Banting Would Want You To Drink More Water
Helpful resources and newsletter: https://yourbestt1dyear.com Sponsor Connect Blue Circle Health offers free coaching and care that fits real life for adults with type 1 diabetes. They help with insulin adjustments, CGMs, burnout, and the...
The episode, word for word
Frederick Banting discovered insulin in 1921 because he believed people with type 1 diabetes deserved to live.
Before insulin, T1D was a death sentence. People died within months, sometimes weeks, of diagnosis. They were put on starvation diets. They wasted away. They became so dehydrated their bodies couldn't function. And then they died.
Banting and his team changed that. They isolated insulin from dog pancreases. They tested it. They refined it. And on January 23, 1922, they injected it into Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy who was dying. His blood sugar dropped from over 500 mg/dL to 120 mg/dL. He lived.
Banting could have made millions from insulin. He could have patented it, licensed it, charged whatever he wanted. But he didn't. He sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1. One dollar. Because he believed insulin should belong to the world.
In a 1923 speech, Banting said: "Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world."
One hundred years later, water is still free. And Banting would want you to drink more of it.
My name is Neil Greathouse, and this is Your Best T1D Year.
Alright, this is it. The finale. Week 8 of the Hydration Challenge: Refilling What T1D Drains.
We've spent the last eight weeks breaking down the science, the history, the actionable strategies, and the weird cultural phenomena of water bottle ownership. We've talked about osmotic diuresis, vasopressin, the DESIR study, brain fog, insulin absorption, electrolytes, kidney protection, DKA, sick day protocols, and the concentration effect.
But now, let's zoom out. Let's talk about the bigger picture.
In 1919, a doctor named Frederick Allen published a book called Studies Concerning Glycosuria and Diabetes. It was the definitive guide to treating diabetes at the time. And the treatment was horrific.
Allen put his patients on starvation diets, 450 to 800 calories per day, because he believed that if they stopped eating carbs, they could slow the progression of the disease. Patients were weighed daily. If their blood sugar went up, their calories were cut further.
Some patients ate nothing but whiskey and black coffee for days. Some were fed only lettuce. Children were locked in their rooms so they wouldn't sneak food.
And they still died.
Why? Because their bodies were flushing out glucose and water through osmotic diuresis faster than they could replace it. They were dying of thirst. Dying of dehydration. Dying because their kidneys couldn't keep up.
The word "diabetes" comes from the Greek word diabētēs, meaning "siphon." Because that's what it looked like. Water went in, water came out. Patients drank and drank and drank, and it didn't matter. They were human water siphons.
And then Banting discovered insulin. And everything changed.
Insulin is the reason you're alive. Without it, you'd be dead. Full stop.
But hydration is the reason you can thrive. It's the reason your insulin works efficiently. It's the reason your kidneys stay healthy. It's the reason your brain functions clearly. It's the reason your blood sugars are more stable.
Insulin is the foundation. Hydration is the infrastructure.
And here's the beautiful thing: insulin costs hundreds of dollars per vial in the United States. It's expensive. It's inaccessible for too many people. Banting would be furious.
But water? Water is free. Or close to it. You can fill a bottle from the tap. You can drink from a fountain. You can refill at a gas station, a coffee shop, a restaurant. Water is the one tool in diabetes management that doesn't require insurance, prior authorization, or a pharmacy that's open on Sunday.
Banting gave us insulin because he believed everyone with T1D deserved to live. And if he were here today, he'd want you to drink more water, because he'd want you to live well.
The challenge is over. The badges stop dropping. The Instagram Stories slow down. And now what?
Here's what: you keep going.
You don't go back to 2.5 cups per day. You don't delete the alarms. You don't stop tracking. You keep drinking 8, 10 cups per day because that's your new baseline. That's not a challenge. That's maintenance.
Banting didn't discover insulin so you could survive. He discovered it so you could live. And living means protecting your kidneys, supporting your brain, giving your insulin the best chance to work, and reducing the relentless burden of managing T1D.
You have access to insulin. Leonard Thompson didn't, until he did, and it saved his life.
You also have access to water. Clean, safe, drinkable water. For free.
Don't waste either of them.
Before insulin, people with T1D lived in terror. They knew they were dying. They knew there was no cure. They knew their bodies were shutting down, and there was nothing they could do about it.
And then Banting gave them hope. He gave them insulin. He gave them life.
You're standing on the shoulders of people who didn't have what you have. Leonard Thompson. Elizabeth Hughes, the daughter of a U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, who was down to 45 pounds when she received insulin. Teddy Ryder, a 5-year-old boy who was hours from death when he got his first injection.
They didn't have CGMs. They didn't have pumps. They didn't have fast-acting insulin or glucose tablets or online communities. They just had insulin, and it was enough to save them.
You have all of that. And you have water.
So drink it. For them. For Banting. For Leonard. For yourself.
Real quick, if you've made it through this entire challenge and you're thinking, "I need more support. I need help managing my T1D," I need you to know about Blue Circle Health.
They offer free virtual care for adults with type 1 diabetes. Real endocrinologists and diabetes educators who help with insulin access, CGM training, meal planning, sick day protocols, and everything else that makes T1D feel less like climbing Everest in flip-flops during a blizzard while juggling flaming bowling pins.
They've helped over 650 people. And it's all free. Banting would approve.
Go to bluecirclehealth.org and sign up.
Alright, here's your final challenge: post your wins.
CGM graphs. Water bottle selfies. Before-and-after stories. Whatever you've got. Post it to your Story. Tag @thebetes. Use #RefillWhatT1DTakes.
Final badge drops this Sunday. If you've been tracking your hydration all eight weeks, share your progress. I'm picking three winners this week to send prizes to, signed books, hydration swag, maybe a new water bottle to keep the streak alive.
Go to yourbestt1dyear.com to grab your final badge.
And if you haven't already, sign up for the next challenge. Because this isn't the end. This is just the beginning.
Look, you did it. You showed up for eight weeks. You drank more water. You learned the science. You built a habit. You didn't quit.
That's not nothing. That's measurable. That's real.
Frederick Banting believed people with T1D deserved to live. And you're living proof that he was right.
You can't control your pancreas. You can't reverse your autoimmune disease. But you can drink more water. You can protect your kidneys. You can support your brain. You can give your insulin the best chance to work. You can honor the people who came before you by taking care of yourself with the tools they fought to give you.
Listen, I believe in you. I believe that the small, boring habits you've built over the past eight weeks are going to compound into something life-changing. You're not just managing diabetes. You're building resilience. You're protecting your future self. You're living the life Banting wanted you to have.
You shouldn't have to carry T1D alone. With insulin, hydration, and community, you won't.
One glass. One day. One life.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for doing the hard work.
Your best T1D year isn't over. It's just getting started.
I'll see you Monday for the next challenge.
Type 1 diabetes is relentless, but managing it doesn't have to be. New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
You're not doing a bad job, you're doing a difficult job. Nobody remembers easy.
Estimated Cold Open Hook: Bold: "Frederick Banting discovered insulin because he believed people with T1D deserved to live." "Shouldn't/Won't" Placement: In encouragement closer (as per calendar) BCH Ad Length: 30 seconds (includes "climbing Everest in flip-flops during a blizzard while juggling flaming bowling pins") Badge/Prize Language: Final badge drops Sunday, picking 3 winners Challenge Name Mentioned: "Hydration Challenge: Refilling What T1D Drains" Jason Bateman Humor: Deadpan ("human water siphons") Tina Fey Humor: Absurd visual ("climbing Everest in flip-flops... juggling flaming bowling pins") Ted Lasso Encouragement: Warm, emotional closer ("You're living the life Banting wanted you to have")
Key History: Frederick Banting, Leonard Thompson, Elizabeth Hughes, Teddy Ryder, $1 patent, Frederick Allen starvation diet Emotional Tone: Gratitude, hope, legacy, empowerment
Week 63
April 27 - 189
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.