A ketogenic diet gone wrong
When Bonny was diagnosed with prediabetes, her healthcare provider recommended that she adopt a ketogenic diet. Feeling motivated to turn her health around, Bonny took this advice to heart. Despite following the diet to a tee, Bonny felt even worse than before and was experiencing terrible headaches.
One morning, Bonny woke up feeling numbness in her arm, face, and tongue. She rushed to the hospital and was first diagnosed with migraines, but later discovered that it was actually a stroke. She’d experienced a blood clot in a vein, a type of stroke called cortical vein thrombosis.
Time for a new approach: Enter, Mastering Diabetes
Bonny didn’t let this stop her pursuit to restore her health. A friend recommended she explore the Mastering Diabetes method, and she decided to try this new approach. She joined the coaching program and later attended an in-person retreat with the Mastering Diabetes team.
Armed with new information and feeling strong and energized by the new lifestyle, Bonny committed herself 100%. She was thrilled with the results. Over time, Bonny’s HbA1c went from 6.5 to 5.5, meaning that she no longer had prediabetes. Her blood clot resolved and she received a clean MRI report when she went back for testing. She lost 45 pounds. And with the support of medical supervision, she was able to stop taking her Metformin medication.
Not just surviving, but thriving, on a low-fat plant-based whole food diet
Bonny embraced the new lifestyle fully and enjoyed exploring new foods and new flavors. She found a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet to be exciting because she got creative with the meals she made for herself. In time, her sugar cravings even went away as she was able to eat so many other sweet foods in their whole form.
Bonny was supported in her journey by her Mastering Diabetes coach and community and attributes much of her success to the guidance and support she received. Bonny was already motivated and committed to restoring her health, but it can be a lonely road to go alone. We are grateful to have been part of her journey to success. When you combine the right knowledge, support, and mindset, massive transformation can take place—and Bonny is a beautiful example of that.
Bonny was supported in her journey by her Mastering Diabetes coach and community and attributes much of her success to the guidance and support she received. Bonny was already motivated and committed to restoring her health, but it can be a lonely road to go alone. We are grateful to have been part of her journey to success. When you combine the right knowledge, support, and mindset, massive transformation can take place—and Bonny is a beautiful example of that.
Header | February 2023 | November 2023 |
|---|---|---|
Fasting Blood Glucose | 200 | 91 |
A1c (%) | 6.5 | 5.5 |
Weight Loss (lbs) | None | 54 |
Medication | Metformin | None |
Why we don’t recommend a ketogenic diet for reversing insulin resistance
A ketogenic diet is a popular dietary approach for addressing diabetes and insulin resistance. The logic used to support this approach is that when someone is experiencing insulin resistance, they have high blood glucose, and therefore carbohydrates (the source of glucose) should be reduced in the diet as much as possible.
Many people who follow a ketogenic diet find positive results in this approach, particularly in the short-term. You can lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and stabilize your blood glucose—and you can see these benefits relatively quickly.¹-³
Despite this, we don’t recommend it. Why? There are two primary reasons.
#1) Long-term effects of eating high amounts of meat and dairy products.
The leading cause of death for people living with diabetes is not diabetes, but heart disease—and in fact research shows that cancer will soon overtake this position.⁴,⁵
Consuming high amounts of meat, particularly red and processed meats, is associated with greater risk of chronic disease (including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer) and all-cause mortality.⁶-⁹ Because people living with diabetes are already at higher risk of these complications and comorbidities, it is especially important to avoid foods that promote disease progression.
#2) The same results can be achieved using a low-fat plant-based whole food diet.
There are decades of research showing that a low-fat plant-based whole food diet reverses insulin resistance and increases insulin sensitivity.¹⁰-¹⁵
Contrary to the long-term effects of a ketogenic diet, this approach is associated with better long-term health outcomes ⁸,⁹,¹⁶,¹⁷ and is consumed by many long-lived societies across the globe.¹⁸,¹⁹ A plant-based diet supports your body’s well-being as a whole.
Long story short: Why put your long-term health at risk when you can reverse insulin resistance in a way that sets you up to have better health and longevity? (AND while eating all the mangoes and potatoes that your heart desires?!) The answer is obvious and the choice is easy for us here at Mastering Diabetes – but ultimately the choice you make for yourself is, of course, all yours.
Long story short: Why put your long-term health at risk when you can reverse insulin resistance in a way that sets you up to have better health and longevity? (AND while eating all the mangoes and potatoes that your heart desires?!) The answer is obvious and the choice is easy for us here at Mastering Diabetes – but ultimately the choice you make for yourself is, of course, all yours.