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Type 1 Diabetes Advocate, Educator & Founder of Diabetes by KC

Three decades of lived experience — all in one place.

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Living with diabetes can be exhausting — mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Whether you’re managing Type 1 diabetes yourself, supporting a child, or trying to stay afloat alongside work and life, it can feel like you’re constantly “on” and rarely supported.

You might know what you should be doing — but still feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or unsure how to make it all sustainable. I know this feeling because I live it. I’m a Type 1 diabetic, educator and advocate, and I work with individuals, families and institutions to provide non-clinical, education-first support that helps people feel more confident, informed and supported in daily life with diabetes. Sometimes, what you need isn’t another medical appointment — it’s someone who understands the reality of living with diabetes and can help you make sense of it all.

That’s where I come in. My work focuses on: Practical lifestyle support for Type 1 diabetes Education for parents and caregivers Structured, non-clinical programmes for communities and institutions This work does not replace medical care — it complements it. You’re in the right place.

Aisha

"The most overwhelming point in our life came when my daughter was diagnosed with T1D. Over taken with exhaustion lack of information and the stress of living in a country where there is little to assistance with how to go about this daunting journey ahead of us. It didn't help that we were in the middle of a lock down during covid.

Kaajal was truly God sent! From our first call she put me at ease! Her reassurance and positivity gave my daughter and I new zest for life! Once we got our freestyle libre2 we had a video call with her and she made our 1st time a fun experience without any tears!

The past two years watching Kaajal being a T1D advocate and seeing her proper and grow as an individual despite her diagnosis has given us hope for our very own daughter knowing that T1D will be her strength which will create resilience enabling her to achieve whatever she puts her mind to.

Kaajal truly is an inspiration!"

Testimonials

Meet Kaajal Vaghela

DiabetesByKC is a diabetes education and coaching platform designed for women of color managing Type 1 diabetes. Unlike traditional diabetes education, which is often clinical or generic, I provide real-life, culturally inclusive guidance that fits seamlessly into their food, lifestyle, and habits. As a Type 1 diabetic myself, I make diabetes management practical, relatable, and empowering, helping my audience feel confident and in control of their health. Through coaching, workshops, and engaging online content, DiabetesByKC is changing the way people approach diabetes—making it less about restriction and more about thriving.

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Clap for being a working pancreas AND functioning human #diabetes #embraceyourself #healthyliving

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Doing everything I said I would 💅

#diabeticsdoingthings #livelifefully #diabetes

The loudest conversation isn’t always the most important one. That flight convo reminded me that understanding our health will always matter more than following health trends.

3 reminders I try to live by:
• Don’t assume a trending treatment is right for everyone.
• Build your health around consistent habits, not headlines.
• Stay curious enough to ask questions before believing what you see online.

Based on my NewsDiggers Weekly Wellness column.
🔗 link in bio

#Diabetes #Wellness #HealthCulture #ItsByKC #MindfulLiving

This pocolumn.

Freedom isn’t the absence of responsibility. It’s learning to carry it without letting it carry you.

35 years of Type 1 diabetes taught me that.

My girls’ night isn’t interrupted by diabetes—it simply includes it. Checking my glucose, taking my insulin and getting straight back to champagne, dumplings and great company.

The routine isn’t the only story. The life you build around it is.

📍Covent Garden, London
🥟 @dintaifunguk
🩼 @novonordisk
📉 @freestylediabetes

#GirlsNight #LondonLife #LiveLifeFully #Diabetes

Diet Coke + Champagne = Diet Cokagne (as @tomhanks calls it)

As someone living with diabetes, I initially thought this sounded completely unhinged.

Until I tried it.

Somewhere between the @freixenetuk and @dietcokegbi bubbles, the glamour and my ongoing obsession with The Devil Wears Prada movies, I realised something:

✨Living with diabetes has never been about saying no to life.
✨It’s about learning how to participate in it differently.

So here’s to finding your own version of balance.
Even if it starts with Diet Coke in a champagne flute.

Would you try it?

PSA: Alcohol affects blood sugar differently for everyone.
If you choose to drink, know your body, monitor your glucose, and drink responsibly.

#DiabetesLifestyle #Type1Diabetes #DietCoke #DevilWearsPrada2

📂 File under: London content day

I met a dynamic group of diabetics doing great things!
I met @danicathediabetic for the first time, the host of the event, and she is incredible. I met @nerdabetic - he was like a social media celebrity to me! And I met the beautiful @jazzsethi and part of her team from the @diabesties1 foundation.

Being in a room of people who are going through the same as you AND doing impactful things with it - beyond grateful for serendipitous moments like this ✨

Like beanie: @_kc.sportswear_
Balloon pants and heeled boots : @primark
Cut-out body suit : @hm

#london #contentday #glucosesensor #fashion #diabeticsdoingthings

It’s the middle of the year and your routine looks nothing like January.

Maybe the 5am starts never stuck. Maybe work picked up, or the kids’ schedules changed, or you just stopped feeling it. And somewhere between February and now, the habits you built quietly fell apart ↘️

That’s what happens when real life doesn’t match the version of yourself you planned for 🫩

The friction with diabetes specifically — your medication timing has probably shifted. Your meals are less structured. The stress of a busier season is sitting in your numbers whether you can see it or not. And the longer the gap, the harder it feels to step back in.

What actually helps isn’t a complete reset. It’s one honest look at what your life looks like right now, and finding one thing that slots into it cleanly. Not what worked in January. What works in June 💥

Things change, and that’s ok, as long as you’re aware of yourself. You’re just operating with a different set of conditions than you started with.

✨ Save this for later.
✨ Share it with someone who may benefit from this post.
✨ Comment “Free” and I’ll send you my free “Insulin Resistance for Women of Colour guide”

#diabetesmanagement #type2diabetes #insulinresistance #diabetes #womenshealth

Follow for more: @diabetes.by.kc

I already have enough sugar problems, why is this corset giving me more stress? 😩

#diabetes #outfit #corset #hm #millennials

Corset: “vintage” @hm

You just had to be there #millennials #agingwell #clubbing #livelifefully

Set: @_kc.sportswear_

Pt. 2 | What I Wish I Knew at 21

Your cultural food is your medicine. I brought my Indian dahl in for lunch at one of my first jobs - cultural, nutritious, diabetic-friendly. Got told it was too strong for the office.

I wish someone had told me: your needs are valid. Your food is valid. You are valid.

So people hide it. The stigma continues.

If you’ve ever hidden your culture to manage your health at work — this one’s for you 🤍

📞 Drop me a DM and we’ll talk

#diabetes #workplaceinclusivity #chronicillness #diversityandinclusion #diabetesawareness

The office doesn’t pause for your body. So you can easily “forget” or “omit” telling anyone you need help or assistance in order feel part of the team.

You’re not managing a condition at work. You’re operating in an environment that was never designed for you. And you need to take control of your own body and health. I’m sharing some of the things I wish I knew when I first started out in my career.

#Diabetes #T1D #T2D #WorkplaceWellness #LivesExperience

Tryna get more creative with the glucose sensor!
@nike @_kc.sportswear_ @freestylediabetes

What’s the funniest thing you’ve heard?

#type1diabetes #diabetes #type1diabeteslookslikeme #fitcheck

Tried a silent rooftop dance class with @wearesanctum at @wework ‘s Waterloo building and honestly… this might be the closest I’ve come to making exercise feel playful again 💃🏽

2000s club music in my headphones, London views, glucose sensor fit check, group hugs…😭 and the best part? Watching my glucose come down afterwards.

Proof that wellness doesn’t always have to feel intense to work.

🧢: @_kc.sportswear_
Leggings : @hm
Sports bra: @tiktok (see my TikTok shop)

Classes courtesy of @classpassuki

I’m the Designer Diabetic… proving that biological discipline and a beautiful life can exist in the same frame.

#workout #silentdanceclass #diabetes #london #sanctum

Laugh rather than cry. I’m acting as a whole pancreas too!

👠: @giuseppezanotti
🏢: @thelanadubai

#diabetes #type1diabetes #type1diabeteslookslikeme #diabetesmemes

Most people think managing at the table is about saying no. It’s actually about knowing when to eat, what order to eat in, and how long the food will take to arrive - or how long it will need to push your sugars up.

We still want the memories, the birthdays, the spontaneous dinners. We just experience them a little differently.

Remember, you’re not the difficult one at the table. You’re the most informed one.

This is what lived experience actually looks like in practice.

If you ever feel like “what’s the point I can’t even enjoy myself when I go out 😔” DM RESET, let’s talk. Also check out my free guide (🔗 link in bio) “What the doctors skip”

#diabetes #type1diabetes #type2diabetes #goingout #dining

Still living. Still thriving. 35 years of diabetes this August #diabetes #diabeteslookslikeme #type1diabetic

Pt 1: What I Wish I Knew At 21. My parents gave me something rare: They raised me to own my diabetes, not hide it.

It wasn’t until I started dating that I learned to be ashamed.
At 22, someone I cared about said “Who would marry you? You can’t have kids”. It made me feel broken.

For years after, I hid. Took my insulin in the bathroom. Pretended I was ‘normal’ on dates. Avoided conversations about my body. I spent years trying to get back to what my 5-year-old self knew: I’m different, not less.

That unlearning? That’s harder than managing the actual diabetes. And it’s the work I help women do.

Not diabetes management. Identity reclamation.

If you’re unlearning shame around chronic illness - from partners, family, or yourself, DM RESET or grab my free “What they don’t tell you about diabetes” guide (🔗 link in bio)

#diabetes #chronicillness #stigma #diabetesshame

My Designer Diabetic mind of @_kc.sportswear_

I love going to @theofficialselfridges and seeing @skims and @wearetala. A bit of @prada.

#sportswear #design #skim

I’m low key embarrassed to say this… I’m not allowed to go hot yoga as a diabetic….

…but I did it anyway! 🤭🧘🏽‍♀️

Well this is what the doctors told me - are they going to be the yoga police and tell me not to go??

Some people can’t tell a low sugar coming along, now add on 30 degree Dubai humidity and it’s a hypo recipe - but I just knew as long as I have my coke for low bloods and I keep my phone near me to check my bloods I would be fine, and I was! I had the best class (thanks to @reformercollectiveldn and my sugars only dropped much after!

Yoga set: @_kc.sportswear_ (colour: Shuwa)

Using @classpassuki trial for £1 (yes that’s correct!!!) I was able to try this class and a bunch of other fun ones!)

Thank you @cocacolaeurope for being my go-to hypo treatment because a 150ml can is perfect for me.

Disclaimer: please note, these are my experiences. If you’re unable to feel your hypos or unsure about taking certain classes please speak to your healthcare team, take all your precautions including YOUR best hypo treatment, and let the gym/yoga instructor know about your condition.

#diabetes #hotyoga #reformercollective #wellnesscontent

People don’t always say it to you but you hear it around you
And it shapes what you believe is possible.
This is why support changes everything. A fellow diabetic. A partner who understands. A support group. An online visual of a person DOING LIFE with a chronic condition.

We all need that kind of permission.

#DiabetesStigma #Type1Diabetes #Diabetes #CulturalWellness #Stigma

Here is diabetes confidence at its finest 👌🏽

Coming from a brown/cultural household meant pressure to achieve and be good at maths. Well those came in handy for diabetes management!

⚪️: @freestylediabetes

#diabetes #livelifefully #type1lookslikeme

The @pradabeauty Touch blush is giving 8hrs sleep, stable blood sugar, and a soft life. I HAD to go test it out at @theofficialselfridges while quietly asking myself: do I love this, or can I actually afford to love this?

Because my budget isn’t just makeup and clothes, it’s insulin, sensors, and the very real cost of type 1 diabetes.

Tried the blush, stepped into the photobooth, collected our little Polaroids and had my main character moment. Honestly? Worth it. And sometimes a good blush can do what a full night’s sleep and perfect numbers can’t.

I’m learning I don’t have to choose between being responsible and enjoying beautiful things. I can hold both.

PS: £42 means we’re asking important questions and prioritising accordingly 😉

#makeup #skincare #diabetes #pradabeauty #livelifefully

Always a fab time with @mollyfleming_ and @shaniacatriona at @pergolacanarywharf .

Featuring @novonordisk insulin and a cute mini pink @gavisconuk . Every baddie needs her meds! 🤭 Tell me I’m wrong.

#girlsnightout #insulin #livelifefully #glowwithoutguilt

Your cycle is messing with your blood sugar (even if you’re not diabetic!)

The week before your period, your blood sugar can feel like it’s doing its own thing.

Not because you did anything wrong. Because progesterone is rising, and for people with diabetes, that hormonal shift can increase insulin resistance, disrupt sleep, and intensify cravings. All of which move your glucose.

Your cycle has four phases. Each one interacts with your blood sugar differently. The luteal phase tends to be the hardest to manage. The follicular phase often brings steadier readings.

As soon as I started cycle syncing, it was a game changer. Blood sugars were steadier, moods calmer and energy more sustained. I knew what to expect in each phase and accordingly gave my body what it needed. This had a positive effect on other areas of my life.

Start logging your cycle dates next to your readings. Two or three months of that pattern will tell you more than any single bad day.

This is not a workaround. It’s just a fuller picture of how your body works.

💾 Save this for later.
📤 Share it with someone who may benefit from this post.
📅 Book a 1:1 session with Kaajal for personalised, culturally aware and lifestyle-based support.
🔗 Free download “Insulin Resistance for Women of Colour”. Link in bio.

#DiabetesAndWomen #CycleSyncing #BloodSugarBalance #T1DLife #HormonesAndHealth

Innovation brings fashion + health + automotive together @teslamotors @freestylediabetes @zara

#electricvehic #cybertruck #diabetes #body

I was diagnosed at 5. I grew up with no vision of a healthy FULL life with diabetes.

All I knew was to listen to mum and dad, who were guided by the nurses. To know that “mistakes” (high sugars and low sugars) will happen and nonetheless we need to keep on keeping on. But I didn’t have friends who understood how I was feeling so I was always a bit on the outskirts.

Over 35 years, I’ve trained my mind to be stronger than my body. I’m disciplined with my body yes, but I’m compassionate to myself through my mind. If I love my body enough, it will love me back and keep me healthy. No one else is going to do that for me.

I’m here to be a visual for another generation of kiddos going through a new diagnosis so they don’t feel alone in their journeys, much like I did.

Empowering them helps me recognise that my younger self also needs some playtime, she’s been working hard for a long time.

📍Follow @diabetes.by.kc

👼🏼If you need coaching sessions for your child, comment CLARITY

📘And if you want a fun educational bedtime read, comment BOOK and I’ll share my cartoon Jebby book with you

#diabetes #diabetesawareness #compassion #discipline #childrenwithdiabetes

Trying barre at @psyclelondon as a Type 1 diabetic 🧘🏽‍♀️
Sugar before. Sugar after. Low post-workout 📉
Fixed it with @cocacola and kept moving 🥤
Fitness isn’t just aesthetic. It’s management ✍🏽

Not all workouts affect your body the same way when you’re managing diabetes. Even “low impact” classes can spike or crash your system depending on timing, insulin, and intensity.

If you’re building a fitness routine with diabetes, don’t copy what works for someone else. Track your patterns. Test before and after. Adjust slowly. Walking, swimming, and controlled strength training can sometimes give you more stability than trend-based classes.

If you’re figuring this out in real time, message me. I’ll help you read your data.

I’m the Designer Diabetic, designing a life where my body doesn’t limit my ambition ✨
___________________________________________

Sports bra @tiktok
Leggings @nike
Body lotion @ohsoheavenlyafrica
Blush @makeupacademymua liquid cream + matte blush powder
Mascara : @primark.beauty
Eyeliner: @elfcosmeticsuk
Face @garnieruk Super UV spf 50+ serum / @nyxcosmetics_uk Buttermelt Blaze spf 30

#type1diabetes #barre #womensfitness #browngirl #diabetes

Not all workouts are neutral when you’re diabetic or handling a metabolic condition like PCOS. No one tells you to choose your exercises depending on your hormonal cycle. Many shame you that you’re not pushing hard enough. That’s not the case.

Some lower you
Some spike you
Some exhaust you before you even begin

I stopped copying fitness trends and started watching my own patterns

That’s when things started working.

If you’re a girlie who’s tried EVERYTHING and still can’t understand why the weight is not dropping or you can’t predict your sugars, you’re in luck! Get my FREE insulin resistance guide link in bio.

#diabetes #exercise #weightloss #insulinresistance

Expensive taste, even more expensive pancreas #t1dlookslikeme #diabetes

I’m just a (type 1 diabetic) girly who wants to go running, ofc I’m going to ask you to #GRWM!

Running with type 1 diabetes is never just a run. It’s preparation, monitoring, adapting, and still showing up. It’s not about restriction, it’s about constant decision-making. The views are beautiful, but the real work is happening behind the scenes. You’re running two systems at once.

#diabetes #runclub

@nike @rarebeauty @garnieruk @kyliecosmetics @elfcosmeticsuk @freestylediabetes @_kc.sportswear_

Stop choosing between your culture and your health. You’ve been told nshima, ugali and roti are “bad,” but the food isn’t the problem, the framework around it is.

When you have insulin resistance, these high-energy carbs don’t get used properly, they stay in your blood.

The shift is simple but powerful:
💥 Re-layer your plate.
💥 Eat fibre and protein first, then your carbs to slow glucose spikes.
💥 After eating, take a 10-minute walk so your muscles use that fuel immediately.

Keep your cultural foods, just change the order and approach.

🔗Download my free Insulin Resistance guide via the link in bio.

#InsulinResistance #BloodSugar #BrownGirl #Diabetes

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Welcome to

Type 1 Diabetes Advocate, Educator & Founder of Diabetes by KC

Three decades of lived experience — all in one place.

My Services

Type 1 Support

Glow Up Self paced course 8 weeks

Corporate Wellness Consulting

Speaking or Wellness Partnerships