26 – Building a Diabetes Community Through Vulnerability, Movement and Mindset (Diabetes with Mily)

Suggest guests or get in contactHost: John Pemberton, RD Guest: Diabetes with Milly (Milly)Episode page: Detailed show notesIn this episode, Milly joins John to explore how real community forms when people with type 1 diabetes feel safe enough to be vulnerable. Diagnosed during lockdown and thrown into DKA in the final year of her biology degree, Milly rebuilt her life through movement, self-experimenting with strength training, discovering yoga, and eventually travelling alone to India for formal practice in breathwork, mindset and nervous-system regulation.What began as a personal diary on Instagram became Diabetes with Milly — a space where 10,000+ people find honesty, humour and connection, and where the Glucose Gals WhatsApp community now supports hundreds of women navigating type 1 diabetes, menstrual cycles, trauma echoes, and real-life blood glucose chaos.This conversation sits firmly “Beyond the Numbers”: the human reality of diagnosis, burnout, highs that trigger old trauma, rebuilding confidence, and how movement and mindfulness can reshape the emotional experience of living with the condition.Your community is not optional — it is protective infrastructure.What This Episode CoversDiagnosis in lockdown: DKA, isolation, and learning to manage T1D without real-world supportSport to strength training: using exercise as both therapy and educationYoga, India, breathwork and regulating the panic response during hyposTrauma memory: why highs can trigger the emotional weight of diagnosisBuilding an online presence through vulnerability, not perfectionCreating the Glucose Gals WhatsApp community (250+ women)Women’s health, menstrual cycles and why female physiology in T1D is so understudiedMilly’s plans for a new master’s → PhD in women’s exercise physiologyThe future: UK meet-ups, movement spaces, and combining strength + yoga for holistic T1D supportKey InsightsVulnerability builds community. People don’t gather around perfect numbers — they gather around honesty.Movement changes glucose, but also mindset. Strength training, yoga and breathwork each shape the physiological and emotional response to hypo/hyper stress.Trauma echoes are real. Diagnosis anniversaries, unexplained highs and body sensations can resurface early memories; normalising this reduces shame.Representation matters. Women with T1D need research that reflects menstrual cycles, hormonal phases and real-world fluctuations.People need people. Where clinic appointments end, community begins — and fills the gap between guideline and lived reality.Support GNL: https://buy.stripe.com/9B63cx4UO3KEdKC0Sp7Re00The Glucose Never Lies® is a registered trademark of The GNL Ltd. Company No. 16733595. UK VAT No. GB 516 3272 08.DisclaimerThis podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by designWe do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:Buying the GNL a Coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2EnquiriesCollaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected] The Glucose Never Lies®Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverliesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverliesLinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLiesDisclaimer This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.