The Healthy Diabetic

Coach Ken Kniss
  • 4.6 (17)
  • Nutrition
  • Weekly

Welcome to The healthy Diabetic Podcast, each week I talk about how to navigate the complexities of diabetes. I interview doctors, Endo's, dietitians, CDE's, technology leaders, caregivers, and of course anybody who is affected by diabetes. This show is for you if you're looking for safe, educational, and engaging conversations. I promise to brighten your day, and you'll be sure to leave educated, supported, and guided on your way to a healthier and happier life with diabetes. Remember, your only job as a diabetic is to figure out what works for you! See you inside!Coach Ken.

  1. 12h ago ·  Video

    #395.5: 10 Ways to Navigate Halloween With Type 1 Diabetes

    In episode 395, Graham and I meant to talk about Halloween and candy, then spent 45 minutes on something completely different. Graham had to go, so I sat down solo to give you what I promised: a quick, practical game plan before trick-or-treating this week. These are the same 10 things I walk through with my coaching clients and the parents I work with whenever a holiday, party, or work event throws a wrench into the routine. Whether you’re a caregiver planning for your young child or an adult heading to a Halloween party, it starts the same way: have a plan. It won’t be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. I share how I’m planning for my own neighborhood trick-or-treating with my girls. That includes how I think about insulin before we head out, why I want to be as close to target as possible when we leave, and what we do as a family with the candy when we get home. The most important piece isn’t about dosing at all. It’s about not restricting. When kids feel like diabetes is taking the fun away, it stops being a blood sugar issue and becomes a mental health issue. A plan gives everyone permission to enjoy the night. And whatever happens this year, it’s data, not failure. Use it to make next year even better. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why every out-of-routine day needs a plan, even an imperfect oneHow setting a candy limit ahead of time makes dosing easierWhy eating a meal before trick-or-treating keeps the candy from becoming dinnerWhy smaller pieces of candy are easier to dose for, and more forgiving when you missHow I think about insulin before going out (with a reminder to work with your care team on your own plan)Why starting as close to target as possible gives you a bufferWhy restriction backfires, especially for kidsHow deciding as a family what candy to keep prevents weeks of blood sugar swingsWhy Halloween is a chance to learn something for next yearDon’t restrict. Plan. A plan gives you, and your kids, permission to enjoy the night instead of worrying about every piece of candy. And whatever happens this year is information for next year. Additional Resources 🎯 5 Lessons You Can't Learn From Your Doctor — Free 5-Day Experience🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #395.5: 10 Ways to Navigate Halloween With Type 1 Diabetes

  2. 13h ago ·  Video

    #395: Why Adult Care is 20-30 Years Behind the Adolescent Care

    It’s Halloween week, and Graham opened with a confession about a bag of fun-size candy that was supposed to be for trick-or-treaters. So I asked him to go back to 10-year-old Graham: what did Halloween look like with Type 1 diabetes in the late ’90s? His answer opened up a much bigger conversation. Before fast-acting insulin and insulin-to-carb ratios, management meant eating the same foods, at the same times, with the same insulin doses every day. Kids were told to avoid candy, not because of shame, but because nobody knew how much insulin to take for it. “Free foods” and sugar-free candy were the workaround, until you learned that sugar-free doesn’t mean carb-free. Today the tools are completely different: fast-acting insulins, pumps, CGMs, algorithms, and pre-bolusing. That’s why we keep saying it’s never been a better time to live with diabetes. Then a light bulb went off for me. For decades, Type 1 was treated as a childhood condition. Pediatric care has had a 30-year head start on building diagnosis, onboarding, and family support. Now that most new Type 1 diagnoses happen in adults, I think that head start explains a lot about why adults are still being misdiagnosed and left on their own. 🔑 Key Takeaways How Type 1 management worked before fast-acting insulin, and why kids were told to avoid candyWhy “sugar-free” doesn’t mean “carb-free”How fast-acting insulins, pumps, CGMs, and pre-bolusing changed how we approach holidays like HalloweenWhy pediatric diagnosis and onboarding may be decades ahead of adult careThe hidden mental burden parents and caregivers carry when managing diabetes from afarWhy the right tools for you might look different from someone else’s, like MDI instead of a pump, or going off a CGMWhy Type 1 isn’t something you or your parents “gave” youWhy judgment, not the numbers, is often the hardest part of living with diabetesCount your blessings, because the tools we have today are better than ever. But don’t stop there. Your job is to figure out what works for you, so you can make the decision, walk away, and live your life. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #395: Why Adult Care is 20-30 Years Behind the Adolescent Care

  3. 2d ago ·  Video

    #394: Diabetes Tips & Tricks (Part 2) - Basal Insulin

    Basal insulin is the foundation of everything. If it’s not right, it doesn’t matter how well you pre-bolus, how carefully you count carbs, or how dialed in your correction factor is. The whole system falls apart. In this episode I break down everything you need to understand about basal insulin — what it actually does, what it isn’t designed to do, how to know if yours is set correctly, and why splitting your basal dose might be one of the most underutilized strategies in your diabetes management. 🔑 Key Takeaways What basal insulin actually is — and the one job it’s designed to doWhy basal insulin is not designed to drop your blood sugar or fix a spikeWhy splitting your basal dose on MDI can be a game changerWhy Ken uses Tresiba over Lantis — and the specific reason its 30-hour duration mattersHow to know if your basal is too high — the overnight test that tells you everythingWhy insulin sensitivity is the number one lever in all of diabetes managementHow Ken went from a 1:5 to a 1:10 insulin-to-carb ratio — and what actually drove that changeWhy the algorithm in your insulin pump doesn’t replace the need to understand your own managementHow to think about target blood sugar versus time and range — and why the distinction mattersYour number one job as a diabetic is to drive insulin sensitivity. If you’re thinking about that with every decision you make — what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, how you hydrate — everything else in your management starts to fall into place. Everything. Additional Resources 🎯 5 Lessons You Can't Learn From Your Doctor — Free 5-Day Experience🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #394: Diabetes Tips & Tricks (Part 2) - Basal Insulin

  4. 6d ago ·  Video

    #393: Smart Insulin, Stem Cells & The Future of Type 1 Diabetes

    Within fifteen minutes we were deep in a conversation about glucose responsive insulin, closed loop systems, stem cell trials, the future of diabetes technology, and whether stress is ultimately the biggest driver of insulin resistance on the planet. Glucose responsive insulin — or smart insulin — is the idea of a medication that sits in the body and only activates in response to rising blood sugar. No pre-bolusing. No carb counting. No math. Just insulin doing what a healthy pancreas would do on its own. Graham thinks it could be the future of insulin altogether. I think it’s probably most immediately useful for Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes — and I explain exactly why the picture is more complicated for Type 1. 🔑 Key Takeaways What glucose responsive insulin is — and why it’s being called smart insulinWhy smart insulin makes more immediate sense for Type 2 diabetes than Type 1Why closed loop insulin pump technology is already more advanced than most people knowWhy CGM accuracy is the biggest barrier to truly hands-off diabetes managementWhy Ken believes stem cells are the most promising technology for a Type 1 diabetes cureWhat the Elodon trial and Tegoprubart tell us about where the science is headingWhy stress is one of the most underrated drivers of insulin resistance in the entire populationWhy insulin resistance may be at the root of most chronic disease — not just diabetesInsulin resistance doesn’t just affect diabetics. It’s at the root of most of what’s going wrong in human health right now. If we could reduce insulin resistance at a population level — through food quality, sleep, stress management, and movement — the world would look dramatically different. That’s not a diabetes problem. That’s a human problem. Additional Resources 🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #393: Smart Insulin, Stem Cells & The Future of Type 1 Diabetes

  5. Oct 20 ·  Video

    #392: Dexcom’s Data Policy Update — What Actually Happened & Why Everyone Is Furious

    Dexcom rolled out a new data policy update to G7 users — and they did it in the worst possible way. Mid-sensor. Mid-day. A message blocking access to blood sugar readings with two options: accept a policy update that most people will never read, or delete the app. No warning. No window to prepare. Just a screen standing between a diabetic and their numbers. Graham and I break down what we know about what actually happened, what the policy likely contains, and why the outrage isn’t really about Dexcom taking data — it’s about how they did it and what they won’t clearly say about where that data is going. 🔑 Key Takeaways What Dexcom’s data policy rollout actually looked like — and why it was handled so badlyWhy the real problem isn’t the data collection — it’s the messaging and the lack of transparencyWhat Dexcom is likely trying to build with aggregated CGM data — and why that’s actually interestingGraham’s theory on AI supplementing inaccurate CGM readings in real timeWhy Ken thinks Dexcom is working toward photo-based carb tracking inside the appThe GlucoseSense app — what it does and why Ken uses it every dayThe darker possibility — individual medical avatars built from aggregated data and what that could mean for insurance coverageWhy the G7 accuracy decline has been the real story all along — and why nobody made this much noise about itAdditional Resources 🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #392: Dexcom’s Data Policy Update — What Actually Happened & Why Everyone Is Furious

  6. Oct 17 ·  Video

    #391: Clinical Knowledge vs. Lived Experience - Why Knowing About Diabetes & Living With It Are Completely Different Things - Charity Dimas

    Charity Dimas has spent her career in healthcare — EMS, medical assisting, nursing school, and now organ procurement, where she works with deceased organ donors and has learned more about the pancreas than she ever expected. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in March of this year. And the paradigm shift from knowing about diabetes clinically to actually living with it as a patient has been one of the most humbling and illuminating experiences of her life. In this episode Charity and I get into what no one in clinical training ever teaches — that hormones, sleep deprivation, stress, elevation changes, and the context behind every blood sugar number matter just as much as the data itself. That compassion and curiosity are more powerful management tools than any device. And that understanding something intellectually and actually doing it are two completely different things. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why clinical knowledge about diabetes and actually living with it are two completely different experiencesWhy compassion and curiosity are the two most powerful tools in diabetes managementHow grief after a Type 1 diagnosis is real — and why almost nobody talks about it honestlyWhy data without context is meaningless — and how to ask better questions about your own numbersWhat standard deviation tells you about your blood sugar that time in range never willThe real state of the Type 1 diabetes cure — why three to five deceased donors are needed per patientWhy the healthiest diabetics will be last in line for islet cell transplants — and why that’s actually the right outcomeWhat the Islet Act is and why it still hasn’t passedWhy Type 1 diabetics are not automatically disqualified from organ donationThe three pieces of advice Charity would give every diabetic right now — trade judgment for curiosity, build systems for real life, and use your full care teamYour diagnosis doesn’t define your health. Your caring for your body defines your health. The cure may be coming — but it isn’t here yet. And the people who will be ready for it are the ones who took care of themselves in the meantime. Additional Resources 🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #391: Clinical Knowledge vs. Lived Experience - Why Knowing About Diabetes & Living With It Are Completely Different Things - Charity Dimas

  7. Oct 16 ·  Video

    #390: Is the Dexcom G7 Getting Less Accurate — Or Is It Just Me?

    Graham’s morning looked like this — woke up at 238, went for a run, hit 240, took two units, dropped to 69, had a fig bar, bounced back to 239. Meanwhile I woke up to a CGM reading of 267 when my finger stick said 160. A hundred milligrams per deciliter off. On day nine of a ten-day sensor. In this episode Graham and I get honest about something that’s been frustrating both of us — CGM accuracy. Specifically the Dexcom G7. And not just the first 24 to 48 hour window that everyone already knows about. We’re talking about sensors that are off by 60, 70, even 100 points on day five, day eight, day nine — with no warning and no rhyme or reason. We get into why Graham made the decision to go back to finger sticks and why for him it was less about the data and more about his mental health and stress levels. We dig into the business incentives — or lack thereof — that might be behind declining sensor quality. We talk about the class action lawsuits that have been filed against major CGM companies. And we get into one of the scariest implications of CGM inaccuracy that most people haven’t thought through — what happens when a closed loop insulin pump is making dosing decisions based on a number that’s off by 100 points. This one is real, a little heated, and exactly the kind of conversation that needed to happen. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why Ken has been experiencing CGM inaccuracies of 60 to 100 milligrams per deciliter on the Dexcom G7Why these inaccuracies are happening throughout the full 10-day sensor cycle — not just the first 24 to 48 hoursWhy Graham went back to finger sticks — and why for him it came down to mental health, not dataThe business incentives behind declining CGM quality and why there’s little financial motivation to fix itThe class action lawsuits filed against major CGM companies for faulty sensorsWhy CGM inaccuracy becomes a dangerous problem when a closed loop insulin pump is making automated dosing decisionsWhy a backup glucose meter is non-negotiable regardless of how good your CGM isWhy Ken is getting close to switching to the Libre 3 Plus or EverSense 365Your CGM is a powerful tool. But it’s not infallible. And when it’s off by 60, 70, or 100 milligrams per deciliter, it’s not just an inconvenience — it’s a risk. Always have a backup. Always confirm when something doesn’t feel right. The meter takes ten seconds and it could save your life. Additional Resources 🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #390: Is the Dexcom G7 Getting Less Accurate — Or Is It Just Me?

  8. Oct 9 ·  Video

    #389: 800 Million People Living With Diabetes - Is The Medical System Still Getting It Wrong?

    Graham came in with a stat that stopped me in my tracks — 800 million people worldwide are now living with diabetes. That’s almost one-ninth of the entire global population. And cases have quadrupled since 1990. But the number that is shocking is that  about 11 million people in the United States  have diabetes right now and have absolutely no idea. In this episode Graham and I get into why the diagnosis crisis is still very real — why adults with Type 1 are being misdiagnosed with Type 2, and why the rise of GLP-1 medications may be creating a new layer of misdiagnosis that nobody is talking about yet. We also get into something that matters just as much — what happens after the diagnosis. Because your doctor can get the diagnosis right and still leave you completely on your own to figure out how to actually live with this condition every single day. And that gap — between a correct diagnosis and real daily management support — is exactly what this podcast, and everything I do, is trying to fill. And somehow we end up talking about running, mindset, kids who can’t catch their breath after five yards, and Toy Story 5. Because that’s just how it goes with us. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why diabetes cases have quadrupled since 1990 — and what’s driving the explosionWhy 60-70% of new Type 1 diagnoses are now happening in adults 23 and olderHow 11 million Americans are living with undiagnosed diabetes right nowWhy adults with Type 1 are still being misdiagnosed with Type 2 in 2026What the gold standard diagnosis protocol should look like — and why it’s not being followed consistentlyWhy GLP-1 medications may become the new default response to elevated blood sugar — before a proper diagnosis is madeWhy your doctor can get your diagnosis right and still leave you completely unsupported in daily managementWhy mindset — not just medication — is the difference maker in long-term diabetes managementAdditional Resources 🎯 5 Lessons You Can't Learn From Your Doctor — Free 5-Day Experience🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute HereIf you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review - it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast. Drop a comment and tell us - are you someone who thrives on the pursuit of perfection, or does it burn you out? We genuinely want to know. Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management. Hey Diabuddy thank you for listening to show, send me some positive vibes with your favorite part of this episode. Support the show

    #389: 800 Million People Living With Diabetes - Is The Medical System Still Getting It Wrong?
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4.6
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Welcome to The healthy Diabetic Podcast, each week I talk about how to navigate the complexities of diabetes. I interview doctors, Endo's, dietitians, CDE's, technology leaders, caregivers, and of course anybody who is affected by diabetes. This show is for you if you're looking for safe, educational, and engaging conversations. I promise to brighten your day, and you'll be sure to leave educated, supported, and guided on your way to a healthier and happier life with diabetes. Remember, your only job as a diabetic is to figure out what works for you! See you inside!Coach Ken.

Information

  • Creator
    Coach Ken Kniss
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    395
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Healthy Diabetic
  • Show Website
    The Healthy Diabetic

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