Reclaim Your Rise
with Lauren Bongiorno

Joining me today is the newest member of the Risely coaching team, Meghan Higgins. Meghan, a registered nurse, graduated from our group coaching program and became a certified health coach to help others with T1D. In today’s episode, she shares how she never thought she’d get off the blood sugar roller coaster and how she didn’t realize how certain things she was doing were preventing her from seeing the outcomes she desired. Diabetes felt all-consuming and like she was never going to get it right, but through coaching, she lowered her A1C to 6.3, boosted her time and range to 75%, learned to tackle out-of-routine meals, ran a marathon, and now lives with so much more freedom and confidence. Time Stamps: (04:03) “How’s your blood sugar today?” (05:54) Reclaiming Her Rise in a Triathlon (09:44) Diagnosed at 16 and Roller Coaster Beginnings  (12:41) The Journey To Lower Her A1C (15:11) The Common Fear of Low Blood Sugar  (17:11) “This disease just sucks… I didn’t realize there was another school of thought.” (20:04) Struggling Out of Routine and Struggling To Stay Present with T1D (24:27) Meghan’s Turning Point (32:55) Her Coaching Outcomes  (38:37) A Community Element (43:25) Balancing Caring For Others and Caring For Yourself (46:27) Health Coaching to Compliment Health Care’s Shortcomings (50:55) Self-Reflection: “Ask yourself WHY a million times a day” What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Doors are open for our Fall 2024 Group Coaching Program for women with T1D. Apply now and talk to our team.   The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024. Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Today’s episode answers all of your questions about diabetic alert dogs. Our guest Annie from MediDogs is here to tell us about how diabetic alert dogs actually work, what they’re smelling for, and  how reliable they are. Annie also shares how training works, no matter if the dog is raised to be one or is a dog you already own. She goes over the timeline and which breeds excel in training. Three of our Risely clients have trained their diabetic alert dogs with Annie, so we are thrilled to have her in the show to educate all of us! Time Stamps: (02:24) Annie’s Journey to Creating Medi Dogs (07:54) How Diabetic Alert Dogs Help With Type 1 Diabetes  (11:00) What Are the Dogs Smelling For? (13:10) How Reliable Are Diabetic Alert Dogs? (15:23) Alerting to Other People’s Blood Sugar Levels  (17:35) Training Diabetes Alert Dogs with or without a Vest (19:15) The Deep Bond Between Handlers and Diabetes Alert Dogs (23:37) Addressing the Stigma (30:02) Training Existing Dogs (32:46) Breeds That Excel in Training  (36:28) Timeline of Training What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Doors are open for our Fall 2024 Group Coaching Program for women with T1D. Apply now and talk to our team.   Check out Medi Dogs website Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Today’s guest and Risely graduate, Emma, who was diagnosed with T1D when she was four years old, shares her experience growing up with diabetes in the UK and her journey to finally finding support. She spent years in the “I’m not good at diabetes” mindset, but through coaching, she finally changed her relationship with food, pattern management, and self-care. She learned her patterns and strategies that work and stopped using her A1C as her primary source of feedback.  Emma's story is an inspiring reminder that nothing changes if nothing changes, but it's never too late to reclaim the life you deserve. Time Stamps: (01:42) Being Diagnosed at Age Four (02:46) Growing Up With T1D in the UK  (04:03) What Led Her to Risely (06:48) “I’m not being a good diabetic” mindset (08:13) What Her Dysfunctional Relationship to Food Looked Like Daily (10:33) Looking For Small Opportunities to Shift  (15:49) Pattern Management Before & After Coaching (18:45) The Strengths She’s Built From Diabetes Management (22:10) Balancing & Carving Out Space As a Mom  (24:10) Two Months Out From Coaching Review What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Doors are open for our Fall 2024 Group Coaching Program for women with T1D. Apply now and talk to our team. Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.

Diagnosed at age ten, today’s guest Hannah Holcomb, spent 20 years feeling like she was the problem. After so many attempts to get unstuck with her diabetes, Hannah felt like it must just be HER diabetes and her body that didn’t follow any patterns. Sound familiar? But after going through our signature group coaching program, she lowered her A1C  and reclaimed her life with T1D. In this episode, Hannah walks through exactly how she made it happen. Time Stamps: (04:56) Fluctuating Emotions and Diabetes Management (06:38) The Moment She Decided to Make a Change (11:27) Mindset and Overcoming Limiting Beliefs  (15:33) “You’re special but not that special” (16:55) Diabetes is More Than a Math Problem to Be Solved  (19:17) Optimizing Your Diabetes Tech For You (21:28) Burnout & Seeking Help (24:50) Choosing Risely  (26:19) The Difference Between Coaching and a Support Group  (29:34) Her Outlook on Food and Learning the Menstrual Cycle  (31:34) The Biggest Factor in Getting Her Diabetes Under Control (33:40) How Have the Other People in Her Life Noticed a Change? What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Learn more about our 1:1 coaching programs HERE.   Doors are open for our September 2024 Group Coaching Program for women with T1D. Apply now and talk to our team. Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.