Amber Clour, Diabetes Daily Grind founder, has dedicated the fourth chapter of her life to diabetes advocacy as she struggled to connect with others in the earlier years managing this disease. What started out as a blog in 2014 quickly blossomed into one of the largest diabetes related podcasts (Real Life Diabetes) in the world.

The Diabetes Daily Grind’s mission is to provide real support and resources for all people living with diabetes. We’re not promising a cure, but use our stories to help bridge the gap between the diabetes and medical community.

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#159: Willa Spalter | T1D Without Borders: Faith, Fasting & Travel

By Amber Clour on Sep 28, 2026

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When a past podcast guest mentioned fasting for Yom Kippur, I wanted to learn more — and that curiosity led me to Willa Spalter who has spent much of her young adult life living, studying, and traveling throughout the Middle East. In this episode we talk faith, fasting, self-reflection, pump failures abroad, traveling with diabetes supplies, food, social life, and what it really looks like to take T1D along for the adventure.

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#158: Bret Marbach | Rush Week, College & T1D: It Takes More Than Just Showing Up

By Amber Clour on Aug 27, 2026

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Watching my friends’ kids navigate college, rush week, and all the new beginnings that come with it made me think back to my own experience — and how, with Type 1 diabetes, there’s always a little more going on behind the scenes. So I went looking for the perfect guest to talk about what it really takes to show up for college life, from rush week and new roommates to dating, exercise, finding your people, and managing diabetes through it all.

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#157: Brandon Essex | Blood Sugar and Body Blows: T1D in the MMA Ring

By Amber Clour on Aug 4, 2026

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Brandon Essex first caught my attention when I saw a post about an MMA fight where he was matched with a fellow person living with Type 1 diabetes. I’ll be honest—I knew very little about MMA, but I had plenty of questions. I wanted to learn more about Brandon’s journey, what inspired him to step into the ring, and how Type 1 diabetes played a role throughout the experience.

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#156: Mark Carter | Your Voice Matters

By Amber Clour on Jul 22, 2026

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After a short break, I thought it was time to dust off the microphone and get back to what I enjoy the most – real life diabetes conversations. In this episode we discuss the importance of the patient’s voice and dive into details of our recent advocacy trip to Washington D.C.

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I Wasn’t Supposed to Get Here: 50, 42 and Still Standing

By Amber Clour on Feb 4, 2026

This year holds two markers I was never supposed to reach: my 50th birthday and my 42nd diaversary.

Celebrating “50” with friends from high school cracked open memories I hadn’t touched in decades—the highs, the crashes, the mood swings, navigating cheerleading camp, parties, dating… all of it. And threaded through every single memory was diabetes, even though I never talked about it back then.

I didn’t explain my Type 1 life. Honestly, I didn’t even consciously think about how different my life was. Diabetes was just there—always—quietly demanding everything from me while I worked overtime to appear normal.

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