Diabetes-inspired businesses

None of us would choose diabetes, it’s true. But many of our community members have found a silver lining to diabetes with their diabetes-inspired businesses . Here are some of their stories – women who started a business specifically because of diabetes.

Diabetic Accessories

Lyn is has been living with Type 1 diabetes for 32 years. She started Diabetic Accessories almost four years ago and her goal was to create accessories to make living with diabetes beautiful and special.

What do you hope your business offers others living with diabetes?

“We’re the one-stop shop for all things diabetes: from food, drinks, sweets, chocolates, beautiful overlay plasters, insulated insulin bags and all insulin pump accessories, including the famous Sensor Secure Band that securely keeps the CGM/FGM in place especially in our hot South African heat.”

Diabetic Accessories are available online for anyone living with diabetes in South Africa.

Diabetic Accessories

How can our community connect with you?

The community is always welcome to contact us on email: diabeticaccessoriessa@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or even join our WhatsApp group on: 082 348 4551 where we post valuable information and recipes on a daily basis.

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Homemade sugar free ice-cream and jams.

Rena isn’t living with with diabetes, but her parents and a sibling are.

Rena was motivated to start making sugar-free products when she saw her family and friends with diabetes struggling to find products that they love and enjoy, but can’t eat due to the high sugar content of storebought products.

She makes sugar-free jams, ice cream and snacks, using banana and dates as natural sweeteners.

What do you hope your business offers others living with diabetes?

“I hope that people living with diabetes can also enjoy a wider variety of healthy snacks without fear of spiking their blood sugar levels.”

How can our community connect with you?

Email: renasingh1417@gmail.com

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SweetnerStickers

Zahni Terblanche was diagnosed 16 years ago with Type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed when she was just 10 years old. Though Zahni never had good control of her blood sugar, all that changed when she was blessed with a baby girl. And that is how she started Sweetner Stickers.

What do you hope your business offers others living with diabetes?

“Sweetner Stickers was a way for me to cover the costs of my sensors each month – I never expected it to blow up to such an extent! I’m so grateful.” Sweetner Stickers make colourful Freestyle Libre stickers, plasters, armbands, diaries and some other fun diabetes accessories, to add hope and make a little difference in a few kids’ lives.

How can our community connect with you?

Sweetner Stickers is available online at https://sweetner.co.za
Follow Zahni on Instagram: SweetnerStickers

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Glucose Glitch

Lurina Fourie was diagnosed 22 years ago, at the age of 16.

What made you want to start a diabetes-related business?

I went through a diabetes burnout phase, not even knowing that burnout had a name, but just feeling off and sick and tired of living with Type 1 diabetes. I started joining T1D Facebook groups and just silently observed and saw what other Type 1s were writing about their feelings and struggles. I realised that I was not alone and it made me feel better. I was looking for inspirational content, but everything I found made me feel more depressed, so I started creating content, mostly to cheer myself up. That is how I got to create the T1D Dictionary.

The T1D Dictionary has short descriptions of common acronyms, abbreviations and terms used within the Type 1 diabetes community.

LURINA FOURIE

I started sharing the content online and received wonderful feedback. I realised people need to know that they are not alone, because that was what helped me.

The Glucose Glitch is not a business, but it is an ongoing passion project with various branches

What do you hope your business offers others living with diabetes?

I hope it makes them feel a bit more understood, that someone actually gets what they are going through. I hope that my content can comfort them but also educate those around them. I love using humour – although T1D is a serious condition, there is lots to laugh about. If we can educate our families, friends and colleagues about T1D it can make such a huge difference to how we are understood, judged, and supported.

How can our community connect with you?

Facebook: The Glucose Glitch
Instagram: @theglucoseglitch
YouTube: The Glucose Glitch
Email: theglucoseglitch@gmail.com

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Sweetness Redefined

Sumaya Sooliman is a registered dietician based in Pietermaritzburg. She doesn’t have diabetes, but being a dietician and having family members living with diabetes, she has found that it’s her passion. She makes sugar-free popcorns aimed at adults and kids with diabetes. She is also part of the diabetes support group in Pietermaritzburg where they educate and create diabetes awareness to members of the public for free.

What made you want to start a diabetes-related business?

“There are lots of health products on the market for weight loss and diabetes. But I have noticed that patients are tired of the monotonous healthy eating advice and also want to feel normal and indulge without feeling guilty. Popcorn is a popular favourite and I thought sugar-free, sweet and flavoured would be a healthy and fun treat. I also want to appeal to kids with diabetes, so they don’t feel isolated or singled out and have options too.”

What do you hope your business offers people living with diabetes?

“I hope it makes them feel like they can enjoy the happy treats too, not only the whole grains and salads! I know it’s exhausting. I hope to also introduce more exciting products as the business grows. I have also introduced the option of personalised popcorn according to colour and theme for corporates, wellness days, kids parties and gifts. This also encourages everyone to eat sugar-free and not only those with diabetes.”

How can our community connect with you?

Email: dietisthebestmedicine@gmail.com
Instagram: @dietisthebestmedicine

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What to read next?

SMART goals: what they are and why you need them: By defining your goals using SMART, you can break down exactly what you’d like to accomplish, when you’d like to accomplish it and how you plan on doing it. 

What is TEEL? A simple way to manage your diabetes: Why we need TEEL? The goal with TEEL is to lay a foundation so that we all speak the same language.

Exercise, a little every day: The ultimate guide to diabetic exercise, including how to make it fun!