Changes in Insulin Resistance?

(Aaron Bieniek) #1

Evening. I’m working on becoming more insulin sensitive. In April I had a LifeExtension glucose tolerance and insulin test. The results, interpreted by my doctor (a lipidologist) indicated a diagnosis of insulin resistance. Since April I’ve transitioned from more of a “dirty” keto diet to a clean one by adding lots of green leafy salad and improving the quality of the protein and fat that I eat. (For a couple of years prior, I had been fasting intermittently eating LCHF and dirty keto) I track net carbs on days that I eat any carbs, and I try to keep that number below 12. If I eat carbs they might come from raspberries and nuts (walnuts, pecans, and sometimes peanuts for a treat). I might also treat myself to some really dark chocolate or a “keto” ice cream or protein bar that is sweetened with erythritol. Even with those treats, I aim for my net carbs to be under 12.

I’ve noticed some things and would appreciate some feedback or some questions that would help me think about this further:

(1) My desire to “cheat” on keto and my craving for sugar has lessened noticeably. At the start of April it was hard to go a full week without cheating and eating ice cream. Around the middle of October I noticed that I wasn’t craving sugar, and that I was almost completely satisfied with my keto diet. I was much more able to think about having some carbs and just decide not to. I preferred my keto diet.

(2) I monitor my blood glucose and blood ketones on a regular basis. My doctor recommended I keep my GKI between 3 and 6. When I would eat a cheat meal (or three) in April/May it would take some fasting and days to get the ketone meter to show any ketones back in my blood. Once at the end of September after a cheat weekend I noticed that after fasting through the day after the cheat, I had a measurable amount of ketones in my blood. This past weekend turned out to be a cheat weekend as well (pizza and ice cream Saturday, General Tsao’s chicken and ice cream on Sunday). When I tested my blood glucose today (Monday) it was 86 and my ketone level was 0.2

Thoughts or questions? Thanks in advance.

(Bunny) #3

Right their explains your tolerance level (which is awesome by the way) so I imagine you have quite a bit a muscle?

I have found the same-thing on a long learning curve since I started to be true with myself, I just use common sense and eat what I want and usually have a nice long window before I eat again.

I also think your doing this more correctly than some one who constantly restricts calories esp. with those cheat meals.

Definitely would make sure your getting enough fat in calories.

The goal is really about how much you can tolerate in carbohydrates and still have a trace amount of ketones in the 0.something range and have lower blood sugars readings, that means you are insulin sensitive.

The higher your blood sugar readings are with high ketones then your not so insulin sensitive.

You want to see on average how many tests are consistently high and low?

To increase your tolerance of carbohydrates you want ensure you get enough calf liver and eggs in your diet or choline rich foods (breaks up visceral fat and prevents it) that will increase your insulin sensitivity because the more things you eat containing high fructose corn syrup could create a fatty liver and pancreas because it does not engage insulin and is stored directly as visceral fat by the liver, but you would have to eat a lot of HFCS for that to happen. Once your liver and pancreas are surrounded with visceral fat that makes you a good candidate for insulin resistance IR and then Type 2 Diabetes.

(Aaron Bieniek) #4

Thanks @atomicspacebunny . Can you say more about the high ketone / high glucose situation? How do those two conditions equate to insulin resistance? Doesn’t the presence of ketones indicate an absence of insulin?