The T1Dialogues

In this episode of T1 Dialogues, host Rachel Halverson speaks with Christabel Uluocha, a dedicated diabetes specialist nurse WINNER of the Not Just a Patch 2025 UK Grant. Christabel shares her deeply personal journey into healthcare, inspired by the loss of both parents to diabetes complications.

She takes us inside the day-to-day life of a diabetes nurse, highlighting her outreach efforts in underserved communities across Africa, and the vital role of culturally sensitive nutrition in supporting diverse populations. From tackling the real challenges of diabetes education—such as financial constraints and limited manpower—to empowering healthcare professionals to make an impact from where they are, Christabel’s story is both powerful and practical.

This inspiring conversation also explores the importance of self-care, with Christabel reminding us that every caregiver needs to recharge in order to keep making a difference. Her work with the Diabetes Champion initiative reflects her ongoing passion to provide education, resources, and hope to people living with diabetes.

👉 Whether you’re living with diabetes, working in healthcare, or passionate about community outreach and diabetes management, this episode is full of insights, motivation, and practical advice.

Follow & Connect with Christabel

diabeteschampion@gmail.com

In this episode of the Powerful Women Series, Rachel from Not Just a Patch chats with the visionary Amy Claire Mills — a Sydney-based artist, disability advocate, and access consultant living with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Together, they explore Amy’s powerful journey through chronic illness, her lifelong relationship with diabetes, and how her bold, immersive art challenges accessibility norms in the creative world. From wearable medical gear as self-expression to calling out the beige of hospital culture, this episode is packed with wisdom, humor, and a whole lot of color.

🎨 Art, identity, and advocacy collide in this unforgettable conversation.

✨ If you’ve ever felt unseen navigating chronic illness or believe in the power of inclusive spaces, this episode is for you.

👇 Follow Amy Claire Mills: 

In this episode of the Powerful Women Series, Rachel — Type 1 diabetes educator and part of the Not Just a Patch team — sits down with Ava Biesterfeld: Olympic weightlifter, nutrition coach, and future registered dietitian.

Living with Type 1 diabetes since childhood, Ava shares how she’s navigated the highs and lows of managing blood sugars, athletic performance, and mental health — all while staying true to a plant-based, evidence-driven lifestyle. Finding balance between fueling her body, staying strong in training, and living well with diabetes hasn't always been easy, but Ava brings insight, honesty, and practical wisdom. 

Highlights:

• Managing diabetes as a strength athlete

• Plant-based performance nutrition

• Insulin resistance, blood sugar spikes & stress

• Lifting while living with T1D

• Tips for sustainable fueling and mindset
  

In this episode of the Powerful Women Series, Rachel — Type 1 diabetes educator and part of the Not Just a Patch team — sits down with Nurianne Arias: PhD candidate, global advocate, and young leader in diabetes.

Together, they explore what it means to live with a hidden disability like Type 1 diabetes, how community care can transform lives, and why emotional support matters just as much as medical treatment. From grief to empowerment, this is a conversation for anyone navigating chronic illness or passionate about inclusive advocacy.

🎧 Don’t miss this powerful, heartfelt conversation.

We are celebrating the Powerful Women doing great things in the diabetic space.

Rachel Sood, a fourth-generation nurse and founder of the Diabetes Collective, shares her insights on the evolution of healthcare, the importance of relationships in patient care, and the challenges of behavior change in diabetes management. She discusses her unique approach to creating a welcoming environment for patients and emphasizes the role of technology, such as continuous glucose monitoring, in empowering individuals to take control of their health. The conversation highlights the need for empathy, understanding, and patience in healthcare, as well as the significance of personal connections in fostering positive outcomes for patients.

Connect with Rachael & the Diabetes Collective

Jessica Unger, co-founder of Type One Community, discusses the mission of creating a space for diabetics to party and have fun while supporting each other. The community aims to break down the walls between diabetics and their friends and family, creating a safe and inclusive environment. They organize events, livestreams, and radio shows to bring people together and promote a positive mindset towards diabetes. The community is open to everyone, including those without diabetes, and plans to expand globally in the future.

Instagrams

In this T1 Dialogues episode, Jackson and Pete interview Anna Reinwand and Michele Hale from Oklahoma State Medical Center. They discuss the hospital's focus on helping underprivileged patients and providing free classes and resources for diabetes education. The hospital also offers test strips and emergency insulin to patients without insurance. The conversation highlights the importance of education and awareness in managing diabetes and reducing stigma. Anna and Michele emphasize the availability of programs and resources for those in need and encourage individuals to seek assistance and not ration their insulin.

In this episode, Pete and Jackson interview Nadia Roberts, the founder of Discovering Diabetes, a charity that aims to raise awareness about diabetes and provide health screenings. Nadia shares her background as a diabetes nurse specialist and her journey in diabetes care. She discusses the collaboration between GPs and diabetes specialists and the importance of early detection. Nadia explains the work of Discovering Diabetes, including their pop-up clinics and the support they provide to individuals at risk of diabetes. She emphasizes the need for community-based approaches and empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle changes.

HbA1c tester:

https://home.bhr.co.uk/

Nadia Roberts

https://discoveringdiabetes.net/

https://www.instagram.com/discoveringdiabetesuk/

Co-Host: Jackson Sinclair

https://www.instagram.com/jackabetic

Not Just a Patch

In this episode, Beck Newton, the Not Just a Patch grant winner, discusses her work in addressing disordered eating and eating disorders in people with type 1 diabetes. She shares her background as a nurse and dietitian and how she became interested in this field. The conversation explores the strong correlation between eating disorders and type 1 diabetes, the unique challenges faced by individuals with type 1 diabetes, and the need for specialized support. Beck also explains the concept of diabulimia and the different types of eating disorders. Overall, this episode sheds light on an important but often overlooked aspect of diabetes management. Beck Newton discusses the challenges faced by individuals with type 1 diabetes, particularly in relation to eating disorders. She highlights the need for awareness and prevention, as well as the importance of setting up a specialized service to address diabulimia. Beck also emphasizes the need for education among healthcare professionals and the empowerment of individuals with type 1 diabetes. The conversation concludes with a discussion on normalizing the experience and sharing personal stories.

Links mentioned in this episode

On  the last episode of T1Dialogues we had a chance to talk to Laura about living with diabetes, training for a career in Health Sciences and  hacking diabetes management through looping.

This month's podcast episode focused on nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle. Our guest, Amanda Ciprich,  MS, RD was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost 10 years ago. During  the early stages of her diagnosis, she felt herself going down a path of  restriction and obsession, which left her feeling weighed down and  consumed by her diabetes diagnosis. She craved freedom to enjoy her life  without diabetes getting in the way and knew there had to be a way to  find her love for food once again. Amanda ultimately decided to pursue a  career as a registered dietitian to teach other people living with  diabetes and their families how to manage their blood sugars without  giving up the foods they love. Amanda's approach gives you tools that incorporate prioritizing yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically so you can  navigate any scenario that life with diabetes throws at you.

Our guest this month, Dana Roseman, is a certified  diabetes care & education specialist and registered dietitian.  Being diagnosed with T1D herself, she has some amazing insights into  diabetes management and the new technologies that are being developed to  help make diabetes management a little easier. On top of this, she has  an amazing attitude, being able to find the silver lining to being  diagnosed with diabetes.

Dana has trained  patients on every currently-available model of insulin pump and  continuous glucose monitor and has been involved in over 20 cutting-edge clinical trials related to advanced diabetes and obesity interventions. So she has vast experience to share.

With over 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Saro is providing all the insights regarding diabetes, insulin, pumps, and CGMs

Living with type 1 diabetes since 1997, Christel Oerum is the author of the diabetes book "Fit With Diabetes" and the main content creator on Diabetes Strong. Find out what is the motivation behind Diabetes Strong and what its like to participate in bodybuilding contests as a T1D

Program Manager for Type 1 Diabetes and Communities at Diabetes Australia, Renza is a diabetes advocate and an activist, who is promoting a person-centered approach to healthcare. The episode revolves around mental health and the stigma associated with diabetes. Find out more about how media's behavior with diabetes is affecting one's perception and find out more about the public campaigns that are currently trying to change that direction.

Board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and adult endocrinology, Dr. Calvin Wu is currently the lead endocrinologist at Steady Health, a completely virtual full-service diabetes clinic. Let's talk about the healthcare system and how the integration of technology can create a better experience for patients and providers alike.

Happy-go-lucky @Jackabetic, with a different take on life and diabetes thanks to growing up in a family of T1Ds, is taking us on his crazy journey with diabetes.  How it is like to find out within a time frame of 2 years that more than a quarter of the family have diabetes? How can you approach diabetes while you already know the game and how one can predict he has diabetes?

A technology entrepreneur, Henrik and has been a Type 1 diabetic for 20 years. After getting a CGM a few years ago, he realized there is a better way to deliver diabetes care in the US. Therefore, in 2019 he launched Steady Health – A digital diabetes clinic that delivers virtual care and specializes in CGM. Tune in to discover more about Henrik's diabetic and professional story, the differences between the US' and Sweden's health care system, and the new telemedicine approach in a post-pandemic world.

Dive in a lovely talk with Nicole - certified diabetes educator, and dietician, and let's talk all about diet! We tackle down digestive problems and weight loss, more specifically the keto diet and intermittent fasting, and we myth-bust carbs and discuss the future of diet. When it comes to diet everything is about trial and error. The key is to just keep trying!

T1D and Medtronic advocate, Nicola changed her life after starting using the pump. Besides delightful insights about the Medtronic, our guest discuss in-depth how to make the most of your reads

Credentialed Diabetes Educator, Clinical Associate Professor, Nurse Practitioner, and ex-Board Member of JDRF, Jane Overland now runs a private diabetes clinic in Sydney called Total Diabetes Care. With an experience of over 30 years, Jane is dedicated to help people with T1D improve their health and live a full life.

T1D since was 6 years old, our close friend, Beatriz, recalls her diabetic journey, how she started wearing Medtronic, and how it impacted her life. Moreover, she gives us a glimpse of what life with T1D looks like in Brazil.