#1837 Chris vs. Life - Part 2
Chris shares how a supportive spouse helped modernize his 38-year diabetes journey. He also discusses overcoming childhood trauma , massive GLP-1 weight loss , and electric vehicles.
Companies that Support Juicebox
Key Takeaways
- A supportive partner can be life-changing: Having an engaged spouse step in to help navigate medical care and hold you accountable can be the exact catalyst needed to revamp decades of unoptimized diabetes management.
- CGMs eliminate excuses: Transitioning from traditional fingersticks (which are easy to avoid or dismiss) to a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) puts the data front and center, creating a strong sense of accountability and control.
- Childhood trauma impacts medical self-care: Past experiences like abandonment or a lack of support (measured by the ACEs quiz) can make asking for or accepting help in adulthood extremely difficult, even when it is desperately needed.
- GLP-1s offer massive systemic benefits: Beyond significant weight loss (like 58 pounds), GLP-1 medications can drastically improve insulin sensitivity, relieve sleep apnea, and fix diabetes-related joint issues like trigger finger.
- GLP-1 dosing must be precise: Taking too much of a GLP-1 medication can slow digestion excessively, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and chaotic delayed glucose spikes that make it seem as though insulin isn't working.
Resources Mentioned
- Bold Beginnings Series (Juicebox Podcast): juiceboxpodcast.com
- Medtronic Diabetes (MiniMed 780G & Instinct sensor): medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox
- Omnipod (Omnipod 5): omnipod.com/juicebox
- ABLE Now (Tax-advantaged savings accounts): ablenow.com
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
- Juicebox Podcast Private Facebook Group & Defining Diabetes Series
Introduction & Bold Beginnings
Scott Benner Welcome back, friends, to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Chris Hi. (0:15) My name is Chris. (0:16) Been a type one diabetic for thirty eight years, and I'm excited to talk to Scott.
Scott Benner This is part two of a two part episode. (0:25) Go look at the title. (0:26) If you don't recognize it, you haven't heard part one yet. (0:29) It's probably the episode right before this in your podcast player. (0:33) If you or a loved one is newly diagnosed with type one diabetes and you're seeking a clear practical perspective, check out the bold beginnings series on the juice box podcast. (0:42) It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal insight into type one. (0:50) Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. (0:56) You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate life with type one. (1:03) You can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box Podcast. (1:07) The bold beginnings series and all of the collections in the Juice Box podcast are available in your audio app and at juiceboxpodcast.com in the menu. (1:17) Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:22) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan.
Sponsors: Medtronic, Omnipod, and ABLE Now
Scott Benner Today's podcast episode is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed seven eighty g system and their new sensor options, which include the Instinct sensor made by Abbott. (1:44) Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed seven eighty g system? (1:48) You can do that at my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. (1:53) Today's episode is also sponsored by Omnipod. (1:57) Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:03) You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. (2:10) Go check it out. (2:11) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:13) Terms and conditions apply. (2:15) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:20) The podcast is also sponsored today by ABLE Now, tax advantaged savings accounts for eligible individuals with disabilities. (2:29) If you or your child lives with diabetes, you may qualify for an ABLE account because of ongoing medical needs, and many people in the diabetes community do. (2:37) With ABLE now, you can save for future expenses without affecting eligibility for certain disability benefits such as Medicaid. (2:44) Learn more and check your eligibility at ablenow.com. (2:48) You spell that ablenow.com.
Transitioning Careers and Finding Support
Scott Benner How was the transition to being a normie? (2:56) How did that go?
Chris I liked it, but it was rough.
Scott Benner Why?
Chris I enjoyed the adrenaline rush of doing something and working on a car, something mechanical or something, and watching it perform and watching it win and have everybody happy was extremely gratifying.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Chris And it makes all that hard work. (3:22) I mean, the hard the the amount of hours isn't is endless, basically. (3:27) Yeah.
Scott Benner So So all the ups and downs and the hard work and the hustling, it's all, like, feeding, like, the adrenaline junky part of
Chris it? (3:37) Correct. (3:38) Yep. (3:38) Yeah.
Scott Benner Yeah. (3:40) That doesn't happen when you're taking out the trash. (3:42) You can't you can't gamify that?
Chris Well, if, you know, if if the trash bag is overly stuffed, the amount of nerves that it is to getting it through the kitchen and into the garage and the trash can before it ruptures is kind of a rush.
Scott Benner It's like, I don't wanna wipe the floor. (3:59) Don't wanna wipe the floor.
Chris Please open. (4:01) Please open. (4:02) God.
Scott Benner Well So yeah. (4:04) So what helped you through that? (4:05) The nice lady, her kids? (4:07) Like, where where did you get your comfort from? (4:12) Her.
Chris Yeah. (4:14) She was a I can't speak enough about her. (4:20) She was the absolute perfect thing at the right time, and it's exactly what she and I needed.
Scott Benner Yeah. (4:27) You guys are together still?
Chris You're still together? (4:29) Yeah. (4:31) Your anniversary this last month.
Scott Benner Oh, congratulations. (4:36) Happy anniversary.
Chris Thank you.
Scott Benner Oh, yeah.
Chris And I'm a stepdad now, and I'm raising teenagers that are driving, and the amount of nerves there is quite
Scott Benner It's it's something else out there.
Chris I don't fear for the I fear for the neighborhood as long as him, as well as him too. (4:52) You know? (4:52) It's but it's a thing, and my wife is she's in the medical industry and has grasped my diabetes and accepted the challenge more than I've ever expected a single person to. (5:08) She is on it.
Scott Benner Yeah. (5:12) Yeah. (5:12) Wow.
Chris She got me well, I didn't have any insurance yet, but she got me into, like, a cash pay kinda doctor.
Scott Benner Right.
Chris And then we started playing around with insulin and doing this and that.
Scott Benner Did you have I
Chris have a Did you Sorry.
Scott Benner Did you have to ask her to get involved, or did she
Chris No. (5:28) Jump in? (5:29) Nope. (5:30) She jumped in and said, you are not managing your disease like you should be, and I am going to do it whether you like it or not.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris And I can't and I and I I fight her sometimes. (5:41) Sometimes it's just really annoying, but I can't say she's wrong.
Scott Benner Well, my question here was, around that is, did it feel comforting to have a female presence interested in you, or was it hard to accept?
Chris It was hard to accept just because of I wanted to be able to do it on my own, but then again, I needed the help at the time.
Scott Benner Yeah. (6:06) So you you knew enough that you needed the help, and you had practice taking help from your father when you had your your other problem. (6:12) Right? (6:13) So you you were able to give yourself over to it. (6:15) And has that gotten easier, and does it feel more supportive and mutual now than it did
Chris Yes. (6:21) Yeah.
Scott Benner How long do you think it took you to to get through that part?
Chris I mean, it took I would say about a year. (6:30) Okay.
Scott Benner That's a pretty fair amount of time.
Chris Yeah. (6:33) I mean, because it was you know? (6:34) And it was hard to accept it, but I knew it. (6:37) But then I was like, well, you know what? (6:39) I've I've made it this far, and that wasn't really the answer. (6:43) So it's like I said, it's been a lifesaver. (6:47) She's just between us listening to your podcast and trying to figure out all the stuff and me playing around with insulin
Scott Benner Things have really changed.
Chris Things have really changed. (7:00) I have a really good job now that I'm basically an eight to five guy. (7:05) The health insurance is phenomenal. (7:07) Awesome. (7:08) Awesome. (7:09) So I have I open my refrigerator every once in a while and just look in there and be like, wow.
Scott Benner Look at all that insulin. (7:15) Look at all
Chris that that I got in there. (7:17) And it's great because it's just been a I've got pretty much everything I need.
Scott Benner Right. (7:22) That's awesome.
Childhood Trauma and The ACEs Quiz
Chris Hey. (7:24) Before before
Scott Benner we kinda dig into this part and go forward, going back, if you can Uh-huh. (7:31) Give advice to the 10 year old you, the the you that left the house, like, the the you that did the drugs, like, is the advice all the same? (7:42) Is there something about your reaction to things? (7:46) Or do you know what I'm saying? (7:48) Like, is is there, like, a a key takeaway from from these experiences, or or do you think that they've all been different in some way?
Chris I think they've all been a little different. (7:58) The the biggest issue that I'm I still battle today is the abandonment. (8:03) Yeah. (8:04) And it was really hard to say 10 year old me, hey. (8:07) You know, stick it out when the people that you're supposed to lean on aren't there. (8:14) Mhmm. (8:15) So that's, you know, that's kind of difficult, and it there's been some bumps with with my wife and I now that just is just basically my history.
Scott Benner What comes to get you?
Chris Asking for help. (8:32) Okay. (8:33) Asking for help is a difficult one for me because I never had I always had to do it on my own. (8:39) Right. (8:40) So now it's like this person wants to help me. (8:42) Well, okay. (8:43) Yeah. (8:43) Honey, I get it, but you also have your life and these three little people, their life, and I don't want you to have to do this now. (8:55) You know? (8:55) So that's what our big bump is sometimes, but we're getting through it.
Scott Benner I am not a therapist. (9:00) I think that's obvious for anybody that listens, but I think that has something to do with you not valuing yourself enough to believe that her time her time is is worth putting on you.
Chris Right. (9:11) Exactly.
Scott Benner Yeah. (9:11) Then you overvalue the kids and her other things more than you do yourself. (9:16) And you're getting through that?
Chris Yeah. (9:18) Exactly. (9:18) Yeah. (9:18) We're getting through it. (9:19) It's it's starting to come around, but it's been a tough one.
Scott Benner There's gotta be a reason though that this has been offset. (9:25) Yeah. (9:25) I mean, I assume you've heard me talk about, like, that aces quiz before. (9:28) Right? (9:28) So, like yeah. (9:29) So let's do it real quick because I wanna find out what offset it for you. (9:33) Did an an adult often swear at you, insult you, humiliate you? (9:37) This is prior to being 18.
Chris Yes.
Scott Benner Yes. (9:40) Did an adult often push, grab, slap, or throw things at you? (9:44) No. (9:45) No. (9:45) Did an older person ever touch you fondle you sexually? (9:49) No. (9:50) Did you often feel no one in your family loved you? (9:54) I I can answer this one for you. (9:55) Loved you or thought you were special. (9:57) Yes. (9:57) Did you often feel you didn't have enough to eat or that no one protected you?
Chris Yeah. (10:03) Sometimes.
Scott Benner Mhmm. (10:04) Were your parents ever separated or divorced? (10:06) Yes.
Chris Yep.
Scott Benner Was your mother or stepmother often hurt or physically threatened? (10:12) No. (10:13) No. (10:14) Did you live with anyone who used drugs or was an alcoholic?
Chris Technically, when I was out of high school, yes. (10:19) But not before you were 18, like, parent or No. (10:22) Not a parent or nothing like that. (10:23) No.
Scott Benner Is the household member depressed, mental ill, or suicidal? (10:27) Nope. (10:28) No? (10:28) And did a household member go to prison? (10:32) No. (10:32) No. (10:33) I didn't hear you mention that. (10:34) Now these are the positive ones. (10:36) Could you talk to your family about your feelings? (10:40) No. (10:40) No. (10:42) Did your family stand by you during difficult times? (10:45) No. (10:47) Did you enjoy participating in community traditions?
Chris I guess so. (10:55) Yeah.
Scott Benner Alright. (10:56) Did you feel a sense of belonging in high school? (11:00) No. (11:01) Did you feel supported by your friends before before you were eighteen eighteen and under?
Chris Yeah. (11:09) A little bit. (11:10) I had some pretty good friends. (11:11) Mhmm.
Scott Benner Had at least two non parent did you have at least two non parent adults who took a genuine interest in you? (11:19) Yes. (11:20) Did you feel safe and protected by an adult in your home?
Chris Yes.
Scott Benner Yeah. (11:28) So you have four you have four you you check four boxes on the aces side, but you also check four boxes on the paces side. (11:36) You had as many positive influences as you had negative is the idea. (11:40) Because I'm sitting here talking to you, and I'm thinking, you shouldn't be as okay as you are. (11:46) So what so that's why Yeah. (11:47) That's why I went through the the stuff to figure out, like, what what was the good stuff that happened to you. (11:51) And I think when you listen to it, you would think something magical would have to happen. (11:56) But just did you have friends in the high like, in high school? (11:59) Like, did you like, those things are really important to a to a growing mind. (12:03) And so and so you had enough, I think, again, not a therapist, but it you had enough stuff go right that it gives you a chance. (12:12) And then along the way, people step back up for you. (12:16) Dad steps up for you to an important moment. (12:18) You get a job that you can kinda put your, you know, your your effort into for a long time that you enjoy. (12:24) You're able to break away when you find yourself drinking more. (12:27) Yep. (12:28) You know? (12:28) And then you meet this this woman who's your who's your wife now who's accepting of you and patient, and you found a reason to give away that other stuff to do this other thing. (12:38) Like, there's a lot of good decisions in there for you as well. (12:41) Like, I I'm not taking it from you. (12:42) You've done a lot of you've made a lot of good decisions along the way in interspersed into a couple of bad ones. (12:48) But it would be it's an easy argument to say that your bad ones are more stuff you were forced towards, and your good ones were purposeful things you did to get away from them.
Working in the EV Industry & Starting Modern Diabetes Care
Chris Yeah. (12:58) Yeah. (12:58) That's interesting. (12:59) What are you doing now for like, what kind of work are you doing?
Scott Benner I said you did a good job.
Chris I'm still working on cars, but it's, for a electric car company in in the South.
Scott Benner Oh, oh, that's very cool. (13:12) How south? (13:12) Like, near Mexico South? (13:14) Texas. (13:14) Yeah. (13:14) So, like, so, like, Tesla. (13:17) You don't wanna say?
Chris No. (13:19) It's not Tesla.
Scott Benner Oh, then it's Rivian. (13:21) Right? (13:21) I I don't wanna ask you. (13:22) Okay. (13:22) Never mind.
Chris It is. (13:23) Yeah. (13:23) Okay.
Scott Benner Yep. (13:25) Oh, well, that oh, that's cool. (13:27) I have so many questions about that. (13:28) It'll be that hopefully, we'll have a little time to get to. (13:31) So you meet her.
Chris I I have a funny reference. (13:33) Go ahead. (13:34) If you if you work for Tesla, you get Mounjaro. (13:38) If you work for Rivian, you get Zepbound.
Scott Benner You're trying to tell me one of them has better insurance than the other? (13:45) Yes.
Chris I am.
Scott Benner It's funny. (13:53) Let's talk about that. (13:54) Let's get let's go present day to you pulling yourself together, like, diabetes wise. (14:00) Like, I know you looks like you did you're gonna talk about GLPs and some other stuff. (14:06) Like, where does your journey begin? (14:08) Like, what what's the first I I know how the decision's made. (14:11) This lady grabs you by the face and goes, listen. (14:13) I'm counting on you now. (14:14) Let's try not to die. (14:16) Right. (14:16) Yeah. (14:16) I that's really I know that's what they're thinking. (14:18) And they think I think that's what my wife is thinking every time she looks at me. (14:21) Like, look. (14:22) I've thrown in with you. (14:23) Don't screw me over. (14:24) Okay?
Chris Right. (14:25) Yep.
Scott Benner What's step one? (14:28) As I told you earlier, Able Now is sponsoring this episode. (14:32) Able Now, of course, tax advantaged Able accounts for eligible individuals with disabilities. (14:37) If you or your child lives with diabetes, you may qualify for an ABLE account because of ongoing medical needs. (14:43) Many people in the diabetes community do. (14:45) With ABLE now, you can save for future expenses without affecting eligibility for certain disability benefits such as Medicaid. (14:51) And thanks to updates to federal law, ABLE accounts are now available to more people than ever before. (14:58) That means more individuals and families can use ABLE now to save and invest. (15:03) Funds in an ABLE now account can be used for a wide range of everyday needs, including education, transportation, health care, assistive technology, and more. (15:13) There's no enrollment fee, and you can open an Able Now account with a small initial contribution and build from there. (15:19) Learn more and check your eligibility at ablenow.com. (15:23) That's ablenow.com, ablenow.com. (15:29) Unlike other systems that will wait until your blood sugar is a 180 before delivering corrections, the MiniMed seven eighty g system is the only system with meal detection technology that automatically detects rising sugar levels and delivers more insulin as needed to help keep your sugar levels in range even if you're not a perfect carb counter. (15:51) Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes and their MiniMed seven eighty g system, which gives you real choices because the MiniMed seven eighty g system works with the Instinct sensor made by Avid as well as the Simplera Sync and Guardian Force sensors, giving you options. (16:11) The Instinct sensor is the longest wear sensor yet, lasting fifteen days and designed exclusively for the MiniMed seven eighty g. (16:20) And don't forget, Medtronic diabetes makes technology accessible for you with comprehensive insurance support, programs to help you with your out of pocket costs, or switching from other pump and CGM systems. (16:33) Learn more and get started today with my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox.
Chris When I start with, actually, I used to work for the other company you mentioned, so we'll start there. (16:44) I started working at Tesla and made my appointment for my endo. (16:51) All went through, and I'm like, okay. (16:53) I haven't been to an endocrinologist and you name it. (16:57) I don't know how long it's been. (16:59) It's been a really long time. (17:00) I was terrified. (17:01) Wow. (17:01) He did a a one c on the with a finger stick, which isn't really that accurate, but it's gets you on the window. (17:09) And I think it was six. (17:13) So he's like, okay. (17:15) We're gonna give you it's called the Dexcom. (17:17) Do know what that is? (17:18) And I go, no idea. (17:19) So nurse came in and goes, wham, slammed it in my belly. (17:21) That was a g six, and I was blown away. (17:26) I'm like, I have my blood sugar on my phone. (17:28) Yeah. (17:29) Look, I just I couldn't like, I was like a kid. (17:33) It was I was just like, this is incredible.
Scott Benner Yeah. (17:36) No. (17:36) I know. (17:36) Yeah. (17:37) It really is. (17:38) I'm sorry. (17:38) When you were going to the doctor, you hadn't been there for so long. (17:41) What was that like, because you had to overcome some feeling. (17:45) Was it embarrassment? (17:46) Were you ashamed? (17:47) Like, were you Yes. (17:48) Were you worried you were gonna and the doc the the doctor handled it well, though, it sounds like.
Chris He handled it okay. (17:53) Yeah.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris He basically said, let's get you on insulin that I think is gonna work for you, and then let's get you on a basic you know, let's try and work all these things out and how you you know, your basal and your all that kind of stuff. (18:09) Let's get this worked out, I wanna see you back in, you know, a couple months, and then we'll do it again and do it again. (18:14) And then he actually relocated, and I got to another endo, which I am with now, and he's amazing.
Scott Benner Yeah. (18:22) So so this guy was enough to know so did he move you off a regular in Miles per hour? (18:28) Yes. (18:28) Wow. (18:29) But that must have fried his mind. (18:30) Imagine you you were looking at the CGM going like, this is amazing, and he's probably looking at you going like, I can't believe this guy's standing up.
Chris He's going, what that? (18:37) What in that? (18:38) Where the hell have you been? (18:39) I go, I've been hiding in a hole, I guess. (18:41) So
Scott Benner I was in a porta potty.
Chris I was in a porta potty. (18:44) You're trying to trying to draw two vials of insulin up.
Scott Benner This lady over here, she, she came and got me. (18:51) Yeah. (18:52) Yeah. (18:52) Yeah. (18:52) But you I'll tell you what. (18:54) That's gonna be that's gonna be end up being your luckiest role there probably is is reconnecting with her. (19:00) Right? (19:00) So Yep. (19:01) So okay. (19:02) So you get going with the first guy, but then what makes you switch to another doctor?
Chris He moved. (19:07) He that one at the time was relocating to another part of town and it was way too far. (19:12) So this guy that I'm with now was recommended, and the waiting list was quite high. (19:17) But I got in, and he's just phenomenal. (19:21) So I'm just like, look, this is at the time, I had different insurance. (19:24) So this is what we're gonna try and do. (19:26) And Mhmm. (19:26) I'm gonna get you on Mounjaro, and then we're gonna do Mounjaro. (19:29) And I want you to try let's try NovoLog, and then we'll try Tresiba. (19:35) And I'm like, okay. (19:36) Great. (19:36) So then I start doing all these things, and he goes, this you only have to do one time, and I was blown away that the the base will only had to do it one time. (19:44) So he's like, you only have to do this one time a day and then we're gonna look at this and then here's this and carbs and all that kind of stuff. (19:50) And and my wife once again grabbed all the paperwork right out of my hand and said, got this. (19:55) And
Scott Benner The kids like this guy. (19:56) We're gonna do it. (19:57) Don't worry.
Chris Yeah. (19:58) Let's keep this guy. (19:59) Yeah.
Scott Benner What Chris, do you not have the Internet? (20:02) How did you not, like, look into this sooner?
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Discovering CGMs and the Juicebox Podcast
Chris I've just never knew about it, Scott. (21:09) I never I mean, I knew there was other things, and I looked at these things that were called pens, and I was like, that seems weird. (21:15) You put a needle on it, and how do you I don't know. (21:18) It seems kinda and I was just so stuck in my ways for thirty five years that I it's just all I did.
Scott Benner You really are thirty eight years into diabetes, three years into modern care. (21:30) Yep. (21:31) Yeah. (21:31) Wow. (21:31) That's so interesting. (21:32) Okay. (21:33) So spend one more minute on what it's like to see your blood sugar on a CGM.
Chris So all of my diabetic friends that I know, there's only a few of them, I was just blown away. (21:45) I'm like, look what I can do. (21:46) I can got this number in it. (21:47) It's going up and down, and I can and I can share it. (21:50) Oh, god. (21:51) I'm gonna I knew who I'm gonna share it with, and I shared it with the wife, and now we're good with that. (21:55) And it it I was just blown away.
Scott Benner Did it seem like beyond the magical part of it, did it just seem like a safety element to you? (22:02) Did you were you looking at it initially? (22:04) It's like, oh, I'm gonna be able to, like, better my management with this, or you didn't think about it that way?
Chris No. (22:08) I did. (22:09) I was like, this is I have no excuse now. (22:11) It's a number that is posted on my phone.
Scott Benner Gotcha.
Chris I I can't I can't argue. (22:16) So now is the time to to get after it and sort through it.
Scott Benner So when you're finger sticking, if you want to consciously, subconsciously ignore it, you can say, well, I don't have time to finger stick and therefore, I don't know what the number is. (22:29) So then therefore, I don't have to do anything about it. (22:31) Correct. (22:32) Yeah. (22:32) You can kind of, like, give yourself a a a free pass whenever you need to.
Chris It's easier to dismiss it.
Scott Benner It's easier to dismiss it. (22:38) Okay. (22:39) So now it's in your face. (22:40) It's and and you've made a decision to do better. (22:42) He's put you on this new insight. (22:43) Did it wait. (22:44) I feel like some I get embarrassed sometimes because I feel like I'm asked I don't wanna ask a question that it feels like I'm leading you to say, well, you, Scott. (22:51) But, like, how do you learn how to use all that insulin? (22:53) How does she learn about it? (22:55) Like, where do you get that information from?
Chris She spent a lot of time on the Internet trying to figure out what I played around a little bit with the rapid acting. (23:09) I found some that I liked and some that didn't quite work very well, and we were trying to figure out the curves and how, like, how these insulins actually work. (23:17) And and it was a big learning experience for both of us. (23:20) And to be quite honest, once I found your podcast, it was like, this is how and, like, somebody would name off insulin, and I'm like, I would, like, back it up, and I would play it again. (23:30) I'd write that down. (23:32) Yeah. (23:32) Okay. (23:32) So we need to look at this insulin later. (23:34) And then what was it? (23:35) Person's taking this. (23:36) Okay. (23:36) Let me try that. (23:37) And and I I was, like, really enjoying the fact that I had access to all of this stuff now, and I wanted to make sure I was on the right stuff.
Scott Benner Doing what you should doing everything you were able to do.
Chris Doing what you should be. (23:48) The pre bolus. (23:49) I mean, all the little things that you point out that is I just never knew.
Scott Benner Yeah. (23:55) You and I appear to get along well. (23:56) So do you like listening to me, or is it more about just the information and the people stories?
Chris I think that your personality is very similar to mine.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris And and you just you're easy to listen to, and you're straight to the point. (24:10) You don't BS, and that's kinda
Scott Benner Okay. (24:13) You could see you could see us in one of those bars after one of those races together.
Chris Yeah. (24:18) I wouldn't For sure.
Scott Benner I wouldn't be drinking, Chris, but I would hang out.
Chris Yeah. (24:21) That's fine. (24:22) Yeah. (24:22) Yeah. (24:22) We could talk about chameleons.
Scott Benner I'll tell you. (24:25) When we first started recording today, I I don't wanna tell oh, Chris. (24:30) I I had a I haven't talked about this yet. (24:33) My first chameleon, my veiled chameleon passed away a little while ago.
Chris Okay.
Scott Benner Yeah. (24:38) And she lived, over three years, which in the, you know, in the wild is what you would expect. (24:43) In in captivity, you would have expected more, but she she was never able to pass her her eggs. (24:50) Like, no yeah. (24:51) No matter what we did, like, I you know, and how I set her up, she just didn't feel comfortable. (24:56) And so she'd hold her eggs in. (24:58) I think she reabsorbed them over and over again. (24:59) And one time, I think she just couldn't, and she passed. (25:02) Yep. (25:02) I was left with a lot of space. (25:05) And after some thinking and doing, I expanded again. (25:09) I guess I didn't really expand because I went backwards one and forwards one. (25:13) But I got something called a yellow tree monitor. (25:16) She is awesome. (25:19) Yeah. (25:20) So when we were first recording, there was this big, like people might call them tomato worms, but, like, a big green hornworm was in there with her.
Chris And just
Scott Benner and just as you and I were beginning to talk, she noticed it was in there, Just wandered over to it, flicked it with her tongue a couple times. (25:34) I was like, oh, that is what I think. (25:35) And then she grabbed it and murdered it. (25:38) And I got to watch that while we were starting to record. (25:41) Been the highlight of my day so far. (25:42) You and your story in our conversation.
Chris I had a I had a couple of panthers growing up, so I had a couple of panther chameleons growing up. (25:49) And
Scott Benner Yeah. (25:49) Did you really? (25:50) Yeah. (25:50) I
Chris have They're a amazing animals. (25:52) I love them. (25:52) They're so cool.
Scott Benner Yeah. (25:53) My I have a blue and banjo, and he's just awesome. (25:56) Who, by the way, I I bought from a from a company in out of Boston called Fram's Cams. (26:03) Uh-huh. (26:04) They had someone in their family diagnosed last year. (26:07) Oh, wow. (26:08) Of all the crazy things. (26:09) I have two chameleons in this room, and the people who bred both of them have a child with die type one diabetes, Interesting. (26:16) Which is completely not on purpose. (26:18) Just, an odd coincidence. (26:21) I mean,
Chris you guys can trade care.
Scott Benner Well, we've it's nice. (26:25) We may we have a little relationship now. (26:26) She's probably listening right now. (26:27) Like, hi. (26:28) You know, like that, you know, that kind of stuff is really interesting. (26:31) Anyway anyway, I'm so sorry. (26:32) So here you are now using a fast acting insulin. (26:36) You've got one that you've chosen. (26:38) You're listening to the podcast. (26:39) You're learning how to learning what? (26:42) You're learning how to think about insulin. (26:45) Like, what's the step that gets you? (26:46) Because your a one c is what now? (26:49) What do you have here in your notes? (26:51) Five and a half? (26:52) Is that right? (26:54) Right?
Chris Yeah. (26:55) Actually, I'm I'm a five three now. (26:58) I just went to my end of the other day. (26:59) So I'm
Scott Benner You're using a
Chris I'm not using a pump. (27:03) I'm still MDI. (27:04) Only reason why is because I'm always I'm always leaning, climbing, and doing things very physical, and I'm very I already lose Dexcoms looking at them. (27:16) So I'm trying to I my my next step is a pump, but I'm still I wanna fine tune the MDI to where I feel like I know exactly what I'm doing before I
Scott Benner Yeah. (27:29) Once you understand how the insulin's really working, you feel like maybe you can try it. (27:32) Okay. (27:33) And I'm sorry. (27:34) At five three, first of all, congratulations. (27:36) That's just insane.
Chris Especially your fault.
Scott Benner Yeah. (27:39) I'll take I will take credit for that for sure.
Finding the Right GLP-1 Dose and Massive Weight Loss
Chris Yep.
Scott Benner When do you ask about the GLP in your journey with the the second endo?
Chris So with the second endo, I was I was a little on the heavy weight side. (27:50) Nothing crazy, but just enough to where he's like, hey. (27:53) You know, this might help you more ways than one. (27:56) And I'm like, well, I I'll take it. (27:58) You know? (27:58) And at that time, it was Mounjaro.
Scott Benner Right.
Chris Actually, I started with Ozempic first. (28:05) Didn't get I got think I think I got two doses in with that, and I'm like, hey. (28:09) I wanna I wanna do this one. (28:10) He's like, okay.
Scott Benner Why'd you move you changed because of the of the GIP, GLP you wanted? (28:16) Correct.
Chris Yeah. (28:17) I think it was just a better choice. (28:19) Okay. (28:20) And so I got on the Mounjaro, and, man, just the insulin sensitivity, the aches and pains, the sleep apnea, the blood pressure. (28:34) I used to have what they call trigger finger.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Chris I apparently, it's a diabetes thing. (28:40) It it your joints kinda lock up.
Scott Benner It is. (28:43) Yeah.
Chris That's completely gone. (28:46) Dealing with that and getting up to I think I got up to ten milligrams on Mounjaro, and then I switched jobs. (28:53) Then I went to a different kind, which is Zepbound.
Scott Benner Now I Zepbound and Mounjaro are the same exact yeah. (29:02) Same exact molecule. (29:03) So okay.
Chris Zepbound ten milligram, I started to gain weight.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris So I went to twelve. (29:15) And my endo is like, sometimes he said, I don't know if this is the case. (29:20) We're gonna have to try it. (29:21) Sometimes you can, this is my my nurse wife, figure this out. (29:28) Too much GLP can can cause you if you overdo it, it can make it does opposite effects.
Scott Benner Okay. (29:38) No one's ever said that to me before, but that's okay.
Chris There's something if you look it up, and I can't remember what she said, but, basically, if if it's too much, it will cause your blood it'll cause you to god. (29:52) Yeah. (29:53) I should've wrote this down. (29:55) Anyway, so what he did was he brought me back down to 10.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris And I'm more responsive with 10.
Scott Benner Okay. (30:04) Awesome.
Chris And and I don't and I can't there's a there's a reason for it. (30:08) I wish I would have looked it up because I figured you would know it.
Scott Benner I'm looking right now.
Chris But there's some I can't remember what it does, but if you have too much of the GLP, it can cause
Scott Benner Your stomach slows too much and throws off the glucose curve?
Chris That's what it is. (30:22) So I'm not digesting like I should be.
Scott Benner Appetite. (30:26) Okay. (30:26) So our overlords say the following. (30:29) It tells you obviously what GLP is supposed to do, slows down stomach emptying, increases insulin when glucose is present, lowers glucagon, reduces appetite, improves satiety. (30:39) What happens when you use too much? (30:41) This is in quotes. (30:42) Stomach slows too much instead of smooth glucose curves. (30:45) You can get food sitting in the stomach too long, nausea, reflux, vomiting, delayed glucose spikes that look like insulin isn't working. (30:53) For someone using insulin, that can feel kinda chaotic like you're bolus, nothing happens. (30:58) Three hours later, your glucose jumps up. (30:59) That makes sense. (31:00) That's not the insulin failing. (31:02) It's the timing getting weird, it says. (31:04) Appetite suppression can become counterproductive. (31:08) Usually too little. (31:09) You'll be under fueled, which might lead to a cortisol rise. (31:13) You could feel fatigued and then binge later. (31:16) And excess GI stress raises stress hormones, impacts glucose control, increase insulin resistance, persistent nausea, or dehydration if you cause that. (31:26) Yep. (31:27) It says so paradoxically, feeling awful from too much GLP effect can worsen blood sugars. (31:32) And then a rare but real pancreatic or gallbladder strain, which is not what was happening to you.
Chris No. (31:38) Yeah. (31:38) Yeah. (31:38) Yeah. (31:39) It's basically my insulin sensitivity just Could
Scott Benner was like slowed your digestion down too much. (31:44) Yes. (31:45) And your wife figured that out again?
Chris She did. (31:48) Because because the I know. (31:50) My so I did change brands of of of rapid acting. (31:55) I went from Fiasque to Lunjev.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Chris And I'm like, this Lunjev isn't working. (32:01) Like, nothing like, I'm just I don't know what's going on. (32:05) I'm gaining weight and this and that. (32:06) I'm starting to get kinda tired. (32:08) I haven't been like that in a really long time. (32:10) So she she got it. (32:12) We went down to 10, and I think we're
Scott Benner You're where you wanna be.
Chris Where I wanna be.
Scott Benner Yeah. (32:17) How much weight did you lose?
Chris 58 pounds.
Scott Benner Awesome, man. (32:24) Congratulations.
Chris Yeah. (32:25) I was, at the height of my end of my racing career, I was two hundred and sixty something pounds, and now I'm just about two zero nine.
Scott Benner How tall are you? (32:35) Two
Chris Six foot.
Scott Benner Okay. (32:37) That's it. (32:38) It's not a bad weight then right there.
Chris But, I mean, it's, like, just drilling holes in your belt, I'll tell you, is a great thing to have to do. (32:45) Yeah. (32:45) Don't buy a new belt, but drill a new hole in it. (32:48) Right? (32:48) Because I lost so much weight.
Scott Benner Yeah. (32:50) No. (32:51) There's a lot of cool stuff that happens. (32:52) Like, eventually Oh, man. (32:53) Eventually, the tip of your belt is around the back, and you go, okay. (32:57) And it's hard to sometimes can be hard, difficult to, like, even throw your clothes away because you my my wife said, she's like, I couldn't get rid of my clothes for a long time because I just kept thinking, like, I'm gonna need them again. (33:07) And then one day, she's like, I gotta get rid like, I'm gonna donate these clothes. (33:11) Like, I'm I don't think I'm ever going backwards. (33:13) You know?
Chris Get them out of here. (33:14) Yeah.
Scott Benner I had a fair amount of I mean, I guess what you would call body dysmorphia, but, like, for a while there in, like, year one and a half, I was looking at myself and I felt I I didn't feel as as lean as I was. (33:28) Like, it was hard hard for me to see myself that way. (33:32) I'm I'm through it now. (33:33) Like, I feel I'm very comfortable now, but I'm probably right around sixty five, seventy pounds. (33:40) Yeah. (33:41) That's I mean, I'm only five nine, so it's pretty pretty darn noticeable.
Chris Right. (33:46) Yeah. (33:47) And it just like I said, all the other things that it's believed, I mean, Yeah. (33:52) Jeez. (33:52) I mean, all this stuff that it's just like, that's gotta be that. (33:54) It's gotta be the GLP, and it certainly is. (33:57) And, what a great, situation for us. (34:00) I hope it gets I hope the type ones are allowed to technically use it sometime soon.
Scott Benner Yeah. (34:05) They're working on it. (34:06) I I just posted a trial that's going on right now in Canada, but it's, you know, it's on I think it's on clinical trial clintrials.gov. (34:16) Like, so I mean, you have to be local to do it, but they're they're doing trials right now with type ones and GLP. (34:22) They'll get the trials are happening is great news.
Chris Yeah. (34:26) That exactly.
Scott Benner Yeah. (34:27) Because that means at some point, once they prove out what we all out here know already, then
Chris Have told them.
Scott Benner Yeah. (34:33) Yeah. (34:33) Then insurance will probably need to cover it, and that'll really help, you know, be and plus there's a ton of companies making biosimilars and stuff like that right now.
Chris So Right. (34:43) Yeah. (34:44) Should
Scott Benner pricing and availability should not be an issue moving forward. (34:48) Could be a much healthier world ten years now if it doesn't make us grow a tail or a horn out of our head. (34:53) But even at that
Chris Hey. (34:54) You know what, though? (34:55) If I have a little tail or a horn, I could deal with that. (34:57) I'll just put a hat on.
Scott Benner Said it before? (34:58) I'll take it out. (34:59) I said if if the horn I I think I I think I said one time, if the horn says Eli Lilly on the side, but I'll be like, well, alright.
Chris I I get Technically, they do own it, so they can have it.
Scott Benner As long as my my waist stays at a thirty two, I guess I'm gonna be okay with that. (35:16) Right. (35:17) Seriously, my I think at my biggest pant size, I was wearing a forty. (35:21) It's you know?
Chris I was right in there. (35:23) I was right in there. (35:24) Thirty eight, forty.
Scott Benner So and GOP helping with your blood sugars immensely, imagine too?
Chris Oh, man. (35:31) Yeah. (35:32) Huge. (35:34) Yeah. (35:35) Very, very drastic change in everything, and and, like I said, just when I before I got on the GLP and I was doing my pens, my MDIs before the endo interaction, I was Jesus. (35:51) I was taking twenty, thirty, forty units of of of regular a day. (35:58) Easy.
Scott Benner How much of your insulin need has, dropped just because the GLP is slowing your digestion down? (36:04) How much of it just dropped because you're taking in fewer carbs?
Chris Oh, that I mean, that's a double yeah. (36:11) So I got
Scott Benner it twice. (36:12) Yeah.
Chris Yeah. (36:13) I think the most that I take a day now is probably twelve at the most Mhmm. (36:20) Depending if we go to Mexican food or not. (36:22) Yeah. (36:23) Yeah. (36:23) That's a tough one to bolus for.
Scott Benner It made me pull out my phone, which I haven't looked at yet today, but I'm looking at it now. (36:29) Since I'm just going back to midnight last night, Arden's blood sugar has not been under 70 or over a 105. (36:38) Like, it's just it's just rolling along, and she's Yeah. (36:41) She's using a GLP.
Chris And I and I and I also too, on that note, my comfortable spot to sit Mhmm. (36:50) Used to be, like, in the one fifty or something, kinda, maybe a little less.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris I am really, really happy at 90 to a 100.
Scott Benner There's just not the feeling that you're gonna suddenly experience a a huge spike or a drastic low out of nowhere. (37:03) The stability is, like, really insane, and you can really see it on your CGM too.
Chris And and you're also, like, at 70, you're kinda, like, you're in the lower side of it, But, man, I feel great.
Scott Benner Yeah. (37:14) No kidding. (37:15) And do you have any besides the trigger finger, do have any other impacts from your earlier life?
Chris Just a lot of I got a lot of arthritis in my hands Okay. (37:25) From using the the wheel guns that we used to use were extremely heavy, and I've got a lot of arthritis. (37:32) That's it is what it is, but it's not any worse.
Scott Benner Do other guys, that use the gun have the same, or is it specific? (37:39) It is. (37:39) Yeah. (37:39) It's the Yeah.
Chris It's just part of the game.
Scott Benner The weight and the and the the, I guess, the viciousness of how it probably shakes your your body. (37:46) Right?
Chris Yeah. (37:47) Yeah. (37:47) Exactly. (37:49) So but, I mean, aside from that, just like I said, my, obviously, with the weight going down, the sleep apnea has almost relieved itself.
Scott Benner Yeah. (37:57) Your neck got smaller? (37:59) I don't know a ton about sleep apnea, but I hear people talk about that, like, the neck size is kind of
Chris Yeah. (38:04) It's it must be that or the like, the dentist always tells me, he's like, man, you do you snore? (38:09) I'm like, how do you know looking down me? (38:11) Because I guess I have, like, a pretty pretty large neck and a pretty large tongue, I guess, is what it is or something in there. (38:17) And he's like, yeah. (38:17) You're kinda born to snore. (38:19) And I'm like, well, I'm sorry. (38:20) But, yeah, I think the neck the neck's gotten a little bit smaller and just not carrying the 60 pounds around, I think.
Scott Benner Yeah. (38:27) Well, I mean, in the end, like, there's a lot of impacts that are positive, but you can't undervalue just losing that much weight. (38:35) Like, it's
Chris I know.
Scott Benner Yeah. (38:36) It's what'd you do to combat muscle loss? (38:40) I mean, you're probably pretty active at your job, but, like, what do you
Chris Yeah. (38:43) So, I I'm also on TRT. (38:46) So I I get testosterone shots every week.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris That has helped with a lot of the aches and pains and the energy and walking the dog and and riding bikes and trying to keep up with kids, think, is the basic my
Scott Benner That's your exercise.
Chris Yep.
Scott Benner Yeah. (39:03) How, low did your testosterone have to be for them to prescribe that to you?
Chris Their number for the insurance was 390.
Scott Benner And you were under?
Chris I was under that at the time. (39:14) I was two fifteen.
Scott Benner Okay. (39:16) And a big difference.
Chris Big difference. (39:19) Yeah. (39:19) Big difference.
Scott Benner I couldn't get my doctor to let me try it. (39:21) I think my number was too high. (39:23) It's it's one of the first things I said when I started losing weight. (39:26) Was like, can I try, like, testosterone replacement? (39:29) And she's like, sure. (39:30) We'll look. (39:31) And then she looked, and she's like, sorry. (39:32) And I was like, okay.
Chris Oh, bummer.
Scott Benner Yeah. (39:35) I don't know if it would if there'd be any actual value in it if my number's high enough. (39:39) Or
Chris Right. (39:40) I mean, it just makes you feel makes you feel pretty good.
Scott Benner Really?
Chris Yeah. (39:45) It's just a whole it kinda adds a new little bit little bit of life. (39:49) You sleep well because your hormones are all balanced again, you I sleep really well now.
Scott Benner That's awesome. (39:55) Yeah. (39:55) Yeah. (39:57) Better health through pharmacology is a little different than how you were using chemicals when you were younger.
Chris Yes. (40:03) Yeah. (40:03) Yeah. (40:04) Yeah. (40:05) So needless to say, I feel I feel really good.
Scott Benner Man, good for you. (40:09) That's awesome. (40:10) I appreciate you sharing all this with me.
Chris Yeah. (40:12) Of course.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Chris And my wife my wife has just been a saver for sure.
Scott Benner Yeah. (40:18) No. (40:18) It sounds like
Chris And she annoys the piss out of me sometimes, but she's right. (40:22) So I have to, you know she's trying.
Scott Benner You don't like to s light her, tell her she's wrong?
Chris Oh, no. (40:30) She doesn't listen to me.
Scott Benner She she
Chris she knows enough. (40:34) She she she's yeah. (40:37) She's just as much of a smart ass as I am.
Scott Benner Okay. (40:39) Alright. (40:40) So do I I have a couple more questions for you, but I wanna make sure you feel like we covered all your history, your health, your diabetes stuff. (40:47) Did we talk about everything you wanted to talk about?
Chris Yeah. (40:49) I think so. (40:50) Yeah.
Scott Benner Cool. (40:51) You have a couple more minutes?
Chris Yeah. (40:52) Absolutely.
The Future of Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Scott Benner Okay. (40:54) Tell everybody why electric cars are so much better than gas cars. (40:58) And I don't mean, like, energy or the planet. (41:00) I mean, like, the drivability of it. (41:02) And this is gonna mean something from you if you believe this because you love race cars. (41:07) So, like, what's what about them should people be looking forward to, I guess?
Chris We're not gonna get into the whole environmental part of it because that's gonna start a war.
Scott Benner I don't even care about that. (41:18) I mean, the drivability and the the way they work.
Chris They are they don't have transmissions. (41:24) They are basically point and squirt, which means you can drive it as fast as you want, and there's not usually a whole lot of cars that can keep up with you. (41:34) Mhmm. (41:34) No. (41:34) They're usually very tech oriented. (41:37) They have a lot of features that most cars standard cars, I say, the inner internal combustion vehicles, but they're just a blast to drive.
Scott Benner Yeah. (41:48) So My favorite aspects of them are the regenerative braking Yes. (41:54) Changes driving. (41:56) It's Yeah. (41:57) Fundamentally a different process and way more enjoyable.
Chris We don't put brake pads on cars.
Scott Benner Yeah. (42:04) Yeah. (42:05) There's an argument to be to to be made that the person could buy an electric car and maybe never change the brakes on it while they're driving it.
Chris It's very possible. (42:12) I mean, I there's vehicles that don't you just don't need them. (42:16) The cars are 80,000 miles old, the brake pads are brand new.
Scott Benner Yeah. (42:19) That yeah. (42:20) Regenerative braking, I think, is a big deal. (42:23) I have driven a steer by wire car in the past, and I have to say I would like to see that on more vehicles. (42:30) Yeah. (42:30) Really fundamentally changes, like, driving habits, and and it it's a it's again, I thought it was a better experience. (42:38) And then I've experienced self driving a number of times, and it's fascinating how well it works.
Chris It's fascinating how well it works, and the technology is ahead of us. (42:52) So a human can't interact with something that's through the fog that the cameras can see. (42:58) Mhmm. (42:58) Yeah. (42:59) Safety safety wise, that's really good. (43:02) I like driving vehicles. (43:03) So the self driving, I've been in them. (43:05) I it's great. (43:06) I like to drive.
Scott Benner Yeah. (43:08) I think about it more like when you're older and you still wanna be mobile and get place to place and you don't trust yourself as much or you can't do the, know, you can't do the hump of a long drive anymore. (43:17) Like, how much that's gonna help people? (43:19) Yeah. (43:19) Yeah. (43:20) They're basically just really, like, expensive big slot cars. (43:24) Right? (43:24) Like, it's that there's not a lot to break on them, is there, mechanically?
Chris Not mechanically. (43:30) No. (43:30) I mean, you got your typical things and things do you know, you got batteries that can have issues, and you got motors that can have issues. (43:36) And that's like any car. (43:37) Any car you buy could be have issues. (43:39) But reoccurring is they're pretty maintenance free. (43:42) You put tires and white windshield wipers on them and
Scott Benner And you're on your way. (43:46) So Yeah. (43:47) Rivian just released what? (43:48) That r two? (43:48) Is that the new vehicle?
Chris It's gonna be, in this next quarter. (43:53) Yes. (43:53) That's the new smaller version of what we have now.
Scott Benner And this business wise, this is this this the make or break moment? (43:59) Yes. (44:00) Yeah. (44:00) Like, this car needs to go wider and people need to like it and and buy it.
Chris Yeah. (44:04) And it's a better it's a it's a lower price point, so it brings in more clientele.
Scott Benner Yeah. (44:09) Is Tesla's real advantage the supercharging network? (44:14) Do you think, like, when it comes to, like, sales and why like, what do you think stops people from buying an electric car most?
Chris Well, yeah, we also everybody uses Tesla network now. (44:25) That's gonna be the new standard.
Scott Benner Okay.
Chris But, yes, the range anxiety was what they call it. (44:31) And it it can it can get you because you don't have, you know, you don't have an opportunity to run down the gas station with a milk jug
Scott Benner and Yeah. (44:41) Yeah.
Chris And dump some dump some gas in your car. (44:43) You're pretty much if you're out, you're out. (44:45) But the mapping and the cars are extremely smart. (44:49) They know exactly where things are and how long you have to stop. (44:52) And Yeah. (44:53) As long as you pay attention to that, that's you should be good. (44:57) Paying attention to that sometimes, it's difficult for people.
Scott Benner For people. (45:00) Yeah. (45:00) Yeah. (45:00) Yeah. (45:01) I won't say who it is, but I have a a person closer to me in my not in my house, but in my life who still as an adult runs out of gas an alarming a number of times. (45:10) And and they always tell me, it's like, have ADHD. (45:13) I really don't remember to get gas. (45:15) I I take your point. (45:16) At least, you know, you can dump a can in there. (45:18) But I I don't know. (45:20) Like, I don't understand, like, you know, geopolitically or, like I said, like, whether what's actually better for the world or whatnot. (45:26) Like, that stuff all aside. (45:28) Like, I've been in enough electric cars to say that, like, I think they're really fantastic. (45:32) And and the way they work is just it's different. (45:36) It's not like I remember driving. (45:38) Like, I had a, jeez, I had, like, a a custom deluxe pickup truck when I was, like, 19. (45:43) It's not like driving that. (45:44) You know what I mean? (45:44) Like, it's not it's not like, it's not like driving a gas car. (45:48) Even nice gas cars, like, they can't mimic the smoothness of the the acceleration and, like, how great it is when shifting goes away. (45:57) I know it sounds crazy, but,
Chris It it is. (45:59) Yeah. (45:59) You and you're getting in it and putting your foot on the brake and going. (46:02) Yeah. (46:02) You don't have to turn anything on. (46:04) You don't have to you just
Scott Benner Yeah.
Chris Seat belt. (46:06) Go.
Scott Benner Don't need a key. (46:07) Like, it's just
Chris need a key.
Scott Benner Yeah. (46:09) I anyway, I I I can't wait to see where it all goes. (46:13) Yeah. (46:13) No. (46:13) I followed enough to know that, like, Rivian's putting that that vehicle out now. (46:17) And, I mean, if you can drive a Rivian to a Tesla supercharger and plug it without an adapter, you're telling me?
Chris No. (46:23) You need an adapter, but the newer so that Tesla charging plug is gonna be the new standard. (46:28) Okay. (46:28) Any vehicles built before '26
Scott Benner Will need
Chris won't have that. (46:32) You have to have an adapter, but all of the new Rivians have Tesla plugs in them.
Scott Benner Oh, so a new Rivian, I'll drive up and plug in. (46:38) I don't even need an adapter.
Chris Correct. (46:39) Yep. (46:40) It's got the it's got the it's a it's a new standard plug, which is good. (46:43) It's the Tesla plug.
Scott Benner That changes the whole thing. (46:45) That network, I it's fascinating. (46:48) I think you could drive from the Everglades to Alaska on that network. (46:52) And Yep. (46:53) Like, that's really sad.
Chris It tells you where to stop, how long you need to be plugged in for. (46:57) Yeah. (46:58) The vehicles are very, very sensitive with what you're doing. (47:02) If you're driving at 100 miles an hour and the AC is blasting, you're gonna burn, obviously, more fuel Yeah. (47:09) Technically.
Scott Benner Right.
Chris But for the most part, they're you can't go wrong. (47:13) It's it makes the trips a blast. (47:14) A lot of the chargers will have, like, little buildings and little things you can do and
Scott Benner Yeah.
Chris Some offer free coffee or, you know, all that kind of stuff.
Scott Benner Right. (47:22) Right. (47:23) No. (47:23) Well, what kind of work are you doing now, like, with, like, what
Chris what Technician.
Scott Benner Okay. (47:29) So you just you're turning wrenches still or
Chris you're part
Scott Benner of the Yep. (47:33) R and d?
Chris Nope. (47:35) Still turning wrenches, and, it's an awesome company. (47:37) I love it.
Scott Benner Awesome, man. (47:39) That's really fantastic. (47:40) Well, dude, I can't I can't tell you. (47:42) I've I mean, obviously, it's gonna be a two parter, and I really appreciate it. (47:45) I'm gonna call this one Chris versus life. (47:47) And
Chris I thought it was gonna be get your belly out.
Scott Benner Yeah. (47:51) I don't well, no. (47:52) I don't know.
Chris That might be weird. (47:53) Yeah. (47:54) Think that don't have a belly anymore, really.
Outro, AI Translation & Final Sponsor Messages
Scott Benner So Also, I think people might read that and go, you know, it's okay. (47:59) I'll skip that one.
Chris Yeah. (48:00) I'm gonna pass that one.
Scott Benner But no. (48:01) Seriously, man. (48:02) I I appreciate you taking the time. (48:03) Please, you know, I imagine your wife listens too, and please tell her I said hello. (48:07) I'm I'm really happy any of this has helped you. (48:10) You know, again, thank you for coming on here and talking about it with me.
Chris Scott, thank you. (48:14) I mean, I you you hear it every single time, but I'm gonna say it again. (48:18) Your community is phenomenal.
Scott Benner Thanks. (48:22) Go ahead.
Chris And just the fact that you sit down and actually care and have helped us through all of what seems basic to you, but, it's a tough journey, and you've made it so much easier on everybody.
Scott Benner I appreciate that. (48:36) I really do. (48:36) It's gonna make the rest of my day easier because I'm working right now on a web page that has every definition from the defining diabetes series, and it's clickable. (48:46) And so, like, I'm looking at analysis algorithm, the brain inside your pump that tries to do some of the heavy lifting for you. (48:53) When you click on it, it gives you a link right to the episode that where you could listen to the defining diabetes that describes that word, all the other ones as well. (49:03) And right now, it's looks like I'm gonna be able to put it up in English, Spanish, French, German, and I'm working on Hindi and a couple of other things. (49:13) So Wow. (49:14) Yeah. (49:15) And that's all just AI. (49:16) I mean, speaking of, like, cars that, you know, drive themselves, this is all just taking content from the podcast and being able to repurpose it for people so they can see it and and interact with it easily.
Chris It makes it easier to find.
Scott Benner Yeah. (49:28) Yeah. (49:28) It really does. (49:29) Yeah. (49:29) You know, we didn't talk about it, but one of the things that I think is, I've been fascinated by for a number of years now is going back a few years ago when Tesla said, like, we're gonna have to build our own supercomputers because we have so much data, we can't crunch it well enough.
Chris Right.
Scott Benner And so they build a computer so that they could put the driving data into it so that the computer could teach itself how to drive. (49:50) Like, that loop to me is is super interesting. (49:53) Like, the way that, like I just think that's gonna that concept can apply to so many other things.
Chris Oh, yeah. (49:59) Yeah. (49:59) I mean, it's I mean, some of the my wife uses it for some of our tricky bolus events.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Chris And and it's and it's sometimes it's right, sometimes it's not. (50:09) But now I'll tell you what, it gets you damn close.
Scott Benner Yeah. (50:11) I just think there's something to that idea of, like, even within the podcast, like, creating a loop that teaches itself and puts you in that loop so you're being taught along with it. (50:20) Like, I think there's I don't know. (50:21) I'm still working it all out, but I think there's something in there that's valuable. (50:25) So, anyway, I really do appreciate this. (50:27) Would you hold on for me for just one moment?
Chris Absolutely. (50:30) Thanks, Chris.
Scott Benner A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. (50:42) Check out the Omnipod five now with my link, omnipod.com/juicebox. (50:48) You may be eligible for a free starter kit, a free Omnipod five starter kit at my link. (50:55) Go check it out. (50:56) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (50:58) Terms and conditions apply. (51:00) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (51:06) I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed seven eighty g automated insulin delivery system, which of course anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every five minutes twenty four seven. (51:16) It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters. (51:21) The Juice Box community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. (51:26) To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, visit my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. (51:38) A huge thanks to today's sponsor, Able Now. (51:41) AbleNow offers tax advantaged able accounts for eligible individuals with disabilities. (51:46) If you or your child lives with diabetes, you may qualify because of ongoing medical needs. (51:51) With AbleNow, you can save for a wide range of disability related expenses without affecting eligibility for certain disability benefits such as Medicaid. (51:59) And thanks to recent federal law updates, more people are eligible than ever before. (52:04) Learn more and check your eligibility at ablenow.com. (52:08) You spell that ablenow.com. (52:12) There's links in the show notes and links at juiceboxpodcast.com. (52:17) I can't thank you enough for listening. (52:19) Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. (52:22) I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the juice box podcast. (52:26) Hey, kids. (52:27) Listen up. (52:27) You've made it to the end of the podcast. (52:29) You must have enjoyed it. (52:30) You know what else you might enjoy? (52:31) The private Facebook group for the Juice Box podcast. (52:35) I know you're thinking, ugh, Facebook, Scott, please. (52:38) But, no, Beautiful group, wonderful people, a fantastic community. (52:43) Juicebox Podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook. (52:45) Of course, if you have type two, are you touched by diabetes in any way, you're absolutely welcome. (52:51) It's a private group, so you'll have to answer a couple of questions before you come in. (52:54) We'll make sure you're not a bot or an evil doer, then you're on your way. (52:58) You'll be part of the family. (53:00) The episode you just heard was professionally edited by Wrong Way Recording. (53:05) Wrongwayrecording.com.
#1836 Chris vs. Life - Part 1
Chris shares his 38-year type 1 diabetes journey , overcoming a 1980s diagnosis , family abandonment , severe drug addiction , and near-fatal DKA to build a professional auto racing career.
Companies that Support Juicebox
Key Takeaways
- Early Diabetes Care Was Drastically Different: In the late 1980s, type 1 diabetes management involved rigid schedules using Regular and NPH pork insulin, thick syringes, and cumbersome glucometers requiring physical coding and calibration solutions.
- Diagnosis Impacts Family Dynamics: A childhood diagnosis can profoundly affect family structure; in Chris's case, it brought his estranged mother and grandmother closer together temporarily to provide the necessary medical support.
- Adolescent Burnout Can Be Severe: Struggling with shifting home environments, Chris hid his diabetes to avoid feeling different, demonstrating how social pressure and lack of stability can lead to deep diabetes burnout and neglect.
- Substance Abuse Rapidly Escalates Diabetes Risks: Heavy drug use, like methamphetamines, and subsequent reliance on alcohol completely masked diabetes management, quickly driving Chris into life-threatening Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).
- Resilience and Second Chances: Despite hitting rock bottom and relying on over-the-counter insulin without modern technology for decades, Chris managed to turn his life around, build a successful career in professional auto racing, and eventually establish a stable, healthy family life.
Resources Mentioned
- Juice Box Podcast Small Sips: Available wherever you get your audio.
- Eversense 365 CGM: eversensecgm.com/juicebox
- Tandem Mobi / Control-IQ Plus: tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox
- US Med: usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514
- Juice Box Podcast Facebook Group: Search "Juice Box Podcast, Type 1 Diabetes" on Facebook.
- Wrong Way Recording (Podcast Editing): wrongwayrecording.com
Introduction & Sponsors
Scott BennerWelcome back, friends. You are listening to the Juice Box podcast.
ChrisHi. My name is Chris. I've been a type one diabetic for thirty eight years, and I'm excited to talk to Scott.
Scott BennerIf you'd like to hear about diabetes management in easy to take in bits, check out the Small Sips. That's the series on the juice box podcast that listeners are talking about like it's a cheat code. These are perfect little bursts of clarity, one person said. I finally understood things I've heard a 100 times. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed.
Scott BennerPeople say small sips feels like someone pulling up a chair, sliding a cup across the table, and giving you one clean idea at a time. Nothing overwhelming, no fire hose of information, just steady helpful nudges that actually stick. People listen in their car, on walks, or rather actually bolusing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. And the reviews, they all say the same thing. Small sips makes diabetes make sense.
Scott BennerSearch for the Juice Box podcast, small sips, wherever you get audio. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. I'm having an on body vibe alert. This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Eversense three sixty five, the only one year wear CGM.
Scott BennerThat's one insertion and one CGM a year. One CGM, one year. Not every ten or fourteen days. Ever since cgm.com/juicebox. Today's episode is also sponsored by the Tandem Mobi system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Plus Technology.
Scott BennerTandem Mobi has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages two and up. Learn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. The podcast is also sponsored today by usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. US Med is where my daughter gets her diabetes supplies from, and you could too. Use the link or number to get your free benefits check and get started today with US Med.
Interview Begins: 38 Years of Type 1
ChrisHi. My name is Chris. I've been a type one diabetic for thirty eight years, and I'm excited to talk to Scott.
Scott BennerOh, well, Chris, I am Scott. So this is gonna work out perfectly.
ChrisGood.
Scott BennerThirty eight years seems like a chunk of time to me.
ChrisYeah. It's, I want don't wanna say it's flown by, but certainly between 1987 when I was diagnosed to now, oh, what Type one's gotten a little bit more complicated and easier to manage, I think, all in one.
Scott BennerReally?
ChrisI had let's see. So when I was diagnosed, my grandmother pretty much raised me as a child. My mom and dad split up early.
Scott BennerOkay.
ChrisFive years old was when mom and dad kinda went different directions. My mom worked at a bar, and my dad was in and out, traveling through different states and countries for his job, and I didn't see him that much in my early childhood days.
Scott BennerOh, Chris, I'm sorry. When you said they went in their opposite directions, I thought you meant from each other, but you meant from you and each other.
ChrisYes. Yeah. Correctly. Gotcha. Yeah.
ChrisCorrect. Yeah.
Scott BennerGotcha.
ChrisAnd so my grandmother raised me, from the time jeez. I can't remember from that time all the way until all the way until I kinda got on my own kinda thing.
Scott BennerOkay. And you were diagnosed at what age?
Chris10. 10.
Scott BennerOkay. So you're 48. You're 48.
ChrisMy tenth my I'm 48. Okay. My tenth birthday, I was in the hospital.
Scott BennerNo kidding.
ChrisHow does that
Scott Bennerhappen to so many people?
ChrisI don't know. Yeah. I I don't know, but I'm going back to my grandmother. My grandmother had a brother that was type one. And one evening, pretty normal day, I'm going to the refrigerator.
ChrisLet me get some water. Let me drink some water. Let go to the bathroom. And this cycle just kept going. I mean, and this I remember it almost to the tee, and I'm pretty certain that I was grabbing everything in my grandma's refrigerator to drink aside from, you know, anything like ketchup or mustard.
ChrisRight? But I'm pretty certain that I downed a, Seagram's, wine cooler too.
Scott BennerJust it not it didn't matter. Thirst was thirst.
ChrisNo. I just wanted something liquid, and she caught wind of what was going on, and she goes, you're diabetic. And I'm like, I was terrified. I I was like, I just I don't know. I feel I felt horrible.
ChrisFollowing day this was the evening. The following day, after the hospital, went and grandma was right.
Scott BennerYeah. And she knew because I'm sorry. Who in her family has it?
ChrisHer brother.
Scott BennerHer brother. And is she your father's mother?
ChrisShe is my mom's adopted mom.
Scott BennerOkay.
ChrisSo my mom my mom was adopted, from my grandmother, obviously. How that works.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. No. Yeah.
ChrisIf you you don't you don't need to be a genius figure out.
Scott BennerWe should take a left turn and explain adoption to everybody now. No. No. Anyways, I'm
ChrisThat's okay. I'm trying to fill in the pieces correctly.
Scott BennerYou're doing a good job, man. Don't worry about it. Okay. So she's your your mom's adopted mother Yes. And Her brother Wait.
ChrisWas a was a type one.
Scott BennerBut that's insane though because Mhmm. Because there's no blood connection to your grandmother's brother. Correct. Oh, so it's possible your grandmother is a totem that gives people type one diabetes. Is that what you're telling me?
ChrisThat's what it could be. Mhmm. I mean, it's possible. I don't know if I would wanna claim that.
Scott BennerI've seen the movies. I know what's going on.
ChrisRight. Well, that's
Scott Bennerwow. That's really something. Yeah. That's so I'm so glad you put that little piece in because that that was a that's an interesting little tidbit there. Okay. Yeah. So she knows what it looks like because she, you know, extensively grew up with a brother who had type one.
ChrisYep. And she knew that whole peeing and and and drinking thing.
Scott BennerYeah. And you were diagnosed, I'm gonna tell you, right around the time my buddy Mike was diagnosed. And you're you're a little younger than we are Yep. By by about six years, but still, like, the timing's there.
ChrisUh-huh.
Scott BennerThis is where your statement about it's gotten easier and harder comes in. Right? Because Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So tell people a little bit about what what it was like being diagnosed at 10, how you manage yourself early on, where you were getting your support from, if any.
Diagnosis & Early Diabetes Care in the 80s
ChrisI'm in the hospital. I'm terrified I'm gonna have to poke myself for the rest of my life with a needle because needles are all evil. And then I started you know, the nurse came in and the usual stuff, inject the orange, inject the nurse with water.
Scott BennerWait. They had you they had you inject the nurse with saline?
ChrisYep. At the time, they were really big on pinching and finding the pocket Okay. Right, for the needle to go in, which you don't really do anymore for but needles were longer and larger, and it was a syringe back then. So it was a big thing that they were teaching me on. You grab your index and your thumb and you and you pinch, and then in the middle of that pinch is a pocket.
ChrisThat's where you put the needle, and that's where the fat is, and that makes it feel the best.
Scott BennerOh, wow. Did that work?
ChrisSeem like it.
Scott BennerI'm gonna I'm gonna try it the next time I inject myself or something.
ChrisYeah. I mean, you have to be kind of at a 45 degree angle, but that makes it the easiest without going into a muscle or hitting the nerve or something like that.
Scott BennerSo this was wrapped around the fact that the needle was larger than you see now in an insulin needle?
ChrisOh, for sure. Yeah.
Scott BennerOkay. So I'm sorry. I'm gonna get stuck on this for a second. Like, they just came in
Chrisfor it.
Scott BennerYou're 10 years old. They came in the room. They're like, hey. This is Patty. Go ahead and jab this jab her with this. They're like, what? Did she lose rock, paper, scissors in the hallway or something? Like, how did how did she you know what I mean?
ChrisI have no I have no idea, but having a 10 year old with a syringe in his hand, I remember it was it was in her arm. I was in the hospital bed. She sat down, and she goes, we're gonna try this orange. This is what it's gonna feel like. Mhmm.
ChrisAnd then we're gonna inject me. And I'm like, are you are you crazy? I can't even bear to get a needle into myself, let alone, you know, what's going on here. And I remembered that they they taught me to turn it to where the edge of the needle is, you know, facing like a fish hook kind of thing. Right?
ChrisSo you then I just she drew in some saline, and I injected her with it. And I thought it was the cry was shaking. I remember I was shaking. I couldn't do it. I was crying.
Scott BennerImagine. Doesn't it add another level to it to do it to somebody else. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Hey. If anyone out there was a nurse at the time this was happening and let kids do this, then please reach out. I would I'd be ecstatic to speak to you on the podcast.
ChrisYeah. I think it's and I and I think it's interesting because you were blown away by it, and to me, it seemed normal.
Scott BennerNo.
ChrisYeah. But I've never heard anybody else say I've I've heard the fruit stuff.
Scott BennerBananas and oranges, usually.
ChrisYeah. Yeah. I've heard that just to get a feel for the for the skin, but, I mean, I I've never heard any nurse go. It's almost twelve. I may as well sit here.
Scott BennerGo ahead, kid. Yeah. Take your best whack at it. Like, that well, that's really something. I bet you she had a lot of problems. I just wanna say that.
ChrisWell, I don't know. It's just that was a long time ago. So
Scott BennerAnyway, okay. So you're in the hospital. This is how they're teaching you to take care of yourself. Are you Yep. What's the what's the insulin setup at diagnosis?
ChrisInsulin setup is NPH and regular. These were pork at the time, and I cannot remember my blood my decks my my glucometer at the time, but I do remember that I had to put codes in.
Scott BennerOkay.
ChrisSo the the strips you would get, you would get a machine and you would get a a strip package or actually just like a jar like they are now. Mhmm. And it would have a code on the back. But you'd have to enter that code in before it would read any of these strips in that bottle.
Scott BennerRight. Did you have to do the, the solution? My god. What did they call it? The used to have to, like, test the solution once in a while to calibrate it. Right?
ChrisYep. It was this whole this whole kit, and then in the kit that I had for that was also my
Scott BennerThe lance?
ChrisThe lance. And then I and that also too, I had the emergency
Scott BennerOh, they gave you
Chrisshot to which was down there. Yeah. It was a it it looked like something out of a horror movie. It was it was a glass syringe. It was in a red container Yeah.
ChrisAnd it had half fluid drawn in it, and I was supposed to do another thing and jam it wherever it would go.
Scott BennerIsn't that fun? And you you don't recall what that thing was you were supposed to do?
ChrisI don't remember what it was, but I remember you needed to mix it before you could use it, and it was a glass syringe, and I hated looking at it.
Scott BennerYeah. You would take the the syringe had the the fluid in. This was the the red box from Lilly. Right? So the syringe Correct.
Scott BennerIt was a big needle too.
ChrisYeah. Oh, yeah. It was a honker.
Scott BennerSo you were supposed to inject the liquid into the powder, and the powder was in a vial. Yep. And then you're supposed to spin it in your hands till it kinda constituted, then draw it back out, then find, I think, a muscle like your butt or something like that and jam that needle in and throw it in there.
ChrisYeah. And this is all while you're, you know, going through a coma or, you know, have pass out on the floor.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. This is either obviously not for you to do because you're probably having a seizure while it's happening, but some lucky person in your family trying to stay calm and doing it at the same time. I'll I'll tell you that when Arden was a few months diagnosed, this happened to us. And I
ChrisI remember I know the story.
Scott BennerYeah. I failed miserably trying to put that Lilly thing together. I'm very happy she carries those, ChivoC hypo pens around now. So Yes. Yeah.
Family Dynamics & Shifting Homes
Scott BennerAnyway okay. So this is the setup. You're scared, and and you are now home with your grandmother. And is she is she this is interesting because she's two generations away from you. So
Scott BennerIs she, like, all, you'll be fine. Good luck, or does she jump in to help? Like because I'm trying to decide if the the guilt and shame she feels about her daughter abandoning you overwhelms her generational ideas about how to take care of things.
ChrisShe dove in. She dove in. It brought I think, to be honest, Scott, it brought my mom and her mom kinda and us together again. Oh. It helped a little bit.
ChrisIt was kind of a scare. I think it my mom was terrified for me. And my grandma said, well, we got no choice. We gotta, you know, we gotta take care of them, keep them alive, so here's why we're gonna do it.
Scott BennerAnd Yeah.
ChrisShe was all for it. And I think for the most part, I stayed with her longer during most days, weekends, and trips like that just because she was there to be able to pinpoint the stuff that I haven't caught on to yet, like highs and lows.
Scott BennerWait. Wait. Your mom or your grandmother?
ChrisMy grandmother. Your grandmother. You stayed Yep.
Scott BennerWhat do you mean you stayed around longer? You you think you lived with her longer, or you hung out during the day, Mark?
ChrisI was like, my typical visits with her were longer because of the support that she was offering, and my mom didn't have a grasp on it yet.
Scott BennerAh, so make sure I understand, Chris. The the diagnosis brings your mom back into the fold. You go to live with her, but you're still spending a ton of time with your grandmother.
ChrisYeah. I'm often I mean, I'm often on with my mom just because of the fact of the diabetes and the care that my grandmother could provide when my mom couldn't at the time.
Scott BennerGotcha. I understand. And your mom was not quite as good at the that one, probably not did she ever catch up? Did you feel like? Did you ever Yes.
Scott BennerYeah.
ChrisYes. Yeah. Yeah. She caught up and, you know, having having the lows having the lows the first time in the middle of the night and having that experience where you just don't know what you don't know how to describe how you feel is really, really hard when a parent is standing over you like, what can I do?
Scott BennerYeah. No. The whole thing
Chrisis upset. You know, it's it's either a high or a low or it's just a f this. I'm tired of this already. You know?
Scott BennerYeah. Chris, I you might not have perspective for this because of your age at the time, but do you think you're being diagnosed with type one brought your back together with your mom? Like, do you think it would have happened otherwise?
Sponsor Break
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Scott BennerThey accept Medicare nationwide, over 800 private insurers, and all you have to do to get started is call (888) 721-1514 or go to my link, u s med dot com slash juice box. Using that number or my link helps to support the production of the Juice Box podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by a long term CGM that's going to help you to stay on top of your glucose readings, the Eversense three sixty five. I'm talking, of course, about the world's first and only CGM that lasts for one year. One year, one CGM.
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Adulthood, Rebellion, and Rock Bottom
ChrisI think it would have happened. It was not really a lost cause. It was just a
Scott BennerShe was working stuff out.
ChrisTo be honest, Scott, she was working her ass off to to pay for me and to cover us and to make sure we were doing good and
Scott BennerSo she was out hustling I mean, how did they measure success for you back then?
ChrisI mean, obviously, I went to went to the endo quite a bit, pretty good health care where I grew up. And I remember that once I started, like I switched schools quite a bit, because my mom would move quite a bit. And then once I started trying to kind of accept the fact that I'm gonna have to live with this the rest of my life, that's when that's when things kinda turned and and life got even more complicated, I guess.
Scott BennerBecause you couldn't accept it?
ChrisI was I wasn't accepting it, and I hid it from everything because I didn't wanna get made fun of.
Scott BennerOh, okay. So I wasn't sure. Do you mean acceptance, like, doing the things you need to do?
ChrisYes. Yeah.
Scott BennerAnd on top of that, making sure no one else sees it or knows about it?
ChrisYeah. And having to be honest, having kind of a home life was difficult. So home life being difficult and a new disease and a new school here and there Yeah. It was difficult. It was difficult to get accepted and not feel like a special kid.
ChrisRight? Just because I had I had to have candy or I had to check my blood all the time or Yeah. Or, you know, there was a syringe sitting on my desk or something like that. So it was it all kinda happened relatively quickly in a time when, you know, at this time, maybe you're 11 or 12, you still don't really know everything.
Scott BennerWhen you look back now as an adult, did did you feel abandoned as a child?
ChrisYeah. Yeah. Pretty much so.
Scott BennerAnd that that sticks with you. Right? That's not a thing you work through on your own at, like, 10 to 15.
ChrisSomething I am still dealing with.
Scott BennerYeah. Do you have are you married now? Yes. You are. So I'm adopted, and my and my parents got divorced when I was 13.
ChrisK.
Scott BennerAnd when in the beginning of my marriage and even in my, like, like, dating relationships, if people got upset, I got I got really upset. So yeah. So if people look like they were arguing or upset with each other or there was any feeling of the one that took me the longest to get through was when people are disagreeing and they can't come to an agreement before they leave the room, that used to make me feel panicked. Yeah. Like, we couldn't disagree and then I'll leave because I felt like someone I don't know what I felt like, honestly.
Scott BennerBut in hindsight, I think I felt like somebody would definitely not come back if that happened. Yeah. I I anyway, stuff like that.
ChrisAnd and there's a lot of guilt too. There's a lot of, you know, why did mom and dad split up? Yeah. You know, what what what was it me? Was it because of, you know, was it this or that?
ChrisAnd that actually carries through now to this is going way forward. We'll get there eventually. But my kids that I have now are from a previous marriage. So now I'm dealing with a new me in the same situation with the stepdad, and we'll get there eventually. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Okay. I gotcha.
ChrisOkay.
Scott BennerAlright.
ChrisI don't wanna I don't wanna jump too far forward,
Scott Bennerbut Look at everybody just I I like it when you guys produce when we do this. It's good. It's good. Keeps me keeps me on track. Keeps me from asking the wrong question at the wrong time.
Scott BennerI really am getting a lot of help. Also, I don't wanna brag, but I just noticed my calves were dry and moisturized them during that conversation. And Oh, good for you. I really wanna say that I I think it's possible I'm a professional at this point, because I never lost track of what you were saying or stopped being interested and was able to really take care of some dry skin.
ChrisSo No. You're like, oh, Chris is bobbing. Look at my calves.
Scott BennerThey're crazy. I was doing it at times when I was talking. I'm I'm really I'm showing off by sharing this with you, by the way,
Chrisis what
Scott Bennerthis is this is a flex for me. Right. Okay. So back to my original question, what did success look like, or were we not even worried about that? Was just standing success, or were you looking for
ChrisYeah. Getting getting through the day, getting through the shots, and that was a win for me.
Scott BennerOkay. And then does your health slip as you decide or, you know, maybe it's not a conscious decision, but you're gonna kinda put it in the background, not let people see it. You know, I had an adult say to me this weekend that I don't wanna malign any pumps, but, like, I had an adult tell me this weekend that the pump they had that they could control from their phone helped a lot with their management and their outcomes. When I asked why because I assumed they meant there was something about the algorithm or the pump or whatever that would made it better for them, they said, no. I'm, I don't have to pull the controller out now.
Scott BennerOh, yeah. I don't want people to see I'm giving myself insulin. So when I can do it with my phone, it really opened her up to being able to do it in public, which stopped her from waiting long distances of time to give herself insulin.
ChrisRight.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah.
ChrisYeah. I mean, I get that.
Scott BennerYeah. I guess you do. So what did that look like? Because how long were you doing just two shots a day before you moved up to some other you know I mean? Like, what did ignoring it look like?
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ChrisI think because I had guidance and I had, you know, every three months appointments and all this and all that, it went fairly well. It wasn't really, oh, it wasn't really until probably 16 or 17 that my life changed quite a bit again, and that's when the care really started to kinda crash.
Scott BennerWhat's the change that happened to them?
ChrisAs I got older, my mom remarried. We went from kind of a we were pretty poor to the my stepdad at the time, still my stepdad now, made quite a bit of money. We moved into a nice house and went to a nice school, and everything really turned. But we my stepdad and I struggled quite a bit. And, basically, from my senior year in high school, I moved out on my own.
Scott BennerWhat was the friction point? Did you just not like him being close to your mom, or did you like you would you have trouble taking direction from him? Was there something you can pinpoint?
ChrisDirection, extremely strict and kinda came in. You know, at the time, I was 13 and kinda came in like, this is how you're gonna do it. You're gonna brush your hair this way. You're gonna tuck your shirt in. And I'm like, I don't want any of it.
ChrisI it's just not me. And my mom and I, we struggled, but we were a team. And so that being a team, you know, it might have been chicken nuggets on dinners some nights, but at least, you know what, it was a struggle, but it was a struggle with my
Scott Bennermom. K.
ChrisAnd we kinda like we bonded quite a bit, actually.
Scott BennerDid you you liked it better when you were broke?
ChrisIt seemed like it because we supported each other.
Scott BennerOkay. Did she have trouble pushing back against him? Yes. Probably because she was moving on. By the way,
Chrisdid she was moving on and happy. Yeah. Yeah. You know, she was she was happy and things were good and money wasn't a problem anymore and
Scott BennerRight. And she's singing that Jefferson song in her head probably.
ChrisRight. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Scott BennerSo she she's got a reason to and did you feel like she let you down by not sticking up for you when the hairbrushing and the shirt tucking and
Chrisall that? Yeah. When it came down to it, I was really struggling. And my diabetes started to slip, and I kinda said either him or me, and it ended up being him. So off I went.
Scott BennerWhere'd you go, Kurt? No. No. Don't be sorry. Where'd you go, and how did you how did you get insulin and all the things you needed?
ChrisSo at the time, the state I was living in, which is where I was born, you could get insulin over the counter.
Scott BennerOkay.
ChrisSo I would basically, I had a pretty good job in high school. Senior year in high school, I was working in a machine shop, so I was making pretty good money. And I could afford all my stuff. And after high school, I moved into another house to start a new job, and that's where my life turned, like, pretty much a 180 degrees. I got into some really heavy drugs
Scott BennerYeah.
ChrisAnd really stopped basically giving a shit.
Scott BennerWell, it it occurs to me that you you experienced abandonment over and over again from the same people. Yeah. Like, yeah, from, like, a younger age and then again and then it's not that I can't put myself in her position, but, like, I you know, in the end, like, I don't I'm trying to decide if you moved out to avoid the pressure for him or if you moved out to avoid the the letdown you felt when you didn't see her trying to get in the way and help you?
ChrisLike I think in my brain, it was, nobody's cared before, so I'm just gonna kinda get the hell out of here and go do what I want.
Scott BennerYeah.
ChrisAnd with that attitude, I carried it and got into some pretty bad stuff. And
Scott BennerHow long did you hold together the, like, Chris is gonna be an adult by himself game before it fell apart?
ChrisOh, not very long. I mean, I
Scott BennerI see.
ChrisYeah. I mean, it it didn't take very long at all, and the people I was around, and it was just a it was a it was as textbook as you could get as the wrong situation Yeah. For for for me. And
Scott BennerPeople you met at work who were older than you or people you met other where where did you meet these people?
ChrisPeople at a different job and someone said, hey. You know, we got this place for living in. We need help with rent, and it ended up being just an absolute just party house. And I got into some really, really heavy drugs that don't cooperate with diabetes very well.
Scott BennerCan you would you put a name to them, or are you not comfortable
Chriswith them? Methamphetamine.
Scott BennerYeah. I guess that's that that's you started with meth? That's a a hell of a leaping endpoint.
ChrisPretty pretty much I did. Yeah. I didn't really drink or do any drugs in in, like, you know, high school or anything after and kinda went right to that because it seemed like the answer, and it took all the pain away.
Scott BennerOkay. That's why I was gonna ask you, what did it do for you?
ChrisYeah. It made me forget about the situation that I was in.
Scott BennerOkay. Did you have a girlfriend?
ChrisI had often on girlfriends at the time. A lot of lot of friends through school, but, at that time, I did not know.
Scott BennerBecause you're a father now. Right? Uh-huh. Is there any hindsight at all that you have? Like, what besides I guess this is tough because I think the hindsight is your mom should've stuck up for it and you would've been okay.
Scott BennerBut, like, like, after you were on your own, like, is there a moment or something you could've done, or are you at the whim of the of the current at that point?
ChrisYeah. I'm pretty much just whatever will
Scott Bennergo and Okay.
ChrisOh, that made a lot of things difficult. Obviously, the some of the drawbacks is you don't eat. So my blood sugar, I had no clue what it was. I didn't check it. I wasn't doing shots like I should have.
ChrisAnd Can I ask
Scott Bennera hard question?
ChrisAlright. Go for
Scott Bennerit. In that situation, you're not managing your type one. You understand the impacts of not managing your type one at that point? Yeah.
ChrisProb at that point, yeah, but I didn't care.
Scott BennerOkay. And math is, you know, is I mean, it's a pretty big swing. Yeah. So if you're not connected with your mother, your father's absent Yep. You're doing meth and not taking care of your diabetes, this is the hard question.
Scott BennerDay to day, what's the point of your existence? Like, I don't mean I don't do you understand what I'm saying? Like like, what what is what is it you're doing? Is it are you just functioning going from, like, numbing thing to numbing because you're going to work. You gotta make money.
Scott BennerRight?
ChrisUh-huh. Yeah.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. I'm I'm asking where did you I guess I'm asking what did you think you were doing when you had time to think about it, or was there no ability to think about it?
ChrisI don't think I was thinking, Scott. I think I was just I think I was I was so in the fog that I just stayed in it.
Scott BennerI see. High blood sugar is on top of the drugs too, probably. I mean Spacey.
ChrisVery high blood sugar. I remember there's times where I would you know, obviously, when you get super high and DKA starts to hit, you start to puke on yourself. And I remember that I wasn't eating, and I wasn't doing my shot. But I'm like, well, I'm not eating, so I must be okay. And I wasn't.
Scott BennerYou weren't doing And basil even?
ChrisWell, so this was still my regular and
Scott BennerOh, you're still regular in NPH at that point.
ChrisOh, yeah. I was regular in NPH, Scott, until 2015. Get the
Scott Bennerout of here. Seriously? Yep.
ChrisI'm dead serious.
Scott BennerHoly damn. Look at you. You're a time traveler.
ChrisYeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah. I just well, yeah.
ChrisOnce again, you could buy insulin over the counter. I struggled through jobs as I grew up, but we're gonna I don't wanna skip ahead. So So in so in this whole deal, speed up a little bit. January 1, we go out on a party.
A Wake-Up Call and Returning to Family
ChrisI remember we went somewhere. The whole group, everybody was doing all the same crap. So everybody's, you know, did the same crap. And the next morning, that was January sorry. That was January's December 31.
ChrisJanuary 1, I woke up in the ER with a catheter and stuff hooked up to me, and I basically was unresponsive for fourteen seconds, they said.
Scott BennerOh my gosh.
ChrisSo my party friends dumped me off at the front door, and they saved me. My blood sugar was 900 when they dropped me off, and DKA had already came in and presented itself. Yes. And that was what we call a wake up call.
Scott BennerYeah. I was gonna say,
Chrisis is that is
Scott Bennerthat the moment where you go, oh, maybe I should try to stay alive a little harder?
ChrisYeah. I think yeah. I think, and that scared the that scared the me.
Scott BennerI really did. That. The catheter, if nothing else.
ChrisYeah. Jesus. Yeah. God. I can't.
Scott BennerI have to imagine there's a moment when you've you've regained some clarity and you go, oh, there's a tube in my penis. I wonder how that got
Christhere. Yeah. I wonder and how are they gonna get it out of
Scott Bennerthere? Yeah. Oh. And then you're looking around the room, you're like, which one of these people did that? No.
Scott BennerNo. No. I I I imagine. Yeah. So were you high at that time or just in DKA or both?
ChrisWell, it was died. Everything's pretty much worn off by then, so it was d DKA that took me down.
Scott BennerI see. Okay. Once you realize there's something to do, you're locked into where you live. Like, how do that's a lot of change to make all at once. I mean Yeah.
ChrisYou know what I mean? That's where that's where my father comes in.
Scott BennerMy dad Not mister Jefferson. The the Not
Chrisnot mister Jefferson. This is
Scott Bennermy real dad. Okay. Okay.
ChrisHe was, back in town, I heard, and I've always remembered his phone number. I called him and basically confessed. I said, dad, this is what happened. This is where I'm at. You have to come and get me out of here.
ChrisAnd that's what he did.
Scott BennerWow. No kidding. How long did it have been since you seen
Chrishim? Oh, three to four three years.
Scott BennerNo kidding. And Yeah. No no judgment? Just came and got you?
ChrisNo judgment at all.
Scott BennerDoes he have a similar background to yours? Could he understand your plight, or is this just good?
ChrisHe no. He he didn't, but he understood the situation.
Scott BennerOkay.
ChrisAnd like I said, I was straight up with him. I said that I I messed up big time. I I don't wanna be in there anymore. If you don't come and get me, I'm gonna go right back there.
Scott BennerYeah. And tell me one more time. Your dad not a partier? Not a nothing he wasn't like that guy?
ChrisNo. Uh-uh. Not like that at all.
Scott BennerOkay. Alright. I have a tiny bit of well, I've I've a lot of knowledge about not seeing my dad for a long time and then going to see him again, and it's an uncomfortable moment for him,
Chrisfor you. Tough.
Scott BennerYeah. For everybody. Because everyone is either hurt or embarrassed or some mix of that. You know?
ChrisAnd Or angry.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah. All trust me. I think we could sit down and write down emotions for twenty minutes, and I'd go, yeah.
Scott BennerThat one too. Yep. So Mhmm. So so that all gets overcome because he realizes you're in actual trouble. Do you live with him then?
Scott BennerYes. Wow. How long did you
Chrislive with him for? I lived with him for a couple years, and then I moved on and went to some school for some mechanic, like car mechanic stuff Mhmm. Where that ended up taking me to my next venture of traveling around the world racing cars.
Scott BennerOkay. Well, real quick, though. In those years you lived with your father Uh-huh. Do you guys ever talk about where he was? Because, I mean, he's did he mature?
Scott BennerLike, why was he able to be a dad then, I guess, is my question.
ChrisI think it woke both of us up. Okay. I think I think it was a ton of a kind of a, like, this has to happen, and it's going to happen, and we're gonna make the best of it, and we did.
Scott BennerDid you start talking to your mom more again or no? Was you and
Chrisyour dad? I was talking to my mom off and on, but it was still pretty negative because there wasn't much reach out after I left.
Scott BennerYeah. Well, if you had a nicer house, if she could've lived with you, then she might have been nicer to you. Have you let any of that go, by the way, as an adult? How much therapy do you do exactly?
ChrisWell, we have up to Thanksgiving of last year, my mom and I, let it all out, and we are now perfect.
Scott BennerOh, good for you.
ChrisSo it's but it's taken that long, Scott. Like, it's been
Scott BennerYeah. No. I understand.
ChrisYou know, it's been from the time that I was in high school to yeah. We spoke a little bit here and there. My grandmother ended up passing. I heard about that. But, like, we haven't really thrown it out there to what actually did all this until last year.
ChrisChris, I have to
Scott Bennertell you something. In thirty three minutes of talking, I've just been trying to act as a, you know, as the person kinda getting your story from you. I haven't felt sad yet even though you said a lot of sad things until you said, I learned of my grandmother's passing.
ChrisUh-huh.
Scott BennerThat made me sad.
ChrisYeah. That's that was a rough one. She was, she got dementia really bad and that was it. But
Scott BennerI don't even mean that she died. I mean that she died and you were unaware that she died. Yeah. That's the part that made me sad.
ChrisYeah. That that did suck.
Scott BennerYeah. Jesus. You okay? Is he already talking about all this?
ChrisYeah. I'm fine. I I expected it to. I'm just trying to make sure I don't jump around too much. So
Scott BennerYeah. No. I just want people to real like, sometimes I get back from people, like, they didn't wanna talk about that. I'm like, listen. I didn't make them come on the podcast.
ChrisNo. I I I mean, a lot of this has to do with what we're here for. So, I mean
Scott BennerYou know? No. I know. I imagine your whole lead up is gonna is gonna is gonna crescendo in a in a pretty interesting way. So, my god.
Professional Racing Career
Scott BennerWait a minute. So you're racing
Chriswhat are you what are
Scott Benneryou racing? Like, little quarters, dirt track? What are you guys doing?
ChrisNo. Sports car. So twenty four hour, twelve hour stuff.
Scott BennerOh, wow.
ChrisAll the way from all over the country to France to Italy, Germany, all that kind of stuff. And that took me through my career from, let's see, the pretty much the year of 2000 all the way to '14, 2014.
Scott BennerYou're a mechanic on a crew? Are you driving? Or what do you do?
ChrisYeah. A crew, over the wall tires and and all that kind of stuff, and I loved it.
Scott BennerOh, let me ask you a question.
ChrisK.
Scott BennerHow much did you enjoy the movie Ford versus Ferrari?
ChrisSo it's kinda funny. I used to work for one of those teams and ended up working for one of the other teams, and that Ford versus Ferrari situation kind of, happened again in 2016 in France. So it kinda relived it, and I worked for both companies that were part of that.
Scott BennerNo kidding. I can't tell if I just love that movie or if I love Matt Damon more than I think I do.
ChrisIt's it's a good they did a really good job. Okay. They did a really good job on that movie.
Scott BennerSo here's the question. If I only let you watch one again, Ford versus Ferrari or the f one film with Brad Pitt, which do you choose?
ChrisI think that if we're gonna go with the reality basis and the history of it, Ford versus Ferrari for sure.
Scott BennerYeah. I didn't not like f one, but at some point, I thought this is going on forever, and it feels a little fantastical. I like and I wanted it to be a little more real.
ChrisI mean, yeah. And I don't think that a 48 or 40 or 50 year old guy with suntan, wrinkled skin can jump into a Formula one car and do
Scott BennerYou think he'd drive eight feet and go right into a turn. Right?
ChrisYeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mean, there's a lot going on there.
ChrisSo either way
Scott BennerI'm just gonna admit that I'm 54, and there are times I'm completely with it. Okay? And I'm probably as healthy as I've ever been in my life. And there are some times when you're on the road where you think, like, I was a little better at this when I was younger.
ChrisExactly. Yeah.
Scott BennerSo yeah. And I'm not going, however, hundreds of miles. Right. Yeah. Feeling every pebble on the road as the car is dancing over the air.
ChrisRight.
Scott BennerBut, anyway, I'm sorry. So that's our well, that's a really interesting life. Now during that life, are you married? Do you have kids during that time? Are you drug
Chrisare you drug free? Yes. But alcohol started taking over because that kind of flows when you start winning.
Scott BennerOh, the part the party picks back up and
Christhings are going well. The I started drinking quite a bit. Nothing out of control, but more to where it was really starting to affect my diabetes quite a bit. Okay.
Scott BennerIs that a thing you got under control again?
ChrisYes. You did? Yes. Yeah.
Scott BennerWould you consider yourself an alcoholic or no?
ChrisNo. It was just too easy.
Scott BennerIt's all always there.
ChrisIt was always there. It's like you you go out, you work all day getting everything ready, and then you go out and have a beer. And then, oh, look at these there's other teams here. Okay. Let's hang out with them.
ChrisAnd then, oh, then, and then you lose, and then you hate each other, and then you love each other, and then it's just it's just a cycle, and it was kinda starting to take over I see. Quite a bit.
Scott BennerSomebody have to step in and help you, or did you figure it out for yourself?
ChrisNo. I figured it out for myself.
Scott BennerOkay. Any AA or anything like that?
ChrisOr No. Nothing like that. No.
Scott BennerJust you just were like, I'm gonna stop drinking now. This is not Yeah.
ChrisI'm just gonna I'm gonna yeah. Okay. So that lifestyle, it was difficult doing shots in a porta potty in the middle of the night, but, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Scott BennerThat's where you're doing your insulin? Yeah. Because wait. Because, Chris, are you still hiding it at that point?
ChrisI'm not hiding it, but the races would go the twenty four hour races would go to the following day.
Scott BennerAnd you're just looking for a place to be And I
Chrisand I'm just looking for a quiet place where I can I have a suit on, so I have to unzip the suit and get the belly out and do all that kind of stuff? And I didn't wanna do that right in front of somebody. So That's what I would be doing.
Scott BennerI gotta tell you, get the belly out is the most descriptive thing anybody said to me all week so far. Yeah. Well yeah. It's like you had to present it to the world so that you could get it.
ChrisWell, yeah. They you wear these suits and you're pretty much shoehorned in this thing. You know, it's like a
Scott BennerYeah.
ChrisYou're getting they're pretty snug. So trying to get the zipper actually zips from the bottom up, you know, or top down, whatever you wanna do. So you get the bottom when you zip it up and get the belly out and just enough skin and off it goes.
Scott BennerAre they fire suits? Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
ChrisYeah. No mechs.
Scott BennerBut you're still a regular on Miles per hour though. Right?
ChrisYes.
Scott BennerOh, wow.
ChrisSure am.
Scott BennerWhat are your do you know a one c's? Like, what's the level of health care for you during that time?
ChrisDuring that time, it was it was okay. I was getting my a one c's done. I was running about seven or eight. Okay. Not the best control, but I knew it.
ChrisI mean, I I I would I wanted to make sure that my blood sugar was a little on the higher side because when we're doing pit stops, I wanted to make sure that
Scott BennerYou don't wanna get low.
ChrisI don't wanna get low because that's I feel like of one of the k two cases, I can at least get my job done if my blood sugar is a little on the higher side than it is if it's low.
Scott BennerOkay. And what would management to lower have meant to you? Would it have meant more insulin, or would it have meant different eating? Both. Both would have helped that.
ChrisYeah. Both would have helped that. And to be honest, at that time, I was so in the gray about insulin. I had no idea. I mean, I just was like, this is what you do.
ChrisYou get this foggy stuff, and you get this stuff. And
Scott Benneroh, you don't have a functional idea of what all this is doing. It's just
ChrisI know what it's doing, but I haven't I haven't updated anything. Just still cruising right along with the same scenario.
Scott BennerWhatever your shots used to be is what they are now, and you're you're not thinking about it. I mean, you understand functionally what it does, but you're not you're not looking at an outcome and saying, oh, had I just done this, then this might have gone differently.
ChrisCorrect.
Scott BennerI gotcha. Okay. Yeah. Alright. 2015 is when you got a faster acting insulin?
ChrisIs that what you're when I got so my health care has never been with racing, you don't have your you're a contract employee.
Scott BennerMhmm.
ChrisSo you don't have any kind of health care, and everything you do for health care for is kinda up to you. The third party health care for a type one is is insanely expensive.
Scott BennerRight. So that's part of why you stayed with that insulin. Right?
ChrisStayed with the insulin because I could go anywhere and buy it over the counter.
Scott BennerYeah. But you weren't using a CGM during that time?
ChrisNope. I had my Dexcom that I'm wearing now was started in 2019. Wow. My goodness. Yeah.
ChrisYeah.
Scott BennerI bet you the first four years without the CGM were probably a rocky start, right, to figure out. Yeah.
ChrisYeah. For sure. Yeah. For sure. Trying to figure out this and that.
ChrisI was obviously still sticking my finger, but, boy, it sucked because I wasn't to be fair, I wasn't really doing it. You know, I when I got on my own and I didn't care about anything anymore, the last thing I was gonna do is poke my finger.
Scott BennerYeah. Well, that pivot from regular and Miles per hour later in life to a faster acting insulin, you know, long acting that stuff, most of your knowledge doesn't transfer to the new idea. And No. That's Not
Chrisat all.
Scott BennerThat really is what I noticed when I talk to people over and over again is that they were they have diabetes and they take insulin. But when you switch them to, you know, I don't know, Humalog and, you know, something like that, then they don't know what they're doing. They start over again as a person who feels like they have twenty years of experience without any of the knowledge that goes along with it.
ChrisRight. Yeah. Exactly. Wow.
Transitioning to a Normal Life
Scott BennerOkay. So I'm sorry. The the racing thing, when that ends Yep. Why does it end, and where do you go next?
ChrisSo it ended basically around COVID. It got really, really difficult to do anything, obviously. Right? Racing is kinda like a it's a it's an extra thing. Right?
ChrisIt doesn't have to happen. It's all extra money that, you know, I used to call it April 15 racing because a lot of it, you know, is tax Tax tax and all that kind of stuff. And I had a really good friend of mine that I had kept in touch with who is my wife now. I moved to another state when I started racing and stayed where I am now, we'll just call it the South. Mhmm.
ChrisMet this lady when I first moved here, and we stayed in contact. She got married again, had some children, and it went really sour. And that's when, basically, I was tired of racing. I got tired of the hotels. I got tired of the suitcases.
ChrisI got tired of the horrible breakfast in the morning. Just all of the typical things of travel. And her kids said, you know what? We like seeing you on TV, but if you were here, it would be better. And that's all it took.
Scott BennerThat's nice. Look at that. Look at that.
ChrisYeah. You
Scott Bennerjust went into a I mean, that's a pretty big shift from your story to just a regular, like, I'm gonna live here all the time life.
ChrisIt but but, I mean, it's yeah, Scott. I mean, I lived out of a suitcase, single life, all the way until 2018.
Scott BennerYeah. Wow. That is not that long ago.
ChrisI know.
Scott BennerYeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and how was the transition to being a normie? How did that go?
Outro & Sponsors
Scott BennerThis episode was too good to cut anything out of, but too long to make just one episode. So this is part one. Make sure you go find part two right now. It's gonna be the next episode in your feed. Today's episode of the Juice Box podcast was sponsored by the new Tandem Mobi system and Control IQ Plus technology.
Scott BennerLearn more and get started today at tandemdiabetes.com/juicebox. Check it out. The conversation you just enjoyed was brought to you by US Med. Usmed.com/juicebox or call (888) 721-1514. Get started today and get your supplies from US Med.
Scott BennerToday's episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by the Eversense three sixty five. You can experience the Eversense three sixty five CGM system for as low as $199 for a full year. Visit eversincecgm.com/juicebox for more details and eligibility. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon with another episode of the juice box podcast.
Scott BennerIf you're not already subscribed or following the podcast in your favorite audio app, like Spotify or Apple podcasts, please do that now. Seriously, just to hit follow or subscribe will really help the show. If you go a little further in Apple podcasts and set it up so that it downloads all new episodes, I'll be your best friend. And if you leave a five star review, oh, I'll probably send you a Christmas card. Would you like a Christmas card?
Scott BennerIf you're looking for community around type one diabetes, check out the Juice Box podcast private Facebook group. Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes. But everybody is welcome. Type one, type two, gestational, loved ones, it doesn't matter to me. If you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort, or community, check out Juice Box podcast, type one diabetes on Facebook.
Scott BennerIf you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording. Listen. Truth be told, I'm, like, 20% smarter when Rob edits me. He takes out all the, like, gaps of time and when I go, and stuff like that. And it just I don't know, man.
Scott BennerLike, I listen back and I'm like, why do I sound smarter? And then I remember because I did one smart thing. I hired Rob at wrongwayrecording.com.
#1835 Bolus 4 - Ultra Processed Food
Scott and Jenny talk about how to bolus 4 ultra processed food.
Companies that Support Juicebox
Key Takeaways
- Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are heavily altered with industrial ingredients, additives, and preservatives designed to maximize shelf life, palatability, and corporate profitability.
- Food engineering capitalizes on addiction cues: Manufacturers find the perfect blends of fat, sugar, and salt to trigger cravings, overriding natural satiety cues and promoting overconsumption.
- The absence of Amylin makes bolusing harder: In type 1 diabetes, the lack of the hormone Amylin leads to faster gastric emptying and weaker fullness signals, meaning blood sugar from processed foods rises rapidly.
- GLP-1 medications tackle "food noise": These drugs help control constant hunger and improve satiety, enabling weight management even when consuming highly processed foods.
- Refined ingredients spike blood sugars rapidly: Highly processed products, such as high fructose corn syrup and heavily refined seed oils, lack natural fiber and nutrients, making them particularly challenging to bolus for effectively.
Resources Mentioned
- Juicebox Podcast: juiceboxpodcast.com
- The Meal Bolt Framework: juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt
- Omnipod 5: omnipod.com/juicebox
- Dexcom G7: dexcom.com/juicebox
- Wrong Way Recording: wrongwayrecording.com
- Juicebox Podcast Private Facebook Group & Diabetes Pro Tip Series (Episodes 1000-1025)
Introduction & The Meal Bolt Framework
Scott Benner Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast. (0:15) In every episode of bolus four, Jenny Smith and I are gonna take a few minutes to talk through how to bolus for a single item of food. (0:23) Jenny and I are gonna follow a little bit of a road map called meal bolt. (0:28) Measure the meal, evaluate yourself, add the base units, layer a correction, build the bolus shape, offset the timing, look at the CGM, tweak for next time. (0:39) Having said that, these episodes are gonna be very conversational and not incredibly technical.
Scott Benner We want you to hear how we think about it, but we also would like you to know that this is kind of the pathway we're considering while we're talking about it. (0:52) So while you might not hear us say every letter of Miel Bolt in every episode, we will be thinking about it while we're talking. (1:00) If you wanna learn more, go to juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt. (1:05) But for now, we'll find out how to bowl us for today's subject. (1:10) While you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise.
Scott Benner Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin.
Scott Benner Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. (1:32) We talk a lot about ways to lower your a one c on this podcast. (1:36) Did you know that the Omnipod five was shown to lower a one c? (1:40) That's right.
Scott Benner Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system, and it was shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they switched from daily injections. (1:53) My daughter is about to turn 21 years old, and she has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four. (1:59) It has been a friend to our family, and I think it could be a friend to yours. (2:03) If you're ready to try Omnipod five for yourself or your family, use my link now to get started. (2:10) Omnipod.com/juicebox.
Scott Benner Get that free Omnipod five starter kit today. (2:15) Terms and conditions apply. (2:17) Eligibility may vary. (2:18) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (2:23) Today's episode is also sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, the same CGM that my daughter wears.
Defining Ultra-Processed Foods
Scott Benner Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. (2:34) Alright, Jenny. (2:35) I was thinking that today we would, for the bolus four series, instead of talking about how to bolus for something today, I thought we'd dig into what ultra processing means. (2:47) Oh. (2:48) So that we can figure out what foods are made out of.
Scott Benner Right? (2:52) Because now we've been talking about bolusing for a while, and, you know, I think people can hear that maybe simpler, more organic, natural foods don't seem like they need as much finagling when it comes to bolusing. (3:07) Right? (3:07) And then they've heard us talk about, like, bolusing for donuts and stuff like that. (3:11) And I thought maybe just taking a pause here in the middle of making bolas for episodes, we could talk more about why that is.
Scott Benner So Sure. (3:19) Alright. (3:20) Are you good with that?
Jenny Smith Yeah. (3:21) I know that's kind of fun.
Scott Benner Okay. (3:23) Well, I knew you'd find it kind of fun. (3:26) And I wanna be clear to everybody. (3:28) This is a fact finding mission for me because I mean, Jenny's got the background to talk about this. (3:33) I don't fundamentally understand all this.
Scott Benner I know I don't want processed foods, and I've heard the word ultra processed, and I'm gonna try to break up the difference. (3:42) So I do I just wanna start there, like, the difference between processed and ultra processed. (3:48) And I'm gonna ask you for yours, and then I'm gonna look online while you're talking and try to round up that question and then go to the next one.
Jenny Smith Sure. (3:55) Ultra processed foods compared to unprocessed or, for lack of better word, real food, right, is the ultra processed food, also often called UPFs, just a little acronym, are made from, like, industrial based ingredients. (4:16) They've got a lot of additives in, things that don't occur in nature, most often because of the taste profile. (4:25) Mhmm. (4:26) Most often in order to preserve the product and give it the crunch, the appeal, the taste after it's been sitting in the actual package for questionable amount of time on the shelf.
Jenny Smith So ultra processed is essentially, like, making something to eat in a factory. (4:45) That's kind of how I think about it.
Scott Benner Okay. (4:48) What it tells me is the difference is mostly about how much the original food has been changed.
Jenny Smith Yes.
Scott Benner Okay. (4:54) Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their original form usually to make them safer, last longer, or be easier to prepare. (5:02) The one thing I've noticed about this, because this is not the first time I've looked into this, is that sorry. (5:07) There's people working in my house today.
Jenny Smith I can't hear anything. (5:11) Well,
Scott Benner trust me. (5:13) It's gonna get on the recording. (5:14) I'm pretty sure. (5:15) So plain yogurts, canned beans, frozen vegetables, rolled oats, cheese, peanut butter with just peanuts and salt, whole grain bread with a short ingredients list is what they're talking about as processed food, ultra processed soda, packaged snack cakes, chips with flavor coatings, candy, instant noodles with seasoning packets, chicken nuggets made from reconstituted meat, sugary breakfast cereals, packaged cookies, many frozen microwave meals, and things that say cheese product on them.
Jenny Smith I think it's also you just said two different things about process.
Scott Benner Okay.
Jenny Smith Right? (5:52) You said ultra process
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Which is more what I defined
Scott Benner Yep.
Jenny Smith And processed. (5:58) Because quite honestly, in today's world, we don't live like it's little house on the prairie times.
Scott Benner Right?
Jenny Smith So even something like yogurt, which I wouldn't consider a processed food, it is Mhmm. (6:14) Truly. (6:15) Because unless you're going to take the milk and make it and you've got a yogurt maker at home, blah blah blah, and take the time to do it, your yogurt has been processed in order to package it, keep it contained. (6:26) They use the word safe. (6:28) It does make it more safe because if they didn't do some of the stuff that they did, even a food that's been minimally processed is gonna go bad, and you're not gonna wanna eat it.
Scott Benner Okay.
Jenny Smith Right? (6:41) So I think it's great that you brought that in because there is a definition difference.
Scott Benner I also started to say and then didn't finish my thought that when you Google or chat GPT or however you get your information, this thing is gonna be leaning towards what the FDA said is okay, what the USDA says is okay. (7:01) If you press it a little more, it will, you know, like
Jenny Smith Give you more.
Scott Benner You'll see later when we get to oil and Mhmm. (7:08) And corn syrup and stuff like that. (7:09) But, anyway, so ultra processed foods are gonna have a lot of chemicals in them or Yes. (7:15) Preserve but more specifically, preservatives.
Jenny Smith But Typically yes.
Scott Benner Good. (7:20) Good.
Jenny Smith Preservatives, but also things like I think we've looked it up before. (7:24) Things that are anti caking agents. (7:27) They don't let the product get all crunchy and gross when it's supposed to be a powder Mhmm. (7:32) Or they help it to retain the crunch and not get soggy. (7:37) Again, all of these things that we've learned in industrializing our world
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Have come about because lives have gotten busier. (7:48) We need something that's quick, easy, fast to actually do. (7:52) We don't have time to slice up the potato and put it in the food dehydrator or the air fryer to actually make our own potato chips. (8:00) We wanna buy them easy to crunch out of the bag.
The Engineering of Palatability
Scott Benner Yeah. (8:02) I've had this conversation already. (8:05) I'm having it again with you. (8:06) But I asked then, like, why should I care about this? (8:08) Mhmm.
Scott Benner And it was interesting because it didn't answer me the way I thought it was going to. (8:12) I thought it was gonna say, like, well, there's additives and preservatives and chemicals. (8:15) It said more about, like, that there's a it's just very low in nutritional value. (8:21) Yes. (8:21) And high intake is linked to chronic disease, but it's more about the the flavor and the salt, sugar, fat Fat.
Scott Benner Mix that that slurry they make then spread on your Doritos or wherever they wherever it goes. (8:38) Right? (8:39) Yes. (8:40) It's a perfect blend of the things that your body desires.
Jenny Smith 100%.
Scott Benner Right. (8:45) Right.
Jenny Smith They have hit it. (8:47) I can't remember the name of the book, but years ago, there was a gentleman who wrote a book all about this. (8:53) It was all about the food in quote, unquote, food industry learning to capitalize on fat, sugar, and salt, and how to combine them from a chemical structure that it hits your taste bud the way that people want it to, and then it hits the brain signals that say, take another. (9:15) Yes. (9:16) Take another.
Jenny Smith Keep coming back for it. (9:18) And they've they've figured it out. (9:20) I mean, they are absolute, like, chemical geniuses in terms of packing a whole bunch that no human body needs in it.
Scott Benner Mhmm. (9:28) So I kinda then I picked her around. (9:30) I was like, why would someone do this? (9:31) So I tried to like, I acted naive for a second. (9:34) Was like, why if I was making food, why would I do this?
Scott Benner The answer back was higher margin products, longer shelf life, less waste. (9:41) It creates repeat buying because it's hyperpalatable, and it's also very repeatable. (9:48) So you know that when you buy the chip, it's gonna taste the same time after time after time. (9:53) Like, it's there waiting for you, and you know what you're gonna get when you get it. (9:56) It talked a little bit about the addictiveness, not as much like drugs, but more about just, like, repeat consumption, like, the idea of and because I said, I was like, well, I must be able to eat some of this without it hurting me.
Scott Benner Like, can my body process canola oil? (10:09) And, you know, it's like, yeah, your body can process canola oil. (10:12) It can process Sure. (10:13) Yeah. (10:13) Yeah.
Scott Benner Then it becomes more about it's not about having a potato chip. (10:18) It's about having a bag of potato chips. (10:20) And it's not even about having a bag of potato chips. (10:22) It's about having 50 bags of potato chips. (10:24) Right?
Scott Benner Like Yeah. (10:25) Over a year or two. (10:27) Like, I don't even know how to quantify that. (10:28) Like, I wonder how many bags of potato chips a person eats in a year. (10:32) It could be probably more than I think.
Jenny Smith It could be a lot. (10:36) And I think that that also the consideration of I mean, the word addiction is correct to use here.
Scott Benner Okay.
Jenny Smith Not in the sense like alcohol or drugs or whatever, but honestly, if we imagine that the ultra processed foods are similar in effect over a long period of time on our internal health, on our vessels, on our nerves. (11:02) I quite honestly, right on every little cell in our body that's trying to make energy the right way
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith They become addictive. (11:10) And so, I mean, what's the is it Pringles? (11:13) It's once you pop, you can't stop.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Jenny Smith Right? (11:16) It's so salty. (11:16) It's salty. (11:18) It's crunchy. (11:18) It's got all of the hit points that you want, and you don't consider the calorie
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith That you end up taking in. (11:28) With a product that's mostly it's like air, and you eat it, and you take another one, and you take another one. (11:34) It's very easy to probably eat half a can of them without realizing, and then you've ended up with 600 calories worth of you're still hungry. (11:45) Yeah. (11:45) And then you go to something else.
Jenny Smith Whereas had you sat down to a 600 calorie meal that's truly real, mostly not high processed food. (11:56) Right? (11:56) Mhmm. (11:57) You are going to have a fullness, satiety factor in the aftermath of a meal. (12:01) You're gonna have a wealth of nutrients.
Jenny Smith You're gonna have all of the macronutrients. (12:06) You're just gonna have better for your body as well as that feeling of I ate a meal, and I am I'm full. (12:12) I'm satisfied.
Scott Benner So I asked the question next, and I have, you know, have this experience, so I know this is true. (12:19) And I almost I almost resist saying this out loud, but I've been on a GLP now for, like, three years. (12:26) Mhmm. (12:26) I can eat poorly for days at a time now and not gain weight. (12:32) So that's a little bit of gives with one hand, takes away with the other kind of a situation because you have to, like, thoughtfully anybody who's on a GLP who's trying to do what they're supposed to be doing is always telling themselves, I gotta take in a bunch of protein.
Scott Benner I gotta keep moving. (12:48) But, like, I need chicken. (12:50) I need beef. (12:50) I need I need protein protein eggs. (12:53) Like, I think about that all the time.
Scott Benner And by the way, that has not been easy lately as four steaks at Costco have gone from 40 to $90 in, the last, like, three months. (13:05) It's really crazy. (13:07) Wow. (13:08) So I'm trying to be aware of that while we're talking about this. (13:11) The food is getting, like, very expensive.
Scott Benner But yet so I said, like, why is that? (13:15) And I said, beyond like, at first, it was funny because at first, it ants I said, why would GLPs why would GLPs stop me from gaining weight from eating ultra when I eat ultra processed foods? (13:26) And the first answer that came back was like, oh, well, it you know, satiety. (13:29) It makes you not as hungry so you don't eat as much. (13:31) And I said, no.
Scott Benner That is not what's happening. (13:33) Like, I was like, I can eat as much as I I know how to eat through a GLP at this point. (13:36) Like, I understand how to, like, manipulate the whole thing. (13:40) Even if I eat that stuff and in excess even, why don't I gain weight? (13:44) And it started talking about insulin and slowing gastric emptying and kind of the ways my body's manipulating it.
Scott Benner And then I said, well, then are ultra processed foods the problem or the way my body works the problem? (13:58) It thought the ultra processed foods were the problem, by the way. (14:01) But Yeah. (14:02) I was just like, maybe we haven't maybe we haven't evolved enough yet. (14:06) I'm not a historian, but the way food's made now is obviously first about money.
Scott Benner This is the next thing that obviously is upsetting. (14:14) You look into all the companies that own all of the different things. (14:18) Pepsi and Coke, for example, own a ton of companies that make food.
Jenny Smith Right.
Scott Benner Okay. (14:23) They're trying to make money, but they're also trying to feed billions more people than used to be standing on the planet. (14:29) So I understand that even. (14:30) Right? (14:31) But I just it gives me the same feeling.
Scott Benner And I I'm I'll be brief here because I know I've probably said this before in the podcast. (14:38) But when I caught my little brother smoking when he was a teenager, I said, if I was you, I'd think about the eight rich guys sitting around a table laughing that you bought those cigarettes and that they're rich because of it. (14:51) And I bet you none of them smoke. (14:53) And, you know, so I I I do feel that way about a lot of this food sometimes.
Midroll Sponsors: Dexcom G7 & Omnipod 5
Scott Benner The Dexcom g seven is sponsoring this episode of the juice box podcast, and it features a lightning fast thirty minute warm up time.
Scott Benner That's right. (15:09) From the time you put on the Dexcom g seven till the time you're getting readings, thirty minutes. (15:15) That's pretty great. (15:16) It also has a twelve hour grace period, so you can swap your sensor when it's convenient for you. (15:22) All that on top of it being small, accurate, incredibly wearable, and light, these things, in my opinion, make the Dexcom g seven a no brainer.
Scott Benner The Dexcom g seven comes with way more than just this. (15:35) Up to 10 people can follow you. (15:36) You can use it with type one, type two, or gestational diabetes. (15:39) It's covered by all sorts of insurances and, this might be the best part. (15:45) It might be the best part.
Scott Benner Alerts and alarms that are customizable so that you can be alerted at the levels that make sense to you. (15:54) Dexcom.com/juicebox. (15:56) Links in the show notes. (15:57) Links at juiceboxpodcast.com to Dexcom and all the sponsors. (16:02) When you use my links, you're supporting the production of the podcast and helping to keep it free and plentiful.
Scott Benner Today's episode is brought to you by Omnipod. (16:12) We talk a lot about ways to lower your a one c on this podcast. (16:16) Did you know that the Omnipod five was shown to lower a one c? (16:20) That's right. (16:20) Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system, and it was shown to significantly improve a one c end time and range for people with type one diabetes when they switched from daily injections.
Scott Benner My daughter is about to turn 21 years old, and she has been wearing an Omnipod every day since she was four. (16:39) It has been a friend to our family, and I think it could be a friend to yours. (16:43) If you're ready to try Omnipod five for yourself or your family, use my link now to get started. (16:49) Omnipod.com/juicebox. (16:52) Get that free Omnipod five starter kit today.
Scott Benner Terms and conditions apply. (16:56) Eligibility may vary. (16:58) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod dot com slash juice box.
Food Noise and Satiety
Jenny Smith And what goes along with it if you're thinking that way is if you can wrap your mind around that, you're probably the person that's gonna start to make changes. (17:13) You're the person, as you said before, how many bags of potato chips could somebody possibly eat? (17:19) And as somebody who has a mindset of occasional in their habits
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith It's much easier for them to say, even without a GLP or anything else that affects satiety, it's easier for them to say, I'm gonna take a handful, and that's what I have on my plate, and I don't need to go back for more. (17:37) There's something in kind of the the way that we end up learning and thinking about food intake over time that is also really hard to navigate. (17:49) Thus, an interesting reason that GLPs seem to work for a lot of people who had no ability to control before is it brings in you know, we've heard it many times called food noise. (18:04) It brings in the ability to control that food noise. (18:09) It almost brings recognition of how much you've eaten or what you've eaten.
Jenny Smith Even if it isn't an apple, you're still eating ultra high processed food. (18:18) It brings in a little bit more recognition of portion
Scott Benner Yeah.
Jenny Smith Than you may have otherwise had. (18:25) And then the idea of looking at all the foods in a store that come in a package and seeing the brand name on that package has come from, as you just said, a big corporation that has figured out fat, salt, and sugar. (18:40) Yeah. (18:40) Figured it out.
Scott Benner I would just tell you be insulted that somebody's taking advantage of you like that to take you take your money from you with no regard for what it's gonna do to your health.
Jenny Smith Right.
Scott Benner I do wonder as you were talking, I thought, I wonder if food because food noise is a is a trendy thing to say right now. (18:56) Right?
Jenny Smith It is.
Scott Benner But Mhmm. (18:57) Did it exist five hundred years ago?
Jenny Smith I I don't
Scott Benner Or did people just call that hunger? (19:02) Or, like, do know what I mean? (19:03) Or, like or has the processing of the food done something to us that makes it so that there's this, like, background noise of I don't know. (19:15) Or is it just a thing that, like, you know, people say nowadays? (19:18) Like, you know?
Jenny Smith I think it's a combination of those things. (19:22) We have if you take five hundred years ago
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Okay. (19:27) And gosh, that was that was a long time ago. (19:30) Right?
Scott Benner That's six of my lives, hopefully, if I make it to 80, which by the way, I've been thinking about a lot lately. (19:36) I don't don't do that. (19:37) By the way, the actuarial table says I have, like, 1,400 weekends left. (19:41) So Oh. (19:42) Don't look into that.
Jenny Smith I won't be looking at that at all. (19:46) No. (19:47) As you say, like, it struck me something you said just before about, one, we have a lot of people on the planet to feed Mhmm. (19:54) Comparative to five hundred years ago. (19:58) The second piece of that is we are no longer the majority of people on the planet are no longer in a realm of understanding agriculture in order to actually support their family.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Right? (20:10) I I have mean, a lovely garden, but would it a 100% support our four person family? (20:18) No. (20:19) Yeah. (20:19) By no means.
Jenny Smith I I have to go to the grocery store. (20:22) Right?
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith And so therein food is widely available now comparative to five hundred years ago. (20:29) Yeah. (20:29) And it was much more the the true, again, hunter gatherer type of kind of idea. (20:36) I have to do something to get my food. (20:38) I'm gonna make the most out of the food that I get.
Jenny Smith I'm gonna preserve it. (20:41) I'm gonna pack it away. (20:42) I'm gonna do all of these things through the course of the year. (20:46) We also now have strawberries in December when they would not grow on the ground outside my house. (20:53) Right?
Jenny Smith So we have the advantage of a wealth of whatever type of food, unprocessed, processed. (21:01) Yeah. (21:02) And we've taken away the hunger cues in a way because it becomes so normal to just have food present at every every occasion that you end up coming to. (21:16) There is always who's gonna bring the donuts? (21:18) Who's gonna bring the muffins?
Jenny Smith Who's gonna bring the bars or whatever it's going to be? (21:23) Right?
Scott Benner My wife said to me last night, do you wanna go watch, TV before we go to bed? (21:28) And I said, sure. (21:29) It's like 09:30, 10:00. (21:31) And I thought, oh, I gotta get a drink to take with me. (21:33) And then I stopped and I went, why am I doing that?
Scott Benner I'm like, it's 09:30. (21:38) I'm good.
Jenny Smith Do I
Scott Benner need I've drank as much as I'm gonna drink today. (21:40) What am I drinking something for? (21:42) Like, like, I actually I actually thought that. (21:44) Was like, why am I gonna so I thought, well, I'll bring water with me just in case. (21:48) Mhmm.
Scott Benner But, like, I was thinking of, like, something else. (21:51) And then I was like, what what am I doing? (21:54) Let me say this about I don't again, I'm not a historian. (21:57) Right? (21:58) Isn't it interesting that people used to have way more kids?
Scott Benner Like, were pumping kids out forever. (22:03) And if you're and by the way, if you blew your lady up making kids, you'd grab another lady and start pumping them out with her too. (22:09) Like, so you're making know you know what happened? (22:10) Those ladies didn't they didn't live very long.
Jenny Smith Neither did men, honestly.
Scott Benner No. (22:14) Well, what you would do, Jen, I don't know if you know this, is your wife, you'd you'd you had her pregnant so many times, she'd just explode or something. (22:19) And then, like, then you'd go find I
Jenny Smith don't think so much.
Scott Benner Technically how it happens. (22:24) But then, like, then you go find some lady whose husband got run over by a horse and you're like, hey. (22:28) Come watch my kids and I'll pay for yours and why don't we make five more while we're at it? (22:32) And but then those people, they died more frequently. (22:35) They went hungry.
Scott Benner They got sick sooner. (22:38) Like, so many more people were being made back then, I bet, than are being made now, but we retain them so much better now. (22:44) Yes. (22:44) You know, like, not for and it is really kind of a I wanna say, it is kind of a miracle that people live as long as they do now. (22:51) And it's got a lot to do with the access to food and shelter and and etcetera.
Scott Benner But, man, we could be we could be doing it better. (22:57) Let me pivot here to people with type one diabetes for a second, unless you have something you wanna say.
The Role of Amylin in Type 1 Diabetes
Jenny Smith I wonder if you're gonna bring up the same thing I was gonna bring up, but go ahead.
Scott Benner This would be crazy if we do that. (23:06) I wanted to talk about Amylin. (23:08) Is that what you were because because if that was what were gonna say, then we should really get married because It have been crazy.
Jenny Smith In a way, not Amlan directly. (23:18) Okay. (23:18) My point was, as we were just talking about availability of food and what kind of boils down to is, like, hunger cues as you mentioned. (23:27) Right?
Scott Benner K.
Jenny Smith Eons ago, you did. (23:30) When you were hungry, your body was absolutely signaling to you. (23:34) It's time to take something in. (23:36) Or gosh, it's lunchtime. (23:38) Mom's calling us in from the field.
Jenny Smith It's time to actually eat something in between. (23:42) There was not something called a snack.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Jenny Smith Like, snack has become such a very, nowadays type of thing to I mean, snacks in the car for kids traveling ten minutes across the city because they can't stand it without a snack. (23:55) Like right? (23:56) So
Scott Benner No. (23:57) I mean, yeah, there's food there's literally food everywhere.
Jenny Smith Food every my point, though, for type one diabetes or diabetes in general is that I'm trying to think how to say it. (24:07) We all have a disordered way of thinking about food.
Scott Benner Okay.
Jenny Smith We are we don't all have eating disorders, but because of the nature, excuse me, of how we have to manage blood sugar Mhmm. (24:23) It includes the hormone insulin.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Jenny Smith Our body doesn't make it the right way in response to something happening that we take in. (24:32) So we have to cognitively pay attention to insulin, food intake, and we have now navigated food has to come in because I have to take my insulin. (24:46) Right? (24:46) Right. (24:47) And it has taken away for I don't know how many people over and over, I hear people comment.
Jenny Smith I'm not I don't feel hunger anymore. (24:54) I eat because I think it's time to eat, but I don't really have hunger cues most of the time. (24:59) And that's a disjointed way of considering why you should put food in your body as a basic need. (25:06) Are you saying
Scott Benner you hear that from a lot of people with type one diabetes?
Jenny Smith Absolutely. (25:11) A 100% that the food hunger cues are gone almost.
Scott Benner Arden, all the time, she's like, I'm I'm hungry. (25:21) I need to eat. (25:22) But she's like, I don't, like, I don't crave anything. (25:25) Or and that's with or without by there, it's Yeah.
Jenny Smith Yeah. (25:29) It's it's more it's not so much not being hungry. (25:34) It's almost like the hunger cues are they're not right. (25:38) It art you said Arden kind of just is I could nibble on something, like, all the time. (25:42) Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Right? (25:44) And that's that's not right. (25:46) Mhmm. (25:46) Like, our body, once we sit and eat something, should feel satisfied, and we shouldn't feel like we could grab something again from the cupboard. (25:55) So I just wanted to throw that in.
Scott Benner I would imagine too that in a in a previous, like, time line, you were eating to fuel literally to fuel yourself because you were gonna go keep doing something aggressively, probably active. (26:08) And then come like you said, come in from the field, eat again, then get the hell back out there and do it again. (26:13) And then come in and eat and then go to bed and then get the hell up and eat and do it again, like that kind of thing. (26:18) I I mean, my life is certainly
Jenny Smith We don't live like that.
Scott Benner I mean, you don't live like that. (26:22) You but you add exercise to it to take almost to, like I guess, you're you're pretending you're in a field by Yeah. (26:29) Running around and lifting things and stuff like that. (26:32) I I try very hard not to do that. (26:35) Back to amylin.
Scott Benner Make sure this is right. (26:37) In someone with type one diabetes, beta cells release insulin and amylin together at meals. (26:41) Amylin helps with three big things, slows gastric emptying, suppresses inappropriate post meal glucagon, and increases satiety through central signaling. (26:51) In type one, because the beta cells are damaged, amylin is also deficient, not just the insulin. (26:56) Is that correct?
Jenny Smith That is correct.
Scott Benner Okay. (26:59) So, practically, it says food may leave your stomach faster. (27:02) Fullness signals may be weaker. (27:04) Post meal glucose rises, may rise faster, and it can create a weird cycle of eat less and and less I'm satisfied less being satisfied signaling, so you still feel hungry and snack more.
Jenny Smith Right. (27:17) Which kind of goes along with my consideration of, again, listening to so many people over and over. (27:23) It's like, they don't really have the right hunger signaling
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith Because I mean, until Simlin, which is a created Amlan product, came out years ago and was never really
Scott Benner truly catch on.
Jenny Smith Well, it really never caught on. (27:41) And a big piece of the reason is because it did really require a good practitioner to help the person figure out how to use it well for them.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith This is a finicky it's definitely a finicky
Scott Benner It wasn't easy to dose?
Jenny Smith Thing hormone. (27:58) It was not easy to use.
Scott Benner Okay.
Jenny Smith But it gives as you, you know, just gave the whole definition about it. (28:05) Absolutely gives the reasoning as to why we have such ineffective cues.
Scott Benner Yeah. (28:12) I just interviewed, like, a 23 year old girl the other day, and she's like, I just went down the rabbit hole of amylin, and, I didn't realize any of this. (28:21) And she's just you know, she's had diabetes, she was, like, 17 or 18. (28:24) And she's like, I am hungry constantly. (28:27) Like, you know, I'm just always hungry and never feel full and, like, the whole thing.
Scott Benner And she's like, I'm gaining weight now. (28:34) So they put her on a GL. (28:34) I mean, GLPs are gonna probably help a lot of people with type one with this, I would I would imagine.
How High Fructose Corn Syrup is Made
Scott Benner Pivoting back, I asked, some questions that I wanted the answers to. (28:45) Like, how does cornstarch get made? (28:47) Because I feel like understanding how it gets made, or, you know, and then how they use it to make high fructose corn syrup because I I'm like, I don't really know. (28:56) So do you know how high fructose corn syrup gets made?
Jenny Smith Well, I know that corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are slightly different.
Scott Benner Mhmm.
Jenny Smith I know that they're derivatives of corn starch, which comes from corn. (29:13) Mhmm. (29:15) I don't know that I know the process of it. (29:19) I would expect that
Scott Benner they have to
Jenny Smith do some type of pulling of the starchy, sugary through some hydration process. (29:29) They probably use some type of enzyme to pull things out further. (29:34) I would expect, I'm just thinking like food science that I learned eons ago.
Scott Benner Love watching you do this because this reminds me of the time we tested out the bolus, estimator, and I was like, Jenny's getting this exactly right. (29:47) Yeah. (29:47) Yeah. (29:48) Hey. (29:48) Okay.
Scott Benner You start with corn. (29:49) Corn corn kernels are milled in to sep to separate out the starch from the protein, the fiber, and the oil. (29:57) Okay. (29:58) Then you turn the starch into glucose. (30:00) Corn starch is a long chain of glucose molecules.
Scott Benner Manufacturers break that starch down with enzymes. (30:07) Oh. (30:07) So this typical sequence would be starch slurry. (30:10) By the way, every time I hear the word slurry, I think I should do better for myself. (30:14) Starch slurry is prepared.
Scott Benner Alpha amylase starts chopping the starch into shorter chains. (30:21) Go. (30:21) Here we go. (30:22) Gluca gluco amylase breaks those chains further into mostly glucose. (30:28) At this point, you basically have corn syrup, which is mostly glucose.
Scott Benner Then you have to convert some of the glucose into fructose. (30:35) So now here comes the high fructose part. (30:38) It says, the syrup is passed over an enzyme called glucose isomerase. (30:43) That enzyme rearranges some glucose molecules into fructose. (30:47) This does not convert all of it.
Scott Benner A common first product is at around 42% fructose. (30:53) The rest is still mostly glucose at that point. (30:56) That's often called HFCS 42 in Jesus. (31:01) If you need a higher level of fructose needed, the manufacturer wants it sweeter, for example, they can separate and concentrate the fructose rich portion often used processing like chromo topographic separation, and that can produce a much higher fructose stream such as HFCS 90. (31:19) Now we're almost done.
Scott Benner They blend the streams together to get a commercial product they want. (31:25) Common versions are HFCS 42, which is often used in baked goods, processed foods, and some beverages. (31:34) Then there's HFCS 55 common in soft drinks, and HFCS 90, usually not used directly much, mostly used to blend into other HFCS grades. (31:45) Then they filter it, purify it, adjust it for concentration, store, and ship it as liquid sweetener. (31:51) The liquid form is one reason the industry likes it because it's easy to pump, blend, and handle in large scale food production.
Scott Benner Why do they manufacture it this way? (31:59) It's cheap, stable, easy to transport in liquid systems, and sweet enough for beverages and packaged foods.
Jenny Smith Can I ask so the numbers behind those, is that the percentage
Scott Benner Looks like the of? (32:13) Oh, of the oh, yeah. (32:14) Because the first one is 42%. (32:16) They call it 42, 55, and 90. (32:19) Oh, look at you.
Scott Benner Look at you paying attention.
Jenny Smith It's you know?
Scott Benner I know. (32:22) Yeah. (32:23) But
Jenny Smith you would have never thought that.
Scott Benner What is that? (32:26) It's gotta
Jenny Smith be percentage of the amount, and that's the reason that it's better in one one product. (32:32) I won't even use the word food.
Scott Benner Yeah.
Jenny Smith It's better in one product compared to another. (32:37) And so if we if we break this down for anybody to understand, Quite honestly, the whole process that you just went through. (32:49) Mhmm. (32:50) That is that's so much chemical engineering.
Scott Benner And processing and and reprocessing and then want and heating.
Jenny Smith And just exceeding and processing and pulling it through and adding, like, adding all of these things that weren't meant to be. (33:06) Like, I pull an apple off of the tree, man, and that tree did everything that the universe was meant for the tree to do. (33:12) There was no engineering.
Scott Benner It says here, table sugar and HF's high fructose corn syrup wind up in pretty similar places chemically, but they start differently, are built differently, and are handled differently in manufacturing. (33:25) Mhmm. (33:25) Sucrose is a single molecule made of one glucose, one fructose. (33:29) These two sugars are bonded together. (33:31) They usually come from sugarcane or sugar beets.
Scott Benner Mhmm. (33:33) They crush the cane or slice the beets, extract the sugar rich juice, clean and filter it, evaporate off the water, crystallize the sucrose, separate crystals from syrup, dry and refine. (33:43) That's how they make that's how sugar is made.
The History of Coca-Cola and Seed Oils
Scott Benner I wonder if we can find out the original ingredients in Coke.
Jenny Smith Oh, that would be curious.
Scott Benner I wonder if we can find out what that is. (33:58) Because I'm gonna guess it's water, sugar, coloring, like like this probably would
Jenny Smith Would expect caramel coloring.
Scott Benner Cocaine, by the way, but that's not the point of this. (34:09) It's not working.
Jenny Smith Is that is that a myth that
Scott Benner I don't know.
Jenny Smith Used to have it in there? (34:14) I I feel like that's a myth. (34:16) But
Scott Benner The original Coca Cola was an 1886 thing soda foundation syrup created by John Pemberton. (34:23) Thanks, John. (34:24) The company does not publicly disclose the exact formula, but its own history confirms the early drink was a syrup mix with carbonated water named for the cocoa leaf and kola nut. (34:34) Oh. (34:35) Sugar, water, caramel for color.
Scott Benner That's what I couldn't think of. (34:38) Cocoa leaf extract, kola nut extract. (34:41) That's where the caffeine comes from. (34:42) Citric acid, lime juice, vanilla. (34:45) Flavored oils, spices often described in later reconstruction formulas as things like orange, lemon, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg oils.
Scott Benner That doesn't seem so bad. (34:56) Oh, two important historical notes. (34:58) Yes. (34:58) The earliest Coca Cola did contain cocaine because cocoa leaf extract at the time still carried cocaine alkaloids that was later removed. (35:08) The company name still reflects the original cocoa and cola ingredients.
Scott Benner How about that? (35:13) Is that where cola came from? (35:15) Is that why because, like, in your part of the woods, what do they they call it pop. (35:19) Right? (35:20) Or am I wrong?
Jenny Smith Like That's more it's honestly pop is more like Illinois.
Scott Benner Yeah. (35:29) There are parts of the world where you order a pop, and then you have to tell them what one. (35:33) Like, you say, I just want a pop, and then they look at you you go Sprite. (35:36) Did you know that? (35:37) I didn't know that.
Scott Benner Yeah. (35:38) I would never say that. (35:40) I'd be like don't
Jenny Smith also We
Scott Benner call it
Jenny Smith we call it soda, but yeah. (35:42) I
Scott Benner Okay. (35:44) Alright. (35:44) Hold on. (35:45) Back to my list. (35:45) Do we have time?
Scott Benner Okay. (35:47) So we can't go into all the things I looked up, like how canola is produced, crushed seeds, heat, extract, oil, refined bleach, deodorized bleach. (35:58) Rape, the rapeseed oil, actually did start out as as a motor lubricant, and then they adjusted it so that you can eat it. (36:09) Lucky you. (36:11) But then, again, it I said, they healthy?
Scott Benner And they said they are safe in regulated amounts. (36:17) That doesn't seem like yes to me, by the way, when that's the answer. (36:21) They don't add health benefits at all. (36:25) You know? (36:25) So moderation's gonna be
Jenny Smith In fact, they're often often and maybe you said the the difference between the type of omegas that's present. (36:34) Right? (36:35) Most of the seed oils and things that we're talking about have a much higher percent of the omega six comparative to the omega threes, which are more from a cardiovascular benefit standpoint and anti inflammation and etcetera etcetera.
Scott Benner And as you said in the past, the the things get fortified all the time because when they process, they strip out all the nutrients, and they gotta throw something back into it so you're not just eating a filler. (36:58) I did, look a little bit into some of the list of ingredients. (37:04) You should look them up yourselves. (37:06) I looked into the companies that own other things. (37:11) I I don't wanna dig too far down a rabbit hole or feel political for people, but, like, Nestle, Pepsi, Coke Mhmm.
Scott Benner All are also invested in heavily by places like BlackRock, Vanguard, and, you know, the S and P five hundred in general. (37:27) So Right. (37:27) Yeah. (37:28) Money people need those things to make money and they need you to buy more and so on and so forth. (37:35) You know?
Jenny Smith And they have no interest in
Scott Benner Your health. (37:37) I don't believe. (37:38) Health. (37:38) Yeah. (37:39) Yeah.
Scott Benner No. (37:39) And even if they did, I would imagine they could just buy a couple of hospitals and then get your money on the back end too.
Jenny Smith There you go.
Scott Benner Yeah. (37:49) Yeah. (37:49) I'll take your money for the soda, and then I'll take your money for the, for the health the health things that happened to you afterwards. (37:56) They could get you coming and going as they say. (37:59) Anybody who's ever seen an eighties movie, just remember the first hit's always free.
Scott Benner And then, then after that, you're, you're on the corner. (38:08) I almost said paying with forget what I forget what I was saying about it. (38:12) I was gonna say you're paying with your accent at the end, but I guess it's probably that's how it gets you, Jenny. (38:17) Yeah. (38:17) Yeah.
Scott Benner It's pretty right.
Jenny Smith Trust go.
Final Thoughts
Scott Benner Anything I left out of this little chat that you'd like to add?
Jenny Smith Oh, it no. (38:23) We could go probably on for three more hours.
Scott Benner I honestly think so. (38:28) Yeah.
Jenny Smith Yeah.
Scott Benner I mean, you could dig into every listen. (38:32) I again, Jenny's, you know, got the background, but I honestly just so you know where this episode came from, this was something I was thinking about. (38:41) And I got up one morning and turned on my chat GPT and started talking to it. (38:47) I was like, explain this to me. (38:48) Explain that to me.
Scott Benner And I just kept asking a bunch of questions. (38:51) And then at the end, I said, hey. (38:52) Put all my questions in a list because I think I'm gonna use them to make a podcast.
Jenny Smith No. (38:56) It it is very much like a rabbit hole, quite honestly.
Scott Benner You can you can get lost really quickly.
Jenny Smith You can. (39:02) Yeah. (39:03) So
Scott Benner I mean, in the end, around diabetes, I let let's fold it up like this. (39:08) Right? (39:08) The more processed foods you're using, the more fillers, the more emulsifiers, the the more shelf stabilizing chemicals, the harder this stuff's gonna be to bolus for probably. (39:22) And because it's so broken down, your body's gonna grab that sugar out of it so quickly. (39:27) It's gonna shoot your blood sugar up so fast.
Scott Benner So if that's if you're wondering why cereal makes your blood sugar shoot up like that, like, this is this is kind of the basis of why.
Jenny Smith I Here you are.
Scott Benner Yeah. (39:37) I would say take your time, and if you're interested, you know, go look it up a little bit and read through it and find out where I was right and where I was wrong and what you care about.
Jenny Smith Then as, you know, kind of a end note Mhmm. (39:50) What you learn, take a look at take a look at your own intake, your own grocery list, and choose maybe one or two pieces that you can change, that you can look at differently and say, well, we could do this instead of doing this. (40:07) I could whole make that by using spices instead of using the packet in this product. (40:13) Right? (40:13) I mean, there are a lot of changes that are not with, again, the cost of food today being what it is.
Jenny Smith I understand entirely. (40:21) I have a family to feed as well, but there are some things that are honestly more cost effective when you really start breaking it down.
Scott Benner It becomes so much about time. (40:31) I've even see my my wife has come home and been like, I got this packet of sauce to put on chicken. (40:36) I'm like, why don't you just kill us all? (40:38) You know? (40:39) Like, that's wouldn't it be quicker to smother us with a pillow, Kelly?
Scott Benner A couple of things. (40:44) A, she's like, I liked it. (40:46) I had it once and it tasted good. (40:48) And I'm like, okay. (40:49) Well, they got her there, you know?
Scott Benner And then Right. (40:51) B, she's like, it's easy. (40:53) You fry up the chicken and then you dump it on and, you know, cook it for eight more minutes and it's finished. (40:59) And I'm working and you're working and blah blah blah. (41:01) And I it is I mean, it's not is the rest of it's not lost to me.
Scott Benner But a lot like talking about the diabetes, like, I think we can discuss the truth behind this Yes. (41:11) And not be insulting people at the same time. (41:14) Like Right. (41:15) You know, I I Yeah. (41:16) If you can't afford it or you don't have the time or I'm not shaming you about it, but you still should understand what's happening, you know?
Jenny Smith Right.
Scott Benner Yeah. (41:23) National estimates 55 of calories Americans consume come from ultra processed food. (41:29) 55% of your calories. (41:31) That's crazy. (41:32) Mhmm.
Scott Benner Yeah. (41:33) Yeah. (41:33) Alright. (41:34) This is gonna make me sad if we keep going. (41:35) I'm gonna stop now.
Scott Benner Thank you, Jenny. (41:36) Have a nice weekend.
Jenny Smith Yeah. (41:38) Of course. (41:38) You too. (41:38) Bye.
Outro & Resources
Scott Benner This episode of the Juice Box podcast is sponsored by Omnipod five. (41:51) Omnipod five is a tube free automated insulin delivery system that's been shown to significantly improve a one c and time and range for people with type one diabetes when they've switched from daily injections. (42:02) Learn more and get started today at omnipod.com/juicebox. (42:06) At my link, you can get a free starter kit right now. (42:09) Terms and conditions apply.
Scott Benner Eligibility may vary. (42:12) Full terms and conditions can be found at omnipod.com/juicebox. (42:19) Today's episode of the juice box podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g seven, and the Dexcom g seven warms up in just thirty minutes. (42:27) Check it out now at dexcom.com/juicebox. (42:33) Okay.
Scott Benner Well, here we are at the end of the episode. (42:36) You're still with me? (42:37) Thank you. (42:37) I really do appreciate that. (42:39) What else could you do for me?
Scott Benner Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? (42:45) Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me, or Instagram, TikTok. (42:54) Oh, gosh. (42:55) Here's one. (42:55) Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page.
Scott Benner You don't wanna miss please, do you not know about the private group? (43:05) You have to join the private group. (43:07) As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. (43:10) They're active talking about diabetes. (43:13) Whatever you need to know, there's a conversation happening in there right now.
Scott Benner And I'm there all the time. (43:18) Tag me. (43:19) I'll say hi. (43:26) 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. (43:35) 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.
Scott Benner I'm joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal experience, and we break down complex concepts into simple, actionable tips. (43:55) The diabetes pro tip series runs between episode one thousand and one thousand twenty five in your podcast player, or you can listen to it at juiceboxpodcast.com by going up into the menu. (44:06) Have a podcast? (44:07) Want it to sound fantastic? (44:09) Wrongwayrecording.com.