Low carbohydrate diet and diabetes: the experience of a coach
Personal trainer Drew Harrisberg, a type 1 diabetic from birth, followed a ketogenic diet for four months.
He did this to experience for himself what he has read in various studies, namely that a low-carb diet and diabetes could work wonders.
Studies, such as Dr. Bernstein’s quest , had convinced him that a low-carbohydrate diet was useful for someone like him who has insulin problems from birth.
And it was also a great way to lose body fat and be more toned.
But the results left a lot to be desired, not from an aesthetic point of view, but from a health point of view.
Drew Harrisberg risked becoming insulin resistant.
And on instagram , where this coach from Chadwick has over seventy thousand followers, he explained what happened to him.
The first two months of the ketogenic diet, that is a diet with carbohydrates reduced to about 20-25 grams per day and a high content of fatty foods, had allowed him to no longer feel hungry, feel more energetic, be even leaner and more toned. Blood sugar also seemed at bay with lower insulin.
So Drew continued the experiment for another two months.
The result, however, was not the best.
DIET WITH FEW CARBOHYDRATES AND DIABETES: IT WORKS ONLY FOR A LITTLE TIME
When Drew occasionally tried to eat even very few carbohydrates, such as a small banana or sweet potato after a grueling workout, his blood sugar skyrocketed.
And regular insulin injections weren’t enough to keep her under control.
Drew had to increase his insulin until he didn’t respond well to the injections. Thus, he avoided even very small doses of carbohydrates, but nothing to do. After four months on the ketogenic diet, blood sugar was higher, and so was cholesterol.
Only by better studying the cases of low-carb diets and diabetes did Drew realize that contrary to what the popular ketogenic diet suggests, running a carbohydrate-free diet for months increases insulin resistance , and creates greater insulin resistance. risk of metabolic syndrome, as these studies show ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).
I also explained it in this video .
The low carb diet cannot be continued for long without causing health problems.
“Most people on the ketogenic diet would fail an oral glucose tolerance test,” Drew explained in an article .
Only by increasing carbohydrates and reducing fat, especially saturated fats, by 15% of the diet, Drew was able to lower his cholesterol, reduce his blood sugar and his need for insulin to a minimum.
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