Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1799 Bolus 4 – Krispy Kreme

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny Smith
Date: March 16, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the "Bolus 4" series dives into real-world strategies for bolusing (insulin dosing) for a single food item: Krispy Kreme donuts, with some bonus exploration of Oreos. Host Scott Benner and diabetes educator Jenny Smith walk step by step through their decision-making process, sharing personal approaches, nutritional insights, and nuanced tips for handling these high-sugar, high-fat treats with confidence rather than fear. The tone is friendly, anecdotal, and practical, designed to help listeners think through the process rather than deliver clinical, formulaic instructions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: The "Meal Bolt" Roadmap

• Scott and Jenny use a mental checklist called “Meal Bolt”:
  • Measure the meal
  • Evaluate yourself
  • Add the base units
  • Layer a correction
  • Build the bolus shape
  • Offset the timing
  • Look at the CGM
  • Tweak for next time
• Their conversations are informal and dynamic, showing their thought process rather than following the checklist point by point.

Bolusing for the Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donut

[03:01–10:44]

Nutrition Facts (per donut):

• Calories: 190
• Total Fat: 10g (saturated fat: 5g)
• Total Carbohydrates: 22g (sugars: 10g; dietary fiber: <1g)
• Protein: 3g

Main Takeaways:

• The carbs come mainly from sugar and flour; fat content is moderate.
• Both are surprised the original glazed is only 22 grams of carbs—lower than Jenny guessed.

Jenny’s Approach (Afternoon Example):

• Insulin-to-carb ratio: 1 unit per 12g carbs
• Insulin sensitivity: 85
• Target BG: 85 mg/dL
• Typical pre-meal BG: 90–120 mg/dL

How Jenny would bolus:

• Pre-bolus time: 15 minutes (might shift to 20 depending on time of month or other factors)
  • “My pre bolus is 15 minutes in the afternoon.” (07:08 – Jenny)
• No extended bolus needed: 10g fat isn’t enough to delay absorption for her; she'd cover just the carbs.
  • “With only 10 grams of fat? This type of thing doesn’t need an extended bolus.” (07:24 – Jenny)
• Units used: She’d round to 2 units for 22g carbs (slightly heavier than her strict ratio).
  • “If I was just out in the world and I was bolusing on my own, I would take two units for it.” (08:14 – Jenny)

The Role of Hybrid Closed Loops/Algorithms:

• Jenny trusts her algorithm: "I know that the system is already got my back." (08:50 – Jenny)
• If settings are dialed-in, the system helps even out mistakes or fluctuations.
• Experience from MDI (Multiple Daily Injections): she never covered extra for this kind of food.

The Impact of System Algorithm and Delivery Shape

[09:16–10:47]

• Algorithm adjustments can "pull back" basal insulin if blood sugar is predicted to drop, which might justify considering a small extended bolus, but Jenny’s experience is that her own strategy works fine.
• Pre-bolus quality can significantly affect success and limit spikes, especially with fast sugar foods.

Quote:
"If pre bolus has been pretty well done, then on some of these systems you may actually see some pretty nice containment of your blood sugar." (10:18 – Jenny)

Cake Donuts & Comparison

[13:56–15:27]

• Cake donut: 40g carbs, 15g fat; much higher than the regular glazed.
• Algorithm recommendations: For cake donut, would suggest 3.46 units up front and 1.2 over 3 hours (~4.5 total), a significant amount even with good settings.
• Jenny’s attitude: Every new type of treat is an experiment—test and adjust.

Quote:
"A true experiment is always without an algorithm... because you get the true action of your decision in timing and the true action of insulin." (15:04 – Jenny)

The Psychology and Marketing of Donuts

[16:27–17:29]

• Scott and Jenny discuss why people perceive Krispy Kreme as a “cleaner” alternative to Dunkin Donuts (likely due to marketing, logo color, old-school vibes).
• Both agree marketing influences expectations about food healthiness.

Memorable Moment:
"Let's get in this pickup truck, set it on fire, and see how long we can drive it before it blows up. And Krispy Kreme does feel like, oh, my mom. My grandma made it for me." (17:19 – Scott, comparing Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme’s branding)

Exploring Filled and Fancy Donuts

[17:35–20:51]

Nutrition for Chocolate Iced Custard Filled:

• 37g carbs, 17g sugar, 16g fat
• Much of the carb comes from sugar, but filled donuts tend to have similar macros across the board.

Quick Strategy: "Sugar Rule of Thumb"

• Jenny shares a tip used by some people:
  • Match pre-bolus time (in minutes) to the total sugars on the label.
  • E.g., 17g sugar = 17-minute pre-bolus.
  • Not scientifically proven, but she's seen people find success with this as a starting point.
  • “It's often a starting place that I see people using and saying, gosh, I’m just going to use the added sugars here as a marker.” (19:59 – Jenny)

Ingredients and The Shock Factor

[21:03–23:24]

• Scott reads the lengthy and artificial-filled ingredients list for the custard donut.
• Jenny comments on the multiple types of sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup & corn syrup) and the complexity behind seemingly simple foods.
• Both express mild horror and amusement at processed food recipes.

Comparing to Oreos: Cookie Calculations

[25:05–32:10]

• Six regular Oreos:
  • ~50g carbs, 28g sugar, 14g fat
• Mega Stuff Oreos:
  • Serving size: 2 cookies = 25g carbs, 17g sugar, 3.5g fat
  • Six cookies = 75g carbs, 54g sugar, 10.5g fat

Bolus talk for Oreos:

• Jenny would pre-bolus at least 20 minutes, monitor for a downward CGM trend before eating.
• She notes that for high-sugar foods, you need insulin “running away to grab this when it hits you.”
• “Seven teaspoons of sugar. Like seven measuring teaspoons of sugar. God damn. Yeah. In one of those donuts.” (24:56 – Jenny/Scott, shocked at sugar content)

Personal take:
If Jenny is going to eat 75g of carbs, it won’t be for donuts or cookies, but for something more worthwhile, like really good sushi.

Special Donuts (Valentine’s Day Range)

[33:04–34:49]

• Examples: “Oh, I love you” donut, teddy bear donut, sprinkled donut
• All fall within 44–46g carbs, 26–28g sugars, 9–18g fat
• Even “just icing” adds about 15g carbs to a regular glazed donut

Key conclusion:
It’s easy to unconsciously undercount for icing or decorative extras; they add significant carbs.

Quote:
“A lot of people unconsciously under count for things like frosting. Like, I know that there’s sugar there, but, gosh, it can’t have 25 extra grams worth of carb in it.” (35:20 – Jenny)

Final Thoughts & Practical Mindset

[35:49–34:12]

• For any new or infrequent treat, see it as a personal experiment: check your settings, watch your CGM, and adjust next time.
• Don’t be afraid—test, observe, and learn instead of relying on rigid formulas.
• Jenny advocates for enjoyment and balance: if you want the treat, make it worth your while and be strategic, but for her, rare big carb indulgences go to memorable meals, not processed treats.

Notable Quotes

• "All of this bolusing for anything boils down to: are your settings in a pretty good place to begin with?" (08:50 – Jenny)
• "A true experiment is always without an algorithm… you get the true action of your decision in timing and the true action of insulin." (15:04 – Jenny)
• "If I'm going to eat a donut, I'm going to like enjoy the bites of the donut." (10:47 – Jenny)
• "If I'm going to eat 75 grams worth of carb, it ain't gonna be this donut... But again, that's me." (32:18 – Jenny)
• "Let's get in this pickup truck, set it on fire, and see how long we can drive it before it blows up. And Krispy Kreme does feel like, oh, my mom. My grandma made it for me." (17:19 – Scott)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:01] – Krispy Kreme Original Glazed nutrition facts and initial bolus plan
• [07:08] – Pre-bolus reasoning and process
• [10:18] – Algorithm and pre-bolus quality discussion
• [13:56] – Cake donut carb/fat comparison
• [17:19] – Donut branding psychology
• [19:59] – "Sugar as pre-bolus time" tip
• [21:03] – Reading out donut ingredients
• [25:05] – Sugar shock: Oreos compared to donuts
• [32:18] – Carb choices: treat-worthy versus everyday snacks
• [35:20] – The mistake of undercounting for icing
• [36:01] – Light-hearted closing, donut humor

Conclusion

Scott and Jenny make bolusing for a treat like a Krispy Kreme donut a matter of thoughtful experimentation rather than guesswork or fear. The conversation stresses preparation (know your ratios and systems), observation (watch CGM trends), and iteration (adapt as you go)—all with an attitude of self-kindness and real-world practicality. The episode blends technical nuggets, playful banter, and candid advice, offering listeners both a window into Jenny’s process and enduring, applicable strategies for managing the occasional sweet treat.