This content originally appeared on Low Carb Yum. Republished with permission.

Interested in a tasty low-carb appetizer that will fulfill your protein needs too? Check out my air fryer pork belly bites – they’re perfectly seasoned and ready in 30 minutes or less.

Why You’ll Love It

Pork belly is a keto dieter’s best friend – at least when it comes to protein sources.

I’ve prepared this fatty cut into crispy, seasoned pork belly bites that make an excellent appetizer or main dish.

They’re baked in the air fryer for quick preparation and minimal cleanup.

Plus, this pork belly air fryer recipe is super versatile, with several serving options, creative variations, and drool-worthy pairings!

I met Emily Phillips in a Facebook group for moms living with type 1 diabetes. I learned that she not only lived in my small town but also that we share a lot more in common than type 1 diabetes. It was a pleasure to interview my friend and learn about her inspiring weight loss journey and diabetes care transformation. [This interview was conducted in 2019]

Was weight always a concern for you, or something that you have had to deal with only later in life?

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17 and had always been a thin person. I stayed pretty thin in college. At 27, I had my first kid. About a year and a half before I conceived my first child, I started putting on weight. I don’t know exactly why; maybe my metabolism was slowing down. After pregnancy, I was breastfeeding for a long time and thought it would contribute to weight loss. I am now 34 and have had ups and downs in weight.

What strategies did you try to lose weight during these seven years?

I dabbled in Weight Watchers after having my first child. This was back in 2014. Because I was breastfeeding, they allowed me many more points than most. I was over 200 pounds at the time, and I feel it was more food than I needed. This only lasted about a month before I realized it wasn’t going to work. With type 1 diabetes, it didn’t make any sense. They wanted me to have, like, juice and stuff, which was not part of my normal life anyway.

After my second child was born (in 2015), I hired a personal trainer. I worked out with her for about 2.5 months, but had no significant weight loss, because my diet was garbage. That was short-lived.

I’ve just always been unsuccessful. Because of type 1 diabetes, I didn’t feel like [typical] diet plans matched my condition.

What made you try a low-carbohydrate diet approach?

I was pretty desperate. In 2017, I got down to about 190 lbs (I was as high as 230 lbs shortly after having my kids), and I had a tummy tuck due to diastasis recti from my pregnancies. I felt pretty good about myself (at that point) but then the weight just kept on adding back on.

I went out with some girlfriends and one of them told me about the keto diet. I was laughing at her and thought I could never do this because “I have to have carbohydrates, they’re essential.” I don’t know how she didn’t roll on the ground laughing, but she said: “Actually, they’re not essential and it’s perfectly safe.”

I went home and I googled the ketogenic diet for type 1 diabetes and I found a book called “The Ketogenic Diet for Type 1 Diabetes,” and I also found Dr. Bernstein’s book. So, I ordered and read the book about the ketogenic diet a week before I went low-carb. I remember thinking “This might be legit! I think I’m going to do this!”

On my diaversary (in October 2017), I decided to start low-carb.

How much weight have you lost using this approach?

I have now lost about 50 lbs since starting a low-carb diet.

Do you think that having type 1 diabetes made it more difficult to lose weight?

Yes. I have been trained since I was 17 (in Boston at the Joslin Clinic) that I should eat 30-60g of carbohydrates per meal and a 15-20g carb snack between meals. I’ve been told that this is my life, this is my dosing and this is what I should do. So, I better be a good carb counter!

No medical professional had ever told me anything different. I have been told to “watch my calories and move more,” but no one suggested that a low-carb diet could work for weight loss with type 1 diabetes or that it could make diabetes management easier.

Did you do anything besides changing your diet (like additional exercise) to lose weight?

No. Nothing.

Recently, you decided to cut out dairy products. How has it affected your weight loss?

I was at a stall [with my weight loss]. I was stuck around -38 to 40 lbs. I heard that cutting out dairy could help. I ordered a book by Maria Emmerich and [I don’t follow it strictly but] I use her recipes. I can make everything dairy-free with a stocked pantry.

I’ve lost about another 10 lbs since I went dairy-free 3 weeks ago. I’m not sure if it’s the dairy itself or just that it translated to fewer calories. My insulin requirements have also gone down (this could be due to the weight loss).

You also reaped other health benefits from following a low-carb approach. Can you talk about that?

I am saving so much money! I have a high-deductible plan, so the less insulin I use, the more money I save. I am using 70% less insulin. I am not having roller-coaster blood sugars. I am now going 6-9 months between my doctor appointments because I am so well-controlled, which also saves a lot of money.

My “highs” now are what I used to consider “normal”. My A1c is currently 5.5 percent (and the previous one was 5.4 percent). My A1cs before were around 7.4-7.6 percent. The whole idea of having normal blood sugars was astonishing to me. The first few weeks, I was like “What is this life? How could I have eaten all this food and I’m like 90 mg/dL?”

What advice would you give to someone with type 1 diabetes who is struggling to lose weight?

Commit fully to low-carb. Easing into it or cheating [makes it harder]. Linking food to life satisfaction isn’t a thing for me anymore. I have so much in it that I just can’t cheat (although I am not tougher than anyone else)! It’s just not worth it to be high and to be chasing it.

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to share your story with Diabetes Daily! You are an inspiration and we wish you continued success in all your endeavors!

I met Emily Phillips in a Facebook group for moms living with type 1 diabetes. I learned that she not only lived in my small town but also that we share a lot more in common than type 1 diabetes. It was a pleasure to interview my friend and learn about her inspiring weight loss journey and diabetes care transformation. [This interview was conducted in 2019]

Was weight always a concern for you, or something that you have had to deal with only later in life?

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17 and had always been a thin person. I stayed pretty thin in college. At 27, I had my first kid. About a year and a half before I conceived my first child, I started putting on weight. I don’t know exactly why; maybe my metabolism was slowing down. After pregnancy, I was breastfeeding for a long time and thought it would contribute to weight loss. I am now 34 and have had ups and downs in weight.

What strategies did you try to lose weight during these seven years?

I dabbled in Weight Watchers after having my first child. This was back in 2014. Because I was breastfeeding, they allowed me many more points than most. I was over 200 pounds at the time, and I feel it was more food than I needed. This only lasted about a month before I realized it wasn’t going to work. With type 1 diabetes, it didn’t make any sense. They wanted me to have, like, juice and stuff, which was not part of my normal life anyway.

After my second child was born (in 2015), I hired a personal trainer. I worked out with her for about 2.5 months, but had no significant weight loss, because my diet was garbage. That was short-lived.

I’ve just always been unsuccessful. Because of type 1 diabetes, I didn’t feel like [typical] diet plans matched my condition.

What made you try a low-carbohydrate diet approach?

I was pretty desperate. In 2017, I got down to about 190 lbs (I was as high as 230 lbs shortly after having my kids), and I had a tummy tuck due to diastasis recti from my pregnancies. I felt pretty good about myself (at that point) but then the weight just kept on adding back on.

I went out with some girlfriends and one of them told me about the keto diet. I was laughing at her and thought I could never do this because “I have to have carbohydrates, they’re essential.” I don’t know how she didn’t roll on the ground laughing, but she said: “Actually, they’re not essential and it’s perfectly safe.”

I went home and I googled the ketogenic diet for type 1 diabetes and I found a book called “The Ketogenic Diet for Type 1 Diabetes,” and I also found Dr. Bernstein’s book. So, I ordered and read the book about the ketogenic diet a week before I went low-carb. I remember thinking “This might be legit! I think I’m going to do this!”

On my diaversary (in October 2017), I decided to start low-carb.

How much weight have you lost using this approach?

I have now lost about 50 lbs since starting a low-carb diet.

Do you think that having type 1 diabetes made it more difficult to lose weight?

Yes. I have been trained since I was 17 (in Boston at the Joslin Clinic) that I should eat 30-60g of carbohydrates per meal and a 15-20g carb snack between meals. I’ve been told that this is my life, this is my dosing and this is what I should do. So, I better be a good carb counter!

No medical professional had ever told me anything different. I have been told to “watch my calories and move more,” but no one suggested that a low-carb diet could work for weight loss with type 1 diabetes or that it could make diabetes management easier.

Did you do anything besides changing your diet (like additional exercise) to lose weight?

No. Nothing.

Recently, you decided to cut out dairy products. How has it affected your weight loss?

I was at a stall [with my weight loss]. I was stuck around -38 to 40 lbs. I heard that cutting out dairy could help. I ordered a book by Maria Emmerich and [I don’t follow it strictly but] I use her recipes. I can make everything dairy-free with a stocked pantry.

I’ve lost about another 10 lbs since I went dairy-free 3 weeks ago. I’m not sure if it’s the dairy itself or just that it translated to fewer calories. My insulin requirements have also gone down (this could be due to the weight loss).

You also reaped other health benefits from following a low-carb approach. Can you talk about that?

I am saving so much money! I have a high-deductible plan, so the less insulin I use, the more money I save. I am using 70% less insulin. I am not having roller-coaster blood sugars. I am now going 6-9 months between my doctor appointments because I am so well-controlled, which also saves a lot of money.

My “highs” now are what I used to consider “normal”. My A1c is currently 5.5 percent (and the previous one was 5.4 percent). My A1cs before were around 7.4-7.6 percent. The whole idea of having normal blood sugars was astonishing to me. The first few weeks, I was like “What is this life? How could I have eaten all this food and I’m like 90 mg/dL?”

What advice would you give to someone with type 1 diabetes who is struggling to lose weight?

Commit fully to low-carb. Easing into it or cheating [makes it harder]. Linking food to life satisfaction isn’t a thing for me anymore. I have so much in it that I just can’t cheat (although I am not tougher than anyone else)! It’s just not worth it to be high and to be chasing it.

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to share your story with Diabetes Daily! You are an inspiration and we wish you continued success in all your endeavors!

In our opinion, the best diabetes advice doesn’t come from doctors and medical authorities — it comes from the people actually living with the condition. We always put a ton of weight on the experience and wisdom of the diabetes community. The Diabetes Daily forum is an outstanding place to meet and chat with practical experts. No matter what you’re going through, someone’s been there before and is ready to help.

On the Diabetes Daily Facebook page, we asked our readers the following question:

What is one piece of advice that you’ve received that changed how you view your diabetes?

Here were the most popular answers:

“Don’t deny yourself. Moderation is the key.”

“Attitude: If you want a piece of pie, have a piece of pie. Just don’t eat the whole pie and don’t do it every day.”

There’s a theory out there that we are all naturally either abstainers or moderators. Moderators thrive when they allow themselves small amounts of vices — whether that’s pie, pizza, ice cream, alcohol, or anything else that we humans tend to get carried away with.

Plenty of people with diabetes find success with moderation. Do you find the thought of denying yourself sugar, starches, or other less-healthy treats just too horrible to consider? Can you satisfy that sweet tooth with just a few bites? You might be a moderator.

By contrast, our community also has some abstainers, who are all-or-nothing. They find it much easier to go 100 percent without something than 99 percent. You’re the only person who knows which approach will work best for you.

“Don’t listen to what other people are saying about you. You can still do whatever you want to do.”

“What works for others may not work for you.”

“Not everybody’s diabetes is the same, take care of yourself.”

Several voices emphasized how important it is to be confident in your self-management. Find what works for you and stick with it.

If you spend much time in the diabetes online community, you know that it can get easy to feel discouraged. Facebook and Instagram are full of people with diabetes showing off their great blood sugars, healthy lunches, and gym sessions, and it’s natural to feel jealous. Some of these personalities and influencers might think they’ve got it all figured out — but their solutions might not work for you.

We can use the success of others as inspiration if we want to, but sometimes it might be wiser to just tune out other people and focus on your problems.

“It’s about participation, not perfection.”

“Blood sugar numbers are not good or bad, it’s a number to help you decide how to treat.”

“It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome.”

Sometimes focusing on “optimal” treatment can be overwhelming. Diabetes management perfection isn’t easy to pull off. And few of us have the time or money to live optimally at all times.

If you set unrealistic expectations and fail to meet them, it can easily spiral into diabetes distress and burnout. Many of our readers try to take a more mindful approach, committing to the process instead of the results, and celebrating little victories along the way.

“Get the best doctor you can find.”

We’ve got all the sympathy in the world for the doctors and clinicians that treat diabetes, but the fact is that some are better than others. Diabetes doctors are badly overworked and too many patients are not getting the best treatments available because they’re mired in “therapeutic inertia.”

Many members of the Diabetes Daily community have had to go “shopping” for the right clinician — at least to the extent that their health insurance has allowed them to. And maybe your ideal healthcare provider isn’t a doctor or an endocrinologist, maybe it’s a nurse practitioner. Maybe what you really need is a certified diabetes educator or diabetes coach to help you with your daily management.

Having an expert that really understands your concerns and makes the right suggestions can make a huge difference.

“Find a doctor who promotes self-management.”

We here at Diabetes Daily are big advocates of self-management, and we hope that readers can feel empowered to adjust their own diabetes management style. The best way to thrive with diabetes is to make yourself the world expert on your own condition.

Not everyone feels comfortable self-managing. Some readers, for example, prefer to follow doctor’s orders to the letter between visits. Others take the opposite approach and try to manage their own conditions to the greatest extent possible. These are the patients that don’t wait for a doctor to tell them to adjust their basal insulin level, and the ones that ask targeted questions about advanced diabetes medications and technologies.

If you’re ready to take charge of your diabetes management, the best possible way to do it is to find a doctor who can help you on your journey.

“Get a CGM!”

The Diabetes Daily community is unanimous: Everyone with diabetes should have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). The CGM is a quantum leap beyond fingersticks and offers the best possible way to understand your condition. The technology is extraordinarily useful for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, offering not just alarms for low and high blood sugars, but an unmatched opportunity to learn how your lifestyle decisions affect your glycemic level.

“Eat healthy, and no artificial stuff. Best advice ever.”

“Watch your carbs and walk when you can.”

It would be tough to pack more diabetes wisdom into two short sentences:

Get up off the couch: Even low-impact exercise like walking can have huge metabolic benefits.
Avoid artificial foods. If there’s exactly one piece of dieting advice that everyone in the diabetes world agrees on, it’s that whole and minimally processed foods are healthier than ultraprocessed packaged foods, which also tend to pack in a ton of sugar, starch, fat, and sodium.
Keep aware of your carbohydrate intake ­— or, as another reader put it, “Watch them carbs.” No food spikes your glucose levels more quickly, and no eating pattern beats the low-carb diet for glycemic control. And if you use insulin for your meals, you should be critically aware of every carbohydrate that you put in your belly.

“This is a serious disease; it can cause a lot of problems for you if you don’t eat right and exercise. It can kill you.”

“You have this disease for life. You can let it control you or you can control it. So, you can grow up and look after yourself and your diabetes, or you can get complications and die.”

Fear can be a powerful motivator too.

Many people in our community don’t like to dwell on the scary long-term effects of diabetes, and most professional writing on diabetes tends to accentuate the positive.

But these uncompromising comments got a lot of “likes” for a reason. There’s no denying that diabetes is a serious illness with potentially serious consequences. Some people with diabetes find motivation by keeping the misery of diabetes complications at the front of their minds. And some prefer to imagine diabetes management as an opportunity for mastery or domination, a battle that we will either win or lose.

Should you approach diabetes like a warrior? It’s up to you.

Go out and live your life like a normal person … don’t miss out on adventures because you have diabetes.

Diabetes stinks, but it’s manageable. People with diabetes can accomplish extraordinary things. If there’s one tip we all agreed on, it’s that you should do everything you can to live a happy, vibrant life.

In our opinion, the best diabetes advice doesn’t come from doctors and medical authorities — it comes from the people actually living with the condition. We always put a ton of weight on the experience and wisdom of the diabetes community. The Diabetes Daily forum is an outstanding place to meet and chat with practical experts. No matter what you’re going through, someone’s been there before and is ready to help.

On the Diabetes Daily Facebook page, we asked our readers the following question:

What is one piece of advice that you’ve received that changed how you view your diabetes?

Here were the most popular answers:

“Don’t deny yourself. Moderation is the key.”

“Attitude: If you want a piece of pie, have a piece of pie. Just don’t eat the whole pie and don’t do it every day.”

There’s a theory out there that we are all naturally either abstainers or moderators. Moderators thrive when they allow themselves small amounts of vices — whether that’s pie, pizza, ice cream, alcohol, or anything else that we humans tend to get carried away with.

Plenty of people with diabetes find success with moderation. Do you find the thought of denying yourself sugar, starches, or other less-healthy treats just too horrible to consider? Can you satisfy that sweet tooth with just a few bites? You might be a moderator.

By contrast, our community also has some abstainers, who are all-or-nothing. They find it much easier to go 100 percent without something than 99 percent. You’re the only person who knows which approach will work best for you.

“Don’t listen to what other people are saying about you. You can still do whatever you want to do.”

“What works for others may not work for you.”

“Not everybody’s diabetes is the same, take care of yourself.”

Several voices emphasized how important it is to be confident in your self-management. Find what works for you and stick with it.

If you spend much time in the diabetes online community, you know that it can get easy to feel discouraged. Facebook and Instagram are full of people with diabetes showing off their great blood sugars, healthy lunches, and gym sessions, and it’s natural to feel jealous. Some of these personalities and influencers might think they’ve got it all figured out — but their solutions might not work for you.

We can use the success of others as inspiration if we want to, but sometimes it might be wiser to just tune out other people and focus on your problems.

“It’s about participation, not perfection.”

“Blood sugar numbers are not good or bad, it’s a number to help you decide how to treat.”

“It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome.”

Sometimes focusing on “optimal” treatment can be overwhelming. Diabetes management perfection isn’t easy to pull off. And few of us have the time or money to live optimally at all times.

If you set unrealistic expectations and fail to meet them, it can easily spiral into diabetes distress and burnout. Many of our readers try to take a more mindful approach, committing to the process instead of the results, and celebrating little victories along the way.

“Get the best doctor you can find.”

We’ve got all the sympathy in the world for the doctors and clinicians that treat diabetes, but the fact is that some are better than others. Diabetes doctors are badly overworked and too many patients are not getting the best treatments available because they’re mired in “therapeutic inertia.”

Many members of the Diabetes Daily community have had to go “shopping” for the right clinician — at least to the extent that their health insurance has allowed them to. And maybe your ideal healthcare provider isn’t a doctor or an endocrinologist, maybe it’s a nurse practitioner. Maybe what you really need is a certified diabetes educator or diabetes coach to help you with your daily management.

Having an expert that really understands your concerns and makes the right suggestions can make a huge difference.

“Find a doctor who promotes self-management.”

We here at Diabetes Daily are big advocates of self-management, and we hope that readers can feel empowered to adjust their own diabetes management style. The best way to thrive with diabetes is to make yourself the world expert on your own condition.

Not everyone feels comfortable self-managing. Some readers, for example, prefer to follow doctor’s orders to the letter between visits. Others take the opposite approach and try to manage their own conditions to the greatest extent possible. These are the patients that don’t wait for a doctor to tell them to adjust their basal insulin level, and the ones that ask targeted questions about advanced diabetes medications and technologies.

If you’re ready to take charge of your diabetes management, the best possible way to do it is to find a doctor who can help you on your journey.

“Get a CGM!”

The Diabetes Daily community is unanimous: Everyone with diabetes should have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). The CGM is a quantum leap beyond fingersticks and offers the best possible way to understand your condition. The technology is extraordinarily useful for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, offering not just alarms for low and high blood sugars, but an unmatched opportunity to learn how your lifestyle decisions affect your glycemic level.

“Eat healthy, and no artificial stuff. Best advice ever.”

“Watch your carbs and walk when you can.”

It would be tough to pack more diabetes wisdom into two short sentences:

Get up off the couch: Even low-impact exercise like walking can have huge metabolic benefits.
Avoid artificial foods. If there’s exactly one piece of dieting advice that everyone in the diabetes world agrees on, it’s that whole and minimally processed foods are healthier than ultraprocessed packaged foods, which also tend to pack in a ton of sugar, starch, fat, and sodium.
Keep aware of your carbohydrate intake ­— or, as another reader put it, “Watch them carbs.” No food spikes your glucose levels more quickly, and no eating pattern beats the low-carb diet for glycemic control. And if you use insulin for your meals, you should be critically aware of every carbohydrate that you put in your belly.

“This is a serious disease; it can cause a lot of problems for you if you don’t eat right and exercise. It can kill you.”

“You have this disease for life. You can let it control you or you can control it. So, you can grow up and look after yourself and your diabetes, or you can get complications and die.”

Fear can be a powerful motivator too.

Many people in our community don’t like to dwell on the scary long-term effects of diabetes, and most professional writing on diabetes tends to accentuate the positive.

But these uncompromising comments got a lot of “likes” for a reason. There’s no denying that diabetes is a serious illness with potentially serious consequences. Some people with diabetes find motivation by keeping the misery of diabetes complications at the front of their minds. And some prefer to imagine diabetes management as an opportunity for mastery or domination, a battle that we will either win or lose.

Should you approach diabetes like a warrior? It’s up to you.

Go out and live your life like a normal person … don’t miss out on adventures because you have diabetes.

Diabetes stinks, but it’s manageable. People with diabetes can accomplish extraordinary things. If there’s one tip we all agreed on, it’s that you should do everything you can to live a happy, vibrant life.

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The post Roasted Red Pepper Dip appeared first on Diabetes Self-Management.

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