#67: Drew Butler | T1D Circus Acrobat, Snack Mom & World Traveler

Traveling through multiple time zones with diabetes while being sedentary on the plane can be a lot to handle, but it didn’t keep Drew from his 12 month adventure across the globe. In this episode, he shares his mis-diagnosis, transitioning into life with T1D as a young adult, his love of circus acrobatics and lessons learned while traveling abroad. He is truly an inspiration to all people living with this disease and his laid back personality is warm and welcoming.

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Tuesday Topic: Dietary Needs vs. Are You Just High Maintenance

restaurant scene

The older I get, the less concerned I seem to be as to what others think when I start my order with, “I’m a little high maintenance“. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over 30 years ago and things were very different.  I was given strict instructions by the dietician – NO sugar and limit yourself to 2 TAB colas a day – yes, I said TAB (the only diet soda at the time). At age 14, after reading a terrifying book about animal welfare in stockyards, I cut out red meat and pork. Was that the turning point for my high maintenance ways???

Fast forward to 2015 – and the list of what I won’t eat has skyrocketed. I won’t bore you with the list and the background for each item, but my recent journey to Quartz Mountain made me question – were my special requests diabetes related or am I just high maintenance? (more…)



3 Tips To Dominate Uncharted Food Territory

Symposium

Last night I returned home from the Oklahoma Symposium and am happy to report my diabetes didn’t slow me down. The weekend was packed with panels, lectures and networking – not to mention a beer tasting and nightly cocktail hour. In years past this eventful weekend has been a bit of challenge, but this year I took charge. I’m happy to report three shifts in thinking that proved smoother sailing when navigating uncharted food territory.

1. Don’t be afraid to express your dietary needs.

The Saturday evening meal looked wonderful, but happen to be a filet so I was served the other option – white pasta w/red sauce and sautéed carrots. No thank you! I asked the server if the kitchen would be kind enough to whip together a grilled chicken breast and some steamed broccoli. After speaking with three servers and the chef, I was served exactly what I requested. YAY ME!

Symposium Dinner (more…)