Insulin still high after 2 months very low carb page 2

[TheDarkMistress]

A real doctor might tell them something they don't agree with or don't want to hear. Better to stick to the echo chamber here.

Frankly, most doctors are not nutrition experts. Or they recommend the CW advice for diabetics: "Eat more complex carbs and less animal fat". ( Yeah, that's working great! Look around!). Or they don't have time to discuss diet and exercise.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

Personally I find a six hour eating window LESS stressful. I'm not worrying about "Oh, it's 9a. I should probably eat something. Oh, it's 11, I should have a snack." Worrying about only 2 meals a day (or 1 on really good days) is a lot less stressful, at least to me.

[emmie]

A very high insulin level that is considered abnormal by an MD is an endocrine problem, not simply an issue that can be addressed with nutrition. That's why I suggested consulting the doctor.

[paleo_newbie]

A real doctor might tell them something they don't agree with or don't want to hear. Better to stick to the echo chamber here.

I did discuss the issue with my doctor. She said to start the chromium and fenugreek supplements, continue what I'm doing, and come back in a month to see if there is any improvement. As for cause, she said it could be any number of things, including autoimmune disease, high levels of other hormones, insulin resistance, etc. She also said that I may not be eating as few carbs as I claim I am.

I also didn't really feel me and the doctor were on the same page. She told me my electrolytes looked low and wanted me to start drinking a Gatorade every day. I asked if sugar free would be okay, and she said no, it had to be the normal kind. It seems to me that if the goal is to get my insulin down, drinking 30-40 grams of pure sugar every day is not going to do the trick. It strikes me there should be an easier way to consume sodium and potassium.

So yes, my doctor did tell me something I don't agree with, because it strikes me a flat contradictory.

[reflex]

I did discuss the issue with my doctor. She told me my electrolytes looked low and wanted me to start drinking a Gatorade every day.

Writing as a primary care physician, when I read this line, all I could think was that you need to find another doctor. It's true that most physicians know little, if anything, about nutrition. Doctors aren't "health" experts, but "disease managers." The truth is that there isn't consensus on how best to nourish the human body (at least, there is enough controversy out there to make it confusing), and what is known about nutrition is usually taught to doctors in a few lectures in medical school, if that.

I have been a board certified family physician for ten years, and I would NEVER order and try to interpret an insulin level -- that is the job of an endocrinologist, in my opinion.

[paleo_newbie]

Writing as a primary care physician, when I read this line, all I could think was that you need to find another doctor. . . . I would NEVER order and try to interpret an insulin level -- that is the job of an endocrinologist, in my opinion.

Thanks for the perspective, reflex. I think another issue is that doctors are just too damn overworked. They don't have time to give the attention every patient deserves, professional ethics notwithstanding.

[Belforte]

I think the fact that your doctor recommended Chromium for the high sugar is a good sign, she didn't just medicate and is quite positive about the changes you have made. Do you feel that she does listen to you? Can she refer you to an endocrinologist?

Instead of gatorade could you perhaps use the coconut water that is meant to be good for that kind of thing.

And remember milk is insulingenic, so perhaps swap that for cream in your coffee.

I am working on the same thing but my levels are not so high.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

Coconut water is a fantastic suggestion! It has more potassium in it than a bunch of bananas. You could also try adding a little sea salt to your cooking for sodium, just don't go crazy.

[Apex Predator]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. To answer your question, I'm a male. I have a fantastic HIT instructor and I've watched/read everything I can find by Dr. McGuff, Drew Baye, and their peers, as well as watched all the lectures from the Ancestral Health Symposium Ancestral Health.

I will try the magnesium and Diabet-X supplements. I don't see how they could hurt. How does a 6-hour eating window work? I only consume food during those 6 hours? Does that help with insulin resistance?

You could try Starting Strength if HIT isn't working for you. I've seen it(when paired with Primal) reverse 25 years of T2D and metabolic syndrome in a couple months. SS massively improves insulin sensitivity.

However, I have a sneaking, sinking feeling that it is something more serious. I'd see an endocrinologist ASAP.

[suzyq]

It seems to me that if the goal is to get my insulin down, drinking 30-40 grams of pure sugar every day is not going to do the trick. It strikes me there should be an easier way to consume sodium and potassium.

The small cans of V8 have both sodium and potassium. There is a little bit of carb but not that much. My husband is T2 diabetic and works out in the sun all day and swears they are better than Gatorade for salt replacement. He also takes Cinnamonum verum to help drop his blood sugar levels, on days when his blood sugar is a little high or after he eats more carbs than he should. Don't get Cinnamomun aromaticum though something about your liver can't remember it all sorry. I'm not sure of the correlation between high glucose & insulin, other than you use insulin to process glucose. So, IDK if the cinnamon would help or not.