Low carb - but high sugars - advice please!

Kristin251

Expert
Messages
5,334
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
'Insulin resistant caused by eating too little carbs? As a moderator..you really need to back that statement up with a bit of science please. Sounds of gauntlet hitting floor.........
Agreed. Carbs only raises me.
 

StewartH

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @Fleegle - I also didn't know that either, until today - my dietitian tells me that low carb diabetics often need to increase their carb/insulin ratio - but didn't know why this is. Following @azure's comments above, I've done some googling, and although it's too early in my research for me to recommend a reliable source of information (as is often the way with the internet!) I can see that it's certainly a "known" issue. It appears that insulin resistance can happen when carbs are very low - but what constitutes "very" low seems to vary from person to person. Also, it may well be different between T1s and T2s.

I cant agree with many opinions in this thread so thought I would stick my oar in and broaden out the conversation.
'Insulin resistance' for a type one diabetic on a LCHF diet makes no sense. It is possible to develop type 2 even if you are already a type 1 but the usual poor eating habits and obesity would be the most likely causes of this 'double diabetes .

Odin004 has been LCHF for a while and does not look obese so I very much doubt that to be the cause of needing higher insulin dose to keep sugar levels in target.

Keeping the sugars in target is our primary goal right? So what is the problem with taking the right amount of insulin even if it is higher than recent past? We all know that eating more carbs will require more insulin don't we. Therefor the advice given to 'increase carbs' to reduce insulin doses seems strange.

When I cut carbs down to around 100g per day, my insulin intake was lower and sugar control was far better than before but I still struggled to maintain a level BS, having swings both high and low. In frustration I cut out carbs altogether. I found that my insulin intake did not change at all but sugar levels were now flat line and in target. I had stumbled into the promised land!

So why, I asked, do I need the same amount of insulin? I started to read about the functions of the liver and its role in 'fuel management', and about the requirement for insulin when eating proteins. All the things the medics didn't tell me about when I was diagnosed 35 years back.

Have a look here to learn about the role of the liver in your fuel management system..
http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2017/07/gluconeogenesis.html .

An understandable blog about a really complicated system!

The release of glucose stored in the liver (glycogenolysis) following a low carb meal is normal and healthy to keep fuel in your system while the body goes to work on the proteins and fats you have eaten . As a type 1 on such a diet, you just need to bolus sufficiently for this response. I have found that counting carbs and insulin ratios does not work for LCHF for this reason. I have also found that I require very similar doses for all meals, between 3 and 4 Units in my case. I adjust these down if I have been very active. I also found it really helpful to separate the 'dawn phenomenon' dose which for me is around 2.5 to 3 units which I take as soon as I wake up and have found that this will keep me flat line until I eat.

Take care and medical advice if you change your doses and diet.
Best of luck always.
 

CHIET1

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
Type of diabetes
Type 1.5
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Hyperglycemia, hpyos, fake food!
I agree @StewartH and what you say above is exactly my experience also. I am taking 1 unit of fast acting insulin with my high protein, low carb meals (I still have some insulin production), 1 unit of fast acting insulin when I get up for DP and it really seems to be doing the trick for me. Keeping BS steady all day between 4-6 mmol/l. I only go over 6 if I over eat on protein. Also, I skip the insulin shot for meals after a heavy gym / weight session.
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
'Insulin resistant caused by eating too little carbs? As a moderator..you really need to back that statement up with a bit of science please. Sounds of gauntlet hitting floor.........

Google 'physiological insulin resistance' @StewartH

It's a recognised phenomenon. Not every person gets it, but it is a definite possibility.

As always, we should all pick the diet that suits us as individuals.

We all have slightly different "promised lands", to use your term :)