Let’s take a look at the differences and similarities among the various forms of diabetes.
On one side of the scale, we have the classic type 2 diabetes. This is the type of diabetes that typically arises later in life, commonly referred to as ‘adult onset type 2 diabetes’. With type 2 you produce insulin but your body just is not responding to it very well; it is resistance to it. The pancreas produces inulin, but the body is not using it, this resistance to insulin results in high blood sugar. On the other end of the scale you have type 1 diabetes, this is the diabetes that children usually get, it is known as ‘juvenile onset type 1 diabetes’, and is believed to be an autoimmune condition. This is when the body starts to attack the pancreas and the cells that produce insulin, so we end up unable to produce our own insulin.
With type 2 diabetes, not only can you manage it, but you can also reverse it! In my case, for years I did what my doctor told me to do; I made sure to take my medication, eat right and exercise. The nutritionist I saw had me eating 3 meals each day with 2 snacks. Each of the 3 meals had protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, for hydration she recommended drinking orange juice or water. This diet along with my medication did not reverse my diabetes, it only ever managed it, and not very well. My A1C would go from 7.5 to 8 at times. Knowing that type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar, this nutrition would keep me a diabetic for ever.
I knew there had to be a better way, so I started to do my own research on the nutrition side and came across intermittent fasting. I would not have breakfast and my first meal would be at 1pm in the afternoon, then I had a snack around 3pm then dinner at 7pm. After a month with the fasting, my A1C came down to 6.5 to 7. While this was an improvement, it was not low enough to say my diabetes had reversed. With more research I came across the keto diet, this diet required me to remove all sugars and all complex carbs from my diet. It further dropped my A1C to 6 and 6.5. Again, a promising improvement but still not low enough to where I could consider my diabetes reversed. I wanted off all medications and while the Keto diet took care of all my sugar cravings and I was feeling good, I was not able to stop my medications.
It was at this point that I came across the carnivore diet, and that changed everything.
On the carnivore diet you eat only meat and meat products. This includes fish, seafood, chicken (all dark meat), eggs, and the fat from the meats. Instead of seed oils, I cooked with butter, duck fat, beef tallow and lard. I have black coffee in the morning with 1 tablespoon of butter blended in it. This keeps me satisfied until I have my lunch between 12 noon and 1pm, which typically consists of a 10ozs steak and 3 to 4 eggs. Dinner will be around 7 to 8pm and it can be 4 or 5 pan fried chicken thighs. For hydration I drink mineral water.
Within 6 months of starting this carnivore diet, not only did I get my A1c to 5.5, I went from 235lbs to 208lbs and was able to stop my medication. This has allowed me to reverse my diabetes! I do not count calories, I eat until I am full and move on, no cravings of any kind. Type 1 diabetes can also see great results from this type of lifestyle and although it may not reverse type 1 diabetes, it makes it a lot easier to control. I know this kind of lifestyle won’t be for everyone, we are surrounded by unhealthy quick and easy food options and are bombarded all day with processed food ads, which makes it hard to change our lifestyle. But, even if you can do the Keto diet, you will still see great results. Also make exercise a part of your routine, you must get up and move, it will take some time to see results, but you must stay consistent, your life might depend on it.