Show Notes

Low blood sugar doesn’t just mess with your body, it hijacks your brain. That’s why perfectly reasonable people suddenly feel urgent, frantic, and out of control when their numbers drop.

In this episode, we break down what’s actually happening in your brain during a low, why decision-making falls apart so fast, and why the instinct to overeat feels impossible to stop in the moment. This isn’t about discipline or willpower. It’s about biology doing exactly what it was designed to do… just not in a modern diabetes world.

Once you understand why your brain reacts this way, you can build systems that work with it instead of expecting calm, logical choices when your glucose is crashing.

What You Can Do Today

Notice how your thoughts change when your blood sugar starts dropping.
Pay attention to urgency, fear, or “I need to fix this now” thinking.
Decide one simple rule for lows ahead of time, so your brain doesn’t have to improvise.

Plan beats panic.

Resources

Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor Connect

Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. Their team helps with insulin adjustments, CGM support, burnout, and the mental load of diabetes, without fighting the healthcare system alone.
Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon

Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ

Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show Notes

If you’ve ever gone from a low blood sugar straight into the 200s and thought, “How did that happen?”, this episode connects the dots.

We talk about the post-low rebound that sneaks up on people with type 1 diabetes, not because they did something reckless, but because panic treatment feels necessary in the moment. This episode breaks down why lows often lead to highs, how stacking food during a low fuels the rebound, and why it feels so hard to stop once you start eating.

This is about understanding the pattern, not blaming yourself for it. Once you see what’s happening, you can start treating lows in a way that keeps the rest of your day from getting hijacked.

What You Can Do Today

Look at one recent low that ended in a big high.
Notice how much you treated and how fast you ate it.
Ask yourself, “What would a calmer version of that treatment have looked like?”

Awareness comes first. Change comes second.

Resources

Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor Connect

Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. Their team helps with insulin adjustments, CGM support, burnout, and the mental load of diabetes, without fighting the healthcare system alone.
Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon

Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ

Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show Notes

Most people don’t hate glucose tablets because they don’t work. They hate them because they’re boring. No crunch. No comfort. No emotional payoff.

In this episode, we talk about why glucose tablets actually outperform food when it comes to treating low blood sugar, and why using snacks instead quietly sets you up for rebound highs later. We break down how fast dextrose hits your bloodstream, why mixed carbs slow everything down, and how “real food” during a low turns into overeating almost every time.

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about mechanics. When you understand what your body actually needs during a low, treating it stops feeling like a guessing game and starts feeling predictable again.

What You Can Do Today

Check what you usually grab first when you’re low, juice, candy, cookies, or snacks.
Notice how often that turns into eating more than you planned.
Decide on one low treatment this week that is fast, measured, and boring… on purpose.

Boring works.

Resources

Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor Connect

Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. Their team helps with insulin adjustments, CGM support, burnout, and the mental load of diabetes, without fighting the healthcare system alone.
Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon

Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ

Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show Notes
If you have ever stared at your pharmacy receipt and thought, How is this even legal? this episode is for you. George Huntley has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1983, spent 25+ years running employer health plans, and now sits at the center of national advocacy work on insulin access and drug pricing.​

In this conversation, George breaks down how pharmacy benefit managers PBMs quietly took over drug pricing, why insulin became the poster child for a broken system, and how rebates turned into a giant, legal kickback loop that almost nobody at the patient level understands. We talk about why insurance started feeling so much worse in the 2010s, how PBMs profit when list prices go up, and why the health plan can actually pay less for insulin while you pay more at the counter.​

George also walks through what actually happens behind the scenes when your employer picks a health plan, why most employers have no idea how much money is flowing to PBMs, and why the drugs on your formulary are often chosen for maximum rebate, not lowest cost or best fit. We finish with a rapid-fire True or False round that exposes some of the most harmful myths about PBMs, insulin list prices, and whether transparency alone could fix this mess.​

What You Can Do Today

• Learn the vocabulary PBM, rebate, formulary so you can ask sharper questions of your HR team, benefits broker, or insurer.​
• If you work for an employer that offers health insurance, ask whether they know their PBM spread and rebate structure, and if they’ve ever audited it.​
• Share this episode with one person who helps make benefits decisions at work, or with someone in your T1D circle who has been crushed by insulin costs and needs language for what they’re experiencing.​

Resources
Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor Connect
Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. They help with insulin adjustments, CGMs, burnout, and the mental load of diabetes, without fighting the healthcare system alone.
Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon
Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ
Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show Notes

Everyone with type 1 diabetes has heard of the Rule of 15. Treat a low with 15 grams of fast-acting carbs, wait 15 minutes, and recheck. Simple. Logical. Universally ignored.

In this episode, we break down why the Rule of 15 sounds great on paper but completely falls apart in real life. We talk about what actually happens to your brain during a low, why waiting feels impossible, and how “just in case” turns into rebound highs, frustration, and guilt.

This isn’t about shaming you for not following the rule. It’s about understanding why it’s hard and how to work with your brain instead of fighting it, so lows stop hijacking the rest of your day.

What You Can Do Today

Think about the last time you treated a low and immediately added extra food “just to be safe.”
Notice what made waiting feel impossible in that moment, fear, impatience, or past bad experiences.
Decide what 15 grams of fast-acting glucose looks like for you so you’re not guessing next time.

No judgment. Just clarity.

Resources

Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor Connect

Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. Their team helps with insulin adjustments, CGM support, burnout, and the mental load of diabetes, without fighting the healthcare system alone.
Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon

Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ

Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show Notes

If you’ve ever brushed off a low blood sugar because you were busy, embarrassed, or convinced you could “power through,” this episode is for you. In this one, I tell the story of the only time I’ve ever passed out from a low, on the floor of a Bob Evans restaurant, and what it permanently changed about how I treat blood sugars.

We talk about how easy it is to ignore early warning signs, why low-blood-sugar brain convinces you you’re fine when you’re not, and how waiting too long turns a manageable low into a dangerous one. This isn’t a scare tactic. It’s a real-life reminder that lows aren’t just numbers on a screen, they’re moments where timing matters more than intention.

This episode is part of the Low Blood Sugar Challenge, where we’re learning to treat lows on purpose instead of reacting in panic, and building habits that actually protect you in real life, not just on paper.

What You Can Do Today

Think back to the last low where you told yourself, “I’ll deal with it in a minute.”
Notice what made you wait, work, pride, distraction, or not wanting to make it a thing.
Decide one early warning sign you’ll treat sooner next time, before it becomes urgent.

No perfection required. Just awareness.

Resources

Helpful resources and newsletter:
https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor

Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life. They help people with type 1 diabetes navigate insulin, CGMs, burnout, and the mental load, without fighting the healthcare system alone.

Sign up free at:
https://bluecirclehealth.org

Connect

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes
Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912
Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon

Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time
https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ

Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories
https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

Show notes
Most of us treat lows with whatever is closest, juice, crackers, cookies, cereal, and then act surprised when we’re 250 an hour later. This episode walks through why glucose tablets beat Oreos, juice boxes, and random pantry snacks when it comes to speed, control, and preventing rebound highs.​

You’ll hear the science behind glucose tabs, including research showing they relieve hypoglycemia symptoms faster and more reliably than food, plus how fat, fiber, and fructose slow everything down and trick your brain into overtreating. We also talk about how using food as low treatment quietly messes with your relationship with eating, turning every low into a “free pass” instead of a medical moment.​

What You Can Do Today

• Pick one default low treatment (tabs, gel, or gummies) and stash it in the 3 places you go low most often.
• Decide your number and dose: “If I’m under ___, I take ___ grams of glucose,” and write it in your notes app.
• The next time you’re low, treat with glucose only, set a 15‑minute timer, and resist adding food until it goes off unless you’re still dropping.

Resources
Helpful resources and newsletter: yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor
Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life. Sign up free: bluecirclehealth.org​

Connect
Instagram: @thebetes | TikTok: @the.betes | Website: yourbestt1dyear.com ​

Books on Amazon
Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time or Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories

Show notes
If it feels like every low blood sugar ends with you stuck at 240 and wondering what just happened, you’re not imagining it. This episode breaks down why over‑treating lows quietly wrecks your graph, your energy, and your long‑term risk, even when you think you’re just “saving your life” with snacks.​

You’ll hear how hypoglycemia followed by big rebounds triggers oxidative stress and blood vessel damage, why that “eat the entire kitchen” instinct is so strong, and what the research actually says about gradual correction versus slingshotting into hyperglycemia. This is the kickoff to a two‑month Low Blood Sugar Challenge that helps you see the pattern clearly so you can start changing it on purpose instead of by accident.​

What You Can Do Today

• Notice how often your lows end in highs this week. No judgment, just track the pattern.
• Write down one recent “low, then high” moment and what you grabbed first, Capri Sun, cookies, crackers, etc.
• Ask yourself this question: “If I didn’t panic‑treat, what would I want my low response to look like?”

Resources
Helpful resources and newsletter: yourbestt1dyear.com

Sponsor
Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life. Sign up free: bluecirclehealth.org​

Connect
Instagram: @thebetes | TikTok: @the.betes | Website: yourbestt1dyear.com ​

Books on Amazon
Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time or Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories