In this episode:
Managing diabetes can feel isolating, especially when you’re cooking one meal for yourself and another for your family. In this episode of The Diabetic Toolbox, Renee Reid shares how the Balanced Plate Method helps you create family-friendly meals that lower blood sugar, support weight loss, and bring everyone back to the same table. Discover why shared meals reduce stress, improve consistency, and make healthy living sustainable for life.

Don’t forget to download your free Balanced Plate Planner, your step-by-step guide to building meals your whole family will love, while balancing your blood sugar and supporting your health.
Click here to get your free copy today! Please share this episode with someone you love.
Until next time, take care of yourself and each other
With Peace and Love,
Renee 💖

Disclaimer
The Diabetic Toolbox content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, medication, or fitness routine. Participation in any program, including our Yoga Audio Series, is at your own risk. Your health and safety are our top priorities, and we’re honored to walk this journey with you

You don’t need fad diets or strict rules to feel better, manage your blood sugar, and lose weight. In today’s episode of The Diabetic Toolbox, Renee Reid, an emotional eating and diabetes lifestyle coach and yoga teacher, shares three simple secrets to balancing blood sugar naturally without dieting.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to pair foods, fuel your body, and keep your energy steady throughout the day, all while enjoying real meals you actually love.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why pairing carbs with protein helps stabilize blood sugar
• The surprising role veggies play in keeping you full and satisfied
• How skipping meals backfires (and what to do instead)
• A practical way to start building balanced meals today

🌟 The Balanced Plate Planner 🌟
Your free guide to creating balanced, diabetes-friendly meals that stabilize blood sugar and support weight loss.

Inside, you’ll find:
Family-friendly recipes
A 7-day meal plan
A simple framework to build meals with confidence

Click here to grab your free copy today!

Share & Subscribe

💬 If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who’s ready to say goodbye to fad diets and hello to balance.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to The Diabetic Toolbox on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other

With Peace and Love,
Renee💖

Are you skipping this essential nutrient at mealtime? In today’s episode of The Diabetic Toolbox, we’re uncovering the #1 mistake women with pre-diabetes make at mealtime, and why it may be keeping your blood sugar on a rollercoaster of spikes and crashes.

I’ll show you why protein is your blood sugar’s best friend, how it keeps you energized and satisfied, and simple, family-friendly ways to add more of it into your meals without stress or restriction.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to balance your plate for steadier blood sugar, fewer cravings, and a happier, healthier you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why skipping protein causes blood sugar spikes and crashes
• How protein supports weight loss and energy balance
• Simple swaps to add protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• The easiest question to ask yourself at every meal to stay on track

🌟 Free Gift: The Balanced Plate Planner 🌟

Don’t forget to grab your free copy of the Balanced Plate Planner. It’s packed with recipes and a 7-day meal plan that will show you exactly how to build protein-packed meals your whole family will love.

Click here to download your free copy today!

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other

With Peace and Love,
Renee

Why a Balanced Plate Beats Fad Diets

Fad diets may promise fast results, but they often leave you hungry, frustrated, and right back where you started. In this episode of The Diabetic Toolbox, I’m sharing why fad diets don’t work in the long run and how the Balanced Plate Method offers a sustainable, flexible, and empowering way to lower blood sugar, lose weight, and enjoy your meals, without guilt or restrictions.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why fad diets fail and what makes them unsustainable
• The 3 biggest problems with restrictive programs
• How the Balanced Plate Method creates lasting results
• 3 reasons the Balanced Plate works better than dieting
• A stress-free approach to managing diabetes with confidence

Free Resource Mentioned in This Episode

🌟 The Balanced Plate Planner 🌟
Your free guide to creating balanced, blood sugar-friendly meals that work for the whole family. Inside you’ll find:
Family-friendly recipes
A 7-day meal plan to jumpstart your journey
A simple framework to build meals that support weight loss and stable blood sugar

👉 Click here to download your FREE Balanced Plate Planner today!

Share & Subscribe

💬 Did this episode encourage you? Share it with a friend who needs to hear that diets aren’t the answer.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to The Diabetic Toolbox on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an update!

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other,
With Peace and Love,
Renee 💖

Resources to Support Your Journey

📌 Free Quiz: Is My Hunger Real?
A quick tool to help you understand emotional vs. physical hunger so you can eat with confidence and clarity. 📘 BONUS When You Take the Quiz, our Mini eBook: Relax and Recharge Includes our free guide to better sleep and stress relief, two often overlooked keys to healthy blood sugar management.

💎 Need a Little Inspiration You Can Hold Onto?
Explore the It’s Not Over Until I Win Collection by Renee & Rubys. Journals, mugs, and wearable affirmations are designed to breathe life into your journey because your story isn’t over yet. 🎁 Enjoy 20% off your entire purchase with code ENJOY at checkout!

The Diabetic Weight Loss Lab
Our private 12-week program is designed to help women lower their blood sugar levels, lose weight, increase mobility, and finally find freedom from the stress of dieting or restrictive meal plans.

Sign up for the waitlist today and be the first to know when doors open, plus enjoy exclusive bonuses and discounts just for early birds!

Don’t miss your chance to transform your health with support, guidance, and a proven plan that works with your lifestyle.

⚠️ Disclaimer

The Diabetic Toolbox content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, medication, or fitness routine. Participation in any program, including our Yoga Audio Series, is at your own risk. Your health and safety are our top priorities, and we’re honored to walk this journey with you.

Hello, Friend! Welcome to The Diabetic Toolbox, where we are on a mission to end type 2 diabetes, one family at a time.

In today’s episode, host Renee Reid, an award-winning podcaster, emotional eating and diabetes lifestyle coach, and yoga teacher, dives into a topic that hits close to home for many of us: starting over. Whether you’ve hit the restart button on your health goals more times than you can count or feel discouraged by past attempts, this episode will meet you with empathy, grace, and strategy.

Renee shares her personal experience as the "queen of the Monday do-over" and offers three powerful steps to help you break the cycle of self-doubt and overwhelm:

1. Make peace with promises you didn’t keep
2. Create a small, light plan you can follow
3. Give yourself grace and compassion, always

Resources Mentioned:

• Calm & Stroll: A 4-Week Reset for Your Mind & Body – Just $4.99!
  A gentle, doable plan to reset your mindset and energy, created specifically for people managing chronic illness.
  Includes workbook, email support, and Facebook group access!
• Want more daily tools for managing blood sugar, reducing stress, and building habits you can sustain?
  Visit www.thediabetictoolbox.com and subscribe so you never miss an episode or resource.

Featured Sponsor:

🎁 The "It’s Not Over Until I Win" Collection
Looking for a meaningful, motivational gift for yourself or someone on a healing journey?
Visit www.reneeandrubys.com to shop empowering apparel and wellness gifts.

✨ Use the code ENJOY at checkout to receive 20% off your entire purchase!

What to Do Next:

✅ Subscribe & Follow – So you never miss another tool, tip, or real-talk episode.
💌 Download Calm & Stroll – Click here to start your reset for just $4.99
❤️ Share this Episode – Send it to someone who’s struggling to start over. They need to know it’s never too late.

💬 Connect With Renee:

• 🌐 Website: www.thediabetictoolbox.com
• 👕 Shop Empowerment Gifts: www.reneeandrubys.com

🎧 Listen & Reset With Us

Your diagnosis is not your destiny. You are not starting over; you are rebuilding. And that’s brave.

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.

With Peace & Love,
Renee

⚠️Disclaimer

The Diabetic Toolbox content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, medication, or fitness routine. Participation in any program, including our Yoga Audio Series, is at your own risk. Your health and safety are our top priorities, and we’re honored to walk this journey with you.

Welcome to Part 3 of our Skincare Challenge for people living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes! In this episode, Renee breaks down gentle cleansing, one of the most underestimated skincare steps, and how changing your shower and soap habits can help prevent dry, itchy, irritated skin.

Renee shares insight into why this topic is so close to her heart and how caring for your skin is a simple, affordable way to elevate your diabetes wellness journey.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why dry, itchy skin is so common with diabetes
✔️ How high blood sugar impacts your skin’s moisture barrier
✔️ The danger of hot showers and harsh soaps
✔️ Two easy skincare changes you can make today
✔️ Trusted cleanser brands for sensitive or diabetic skin
✔️ How Renee’s mother’s diabetes experience inspired this series and ebook

Resources Mentioned:
📘 Download the featured ebook:
Caring for Sensitive Skin with Diabetes: Tips and Solutions for a Healthier You
Pay-what-you-can pricing + includes 4 weeks of email support
👉 www.thediabetictoolbox.com

Listener Call to Action:
💬 Let us know in the comments: What’s your favorite gentle cleanser for sensitive or diabetic skin?
📤 Share this episode with someone you love—this simple shift could change their daily comfort and skin health.
🎧 Join us on Tuesday for Part 4, where we’ll talk about how to give your feet the love and attention they deserve.

Connect with Renee:
🌐 Website: www.thediabetictoolbox.com
🛍️ Shop: Renee & Ruby’s
🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast to help more families thrive!

Disclaimer:

The Diabetic Toolbox is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine. Results may vary. By using this content, you accept full responsibility for your health decisions.

Welcome back to The Diabetic Toolbox, where we are on a mission to end type 2 diabetes one family at a time.

Today’s Wednesday Yoga Series focuses on reducing stress and supporting healthy skin through a gentle, restorative yoga flow. I’m your host, Renee Reid—emotional eating and diabetes lifestyle coach, yoga teacher, and your partner in wellness.

🧘‍♀️ This 4-pose flow is designed to calm your nervous system, improve circulation, and help relieve skin-related discomfort caused by stress and high blood sugar.

🧘‍♀️ Today’s Yoga Sequence:

1. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) – calms the mind and stretches the spine
2. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana) – stimulates circulation and soothes the nervous system
3. Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) – opens the chest, reduces fatigue
4. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) – promotes blood flow and deep relaxation

🫁 Breathing Exercise:
We begin with box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) to settle the mind and prepare the body.

💬 Affirmation:
“I am calm. I am whole. My skin reflects the peace I feel inside.”

📘 Featured Resource:

Be sure to download our monthly ebook:
Caring for Sensitive Skin with Diabetes: Tips and Solutions for a Healthier You
Includes 4 weeks of support from a certified coach.
👉 Get it here — Pay What You Can

❤️ Share the Love:

If this episode brought you peace or clarity, share it with someone you love.
Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a session.

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.
Namaste,
Renee

Welcome back to Part 2 of our 10-Day Skincare Challenge! In today’s episode, we dive into one of the most underrated but powerful habits for people managing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes—daily moisturizing. Renee shares why dry skin can quickly become a bigger issue for diabetics and how a simple, consistent moisturizing routine can protect and nourish your skin from head to toe.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why blood sugar affects your skin’s hydration
• The best time to apply moisturizer (it matters!)
• What ingredients to avoid if you have sensitive or diabetic skin
• Recommended brands that are safe and effective
• The importance of not moisturizing between your toes

Resources Mentioned:
📘 Download our featured ebook: Caring for Sensitive Skin with Diabetes: Tips and Solutions for a Healthier You
Pay-what-you-can + includes 4 weeks of email support!

💬 Tell us in the comments: What moisturizer do you love or want to try?
📤 Share this episode with someone you love
🎧 Tune in Thursday for Part 3: How to Prevent Dry, Itchy Skin with One Simple Habit