and perimenopause56:12
And if you're willing to pay out of pocket, I'm willing to prescribe it to you. Mhmm. She's like, I feel very comfortable prescribing it to you because you already, you know, know the benefits of exercising. You eat well. And then perhaps this is just the boost that you need, considering that you might be in perimenopause and struggling with weight loss.
So I never, went above the starting dose. So two point five milligram was always the only dose I've taken. And I started GLP last September, and by December, I had already lost all the weight I needed to lose, which was 22 pounds.
How do you feel? Can you... Forget how you look, but how do you feel?
I feel great. I, you know, I... No. I was relatively healthy, so I don't know whether it made an impact on other parts of my body other than weight. But I I was lucky to not really experience any bad side effects from it.
Oh,
that's I do know. Just... I'm just so happy that I tried it.
So what do you think it changed for you? Just... Is it just hunger, or is it?
Yeah. I think hunger. The food noise, the hunger, definitely, that was probably the key to my weight loss.
Okay. That's awesome. Good for you. I... Yeah.
Yeah. I just... Do you sleep better? Is there anything else you got out of it? Or just...
Do you just feel better about yourself, which there's nothing wrong with that either? But
Yeah. I think I just feel better about myself. I... You know, like I said, it was all around the same time where I was figuring out my hormones. It was right around the same time I got on the, like, a estrogen patch.
So I don't know exactly what contributed to my sleep. I did struggle with my sleep. Uh-huh. But I don't know if it was the hormone or the GLP that contributed to the improvement. So, but, yeah, I feel great.
Yeah. I can tell you that my my wife uses... You know, she's using a patch, like, you know, for perimenopause and Mhmm. The GLP for, you know, similar ideas as yours. And, I mean, she's just, like, in a...
Such a different situation now. It's, it's really awesome.
It is. It's mentally amazing, and my joints don't hurt. But I think... I I don't know if it's GLP or the hormones, but I remember waking up in the middle of the night just, like, having pains in my hips and then my, like, elbows. It was, like, deep, deep, deep, deep.
It wasn't like muscle pain.
Yeah.
It was definitely a joint pain. So... And that's gone.
Yeah. Hey. Listen. Whatever. Right?
I... It's like, the better is
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I know people are like, well, what about this? What about that? I'm like, what about the other stuff?
I don't... I I never understand the idea of, like, we'll take the problem you know over a possibility of another issue because I don't even know what they're talking about. I... People are always like, well, it hasn't been out that long. I'm like, it's been out for a decade.
Like, what are you
talking about? Like Yeah. Exactly. It's been out for a long time.
Mhmm. You haven't known about it for that long. It doesn't mean that it hasn't existed. And, I... I'm excited for the next one, be perfectly honest.
That triple agonist that Lilly's putting out, I wish they would
Oh, really? I didn't hear about
that.
I can't pronounce it, but retruditide or red red... I don't know how to
say.... Do?
Well, they say that it's going to quell your hunger, but you can still eat. So right now with this one, it feel like I'm not hungry. Like, I Yeah. You know, and I don't... Like, I don't need to eat.
Like, I I will, but, like, I don't have to. Mhmm. This one, you're gonna lose weight but still be hungry. And it's gonna... I don't know if I wanna say promote muscle growth or or maintenance or whatever, but the...
I think the the muscle impact of it's supposed to be different. I don't understand why yet. I'm... I know it's in testing right now. I know that people are buying it gray market from overseas for a while now.
A lot of the, like, bodybuilder types and stuff like that have been using it for a while. I know people who are on it who are, like, you know, building muscle, losing fat, having all the other impacts that they're looking for. I mean, it's a it's a better living through chemistry world all of a sudden.
So I've always said that it would be nice if it wasn't, like, an extreme. Right? You're either not hungry at all for anything or you're eating... Like, it would be nice if you were hungry but hungry for good things.
Oh, yeah. Listen. If... And I agree, but it sounds like they might be getting to it. Like, it's Maybe.
Yeah. So, I mean
because I just want... Like, I wanna eat, like, normal stuff. I just want the food noise for all the crap to be gone. You know? Like, I just want...
Don't wanna be craving chocolate. Like, I don't wanna be craving cookies. Mhmm. But I certainly would wanna go and, like, be hungry for a good meal.
Can you take a bite of something now without eating... Like, that's what I find is that in in... Like, for a cookie or chocolate as your example, like, I could take a small piece of chocolate and eat it and go, oh, that was good. And then Mhmm. Walk on and keep going.
Yep. Yeah. Yep. Whereas before, you you might take two or three of them or that kind of an idea.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm still doing 2.5, and I feel like my body had probably gotten adjusted to it. I could probably go higher, because I definitely feel like my appetite is back. Not not, like, to the extent that it was before, but it...
It's definitely more... I feel more hungry than I felt when I started the 2.5.
Yeah.
But I don't wanna increase because I'm happy where I'm at. Like, I don't wanna have the side effects.
Also, is your weight changing with the hunger?
Yes. So, basically... So I started in September. I was, like, one fifty. I got down to, like, one twenty seven in December, and I was looking at myself in the mirror.
I'm like, okay. I gotta stop. Like, this is starting to look really unhealthy on me. Mhmm. So, that's when I started to to reduce the 2.5 to only, like, half, and, I felt better.
So I've gained about five pounds back, and it stopped.
Okay.
So I'm able to maintain that weight on the 2.5.
Yeah. I have to say, like, my lowest weight was... I don't even know what it was. But I I found... I don't know.
I found a balance with it. Like, I shoot a... I, you know, I do 12 and a half. And I can eat fine. I'm not hungry, but I can eat fine.
Like, I'm gonna go downstairs and eat and be very happy eating and all that stuff.
Mhmm. Mhmm.
But I did put a few pounds back, but I I don't see it. So my assumption is that it's muscle because, or, you know, just other... Or my body re... I've lost more weight than you have. So you're not gonna see, but I've watched my body, like, reshape itself for, like, the last two years.
Like, I... Like, like, my physical form keeps, like, morphing. And Mhmm.
And Do you still wanna lose more or you're at the point of I
have I have, what I would, like, describe as, like, a couple of handfuls of fat around my midsection
Mhmm.
That I don't think is gonna go away without, like, some aggressive, like, exercise that I don't seem capable of is what I'm feel like I'm learning. I actually just sent a note to my doctor yesterday and I said, I I would like to know if there's some sort of... You know, is there something I could be doing taking... I don't even care, you know, whatever to to kinda aid in this part of it because my exercise is not leading to gains. It's just leading to stability.
And it... I... You know, I'm pretty careful about how much protein I'm eating and stuff like that so I'm not at a deficit. And it's just like... I just...
I'm older. You know what I mean? Like, I'm not gonna...
Yeah. I was gonna say, what about the hormonal changes too?
Yeah. Exactly. Like, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna turn into, like, Lou Ferrigno nineteen eighty three out of nowhere.
Yeah. Without an extreme effort.
Yeah. Yeah. And so... And and and so, like, is there something... Because I'm also not looking to be like that, but I would like to be a little stronger and, like, just for, like, body stability as I get older, not that I'm having trouble now, but I'm trying to think about the future.
So I'm gonna go talk to the doctor and see what he says. I don't know what he'll say, honestly. I didn't give him any ideas. I was just like, is there anything I should be doing or could be doing?
Mhmm.
So we'll we'll wait and see. And I will a 100% try the the other offering from Lily as soon as I'm able.
Oh, yeah. That's interesting.
I'll give it a whirl.
I'm very curious now too.
Yeah. I'll give it a whirl. I don't care. I'm I'm in now. You know what I mean?
Like, I I... Yeah. You you you got...
I'm in for life.
Yeah. You got me. I'm a believer. So... Yeah.
I mean... Sure. Yeah. I... It's just stopped where Arden will text me pictures of myself fat.
Like, that... That's that's finally ended after after a couple of years of her being like, oh my god. Can you believe this is what it used to look like? I'm like, thanks. This is great.
That's on my phone too. So... But, anyway, I... Well, I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It's really, really lovely of you
to jump giving me the opportunity, and thank you for being there, and thank you for being you. You you... You've you've really saved my saved my life, I think, with the time.
Thank you. Well, I mean, listen. Anytime anybody wants to come on to talk about how fantastic I am, I think it's fun. You are. We should definitely
And I hope I I hope I get to meet you sometime in person. We'll see.
Where where could we do that? Are you... Like, you go to the events? Like, do you go to, like like, Friends for Life or ADA or anything like that?
Afrezza, and what it still lacks1:06:40
See, we just... Like, we've... We never did anything, really. We just, this year, started, like, participating in some things and some events and local events. Like, my daughter went to a diabetes camp for the first time ever this summer.
She went for a week
She liked it? To sleep away camp. Did she like it?
She loved it. Good. She loved it. Yeah. It was fantastic.
And, she... It's crazy because that was the week we were trying Afrezza.
Mhmm.
And, it's just like... It wasn't the right timing, but they, like, they were like, well, you have to stick with one insulin. You can't use injection and Afrezza. So poor thing had to, like, be on Afrezza the entire week, which was, hard because we hadn't figured it out. We Okay.
Went off of it because it didn't work for us at all.
I just interviewed somebody two days ago. 14 year old kid, he exclusively uses Afrezza. He loves it.
Funny. I forgot to mention it to you. But, yeah, we... I mean, me... Me...
Being me. Right? I try everything. I try everything that could possibly help us. But, yeah, we tried Afrezza.
I was, like, one of the first people. You know? As soon as it got approved for kids 17, I was like, yeah. I want this. So I made, like, a ton of phone calls, got our endo...
Endo prescribing and, you know, got... Insurance wasn't covering it, but they added us to this program, which we only beat, like, 35 for
To try
it. Afrezza. She tried it, and she developed a horrible cough, which was like... She was coughing really bad, and even her voice changed.
Oh, okay.
I wonder if it would be better now that her doses are super tiny because she was having to inhale a lot of powder.
How... What... Was she doing, like, a 12 for a food or a...
Yeah. She was doing eight and twelves.
This kid I just interviewed, he's like... He he said, I get up for breakfast. I do two twelves for breakfast. And if it goes up, I'll do, like, another four sometimes. He loves he loves...
It... It's just like everything else. It works for you or it doesn't. Or you know what mean?
It works really, really well and really fast. Mhmm. Like, if you are trying to bring the blood sugar down or if you're, like, drinking Jamba Juice or something that you need something super fast. But because she's eating relatively balanced meals, you know, where there's a lot of protein, a lot of vegetables, a lot of complex carbs, and she might have fruit or dessert after her meal, the timing... We just couldn't get the timing of those with Alphrezza.
It was working too fast for what she was eating.
Okay. Well, it's interesting. I mean, it is part of what I talked about with the person I interviewed is that, like, the one thing I think Alphrezza still lacks is a coat. Even people who use it and love it have a hard time about being coherent about explaining it. And and I think it just needs more people to have more experience with it so they can talk about it in ways that are ways that you can mimic and understand.
But right now, like, I told the person every time I hear somebody talk about Afrezza, feels to me like somebody's like, I don't know. There's a four and a two and an eight and a 12 and a... And I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about. And at my worst, it doesn't sound like you know what you're talking about. You just know that it works, and you figured out, like, a pattern, but, like, you're having trouble explaining it.
And... Yeah. Yeah. I just
think we need... I I know enough that it's, like, one to two match. So, like, if, you know, one unit of Reza is, like, equal to two units of injection, so we kinda won by that.
They also sounds like it didn't work for you.
I think it was the timing for us, to be honest with you. Not so much the dosing, but the timing.
Did she get high or low from it?
She would go super low, and then once a... Because Afrezza leaves your body super fast, and then she would start rising.
Okay. Because you try to catch the low, and then there was way too much.
Right. Right. So I'm like, do we just inhale after you're done? We've tried that too. So it was just...
We didn't have enough time to really
Pick through
it. Mess with it. She just developed this terrible cough, and she's like, I don't wanna do this anymore. So we still have it in our fridge for when we really need it. And I feel like for when you have a super sticky high, this is great.
Mhmm. But now that she's on GLP, don't think we will... Yeah. See that.... Ever gonna need it.
Yeah. No. I mean, you should see I mean, you should see Arden's graph on GLP. It's... I mean, I'm sure your daughter's looks very similar.
It's it's insane. I...
It's amazing. The first week when she injected her first GLP, she was obviously on a really high basal. She was she was still on, like, forty six units of basal. And then, like, the first twenty four hours, she did not have to dose for meals at all. Like, nothing.
She would be eating bananas, grapes, ice cream. Like, we were putting it through test. And it was amazing. She's like, I love this. But at night, she was dropping into forties, and I'm like, okay.
We have to start decreasing your basal.
Mhmm.
And as soon as we started decreasing her basal, you know, then that's when she needed a little bit of help with
It's it's... Mean, obviously, Arden's insulin needs change, and they'll... And they shift throughout the week too as the GLP, like, wanes. So that's where kinda being on, like, a system that is adjusting more with your needs is helpful. I I would tell you that I...
I've noticed that people in... Like, really in the know with type one who have some sort of Vinson resistance. If you ask them kinda quietly, how are you managing this? They have an AID system. They're using GLPs, and they're...
That's where they're getting these kind of, like, crazy outcomes from.
Oh, yeah. I just I just went to a happy hour organized by breakthrough t one d Mhmm. For the first time. I was just like, okay. I'm gonna go join and talk to these people.
I thought I was gonna show up and be like, guess what? You know? Like, we're having great results with GLP, and then they're all on GLP.
Yeah. Everybody's like, oh, yeah. Us too, honey.
Yeah. We've been on it for a couple of years.
We we heard that podcast too. We're good. Yeah. Exactly. Well, that's cool.
Like, it's it's nice to know that, like, people are learning about it and... Because it's gonna become commonplace. Mhmm. And and I'm excited for the people it's gonna help. It's not gonna...
It's not right for everybody. I know that for sure. Yeah. But when it works for people, it really works for them. So...
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Anyway... Alright. Well...
Russia's Russia's making their own GLP now, I find out.
Are they really?
Yeah. They're manufacturing manufacturing their their own own GLP. Well, because because nobody in Russia right now has access to even insulin. Really? That's that's produced in the market.
So they're producing their own insulin and their own GLPs, which insulin sucks, but GLP seems to be really good product.
Look at them getting on it. That's not... I... Listen. I I have a theory.
I think that... I think a generation from now I think a generation from now, you will... You you will be hard pressed not to know somebody who's not supplementing in that way somehow. And that I think it could fundamentally change a generation of people. Like, I've heard people make this argument.
It's a hard argument not to agree with. GLP could could change the health care system.
Mhmm.
It it really could. Like, when you look at all of what weight does to the body, you know, all its many forms and functions. Right? You... If you take a generation of people, have them lose weight, but moreover, not have them live a life where they're like Oreos, more Oreos, and then and then their kids don't grow up that way.
You could see a generation of people's children grow up with a firmer grasp of of their, you know, their their caloric needs, their their nutritional needs, etcetera. These drugs will probably continue to change to where, like you said, like, people will maybe be more hungry on them and at the same time be able to, like, you know, maintain outcomes. You have no idea what things could look like. Like, two two two two rounds of babies from now. You you know
what what's gonna happen to the food industry too. They're gonna have to adjust because nobody's gonna be buying as much crap.
Maybe there won't be as much money in poisoning us anymore. And then...
Exactly. Maybe they'll do something better for us.
Well, they'll just go out of business, take all their money, and and go away. But, like, at least they won't be making, you know, purple soda and green potato chips and everything or whatever else they're doing.
Right.
So, like, maybe... I actually think that that could easily be the case. I don't know that I'll live long enough to see it, but I think that's where it's going.
Yeah. It's wonderful.
Yeah. And now Russia's in on it too. I don't know how you're gonna make it through the winters without the extra, but whatever. Yeah. You're gonna have to develop GLPs and better heaters all at the same time.
We have fur. You
have to hold on for a second because you're gonna pronounce your name for me. So thank you for doing this. I really I really do appreciate it. Hold on one second. Something new just arrived from MiniMed.
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It's the meter my daughter uses. She has it on her right now, and you're one click away from having it too. And don't forget using juice box podcast links helps support the show. Friends, my diabetes pro tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward practical insights that truly make a difference. This series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin, dosing adjustments, or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control.
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