10 Diabetes Influencers You Should Be Following on Instagram
Whether you’re new to diabetes or have been in “the club” for years, you know there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you’re hanging out with other “dia-buddies.” Sure, friends and family try to support you as best they can, but no one really understands the annoyance of having to get up in the middle of the night for a juice box or the feeling of accomplishment when you learn that you lowered your A1C, better than someone who’s also in the trenches of diabetes.
It’s not always easy to find friends who also have diabetes, which is what makes social media so powerful — you can instantly connect with other people around the world who are in the diabetes community. To help match you with some of the most relatable, funny, helpful and inspiring diabetes influencers out there, we rounded up 10 Instagram accounts you should add to your “follow” list.
These influencers built their followings by offering authentic portrayals of what life with diabetes is really like, and use their accounts to help others in the community feel less alone. Check out our list below, and let us know in the comments what other Instagram diabetes influencers you love (or share your own handle!).
1. Drew Harrisberg @drews.daily.dose
Drew Harrisberg is an exercise physiologist and diabetes educator who lives with type 1 diabetes. Check out his feed for nutrition and exercise advice as well as a positive outlook on life with type 1 diabetes. If you love incorporating healthy food and working out into your diabetes management routine, Harrisberg offers a guide to what works for him and what you may want to consider adding to your daily life.
“I feel in control and I’m grateful to have a healthy relationship with my diabetes but I definitely experience bad days from time to time. If you’re struggling with your diabetes just know that you’re not alone. We all ride the highs and low together (pun intended),” he wrote.
2. Nalani Haviland @diabetes_pa
As a physician assistant who works with patients with diabetes, in addition to managing her own type 1 diabetes, Nalani Haviland knows both “sides” of diabetes management. On her Instagram feed, Haviland shares what you need to know about all the different pumps, CGMs and other diabetes management devices on the market, advice about challenges of daily living like exercising, drinking and coping with mental health setbacks, and the latest updates to diabetes treatment. Haviland offers the relatability you only get from other “dia-buddies,” plus the medical knowledge to provide specific, practical guidance.
Be sure to also check out Haviland’s advice column on The Mighty!
3. Leighann Calentine, @dmomblog
As any parent of a child with diabetes knows, a diabetes diagnosis is a life-changer for parents, too. Especially if your child is diagnosed before they’re a teenager, it’s up to you to make sure they’re checking their blood sugar and administering insulin correctly, as well as making sure the other adults in their life know how to assist them. Leighann Calentine’s book, “Kids First, Diabetes Second” explores parenthood and diabetes, and her Instagram offers stories, photos, memes and humor you’ll relate to if you’re a “d-mom” or “d-dad.”
Calentine also shares food that worked well for her child, including the carb count, to give other families ideas for fun, diabetes-friendly treats.
4. Kerri Sparling, @sixuntilme
Kerri Sparling is a longtime blogger and diabetes advocate, who uses her Instagram account to document funny, poignant and exasperating moments of life with type 1 diabetes. You’ll find memes, words of support, and a look at her work as an advocate. Sparling blogged at her website Six Until Me for 14 years, but recently announced she would be pivoting to a new blogging focus called Small Stories. However, you can still keep up with her diabetes journey on Instagram.
“Diabetes is a learning curve, forever and ever amen. I’ve never figured it out perfectly,” Sparling wrote in May. “I have some clues but am always unearthing new ones. I’m always working towards ‘better.’”
5. Mila Clarke Buckley, @thehangrywoman
Mila Clarke Buckley is a type 2 diabetes advocate and also an avid foodie, so expect to see lots of delicious-looking food on her Instagram feed. She also speaks honestly about her health and the everyday ways diabetes impacts her, including the adjustments she’s had to make since her diagnosis. If you’re feeling unsure about how you can live a full (and tasty) life with type 2 diabetes, Buckley demonstrates what’s possible.
“Let me tell y’all somethings about #diabetes: no day is the same, and sometimes it feels like riding a roller coaster you can’t get off,” she wrote in a recent post.
6. Jillian Rippolone, @t1dchick
One of the most-followed diabetes bloggers is Jillian Rippolone, otherwise known as T1dchick. Rippolone gets real about the annoyances and wins that you experience when you have diabetes, and also shares helpful tips for dealing with things like “insulin bubbles” and body image issues. She’s like your diabetes BFF. If you wish you had more people in your life who totally understand all the ups and downs of life with diabetes, follow Rippolone to remind yourself you aren’t alone.
“This is how I cope. Taking about ‘it.’ It’s my outlet. When I feel defeated by type 1, I come to my safe place, here. I can talk about it, I can vent, I can let out all my bottled up emotions,” she wrote in a recent post.
7. Quinn Nystrom, @quinnnystrom
Quinn Nystrom is the Minnesota Insulin4All chapter leader and is a passionate leader in the movement to make insulin more affordable in the United States. She recently helped organize two “caravans to Canada,” in which she and fellow type 1 diabetics drove to Canada to purchase cheaper insulin and raise awareness of the insulin crisis in the U.S. Her second trip was accompanied by U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Follow Nystrom on Instagram to keep up with the Insulin4All movement.
“What I hope people will take from this is for every single citizen concerned about this issue to stand up and use their voice to contact their elected official and say this is an issue we’re really concerned about and we need you to take action,” Nystrom told The Mighty. “Because unless that happens, nothing is going to change in our political system.”
8. Ariel Lawrence, @justalittle_suga
Ariel Lawrence blogs about life with type 1 diabetes at Just a Little Suga’, and uses her Instagram to share her diabetes journey, as well as the experiences of other “diabetics on the margin.” She shares insights from women and people of color with diabetes, and how they navigate the unique challenges and discrimination they face. On Lawrence’s Instagram, you’ll find a supportive community that elevates voices that are not always heard.
“At the end of the day, my goal is to create an inclusive community that highlights the vibrancy and diversity of this diabetes community,” Lawrence wrote in December.
9. Phyllisa Deroze, @blackdiabeticinfo
Type 2 diabetes influencers tend to be harder to come by on Instagram than type 1 influencers, making Phylissa Deroze’s account even more special. With the motto “Diagnosed but not defeated,” Deroze shares advice and encouragement for living with type 2 diabetes, including tips on staying healthy while eating what you love and her experience with various diabetes supplies and medications.
Outside of Instagram, Deroze offers free diabetes workshops and serves as a patient advocate.
10. Paul Reid, @typeoneoutdoors
If you’re looking for some inspiration and advice about hiking and being outdoors while managing diabetes, check out Paul Reid’s account, Type 1 Outdoors. Reid leads hikes around southern California for others with diabetes. On his feed, you’ll find photos of his adventures and documentation of how he keeps his blood sugar in check while hiking. Being outdoors and away from your “home base” can be nerve-wracking when you have type 1 diabetes (especially since exercising can affect your blood sugar), but Reid encourages and inspires others to get out there.
And if you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can follow the account to find out when you can join the next hike!
Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. She joined The Mighty in 2015 and previously worked at Inside Weddings magazine, Mic, and The Huffington Post. She was also the features editor at The California Aggie, UC Davis' student newspaper. She is honored to be a part of the Mighty community!
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