WELCOME TO DIABETES STRONG
Diabetes Strong was established in 2015 as a personal blog about Christel’s experiences as a fitness enthusiast living with type one diabetes.
Christel struggled to find easily accessible information about exercise and healthy nutrition with diabetes online, so she decided to create a website where she could share her own advice and invite experts from the diabetes community to contribute.
Diabetes Strong quickly grew into one of the largest websites about health and diabetes and was re-launched in 2017 as a diabetes portal with expert contributors from all over the world.
The goal of Diabetes Strong is to provide a platform where people living with (any type) of diabetes can find all the information they need to live healthy and active lives.
The information on Diabetes Strong always takes a positive approach to diabetes and follows Christel’s motto that “There is nothing you can’t do with diabetes.”
Articles on Diabetes Strong adhere to the highest standards for accuracy, objectivity, and trustworthiness and are reviewed by our Medical Review Board.
Management Team
Christel Oerum, CEO
Christel has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1997 and has always been very determined not to let her diabetes affect her quality of life. She is the author of the popular diabetes book Fit With Diabetes.
Christel is an active diabetes advocate, public speaker, and diabetes coach. She holds an MBA in Finance & Strategy.
Tobias Oerum, COO
Although Tobias does not live with diabetes himself, living with Christel for more than 20 years has made him an expert on the subject.
Tobias holds an MBA in International Business & Strategy and has been part of the management team of several companies.
Editorial Team
Christine Fallabel, Diabetes Editor
Christine Fallabel has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2000. She works in public policy, helping people with diabetes have better access to health insurance, affordable medication, and to fight disability discrimination in the work and school environments.
She earned her Master of Public Health from Temple University.
Ginger Vieira, Diabetes Editor
Ginger has lived with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease since 1999, and fibromyalgia since 2004. She has a B.S. in Professional Writing and is one of the most published and well-known diabetes writers.
Ginger is the former Editorial Director at Diabetes Daily and a freelance writer for publications such as Healthline, Everyday Health, OnTrack Diabetes, and Health Central.
Ariel Warren, Nutrition Editor
Ariel was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was 4 years old. She holds a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and works as a Registered Dietitian, a Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist, and a Certified Pump Trainer.
She works as a healthcare provider at the Granger Medical Clinic and consults patients with T1D across the United States through her online private practice
Ben Tzeel, Fitness Editor
Ben Tzeel is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), holding a Masters in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Ben has lived with Type 1 Diabetes since 1999. He is a published fitness model and author who writes about exercise, nutrition, and diabetes.
Medical Advisory Board
Cynthia E. Muñoz, PhD, MPH, MA
Dr. Muñoz is a licensed clinical psychologist who holds an appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the USC Keck School of Medicine.
She serves as a pediatric psychologist at the CHLA Behavioral Health Center and at the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (CEDM).
David Ahn, MD
Dr. David Ahn is an Endocrinologist and currently serves as the Program Director of the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center.
He was previously an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA, and he received his Medical Degree and completed a fellowship in Endocrinology at UC San Diego.
Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE
An award-winning Certified Diabetes Educator, Masters-level Exercise Physiologist, and person with type-1 diabetes, Gary Scheiner was named the 2014 Diabetes Educator of the year by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
Gary is the Owner of Integrated Diabetes Services and the author of six books about diabetes management.
Mark Heyman, PhD, CDE
Dr. Mark Heyman is a diabetes psychologist and a Certified Diabetes Educator. He is the Founder and Director of the Center for Diabetes and Mental Health (CDMH) and the Vice President of Clinical Operations and Innovation at One Drop.
Mark received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University and completed his psychology internship at the UCSD School of Medicine.
Sheri Colberg, PhD, FACSM
Sheri R. Colberg is professor emerita of exercise science from Old Dominion University and author of The Athlete’s Guide to Diabetes (2019) and 11 other books.
Sheri is a world-renowned expert in exercise, diabetes, and healthy lifestyles. She was honored with the American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award in 2016.
Susan Weiner, MS, RD, CDE, FAADE
Susan Weiner is a Director of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Board of Directors (2018-2020) and served as the 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year.
She received the 2016 Dare to Dream award from the Diabetes Research Institute as well as the 2018 Media Excellence Award from the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Contact Diabetes Strong
For diabetes coaching, please see the Online Diabetes Coaching page.
For media, advertising, and partnerships, please email us at Contact@DiabetesStrong.com
Diabetes Strong is located in Santa Monica, California. For local press, television, and events, please email us at Contact@DiabetesStrong.com