Living With Diabetes

12/17/2025

Living With Diabetes: One Day, One Choice at a Time

By Jamies Shuford
Living With Diabetes

I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with diabetes. It wasn’t dramatic no cinematic moment, no sudden epiphany. Just a calm doctor, a few numbers on a chart, and a sinking realization: my body and I were about to have a very honest conversation.

At first, I thought, How bad can this really be? Then came the reality check: tracking meals, monitoring blood sugar, reading labels like I’d gone back to school, and figuring out that my “quick snack” choices had consequences. Diabetes doesn’t respond to denial it responds to consistency.

The Early Days: Reality Bites

Let’s be real: nobody wakes up thrilled to check blood sugar. But diabetes forces you to pay attention—really pay attention. Fatigue isn’t something you push through anymore. Stress isn’t something you ignore. Even a simple meal comes with choices you can’t overlook.

Yes, I’ve had frustrating moments. Moments when the numbers surprised me despite my best effort. Moments when I just wanted to pretend everything was fine. But diabetes has a sense of humor: it reminds you immediately when you cut corners.

What Diabetes Has Taught Me

Before my diagnosis, I didn’t always listen to my body. I ignored stress, overate, and treated fatigue like a badge of honor. Diabetes said, Nope, we’re doing this differently.

Now, I ask myself daily:

How will this food make me feel?

Did I move today?

Am I managing stress, or letting it manage me?

It turns out, paying attention isn’t punishment it’s self-respect.

Living With Balance And Why Laughter Is The Medicine

One of the biggest misconceptions about diabetes is that life becomes joyless. It doesn’t. I still enjoy food. I still live my life. I just live it with awareness.

Some days, my numbers surprise me despite doing everything “right.” Other days, I slip up and own it without guilt. Progress, not perfection, is the key. And yes—I sometimes laugh at myself. Because if you can’t find humor in checking your blood sugar before a meal, you might just go crazy.

The Emotional Side

Diabetes isn’t just physical it’s mental and emotional. There’s pressure to always do better, always stay disciplined. I’ve learned that grace is part of good health. One off day doesn’t erase months of effort.

Support matters family, friends, faith, community. And reminding yourself that you are more than a diagnosis matters most of all.

Reflection

Diabetes changed how I live, but it also changed how I appreciate life. It taught me responsibility, patience, and gratitude for my body and what it does for me every single day.

I didn’t choose diabetes, but I choose how I live with it. And if my story helps even one person take their health seriously or feel less alone then this journey has purpose beyond me.

One step. One meal. One day at a time.

Thank you for following this page.
🍍🥦💧🚶‍♂️🌞 ---Jamies Shuford

12/03/2025

San Francisco City Attorney Office Files Lawsuit Against 10 Food Manufacture Companies.

OP-ED:The Ultra-Processed Trap Fueling America’s Type 2 Diabetes Crisis

Written by Jamies Shuford

In a country that prides itself on innovation, convenience, and abundance, it’s striking that our greatest health threat isn’t a lack of food it’s the kind of food we’re eating. Ultra-processed foods, the brightly packaged, endlessly marketed products that line every aisle of every grocery store, have quietly become America’s most widespread addiction. And their impact is written in the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes across communities of every age, race, and income level.

Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be irresistible. They’re designed to hijack the brain’s reward system, keep you reaching for more, and keep profits flowing for the companies that manufacture them. These aren’t just snacks or meals; they’re lab-crafted formulas built around sugar, refined carbohydrates, additives, and chemical preservatives foods that barely resemble anything that comes from the earth.

And the cost? A national health crisis.

Type 2 diabetes was once considered a slow-moving disease that came with age. Today, we’re seeing it diagnosed earlier, faster, and more frequently even in children. This isn’t genetics suddenly evolving. It’s our food system. When daily meals include cereals with more sugar than dessert, “healthy” yogurts loaded with sweeteners, and drive-through dinners packed with hidden calories and salt, the outcome has been entirely predictable.

Communities with the least access to fresh, whole foods suffer the most. Food deserts urban, rural, and everywhere in between ensure that the cheapest calories come from the most harmful products. And companies know exactly where to target their marketing. When ultra-processed foods become the default diet, Type 2 diabetes follows like a shadow.

Yet we rarely discuss accountability. We blame individuals for their choices without acknowledging the system that shapes those choices. Ultra-processed foods are cheaper, faster, and deliberately addictive. Meanwhile, healthier options require time, money, and access luxuries that not everyone has.

The United States cannot continue pretending this is a matter of personal willpower. It is policy. It is corporate power. And it is the direct result of a food industry that has prioritized profit over public health for decades.

If we are serious about reversing the Type 2 diabetes epidemic, we need more than awareness campaigns. We need structural change:

• Food policies that prioritize real nutrition over corporate influence.
• Investment in community-based food programs and urban agriculture.
• Clear labeling that doesn’t hide sugar under a dozen different names.
• Education that starts early because industry marketing starts early too.

But we also need a cultural shift one that values whole foods, local foods, and foods that nourish rather than numb. Type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. It is preventable. But only if we confront the uncomfortable truth: America’s food system is built on products that undermine our health, and pretending otherwise only allows the crisis to deepen.

Our country cannot thrive on ultra-processed convenience. We deserve a food system and a future that actually sustains us.

11/27/2025

Enjoying Thanksgiving With Diabetes: A Holiday Guide to Flavor, Balance & Joy

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, gratitude, and let’s be honest good food. For people living with diabetes, the holiday table can feel like a challenge. Between the pies, stuffing, and carb-heavy dishes, it’s natural to wonder: “Can I really enjoy Thanksgiving without throwing my blood sugar out of balance?”

The answer is yes absolutely.

With mindful choices, a little preparation, and a focus on what the holiday truly represents, diabetics can enjoy Thanksgiving just as fully as anyone else.

1.)Start With a Smart Plate

Thanksgiving plates tend to get overloaded. Instead, aim for a balanced approach:

Half of your plate: Non-starchy vegetables (green beans, brussels sprouts, salads, roasted veggies)

One quarter: Lean protein (turkey breast, baked chicken, plant protein options)

One quarter: Carbs you truly enjoy choose your favorites and skip the rest

This helps prevent blood sugar spikes while still letting you enjoy your best-loved dishes.

2.)Don’t Skip Breakfast

It’s tempting to “save room,” but skipping meals can cause blood sugar fluctuations and lead to overeating later.
Have a protein-rich breakfast—like eggs, Greek yogurt, or nuts—to keep your levels steady.

3.)Choose Smarter Sides

Thanksgiving sides can be carb landmines. You don’t need to avoid them—just choose wisely:

Swap mashed potatoes for cauliflower mash or have a smaller scoop

Try stuffing made with whole grain bread, wild rice, or vegetables

Choose sugar-free cranberry sauce or a low-sugar homemade option

And when it comes to casseroles, watch out for hidden sugar in canned soups and toppings.

4.)Enjoy Dessert—With a Plan

You don’t have to skip dessert! Just manage portions and choose options with less sugar:

Sugar-free pumpkin pie

Fresh berries with a dollop of whipped cream

Tiny “tasting-sized” slices of the traditional pies

A small piece savored slowly is often more satisfying than a big slice eaten quickly.

5.)Stay Active Between Courses

A short walk after dinner can significantly help with blood sugar control.
Invite family for a 10–15 minute stroll—it’s good for your body and a perfect moment for connection.

6.)Drink Wisely

Beverages can be sneaky:

Choose water, sparkling water, unsweet tea, or diet drinks

If drinking alcohol, keep it moderate and pair with food

Avoid sugary cocktails, punches, and sweet wines

7.)Bring a Diabetic-Friendly Dish

If you’re visiting someone else’s home, bring something you know works for you—like a low-carb veggie dish, sugar-free dessert, or lean protein.
This ensures you’ll always have something comfortable to enjoy.

8.)Give Yourself Grace

Thanksgiving is one day not the whole year.
If your meal isn’t perfect, or you enjoy a few more carbs than planned, don’t be hard on yourself.
Check your blood sugar, stay hydrated, and get back on track at the next meal.

A Thanksgiving Focused on Gratitude, Not Guilt

Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food it’s about family, community, and gratitude.
Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to sit out on holiday joy. It means being aware, prepared, and kind to yourself.

With smart choices and a balanced mindset, you can fill your plate and your heart with everything that makes the season special.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone living with diabetes. May your holiday be full of health, warmth, and joy. 🦃💛

10/24/2025

Great Information.

Diabetes Day by Day is a podcast intended for people with diabetes and their caregivers. In each episode, Neil Skolnik, MD, and Sara Wettergreen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, will discuss the everyday challenges of living with diabetes and will offer practical advice for overcoming those challenges. Join....

09/26/2025

Great Podcast

Diabetes Day by Day is a podcast intended for people with diabetes and their caregivers. In each episode, Neil Skolnik, MD, and Sara Wettergreen, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, will discuss the everyday challenges of living with diabetes and will offer practical advice for overcoming those challenges. Join....

12/17/2024

Bernie Sanders getting to the point.

During a Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee hearing on Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questioned FDA Commissioner Robert Califf about...

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03/30/2024

Interesting Read.

Pritzker Molecular Engineering researchers led by Prof. Jeffrey Hubbell showed that their compound can eliminate the autoimmune reaction associated with multiple sclerosis in a laboratory setting.

03/13/2024

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