Reclaim Your Rise
with Lauren Bongiorno

Real conversations to help you rise above the challenges of T1D and reclaim the life you deserve.

New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
New episodes every Tuesday
Reclaim your rise podcast with host lauren bongiorno
Reclaim your rise phone podcast

Diabetes is more than a math problem to be solved.
It’s an experience to be managed.

Every episode has one purpose: to help you stop struggling alone and finally experience freedom and confidence with T1D.

Latest Episodes

240. What to Do If You Suddenly Have to Switch from Pump to Injections

240. What to Do If You Suddenly Have to Switch from Pump to Injections

September 1, 2026
Every pump user knows they should have a backup plan. But how prepared are you actually if your pump stops working tonight? Lauren found out the hard way when one task she’d been putting off left her without a working pump and scrambling to switch back to injections before bed. What seemed manageable quickly turned into a middle-of-the-night diabetes disaster and a reminder that having backup insulin isn’t the same thing as being prepared to use it. In this solo episode, Lauren shares what went wrong, what she wishes she had done differently, and the simple backup plan every pump user should have ready before they actually need it. She also gets into the aftermath of a really rough diabetes night and how she moves forward after riding the rollercoaster. WHAT WE COVER: How a supply pickup Lauren kept putting off snowballed into a sleepless night fighting blood sugars in the 300s The small mistake that left Lauren without a working pump at the worst possible time How a seemingly simple switch back to injections turned into blood sugars nearing 400 overnight The backup-plan mistake Lauren didn’t realize she’d made until 3 a.m. The 4 things every pump user should have ready before something goes wrong How Lauren handles the physical and mental “blood sugar hangover” after a really rough diabetes day WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto ! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us: Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Lauren's rough night made you feel less alone in your own messy diabetes days, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find these conversations.
239. Elizabeth Elder on Raising a Child With T1D, Mom Guilt, and Why You Can't Get an A in Diabetes

239. Elizabeth Elder on Raising a Child With T1D, Mom Guilt, and Why You Can't Get an A in Diabetes

August 25, 2026
Elizabeth Elder knows what it means to carry a lot as a mother. Her two oldest children were born with a rare genetic condition, and in 2021, she lost her daughter Annabelle to complications of that condition at just eleven years old. About a year later, her son Clark, her third child, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age five. For Elizabeth, who had already spent years navigating the world of medically complex parenting and had even founded a nonprofit to support other moms walking similar roads, the diagnosis felt like one more heavy thing to hold. In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with Risely's Director of Coaching, Abby Cooper, to talk honestly about T1D motherhood: the mom guilt, the pressure to get everything right, and the quiet weight of feeling like your child's numbers are a reflection of you. She shares what shifted when she joined our T1D Mom Coaching Program, from learning that you can't get an A in diabetes, to letting herself receive support for once instead of being the one who always gives it, to the community of moms who are still showing up for each other long after the program ended. It's a moving conversation about grief, grace, and finding a way to carry T1D that leaves room for you to actually live. WHAT WE COVER: Why a stomach bug with no fever was the clue that led to Clark's T1D diagnosis at 5, almost exactly one year after Elizabeth lost her daughter What her 5-year-old said to comfort her in the hospital, in the middle of the scariest moment of her year The number 1 belief that helped to reduce mom guilt Why you can't get an A in diabetes, and the reframe that finally freed Elizabeth from treating every A1C like a report card How "time in happiness" became just as important as time in range, and the pediatric psychologist who introduced her to it Being the mom who holds everyone else together, and what it took for her to finally let herself be the one supported Clark's first-ever sleepover 3.5 years after diagnosis, the exact blood sugars Elizabeth watched from home, and how she let him go anyway WHAT’S NEXT: 👩‍👧 Our 8-week T1D Mom Coaching Program is back, starting September 9th. It's live group coaching with Lauren and Abby, built for moms raising kids with Type 1 who are ready to trade the overwhelm for real confidence. Learn more and apply here. 🛒Use code RiselyHealth15 for 15% off discount at Lakanto ! 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us: Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Elizabeth's story made you feel less alone in the weight of T1D motherhood, subscribe and leave a review so more moms can find their way here.
238. What’s Actually Next for Diabetes Tech? A Gen Z Founder on AI, Ketone Monitors + Smarter Pumps

238. What’s Actually Next for Diabetes Tech? A Gen Z Founder on AI, Ketone Monitors + Smarter Pumps

August 18, 2026
Drew Mendelow was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13 and left the hospital overwhelmed by how much he was suddenly expected to learn and calculate on his own. So he built the tool he wished he’d had: T1D1, a free app that takes the mental math out of insulin dosing for people who are newly diagnosed or managing with injections. Now a student at Georgia Tech, Drew joins Lauren to talk about what’s actually next in diabetes tech, from AI and continuous ketone monitoring to smarter pump algorithms and the apps making daily life with T1D easier, while asking an important question: as diabetes technology gets smarter, how do we make sure people with T1D still feel informed and in control of their own management? WHAT WE COVER: Why Drew built T1D1 after being diagnosed at 13 The diabetes tech Drew thinks could change T1D next Why continuous ketone monitoring matters, even when blood sugar is in range Lauren’s scariest low in 25 years with T1D and what caused it The diabetes app Drew recommended that Lauren immediately wanted to download Where AI and smarter pump algorithms could help, and where they could take away too much control WHAT’S NEXT: 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us: Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode got you excited about where T1D tech is headed, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with diabetes can find these conversations.
237. Her 6-Year-Old Was Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Here's What's Working 14 Months Later. (ft. Lauri Beale)

237. Her 6-Year-Old Was Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Here's What's Working 14 Months Later. (ft. Lauri Beale)

August 11, 2026
Lauri Beale never imagined a routine visit would end with her 5-year-old daughter being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. What followed was an 11-month honeymoon phase that left her family in a constant state of uncertainty. While her daughter was still producing some insulin, every day felt unpredictable, and Lauri found herself waiting for the other shoe to drop. In this conversation with Risely's Director of Coaching, Abby Cooper, Lauri shares what the first year after diagnosis really looked like. From the mental load that consumed every conversation with her husband to learning how to parent as a team without letting diabetes take over their family, she opens up about the challenges most parents don't expect. She also shares how expanding her toolkit through coaching, prioritizing her own mental health, and reframing blood sugar data helped her move from fear to confidence. If you're raising a child with type 1 diabetes and wondering whether life will ever feel manageable again, this episode offers practical hope from someone who's been there. WHAT WE COVER: What an 11-month honeymoon phase practically looked like with insulin dosing  The simple communication rule that stopped diabetes from taking over every conversation in their marriage The three things that helped Lauri stop living in survival mode after her daughter's diagnosis The biggest frustrations with their endocrinology appointments, and how they got the confidence to stop waiting in between appointments to make changes How they started building diabetes independence in their 6-year-old without putting too much on her shoulders The mindset and management changes that helped increase their daughter Regan’s Time in Range from 65% to 85% WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it. 🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D. 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us: Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise
LAUREN BONGIORNO

Meet your Host

I'm your host Lauren Bongiorno. I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 7 years old and now I'm the founder and CEO of Risely Health. We are nationally board certified health coaches who know that most people living with type 1 diabetes feel lost or stuck in a cycle of frustration. So we built a health coaching model that's helped thousands of people reclaim the life they deserve. If you're ready to stop struggling alone and finally feel a sense of freedom and balance, this podcast is the right place to start.