Opalescent October
Welcome to our Opalescent October newsletter edition, where we celebrate the glow of the festive season, the strength of togetherness & uplifting updates for our diabetes community.
Announcement - Blue Circle Calendar 2025
We're thrilled to unveil our 6th edition of the #BlueCircleDiabetesCalendar for 2025!
Featuring 12 incredible individuals with various types of diabetes, this charity calendar is a daily reminder that a diagnosis didn't end the journey & with grit and determination we will triumph together! Perfect for your desk, or as an inspiring gift for family and friends! Shipping begins mid-December. For bulk orders, reach out at support@bluecircle.foundation
Grab yours TODAY: https://www.bluecircle.foundation/store
Join our #BlueCircleWorkshops led by and for people living with diabetes, Sunday, 5PM IST - free and open to all!
Join Indrayani, using the hybrid closed loop Medtronic 780G as she moderates this discussion with Ovi (using a Ypsomed insulin pump) and her dad, & Sanjana, using a Medtronic 720G. Our panelists will be reviewing the various insulin pumps available in the Indian market now.
Want to know what an insulin pump looks like? See this video. Want a deep dive into diabetes technology? See our playlist and read these blogs.
Tune in on Facebook Live, click here to RSVP!
Apply to be an app beta tester!
We have been working behind the scenes, making a big revamp to our Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app, which is an app made ‘by’ and ‘for’ people with all types of diabetes. Come join the cool club of diverse Blue Circle Beta Testers. Read more about the Blue Circle Diabetes app:
See if you fit the eligibility criteria and apply now!
Have questions? Email: support@bluecircle.foundation
We have several upcoming events in the next few weeks, join us! Stay tuned for upcoming virtual and physical events in your cities & don't miss the chance to meet other friends & families with diabetes! Any questions? Ask away on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India and head to the 'Events' section on the group to RSVP for events you want to share or attend!
Upcoming events, online & offline!
We share all important information and updates on our social media handles, so ensure you join our Facebook community , follow us on Instagram , Twitter , YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. Here's a quick low down on all that happened in October 2024 at Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation.
We had 12 online and offline events in October 2024 - of which we had physical meets in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Jaipur- see the photos below!
Glimpses from our offline meets
Friends from our Mumbai brunch catch-up!
Smiles from our Pune morning walk/jog!
Smiles from the Pune walk / jog 😄
Friends from our Delhi coffee catch-up!
Delhi friends having fun!
Friends from our Lucknow chai pe charcha!
Lucknow chai pe charcha
Smiles from our Bengaluru coffee catch-up!
Indian Army- Diabetes Awareness
Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation is grateful to have had the opportunity to create diabetes awareness and conduct a blood sugar screening for the Indian Army in Lucknow earlier this month.
Photos from the event-
Army event, Lucknow
Video from the event-
2 School Diabetes Awareness & Screening Programs
Did you know that India has the highest number of children & adolescents living with type 1 diabetes? Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation organized 2 rural School Diabetes Awareness Programmes and blood sugar screening camps for over 300 students and staff on 24th October 2024 at कृषी औद्योगिक विद्यालय (Agricultural Industrial School) for kids from from low income families in Chambli and Kodit villages, Purandar Taluka, Pune district.
We met with a few teachers with pre-existing type 2 diabetes & no one else with elevated blood glucose readings.Help make a difference and please get in touch with us at support@bluecircle.foundation if you would like to arrange similar sessions at your school or organisation. If you are interested in volunteering, keep an eye out for calls on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network India.
Photos from both village schools
See the video-
In the News
🎥 Watch ‘Going Full Circle’, a powerful micro-documentary by the NCD Alliance showcasing the impact of community in driving change. Meet Nupur, Snehal & Tanisha from Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation, each living with type 1 diabetes. Their stories reveal how the strength of community and the will to #LeadOnNCDs can inspire true transformation. Don’t miss it!
World Diabetes Day is only a few days away on 14th November. For those living with diabetes, managing the condition is a daily challenge, year round, that can impact both physical & mental health. Our community members, Ravinder, Nupur & Rahul feature in these posters by the International Diabetes Federation.
Ravinder (T2), Nupur (T1) and Rahul (T2)
In the Diabetes Health Magazine, Indrayani Kadu from our community, shares essential tips to keep your medication safe. Travel smart and protect your insulin! Read here.
Our app uptime is 99.8%, and we’ve been working hard to bring our response time down to a lightning-fast ~100 milliseconds! Have any questions? Ask in our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India.
Download the Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app on Android and iOS. Learn more about all the app features in this blog.
New Blog Alert! Nupur Lalvani reviews Urban Platter's Shirataki noodles, a low-carb, blood sugar-friendly alternative to regular noodles. Discover how she incorporates them into her meals, along with some pros and cons, including tips for adding protein and thoughts on the cost. Read the blog here and see the video below-
Blue Circle 🔵 Diabetes Myth Busters ✋
Hug trees for the right reasons, says Nupur 😂💚 it is NOT going to cure your diabetes or stimulate your pancreas. What other myths would you like to see busted? 👊
#BlueCircleWorkshops (online)
Did you know that since the onset of COVID-19, every Sunday we've consistently hosted over 200 FREE, online diabetes workshops by and for people living with all types of diabetes as part of our commitment to accessible health education? Each workshop is led by experts who are passionate about making a meaningful difference. Check out our YouTube playlist to see some of these workshops.
Join in, have fun and learn new things. Sign up as a member and follow our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn to know of upcoming workshops. Be a part of our awesome Facebook community too!
RSVP & tune in on Facebook for the live workshops (if you miss a workshop, catch up later with recordings on YouTube or Facebook). Let's learn, grow, and navigate together.
Meethi Baatein
Dive into the 41st episode of our series, Meethi Baatein, as we spotlight and celebrate the top contributors of our vibrant Facebook community. This time, join Ayush, living with T1 as he chats with top contributor Hemant, who has type 2 diabetes! Their shared experiences, insights, and stories promise to resonate with many. See the recording here.
Festivals & Diabetes: Workshop
The festive season is upon us! As we dive into the joys of Divali, marked by celebrations, sweets, and indulgences, the challenge of understanding and managing diabetes comes to the forefront. This workshop is designed to equip you with the tools you need to sail through the festivities with optimum health. Join Urvashi & Ketki as they offer valuable insights, share delectable low-carb recipes, and recount their personal journeys to strike a harmonious balance between festivity and health
Want to dive into more workshops on diabetes and food? See our food playlist. Also, see our blogs on low carb food.
#BlueCircleWorkshops are free, online workshops on diabetes by and for people living with various types of diabetes. Join us every Sunday at 5PM India time!
Click the post below to view the workshop video on Facebook (you can also view on YouTube here)
Diabetes Burnout: FB Chat thread
We hosted a special discussion on the crucial topic of managing diabetes burnout on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India. People shared their experiences, tips, and strategies for coping with the emotional and mental fatigue of diabetes management. Click this link to read the chat & participate.
#BlueCircleWorkshops are free, online workshops on diabetes by and for people living with various types of diabetes. Join us every Sunday at 5PM India time!
Insulin resistance & sensitivity: Workshop
Join Nupur and Nishtha for our upcoming workshop on insulin sensitivity and resistance for those with ALL types of diabetes.
Want to learn more about diabetes & exercise? See our #BlueCircleWorkshops exercise playlist on YouTube. Also, read our exercise related blogs.
#BlueCircleWorkshops are free, online workshops on diabetes by and for people living with various types of diabetes. Join us every Sunday at 5PM India time!
Click the post below to view the workshop video on Facebook (you can also view on YouTube here)
Buddy Project Helpline turned 4 in May 🎁🎂🎉
Happy Birthday to our Buddy Project Helpline and a big thank you to our buddies, past & present who have volunteered on the helpline 💙
The Buddy Project Helpline started during Covid19 and continues to be a diabetes & mental health support system, free of cost and open to anyone with any type of diabetes & their caregivers.
🆘Read more about the helpline here
🆘 Download on Android here
🆘 Download on iOS here
🆘Read about the Blue Circle Diabetes app here
Help us keep our community safe 🥹💪🏼
Join our mission to keep our Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation and Diabetes Support Network - India community safe! 🛡️ Nupur Lalvani and Snehal Nandagawli are here with a special message: Help us protect our safe space from spammers, sellers & troublemakers. Let’s work together to maintain a supportive, informative, and spam-free environment for everyone. Watch the video to find out how you can contribute to a safer community 🩵🤝
Success Stories
Found the community helpful, have a success story to share? E-mail us on support@bluecircle.foundation and we'll be happy to feature you! Click the post below to read Alka's success story-
Letter for Schools
Whether newly diagnosed or not, it's an anxious time for parents of kids with type 1 diabetes. Please feel free to click this post on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network India which will take you to a downloadable and editable letter for schools. Edit it with your child's specific details and share a signed copies with the child's school principal, teachers, etc.
You are welcome to email us on support@bluecircle.foundation if you face any issues with school admissions etc or you would like us to organise a diabetes awareness programme at your school or organisations.
See the post below for an important announcement regarding schools and universities. Click the post below, go to the comments section to read or download each circular issued by the NCPCR - National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Buddy Project Helpline
The Buddy Project Helpline started during Covid19 and continues to be a diabetes & mental health support system & helpline, free of cost and open to anyone with any type of diabetes & their caregivers.
Read more about the helpline & to use the helpline, download the Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app on Android or iOS. Also read about the Blue Circle Diabetes app and all its features here.
The Buddy Project Helpline is our mobile app based psychosocial helpline for diabetes and mental health. 10 trained volunteers living with diabetes (type 1, type 2 & caregivers), speaking 9 different languages (English, Hindi, Dutch, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil and Punjabi) are here to listen to you without judgements. If you feel lost, depressed, anxious, panicky, suicidal or generally upset, please schedule a call with us. These are tough times but remember you are NOT alone, your community stands with you.
How to call the Buddy Project helpline
Open the Blue Circle Diabetes app > Buddy Project > Schedule tab > pick a buddy of your choice > Schedule a call (once you schedule you'll see it under the 'Meetings' tab > 10 minutes prior to the call, you'll receive an app notification/reminder > To join the call, open the app, go to Buddy Project & under the 'Meetings' tab, press the 'Join' button (video is off by default, can switch on as per preference)
Why should you attend our meet-ups?
Fair question! Check out this post to know why-
Diabetes Humour
Life with any type of diabetes is not easy. Here's a little diabetes humour to brighten up your day. Click the posts below & like, share & comment!
Looking for a partner? Marriage & Diabetes
We understand that a lot of people with diabetes face tremendous difficulties in finding the right partner and getting married. We have received a lot of requests over the years to facilitate a platform to this end. Here's our small effort in that direction. If you'd like to find a partner, or are a parent who would like to introduce their child looking to get married, please introduce yourself on our private Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India.
Blue Circle Store- Relaunched!
Check out the adorable diabetes merchandise from the Blue Circle Store and order them now!
#FlipTheCalendar October 2024
Sound on and time to #FlipTheCalendar! The #BlueCircleDiabetesCalendar is a fun calendar featuring people living with all types of diabetes. Featuring dog lover & artist, Sanskruti, who has type 1 diabetes🥇
Order calendars & adorable diabetes merchandise:
https://www.bluecircle.foundation/store
Blue Circle Blogs
Read our blog here. We write about everything from recipes to people's stories, technology and everything diabetes!
Donate
India's first app, made by diabetics & for diabetics. If you have found the app helpful & would like to help, consider making a small donation of Rs 99 per month: https://www.bluecircle.foundation/donate
Download the Blue Circle Diabetes app on Android and iOS. Click here to read about the app & its features.
Thank you to our wonderful community for helping us making the app better for you! We look forward to your generosity to help us rewrite the app ground up! Use the 'New Feature Idea' button on the app to tell us what features may make the app better.
#SugarDetective
Be a #SugarDetective! Come be part of our new campaign! Help spread awareness by sharing hidden sugars in packaged foods. Like Sherlock Holmes said, "you see, but you do not observe". Let's observe what's in our food and share!
Put up posts on your social media platforms and use the hashtag #SugarDetective & #BlueCircleDiabetesFoundation (also tag us!) You can also share the post on our Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India.
Connect with us and participate!
Join our award winning Facebook community, like and follow our page, subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn too! Use the Blue Circle Diabetes app to track your vitals and don't forget to check out our website and Buddy Project helpline too!
SUPPORT BLUE CIRCLE DIABETES FOUNDATION
We need your help and support to continue to grow, expand and touch the lives of countless people in the diabetes community. Every little bit helps us in sustaining this endeavour. Our NGO is registered under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, India.
Click here to donate