Nick Heath, Ph.D., T1D for 25 years
A Holistic Approach to Diabetes Management that Revolves Around Our Wellness, Not Just Our Disease
12-Week Program
A Breath of Fresh Air for Diabetes Wellness
Are you tired of the never-ending:
Diets for conquering diabetes?
Workout plans to beat diabetes?
The latest gadget for managing diabetes?
Me too. (Some of them actually give me more anxiety than anything.)
It seems they forget that we’re people (with diabetes), not diabetic people. Not everything we do has to revolve around our disease.
Yet, we also know we can’t just ignore our unique needs.
So, how can we maintain wellness with diabetes without making diabetes wellness the center of our world?
Enter the power of breathing.
What Sets Breathing & Mindfulness Apart: It’s About You
Unlike traditional diabetes plans, breathing & mindfulness focus on you (not just your disease). They’re about cultivating awareness of what’s right with you. What’s already whole.
This fosters resilience, peace of mind, and agency despite our disease (and life’s inevitable setbacks.)
This is a significant distinguishing factor:
Instead of focusing solely on blood sugar control and doing everything "perfect," this approach focuses on reducing stress, improving mental and emotional health, and cultivating resilience as a person (with diabetes).
The goal isn't perfect numbers; it's peace of mind & lifelong agency.
Paradoxically, this Non-Diabetic Approach Seems to Help Our Blood Sugars, Too
In 2017, I started a breathing practice for personal growth, not for diabetes. However, within a few months, my blood sugars improved significantly:
As an aside: My blood sugars are not perfect. Since that unicorn 5.4%, my HbA1c has gotten as high as 6.9%. But my average has been about 6.2%. My latest was 5.9% on October 20, 2023:
As you might expect, this blew my mind. Could the way I breathe really affect my blood sugar?
It turned out that the answer was yes, and a lot of research supports this connection.
How Breathing & Mindfulness Benefit Diabetes
“Slow breathing may be a simple beneficial intervention in diabetes.”
Breathing and mindfulness exercises do more than you might think. They:
Reduce stress and its adverse effects
Enhance emotional well-being
Lower blood pressure
Improve blood flow
Boost insulin sensitivity
Enhance sleep quality
Cultivate gratitude and acceptance
Nurture spirituality
That’s an impressive list. And when you add them up, those benefits can lead to better diabetes management.
It’s a Win-Win
So, paradoxically, by focusing on ourselves and on stress relief, agency, and peace of mind, we indirectly help our blood sugars.
It’s a win-win.
The 12-week Coaching & Self-Paced Program
This 12-week program integrates breathing, mindfulness, and mindset to reduce stress, increase energy, and help you reach your goals. It’s rooted in science, but the main goal is becoming your best self (with diabetes).
Core Components
Immediate Benefits and Lifelong Empowerment
You’ll begin feeling improvements immediately. In just a few days, you will start waking up more refreshed, less stressed, and energized to go after your diabetes (or any other aspirations) you have.
But the ultimate goal is lifelong empowerment. The breathing & mindfulness practices you will learn can never be taken from you. You will finish the 12-week program empowered for a lifetime.
Program Overview by Week:
Week 1: Boost Energy and Focus
You'll explore nasal breathing and breath awareness, two foundational practices for enhancing your energy, focus, and sleep quality.
Diabetes Corner:
Nasal breathing increases tissue oxygenation, which may be extra helpful to people with diabetes who generally get less oxygen to the tissues. Moreover, this week’s practice improves attention (helping us focus on the right things with our diabetes), and leads to better sleep, which improves insulin sensitivity and increases energy.
Week 2: Enhance Emotional Resilience
Discover breathing techniques to enhance emotional resilience, improve daily well-being, and better navigate life's stressors, including those related to diabetes.
Diabetes Corner
The breathing practices have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety (which people with diabetes suffer higher rates of) and increase physiological and emotional resilience. This is particularly helpful for overcoming the daily stressors associated with diabetes.
Week 3: Discover Your Optimal Breathing Rate
Find your optimal breathing rate for increased resilience, adaptability, and daily joy.
Diabetes Corner
Research shows that this practice can improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow, all of which are critical to helping alleviate complications of diabetes.
Week 4: Improve Brain & Heart Health
Combine two powerful practices to boost cardiovascular and brain health, providing you with a range of breathing exercises to optimize mental and physical well-being, along with strategies for handling diabetes-specific challenges.
Diabetes Corner
People with diabetes suffer from higher rates of heart and neurological disorders, making this week’s combination particularly beneficial for us.
Week 5: Cultivate Tranquility
Leverage the skills you've learned to cultivate mindfulness and initiate the "Relaxation Response+" method for enhanced tranquility, relaxation, and overall stress resilience.
Diabetes Corner
This week’s practice enhances the effects of all previous weeks, providing deeper relief from physical and emotional distress associated with diabetes.
Week 6: Find Peace and Fulfillment
Discover how to access your unique signatures of wholeness, cultivating a lasting sense of peace, fulfillment, and excitement through a practice you can use for the rest of your life.
Diabetes Corner
Studies consistently show that people with diabetes suffer higher rates of anxiety and stress. This week’s deeply nourishing practice brings us back to wholeness providing relief from the constant onslaught of diabetes stressors.
Week 7: Enhance Attention and Control
Practice attention training with mindfulness “push-ups” and awareness of variability—two essential skills for managing life challenges, providing you with a heightened sense of control over your diabetes.
Diabetes Corner
This week’s practices bring us into the present moment so we can respond to stressors from a place of clarity rather than be thrown off by emotional reactions. This is a life-changing skill for dealing with highs, lows, and issues with prescriptions and diabetes technology.
Week 8: Embrace Acceptance
Unlock the superpower of acceptance that not only allows you to appreciate things as they are, but empowers you to shape and change them for the better.
Diabetes Corner
The practice of breath acceptance teaches us to accept (and ultimately change) our relationship with diabetes, a critical skill when we feel disheartened & overwhelmed with our diabetes.
Week 9: Overcome Life Setbacks
Discover a powerful 3-step process (accept —> adapt —> restore), which applies previous lessons to overcome both daily stressors and major setbacks, providing an effective protocol for navigating life's challenges with grace.
Diabetes Corner
This three-step process will provide a framework for overcoming daily challenges (like unexplainable blood sugar changes, insulin not working like it should, and so on) and life-altering setbacks (like a new diagnosis or major injury or illness). This is something you will refer to every day in your diabetes management.
Week 10: Make Mindful Decisions
A healthier nervous system and calmer mind empower you to gain clarity on significant life decisions, pulling you closer to the authentic version of yourself.
Diabetes Corner
If you’re ever looking to change your diet or exercise plan specifically for diabetes, this week’s perspective will be invaluable for navigating those potentially life-changing decisions with grace and confidence.
Week 11: Try Breathwalking
Experience the holistic benefits of breathwalking—an all-in-one practice encompassing physical activity, meditation, and breathing exercises—while gaining insights into its application for enhanced insulin sensitivity.
Diabetes Corner
Learn how walking and breathing can stabilize your blood sugar after meals and the best time of day to use short walks for better diabetes control.
Week 12: Sustain Your Progress
Discover behavioral science tools to solidify your learning and uncover the power of enjoyment for superior lasting results.
Real-Life Diabetes Benefits of the Program
All the above lessons and practices will lead to concrete improvements in your daily living. Here are a few examples:
Improved Emotional Resilience:
Imagine having an issue with a prescription refill or getting an unexplainable high. The skills you learn here will allow you to effectively deal with these stressors without getting thrown into a downward emotional spiral (which ultimately makes the high blood sugar worse or dealing with the pharmacy more difficult).
Better Sleep and Enhanced Energy:
One of the most challenging parts of diabetes is how draining it is. But imagine waking up refreshed and having more energy from proper breathing (oxygen is, after all, energy) and a balanced nervous system. This gives you the energy you need to better handle your blood sugars: by feeling better, managing all aspects of your diabetes gets easier.
Less Stress:
If you have diabetes, you know stress makes everything worse (this goes almost without saying). By learning breathing exercises that activate the relaxation response, you’ll experience less stress and have better overall diabetes health as an outcome.
Improved Attention:
The breathing and mindfulness practices will literally rewire your brain to increase your attention & awareness, allowing you to tune into subtle changes in your body that give you back control over your blood sugars.
Less Long-Term Worry:
The benefits of proper breathing counteract many of the complications of diabetes. For example, generally speaking, people with diabetes have lower resting oxygen levels, degraded heart and brain health, a less-balanced nervous system, greater levels of oxidative stress & inflammation, and higher levels of emotional stress & anxiety. The breathing practices you’ll learn are scientifically proven to improve (but not eliminate) all these problems, allowing you to worry less about long-term complications and more about living your best life (with diabetes).
What’s Included in the Program
Weekly 60-min 1-on-1 meetings with Nick for customized coaching and caring accountability.
12 learning modules based on the topics listed above.
WhatsApp or Email support as needed.
Daily micro-motivational lessons (< 30 seconds)—a favorite among participants.
Customizable audio guided breathing as needed.
Steps to Getting Started
Step 1: Apply
This comprehensive 1-on-1 program has limited availability. To ensure compatibility, we want to make sure it’s a good fit for both of us. I’ll get back to all applicants within 1 business day.
Step 2: Introductory Chat
If your application is accepted, we’ll schedule an introductory chat to meet 1-on-1 and solidify that we’re happy working together. I will answer any follow-up questions you have about the program to ensure you are excited and happy about what’s to come.
Step 3: Sign Up and Get Started Immediately
Upon enrollment, you'll gain instant access to Week 1 materials and receive a link to schedule your first 60-minute session with me. You’ll take the first empowering step toward optimal wellness and experience peace of mind that you’re embarking on this journey.
Investment
$2,500 USD
Don’t Pay Until You See Results
Opt for an additional 10% success surcharge, bringing the total program cost to $2,750. With this option, you can defer payment for up to two weeks with no commitments (no credit card information needed), allowing you to assess your satisfaction with the program.
At the end of this trial, you must either pay the full $2,750 or discontinue your journey. Additionally, missing any one-on-one meetings with Nick without notice will result in automatic removal from the program.
Money-Back Guarantee
Choose to pay the $2,500 upfront and enjoy a 100% money-back guarantee if you are unhappy with the program within the first 6 weeks*
*To qualify for this guarantee, attendance at every one-on-one meeting and completion of the daily 12-minute breathing and mindfulness exercises are required.
Meet Your Instructor
Hi, I’m Nick Heath, Ph.D.
I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 11. Since then, I have never let diabetes hold me back from living. I’ve worked for NASA, the US EPA, the US Air Force, and in the private sector. I’ve traveled to Indonesia with an insulin pump to surf, and I’ve walked 100 miles wearing a weighted backpack to symbolize the extra burden people with disease carry.
I created this transformative program out of necessity and personal experience. It will help you unlock the simplicity and effectiveness of breathing and mindfulness exercises, your key to a joyous and fulfilling life (with diabetes).
In good breath,
Nick
Nick’s Work is Trusted By:
Expert Praise for Nick’s Work
“Nick Heath brings extraordinary care and diligence to his work with diabetes. His personal experience and extensive scientific knowledge make him my go-to expert on the condition. His help in writing about the link between diabetes and breathing for my book, The Breathing Cure provided invaluable insight. Nick is dedicated to empowering people with diabetes to get control over blood sugars and enjoy a better quality of life.”
– Patrick McKeown, Bestselling Author and Creator of The Oxygen Advantage®
“Nick is a wealth of information and inspiration not only for people with diabetes but for anyone who wants to learn more about the power of breath for well-being. His personal experience as a diabetic along with his science background give Nick a unique perspective to share (in a very accessible way) about how/why breath is healing & nourishing for diabetics.”
– Sandy Abrams, Founder, TheCEOm.com, Co-Chair, GWI BREATHE Initiative
“Dr. Nick Heath has taken what many deem a problem and become solely reliant on western medication and transformed it into a passion for understanding the biological significance of that very problem. What he understands and how he has been able to connect that to our most fundamental need of energy and how breathing impacts it all should be something we all want to learn more about.”
– Brian Mackenzie Founder & Creative Director of SHIFT, Co-Founder and President of HHPF
“Nick is leading an accessible, practical, and science-based path to improved metabolic health and nervous system function – with something that is absolutely free. I can’t speak highly enough about his intelligent, academic, and incredible human approach and I’m honored to call him a colleague.”
– Laura Araujo, Founder of The MAPS Institute
“Nick is incredibly knowledgeable about how breathing affects our physiology and psychology. His approach is both scientific and extremely practical, and his ability to express complex ideas in simple terms makes it easy for anyone to understand. Overall, Nick is one of the kindest people I’ve ever worked with.”
– Tanya Bentley, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of HHPF
Your Wellness Awaits
Experience a holistic, you-focused approach to diabetes management that goes beyond traditional methods.
Let's embark on this journey towards diabetes wellness, one (very mindful) breath at a time.
Begin your transformational journey now.
FAQ
Do I need prior experience with breathing or mindfulness?
No prior experience is necessary. The exercises are introduced progressively, making them easy to follow, even for someone completely new to breathing and mindfulness.
What if I already practice breathwork or meditation regularly?
If you already have a consistent practice, this program will enhance and enrich it. You will learn new insights, techniques, and perspectives that will foster a more comprehensive understanding of diabetes and mindful living in general.
Do I need to change my current diabetes management plan?
Nope. This is an adjunctive approach that works with any diabetes plan. Because the main goal is stress reduction, nervous system function, and increased mindfulness, this program can be seamlessly integrated into any diabetes management plan you use.
How much time do I need to commit to the program?
Each week, you’ll engage in a lesson of 20-60 minutes, depending on the topic. Then, you will be given a guided audio practice, ranging from 12-20 minutes, to be done once daily. Drawing from numerous scientific papers and books, 12 minutes is the minimum effective dose for achieving meaningful improvements. Thus, the program is designed with the smallest time commitment needed for change.
Interestingly, even if you feel time-constrained, you might discover that you willingly spend more time on these practices. The exercises focus on cultivating what’s already right within you, fostering a sense of wholeness. This often results in a positive experience, and you may find it joyful to extend your practice time voluntarily.