Type 1 Diabetes Explained: The Ultimate Insulin Guide – Master Basal & Bolus, Avoid Common Mistakes

Why You Need an Insulin Guide in the First Place

Table of Contents

Let’s be honest — insulin doesn’t come with an instruction manual. When you’re diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you’re suddenly introduced to a confusing world of jargon. Terms like basal rates, boluses, and dawn phenomenon can be overwhelming. It’s enough to make your head spin faster than your CGM alarm at 3 AM.

That’s why we (Mike & Jack) put together this Insulin Guide. It holds no jargon, just real talk. It includes bad analogies and banter. Because understanding insulin shouldn’t feel like revising for a medical degree.

Basal Insulin: Your Netflix Subscription

Think of basal insulin as your background subscription. It’s always running — even if you’re not eating, Netflix-style.

On injections? It’s your long-acting stuff: Lantus, Levemir, Tresiba, Toujeo.
On a pump? Basal trickles in 24/7, and you can tweak it by the hour.

Why it matters:

Keeps blood sugar steady overnight and between meals.
If it’s set too high → you’re snacking to stop hypos.
Too low → you’re floating higher than a hot-air balloon all day.

And then there’s the dawn phenomenon (aka “Morning Glory” 🌅 if you’re feeling cheeky). That early-morning blood sugar rise between 3 AM–8 AM? That’s hormones giving you a wake-up kick. Without the right basal, you’ll wake up higher than you went to bed.

Bolus Insulin: The Pay-Per-Eat Blockbuster

If basal is Netflix, then bolus insulin is pay-per-view. You only “buy it” when you need it — aka when you’re eating or correcting a high.

Common bolus insulins: Novorapid, Humalog, Fiasp, Lyumjev.
They kick in after 10–20 minutes and last for a few hours.
You usually bolus 10–15 minutes before eating (unless you’re low).

But here’s the catch:

Too much → crash.
Too little → spike.
Guess the carbs wrong? You’re rolling the dice with your blood sugars.

And yes, everyone forgets a bolus sometimes. Nothing like tucking into a Big Mac and suddenly remembering… oh yeah, I’m diabetic. Cue a CGM graph that looks like a ski slope in reverse.

Basal + Bolus: The Odd Couple

Basal and bolus are the ultimate tag-team:

Basal = steady flatmate who pays rent and does the dishes.
Bolus = wild flatmate who shows up at parties and breaks the furniture.

Neither works without the other. Get basal right first — then bolus becomes a whole lot easier. If you mess up basal, you’ll fall into what we call the “bolus trap.” You’ll constantly correct highs that are actually caused by bad background insulin.

Testing Your Insulin Settings

Here’s where the Insulin Guide gets practical.

Basal Testing

Skip a meal.
Track blood sugars hourly.
If you rise → basal too low. If you drop → basal too high.
Think of it as debugging your Netflix subscription.

Bolus Testing

Only do this once basal is solid.
Eat a predictable carb meal (toast, not pizza).
Bolus as per your carb ratio, then track hourly for 3–4 hours.
If you skyrocket → ratio too weak. If you crash → ratio too strong.

⚠️ Pizza deserves its own warning: it’s basically a slow-release carb time bomb. If you want to level up, try extended boluses (60% up front, 40% later).

Key Takeaways from This Insulin Guide

Basal = Netflix subscription (always on).

Bolus = Pay-per-view (inject-per-eat).

Dawn phenomenon = early-morning rise (fix with basal tweaks).

Always test basal first, then bolus.

Insulin needs change with stress, exercise, hormones, and routine.

Extra Resources

More posts and episodes in this series: Type 1 Diabetes Explained

Join the Conversation

Got a basal/bolus disaster story? Or your own insulin guide? A Big Mac moment? Or a clever hack? We’d love to feature it!

📩 Email: wearet1dpodcast@gmail.com
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