Type 1 Diabetes - Why I Quit Keto and Started Eating Carbs

Key wellness & self-care strategies discussed (Type 1 diabetes focus)

1) Use a “numbers + context” approach (monitoring, not obsession)

Track glucose patterns to understand:

• How high glucose goes
• How long it stays elevated
• How quickly it comes down
• % time in range (he aims for >70% within his tight target range)

He also tracks non-glucose cardiometabolic markers (often overlooked), such as:

• LDL
• ApoB
• Other lipid/biomarker panels

2) Diet transitions should be gradual and individualized

He noted that early advice told him to eat carbs at each meal, but he experimented personally:

• Low-carb paleo for ~7 years (helped glucose, but lipids drifted upward)
• Then keto (temporarily improved glucose, but later caused problems)
• Then switched to mostly plant-based eating:
  • initially fruit-forward
  • then gradually increased legumes/beans for longer-term improvement

He emphasized the importance of trade-offs and personalization, finding a sustainable balance around:

• ~30% calories from fat (mostly unsaturated), rather than extreme low-fat or extreme keto-style fat.

3) Recognize why high-fat meals can worsen insulin response (especially saturated fat)

He explained two layers:

• Acute (meal-level) effect

  • More fat—especially saturated fat—paired with carbs can require much more insulin
  • It can contribute to delayed glucose rises (e.g., pizza-type spikes that may show during sleep)

• Chronic (long-term) effect

  • Saturated fat may contribute to ectopic fat storage (liver/muscle), lowering insulin effectiveness over time
  • This may cause overnight “liver glucose output” to run too high despite insulin dosing

4) Build insulin sensitivity by changing fat type + carb tolerance over time

His plant-based transition strategy included:

• Cut refined oils
• Remove extreme keto-fat patterns
• Start with fruit first
• Slowly introduce legumes/beans
• Expect a period of “bad numbers” while adapting—don’t quit mid-transition

5) Prioritize gut tolerance when changing dietary patterns

He reported digestion challenges when adding legumes/beans, and used a ramp-up plan:

• Lean on plant protein powders initially
• Gradually increase legumes/beans weekly until tolerance improves

Framed as:

Your microbiome/digestion may need time to adapt to a new “currency” of foods.

6) Exercise as a “toolkit” (structured exercise + incidental movement)

He strongly emphasized exercise isn’t one thing—it’s a set of tools:

• Resistance training

  • Builds muscle and can improve insulin sensitivity lasting 48–72 hours
  • He targets it at least every 48 hours

• Walking (especially when glucose is high)

  • A 15-minute walk can help bring glucose down

• Cardio intensity variation matters

  • Different modalities and timing affect glucose differently
  • Example mistake: assuming high-intensity sprints will “fix everything”—they can raise glucose when it’s already high

• Incidental movement counts

  • Gardening, walking the dog, dancing, etc.

• Behavior-change support

  • Using feedback (like glucose readings) helps motivate staying active and avoiding too much sitting

7) CGMs: helpful for learning, but not a “flatline obsession”

He critiqued common CGM culture:

• The industry may label normal elevations as “spikes”
• People chase flatline glucose without strong evidence

His balanced view:

• CGMs can unmask insulin resistance/prediabetes in some people
• For non-diabetics, caution against overinterpretation and unnecessary food elimination

Practical learning he suggests people can take from CGMs:

• Late large meals may cause delayed elevations that affect sleep and next-night glucose
• Sometimes the answer is smaller earlier meals, not removing foods entirely

8) Lifestyle adherence: structured habits + accountability

He uses scheduling and accountability approaches:

• Exercise blocks (intentional “training time”) plus movement throughout the day

He’s also developing an app with:

• Multi-week training programs
• Bodyweight/dumbbell options
• Plant-based recipes

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Presenters / sources

• Presenter/Guest: Drew Harrisburg (exercise physiologist, sports scientist, diabetes educator; type 1 diabetes lived experience)

• Mentioned sources/figures:

  • Simon Hill (Plant Proof / related plant-based diabetes education)
  • Dr. Michelle McMacken (name mentioned; plant-based approach referenced)
  • Robbie (from “asking diabetes” community; mentioned in context of plant-based transition)
  • Cyrus (from “asking diabetes” community; mentioned in context of plant-based transition)