Can a Low Carb, High Fat diet be used to manage Diabetes Type-1 or Type-2? Yes! We believe this is far and above the best way to manage diabetes and there is growing interest in returning to carbohydrate restricted diets as a tool in managing diabetes complications long term.
If you have Type-1 or Type-2 Diabetes it is important to understand that decreasing your consumption of carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar will decrease your need for insulin and other medication used to lower blood sugars. Taking the same dose of insulin or medication as you did prior to adopting a Low Carb, High Fat diet may result in hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
If you have Type-1 or Type-2 Diabetes get the approval and supervision of a medical professional before commencing a Low Carb, High Fat diet. A well-formulated Low Carb, High Fat diet can help Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetics achieve long term normalised blood sugar levels.
For more resources on LCHF and Diabetes we recommend the works of Dr Richard Bernstein and Dr Jason Fung as well as the videos from Dr. Troy Stapleton, Lisa Scherger and Dr. Wendy Pogozelski below.
My Story: Managing Type-1 Diabetes with LCHF
“Hi, my name is Fiona and I’m a Type-1 diabetic. I have had diabetes for 23 years. I use an insulin pump to manage my diabetes and had always followed the standard Australian dietary guidelines. I ate whatever I wanted and just gave myself enough insulin to cover the amount of carbohydrates I was eating.
After having my two children I had put on a significant amount of weight and it kept creeping up. I needed to change something in my life and it began with the discovery of David Gillespie’s book ‘Sweet Poison’. I read the book and it all just made sense. I quit sugar and found that my blood sugar levels began to stabilize and my hba1c began to lower.
As I lived sugar free I began to question other foods I was eating and what their impact was on my blood sugar levels. I knew that foods with sugar in them caused my blood sugar levels to spike but I hadn’t thought about high carbohydrate foods, such as bread and pasta. I began to realise that eating high carbohydrate foods caused my blood sugar levels to spike just as much as if I had eaten food with sugar in it!
I began researching and discovered the low carbohydrate high/healthy fat way of eating and it was a light bulb moment for me. Eating less carbohydrates and more protein and fat would mean that my blood sugar levels would be stable. Eating a high carbohydrate meal or food would often mean high doses of insulin and, if I didn’t calculate that correctly, a high blood sugar level and I found high doses of insulin caused me to gain weight. That high blood sugar level would then come crashing down when I would bolus a correction dose of insulin. Then of course the whole thing began again when I corrected the low blood sugar level with glucose. I had been battling the blood sugar level roller-coaster all my life and it was time to get off!
The low carb high/healthy fat way of eating has changed my life. I have lost all the weight I put on while pregnant and I’m lighter than I was before I got married. My blood sugar levels are stable and my average blood sugar levels are similar to those of a non-diabetic. My hba1c levels are so great that my endocrinologist has asked me if I was pregnant as that was the only time that my control was tight enough to warrant a good hba1c level! I have enough energy to work part time, look after two young children and a household. LCHF has changed my life.”
Karina Bronska
be well stay well
Consultant Pharmacist + Credentialled Diabetes Educator + Health Coach (PreKure)
BPharm AACPA CDE
Wollongong NSW 2520
0403 067 648
[email protected]
