not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened - Unfiltered reflections on all thing's diabetes

Welcome to our 80th & final Episode of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened', THE podcast packed with unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes!

This Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness & care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (⁠https://cdeonline.co.za/⁠), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes. #AnytimeCT3CGM #MiWell

If you’re touched by diabetes in any way, whether personally or professionally, you're in the right place! Join us on this social learning journey as we grow together in understanding, insight, & self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging & thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we meet real people, discuss their real issues & stories, & together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes & its care.

Stan & Michael open by discussing urinary tract infections in people with diabetes, what causes them & thinking laterally to manage them.

Wisdom well beyond his years…

This week, our studio guest is Tawana-Musa Munatsi aka Musa. Musa is a proud 32-year-old global citizen and ‘Mama’s boy’, navigating through life in the small business space as a director of an industrial procurement business, & digital ‘sterring'*, & balancing his type 1 diabetes with daily difficulties. Musa's passion for life, family and culture and his growth in self-awareness and wisdom shine through and make this an unmissable episode.

* 'Sterring' (n) adaption of English 'starring'. The main actor or character, action hero, starring role, protagonist, good guy, “someone who is really tough and undefeatable” (Mzansitaal).

Musa reflects eloquently on

His diagnosis of diabetes 20 years ago while overseas

His teen years growing up with diabetes & balancing the want to be ‘part of the majority’ with his own health interests & fears

The ‘watershed’ moment of being confronted with the need to buy-in to his self-care

The passing of his proud ‘role-model’ father 3 years ago

The support he enjoys from his caring family

The importance of honesty & being ‘easy to deal with' as a chronic health client

Being diagnosed (eventually, after being mistaken as a drug abuser!) with epilepsy at a time where he was in the best physical shape of his life

His love & appreciation for his mother

Tips for enhancing accountability & responsibility for the self-care of his chronic conditions

The benefits of continuous glucose monitoring in his life

Being open to talk about diabetes to others

Advocacy message

Elré Clarence shares her thoughts on the ‘not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened Podcast’ & sets our listener community a challenge to help us rise again…

Time to say goodbye…

Thank you to our loyal listeners for joining us along the way! Please take up our challenge to SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this podcast, or give us any other ideas, to help us to make our education and advocacy bear fruit. We’re praying for an advocacy & listenership miracle!

Remember that you can still find us on Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts & the LiSTN Audio App! Download your choice of app, search for 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened' & give us a listen.

You're welcome to send your questions, suggestions, comments or contributions to ⁠[email protected]⁠

For health professionals working in diabetes

The 6-Module, 23 CPD point CDE Academy Very Low-Calorie Diet Course for Healthcare Professionals can help you assist your clients with excess adiposity & type 2 diabetes to improve their cardiometabolic risk profile, reduce their chronic medication burden, doses & costs & possibly achieve remission of their diabetes. More information & registration @ ⁠https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/vlcd-course/⁠

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge & enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://my.learna.ac.uk/l/diabetes-ambassador-cde

We’re back with Episode 79 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened', THE podcast packed with unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes!

This Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness & care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (⁠https://cdeonline.co.za/⁠), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes. #AnytimeCT3CGM #MiWell

If you’re touched by diabetes in any way, whether personally or professionally, you're in the right place! Join us on this social learning journey as we grow together in understanding, insight, & self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging & thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we meet real people, discuss their real issues & stories, & together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes & its care.

Stan & Michael discuss World Diabetes Day activities, celebrating the growing work done by diabetes advocates, but lamenting the relative media silence that persists around diabetes.

An iconic South African Physician

This week we are joined in studio by Dr Adri Kok, an extraordinary Specialist Physician in private practice in Alberton, South Africa. Her diabetes clinic was established in 1996 with a team comprising of diabetes educators, ophthalmology group, podiatrists and dietetics practices. Dr Kok is also a busy intensivist physician, external examiner and honorary lecturer for Internal Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, and a researcher, author and speaker in multiple fields.

Dr Kok serves in leadership roles on the boards of numerous national and international Professional Societies including having served as the president of the International Society of Internal Medicine after serving on the executive committee from 2014 as the first women and first representative of Africa to achieve this distinction.

Adri shares with us

Why she works as both an intensivist and a chronic care physician and integrating the two approaches

How her degree in Theology and spiritual approach to medical and self-care puts “fuel in her tank”

Her interventions to enhance diabetes care and patient agency in the hospital setting

Her long-standing community, policy and health professional advocacy work for diabetes

Her international perspectives applied to local diabetes care

Her passion for a variety of sports and the importance physical fitness both for self-care and positive role modelling

Planning for her retirement and the multiple handover processes she is engaged in

Advocacy message

Elré Clarence shares her inspirational insights on ‘Diabetes and Wellness’.

Remember that you can find us on multiple streaming platforms including Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts & the LiSTN Audio App! Download your choice of app, search for 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened' & give us a listen.

Nearly time to say goodbye…

Barring an advocacy & listenership miracle to make the continued production of this show viable, ‘not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened’ will cease production with our 80th Episode to be recorded at the end of November.

Until then, we want to hear from you!

Email your questions, suggestions, comments or contributions to ⁠[email protected]⁠

For health professionals working in diabetes

The 6-Module, 23 CPD point CDE Academy Very Low-Calorie Diet Course for Healthcare Professionals can help you assist your clients with excess adiposity & type 2 diabetes to improve their cardiometabolic risk profile, reduce their chronic medication burden, doses & costs & possibly achieve remission of their diabetes. More information & registration @ ⁠https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/vlcd-course/⁠

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge & enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://my.learna.ac.uk/l/diabetes-ambassador-cde

We apologize for the delayed release of this Episode!

But, better late than never, welcome back for Episode 77 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened', THE podcast packed with unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes!

This Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness & care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (⁠https://cdeonline.co.za/⁠), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes. #AnytimeCT3CGM #MiWell

If you’re touched by diabetes in any way, whether personally or professionally, you're in the right place! Join us on this social learning journey as we grow together in understanding, insight, & self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging & thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we meet real people, discuss their real issues & stories, & together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes & its care.

Stan & Michael open by discussing the use of very low-calorie diets in the management of type 2 diabetes. These can ‘reset’ beta cell function & delay more intensive therapies like insulin or even achieve diabetes remission.

Advanced diabetes technologies – meeting expectations or disappointing them?

Sr Vanessa Brown, a highly experienced diabetes specialist nurse joins us in studio. With decades of experience, she shares:

How she entered the field of diabetes after unfulfilling work in acute hospital environments

Walking with her chronic clients in striving for wellness across their life phases

Her growth as a clinician & educator & enjoying the clinical relationships needed in diabetes care

Using a variety of diabetes technologies over the years

The dramatic point at which insulin infusion pumps & continuous glucose monitoring technologies converged to enable ‘hybrid closed loop’ insulin delivery

The limiting factor of the costs of technologies in diabetes

Her thoughts on ‘who is right’ to use diabetes technologies & the importance of expectations

What a diabetes specialist nurse /educator can add to the self-management of people with diabetes

The importance of ‘looking below the surface’ for what is really going on before changing the medical ‘prescription’

Her collaborative work with diabetes nurse educators globally

‘Red flags’ for referral to other diabetes care team specialists

How diabetes technologies lead to improvements in quality of life

The importance of human guidance to assist people with diabetes to extract the most value from using diabetes technologies – learn from the data!

Advocacy message

Gabriella Richter reminds us of World Diabetes Day, themed this year on ‘Diabetes and Wellbeing’.

Remember that you can find us on multiple streaming platforms including Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts & the LiSTN Audio App! Download your choice of app, search for 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened' & give us a listen.

Nearly time to say goodbye…

Barring an advocacy & listenership miracle to make the production of this show viable, ‘not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened’ will cease production with our 80th Episode to be recorded at the end of November.

Until then, we want to hear from you!

Email your questions, suggestions, comments or contributions for future episodes to @ ⁠[email protected]⁠

For health professionals working in diabetes

The 6-Module, 23 CPD point CDE Academy Very Low-Calorie Diet Course for Healthcare Professionals can help you assist your clients with excess adiposity & type 2 diabetes to improve their cardiometabolic risk profile, reduce their chronic medication burden, doses & costs & possibly achieve remission of their diabetes. More information & registration @ ⁠https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/vlcd-course/⁠

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge & enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://my.learna.ac.uk/l/diabetes-ambassador-cde

Here are the show notes for Episode 76 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened', THE podcast packed with unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes!

This Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness & care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (⁠https://cdeonline.co.za/⁠), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes. #AnytimeCT3CGM #MiWell

If you’re touched by diabetes in any way, whether personally or professionally, you're in the right place! Join us on this social learning journey as we grow together in understanding, insight, & self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging & thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we meet real people, discuss their real issues and stories, & together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes & its care.

Preventive maintenance – “fill your bag of experience before you run put of good luck…”

This week we are joined in studio by a vastly experienced Pilot who has served in Air Force, Commercial, Transport, Aerobatic and Flight Instructor roles, Captain Dennis Spence. Dennis talks to Stan and Michael about:

His early air force days as an award-winning apprentice technician which opened doors to an Officers course

Studying Aeronautical Engineering at Wits University and air force flying during university vacations

Joining South African Airways as a second officer on a Boeing 707

Flying domestic routes as a first officer on Boeing 727, 737-200 and the wide-body Airbus

Flying long range routes in in Boeing 747 as Senior co-pilot and air freighters

Seeing the world as a pilot

Being selected for Command and progressing in seniority as a Selection and Training Captain

His experience across a wide variety of aircraft platforms and giving his experience back to the airline industry

His journey with diabetes which started soon after losing his wife in an aircraft accident

The rigorous pilot flight medical programme which picked up his diabetes very early

Medical requirements to ensure his safety as a pilot with diabetes and his lifestyle management

The effects of flying across time zones on circadian rhythms, sleep and eating

Parallels between airline safety and diabetes management and self-care

Advocacy message

Quintus Wouda updates our listeners on the progress of their million steps challenge and Diabetes Awareness Month in November – to contribute to their drive to raise funds for essential diabetes education visit their BackaBuddy link @ https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/the-dia-buddy-1-million-steps-challenge

Remember that you can find us on multiple streaming platforms including Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts and the LiSTN Audio App! Download your choice of app, search for 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened' and give us a listen.

Nearly time to say goodbye…

We end the show with a sad announcement that barring an advocacy and listenership miracle to make the production of this show viable, ‘not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened’ will cease production with our 80th Episode to be recorded at the end of November.

Until then, we want to hear from you!

Email your questions, suggestions, comments or contributions for future episodes to @ ⁠[email protected]⁠

For health professionals working in diabetes

The 6-Module, 23 CPD point CDE Academy Very Low-Calorie Diet Course for Healthcare Professionals can help you assist your clients with excess adiposity & type 2 diabetes to improve their cardiometabolic risk profile, reduce their chronic medication burden, doses & costs & possibly achieve remission of their diabetes. More information & registration @ ⁠https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/vlcd-course/⁠

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge & enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://my.learna.ac.uk/l/diabetes-ambassador-cde

Welcome back to the show with Episode 75 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened', THE podcast packed with unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes!

This Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness & care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (⁠https://cdeonline.co.za/⁠), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes. #AnytimeCT3CGM #MiWell

If you’re touched by diabetes in any way, whether personally or professionally, you're in the right place! Join us on this social learning journey as we grow together in understanding, insight, & self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging & thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we meet real people, discuss their real issues and stories, & together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes & its care.

This week we talk about leadership and technology in diabetes care. We welcome into the studio a fine role model in this field, Professor Partha Kar. Professor Kar has been a Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust since 2008 and is National Specialty Advisor for Diabetes with NHS England. Prof Kar has a wide variety of interests in diabetes including the use of continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed loop insulin delivery systems technologies in diabetes, frailty, diabulimia, ‘Language Matters’, transitional care models, tackling inequalities in technology access based on deprivation, diabetes care in Primary Care Networks and social media in diabetes care.

“The best science is that which gets into lives”

Together with Partha, Stan and Michael discuss:

Partha’s life path that took him into medicine and then to specialise in diabetes

The differences between the approach used in specialist diabetes care and that in other specialities

Leveraging the voice of people with diabetes to effect policy change

How we overemphasise the ‘bad’ in people, and how Partha constructively engages in change management

Changing leadership style as you learn and grow

Managing the journey of funding of new diabetes technologies – the ‘tip of the spear’

“Think like a patient and act like a taxpayer” - outcomes data is key!

A strategy for closing care gaps

The horizon for improving diabetes care

The spirit behind #LanguageMatters

Stakeholder responsibilities to enhance access to diabetes care

How to stay on the ‘good side’ in policy making and health leadership – stay true to your values – collaborate, don’t collude

Advocacy message

Bridget McNulty encourages us to join the South Africans With Diabetes and Sweet Life ‘Wear blue for Diabetes’ campaign this World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November.

Remember that you can find us on multiple streaming platforms including Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts and the LiSTN Audio App! Download your choice of app, search for 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened' and give us a listen.

We want to hear from you!

Email your questions, suggestions, comments or contributions for future episodes to @ ⁠[email protected]⁠

For health professionals working in diabetes

The 6-Module, 23 CPD point CDE Academy Very Low-Calorie Diet Course for Healthcare Professionals can help you assist your clients with excess adiposity & type 2 diabetes to improve their cardiometabolic risk profile, reduce their chronic medication burden, doses & costs & possibly achieve remission of their diabetes. More information & registration @ ⁠https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/vlcd-course/⁠

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge & enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://my.learna.ac.uk/l/diabetes-ambassador-cde