Welcome to T1D Living!

Hi I’m Rachel, type 1 diabetic since 2008 with two T1D pregnancies under my belt. Which officially makes me like 200 years old in diabetes years
(it’s science).
I know I may have already rubbed some people the wrong way by saying “i’m a diabetic” instead of “person with diabetes”, but hey, that’s a blog post for another day lol.
I didn’t start T1D Living when I first got diagnosed with type one diabetes… it wasn’t until I got diagnosed with a SECOND autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, that I felt like I needed a place to sort out (and share!) all the information I was learning.
My take on diabetes & health is ever evolving, which has lead me to my core philosophies which are:
Keep it Simple: explain here
Personalize It: explain here
Environment is Everything: explain here
Your Health is a Direct Result of Your Inputs: explain here
You are Your Own Primary Care Provider: explain here
With those core philosophies in mind this is what you’ll find on T1D Living:
Recipes: I keep them simple, nutritious, gluten free & dairy free, in-season, and macro balanced for blood sugar to keep you in range.
How to keep blood sugar in a non-diabetic range without losing your mind: Trust me, it’s possible. Not every minute of everyday will be perfect because we are only human, but you’ll be shocked how easy it is once you get things dialed in.
Musings about endocrine & mitochondrial health: Because our mitochondria have a HUGE role in T1D health.
T1D pregnancy & T1D breastfeeding talk: Because ladies, pregnancy and breastfeeding is the Olympics of diabetes. It requires your A-Game!
Some fun & interesting facts about me:

WE HAVE A BUNCH OF CHICKENS
I think we’re up to 17 now…. five of them being roosters! My husband calls me a crazy chicken lady (and it’s true, I am, but it happened way faster than I thought it would).

I AM A GRAPHIC DESIGNER BY TRADE
…and a homeschooling, stay at home mom of two. Both pregnancies were T1D pregnancies.

CONTROVERSIAL OPINION
I think buying books and reading books can be two veeeery different hobbies. No shame, I was in the first camp for years.

VINEGAR LOVER
I drink the leftover salad dressing out of my salad bowl when I’m done eating my salad. Any other vinegar lovers here? And yes I just said salad 3x in one sentence; not my best work.

NAMING OUR DOG
When my husband and I got a dog we named him Jett…. Completely not even knowing that one of my Dads childhood dogs (sadly one that only lived to be one year old) WAS ALSO NAMED JETT.
Is this doggy-reincarnation?

MY KRYPTONITE
My willpower & better judgement go out the window if you give me a bag of Doritos (the classic nacho cheese flavor). I will eat the entire bag, lick the crumbs (and my fingers), and ask for more, like a savage.
Not surprising when you learn about the Dorito effect, but nonetheless, completely uncalled for.