Carbs are not the enemy.
There was a time when I would never have toyed with the idea of actually embracing carbs as the foundation of my diet. Everyone says, ‘carbs and sugar make you fat-eat more fat if you want to be lean’. I said that a lot, although my focus wasn’t usually on weight gain-but more on blood sugar. Having to negotiate with insulin in order to take in more carbs made it easy to default to a ketogenic diet which, as I’ve stated is not completely without it’s value, but simply put, did NOT work for me once I mixed in greater athletic output. I am not on a mission to convert anyone to any type of diet-just to present my findings in hopes that it will add value as you are seeking to tackle new goals-in diabetes management and the places you bring that diabetes. Once I give these dietary guidelines below a few weeks of implementation I will discuss the experiment in a podcast episode.
So I recently shifted my diet from a low carb/high fat approach to one that can be simply described as high carb/low fat. Now before the outcry over low fat diets of the 90s giving rise to over-processed “low fat” foods that were deconstructed, zapped to reduce the fat content and then reimagined with greater sugar and foisted back over on the public as “heart-healthy”, let me make clear that this is not what I am referring to. Let me phrase it another way; “fruits, roots and leaves.”
Here is a snapshot of how I conceive the staples of this diet, which I have rigorously linked to nutritional profiles:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Peaches
- Apples
- Chia seeds
- Low fat Greek yogurt
- Salads of biblical proportions (olive oil and balsamic)
- zucchini/squash
- broccoli/cauliflower
- green beans/ snap peas
- quinoa
With sparing application of:
- Almond/peanut butter
- grated parmesan cheese
- half and half (coffee)
- chocolate
- nuts and seeds
- eggs
- protein powder
- light popcorn
I’ll be predominately eating vegan as it turns out. Notably absent are meat, cheese and processed foods. Oh, did I mention I haven’t had any diet soda in a month? As I’ve started training and begun following these new dietary guidelines the cravings for Coke Zero have subsided and I just don’t really care about it any more. I tried drinking some the other week and it just was unusually gross (typically that first sip of a Coke Zero was akin to the use of substances far more illicit-in a highly addictive and pleasing way).
I have said that there are no universal truths in diet-but I may have to backpedal on that a tiny bit. I should have said that there are no “bad” macro nutrients if they are used appropriately. Carbs, fat and protein all have value. The arrangement of those components is up for debate-but universally speaking, the only position I hold to firmly is the value of eliminating processed foods from our diets wherever possible. So if you think all my ideas are horse hockey and you want to eat fat and meat in spades-great. That might be better for you. I’m not selling meal plans, so be my guest to experiment and find what works best for you. I’d just advise that you get the grass fed steak-over the regurgitated-reconstituted-beef-matter that I used to inhale in college in the name of “getting enough protein”. Quality matters. You probably pay attention to the fuel you put in your car-and wouldn’t put diesel in a regular tank just because (if it is?) it’s a few cents cheaper because it’s not good for the longevity. Same with your body and the fuel it needs.
I know that people are very sensitive to discussions of diet-because there is often judgment attached to it. For example, when I wrote last weeks blog about how the Ketogenic diet failed me in terms of athletic performance, I had a guy on Reddit tell me “you’re doing it wrong”. That’s not what I am trying to do here-I don’t want to judge YOUR diet. I want to show you how I judge my own. Save the criticism of each other and be harsh with your own habits and lots can happen. It is always important to question our methods-including the things we think are infallible. Questioning them will expose weaknesses-or it will expose greater integrity. Either way, you win!
With that general principle in mind, what you see above is how I have changed my diet. I will be honest, it has been challenging because it is uncomfortable. It feels like a diet. But even in the first few days of trying this on for size I have noticed some benefit so I am pressing forward. I am not a researcher per se, although I am proud to say that as a participant on the Glu website that what I experience and share here is going into a bigger picture of real time research, and that’s something we all can (and should, in my opinion) do. Right? I mean the micro research that I am doing and that you are doing can be macro research if you just plug it in.
Nevertheless, here are the criteria by which I am going to assess my “experiment”:
- Energy levels (working out and during normal daily activity)
- Sleep (quality/quantity)
- Strength/power during climbing
- Body composition
- blood glucose
- insulin sensitivity
My method is less stringent than what would be accepted by the New England Journal of Medicine; I admit that a lot of what I am presenting may seem (be?) anecdotal. Some variables could be present that I will inevitably miss and so I can’t tell anyone how they should or should not eat-other than processed foods being less desirable than whole foods, generally speaking. Do you have any suggestions for how to better assess the results of my experiment? Sound off in the comments below or email me [email protected]!
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How have your blood sugars been? Are you able to exercise without lows? Are you able to exercise on a bolus and food combo?
Oh well now you are asking me to tip my hand! Those are great questions; ones I am going to answer in depth in coming posts and ultimately a wrap-up podcast. In short, there is a lot of promise with this approach but the style of management is definitely different. It’s like a fighting style-grappling is very different from boxing, but each can be effective in certain situations. Ultimately the answer is that I am still learning the answers to your questions and I hope to have a greater depth of analysis in the coming weeks!
Great Article! Displays the “not one size fits all approach” to finding out what works for you. Pulling from all worlds of thought and dietary approaches and cleaning up from processed to whole foods. It is not necessarily about “low carb” but the “right carbs”. And always the age old question about “where do I get my protein from?” Bless your body with nutrient dense foods and the rest as supplemental condiments. Juggling the macro nutrients. You are getting it! There is no “right way”. Just finding the choices may work better for some and not for all. Another parallel to life and vertical living. Enjoy the journey!
Thank you! Now comes the fun part of seeing if/how it will work!
4 years ago I cut out meat and processed foods, while eating fish 1-2 times a week, and eating real cheese (not the orange kind ). I did it to see how it would affect my sleep, which noticeably improved that same week. What I didn’t expect was to see better blood sugars even though I increased my carb intake (farro, quinoa, bulgar, beans, etc). I upped my meal time insulin doses to cover the carbs-but I didn’t have the sharp rising and falling. No sodas or refined foods, just wholesome, nutrient dense foods.
Now, admittedly, there are days I reach for something easy and processed due to poor planning, but that’s key. If I take the time to plan out my foods, it’s easy! And I can tell when I eat something I shouldn’t-tired, achy, crazy blood sugars, etc.
Good luck! To each his own, and what works for one t1d may not for others-finding balance is key!
Thanks Brittany! So far my results are variable but generally seem positive and in line with what you’re saying. Let’s see how it plays out!
Excited to hear how it goes. I’m actually curious to see how your diet was before because this still seems pretty low carb to me. . . but then I don’t actually count carbs - maybe I should? I see many of the same foods I eat when training for distance races, but find I still crave carbs . . . trying to find ones that give me the energy I need without feeling carbed up.
That’s a great point and one that I hope to hit harder in coming posts; it’s clean carbs portioned effectively. Most of the time we associate carbs with processed food (pizza,pasta, bread, sweets) but whole foods seem to have an advantage. All carbs are not created equal!
Just looked at your diet before and now I see the difference and how there definitely is more carbs now. 😉
Steve-Totally relate man. I’ve been on a journey with food for the past two years. I embarked in a pretty similar fashion to you, centered around whole foods, which then turned into a predominantly vegan approach. Can’t wait to hear about how it goes and the effects on BG/insulin. It’s always fun to defy convention.
Thanks Ryan! In addition to a couple more blogs detailing my results, I’m having a couple guests on the podcast who can elaborate too-one ultra runner and a molecular biologist! I know I have a lot of questions still myself!