Keto Diet Archives - Defying Diabetes

The keto diet can help the management of type 2 diabetes. Make sure you have read The Keto Diet 101 before reading the rest of this post!

How eating keto can impact blood glucose

Quite a lot of people living with type 2 are overweight, so eating a high fat diet might seem confusing and unhelpful.

The reason the keto diet can be useful in type 2 is because it causes our body to use our fat stores for energy, rather than glucose.

Eating high fat and reducing carbohydrate intake can help to promote weight loss and regulate blood sugar levels. It is important to distinguish between the types of fat you should be consuming if following the keto diet. Avoid having a diet high in red meat and processed/packaged foods. These foods contain high levels of saturated fat, which we do not want too much of.

Instead, prioritise eating extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nut butters, nuts and seeds and hummus for example.

Things to consider

Eating keto also promotes gluconeogenesis (when the body makes glucose from other sources), and can cause an increase in cortisol in some people. In other words, gluconeogenesis and high cortisol can also cause blood sugar levels to spike.

For this reason, eating keto can make little difference to sugar levels and can leave some people feeling fatigued. While the keto diet can be helpful for some, it is not a ‘cure all’ (no diet is!).

There are other diets that can help to drastically lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes. This can include increasing high quality fats and proteins, and swapping to lower GI carbohydrates. (I.e. reducing carb intake, but not as drastically as when eating keto).

Trial and error is the best way to figure out what dietary model suits you best. Some people living with type 2 love the keto diet and reap the benefits. So giving it a go may be worth it.

If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, changing your diet is vital for your health and the management of your blood glucose levels. So chat to your doctor and see a nutritionist if you can. This is the best way to figure out which diet is best for you, and it is a decision you need to make.

Thank you so much for reading The Keto Diet and Type 2 diabetes! I hope you found this useful and it answered some of your questions! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out Gluten – what is the big deal? and How to remove gluten from your diet

The Keto Diet is very popular at the moment, with people trying it for quick weight loss or the management of different diseases.

There is lots to know about this diet so I am writing multiple posts to provide you with everything you need to know!

What is the Keto Diet

The Keto Diet is when fat is the main food group consumed. Roughly 75% of calories consumed are from fat, 20% from protein, and only 5% from carbohydrates.

After a few days of eating keto, our body enters a state called ketosis. Ketosis is when our body is using fat as our main energy source, rather than carbohydrates. We begin to use ketones rather than glucose at a cellular level.

Our body also increases gluconeogeneis, which is when glucose is created from other sources (such as fat and protein).

Most people experience some symptoms for the first few days of eating keto. This can include fatigue, brain fog, cravings and GI symptoms. This is important to know if try eating keto.

Potential benefits

Weight loss – eating keto can cause rapid weight loss. This is because we carry less water when we consume less carbohydrates. Furthermore, the body starts to use up our fat stores for energy.
Increasing brain function – The brain can use ketones more efficiently which can decrease brain fog, fatigue and increase concentration for some people.
Management of some diseases – Research has shown the keto diet can help to manage childhood epilepsy and type 2 diabetes (more to come on this on another post). Some research has also demonstrated benefits in some cancers, but more research is needed for us to know for sure.

Potential cons

Nutritional deficiencies – Removing carbohydrates for a long time can result in B vitamin and fibre deficiency. This can cause problems such as fatigue, brain fog, constipation, some skin conditions and many more.
Increasing ‘bad’ cholesterol – Some people turn to consuming more red meat and processed foods. These foods can increase our LDL cholesterol, potentially increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Impacting kidney function, bone density and potentially increasing the risk of some cancers – This is also linked to food choices when eating keto. Eating a lot of processed foods and meats can be very detrimental to our health.
It’s hard to follow – It obviously takes a lot of will power to consistently eat keto. It can also limit socialising as most restaurants do not cater for the keto diet.
It’s not for everyone – There are people who swear by it, but not everyone feels the benefits of keto! No diet is a miracle cure for everyone, always remember that.

Before making any drastic decisions about your diet, always talk to a nutritionist and/or doctor. They will help you to weigh the pros and cons, and to ultimately make the best decision for your health.

Thank you for reading my Keto Diet 101, keep an eye out for more posts about this topic! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out Diabulimia 101! and Insulin Resistance and Inflammation