i m suffering from type 1 from long time and i m 28 years old, i recently heard about paleo diet. Have any one tried it? i have few concerns before going on the diet regime. like how safe are they from point of view of heart, as it depends on too much eating of grass eating animals like cows, lambs.. So my question does eating so much of saturated fat wont effect the heart and lead to arteriosclerosis, heart diseases or heart attack. And how effective are they in bringing sugar level down.
Hi Rajesh, I'm a 29 year old T1 and I have followed a low carb adaptation of paleo eating for two years now. Not just as a diabetic, but as a human being I can say that it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. First, I know it sounds cliche, but Paleo truly is not a diet - for you to adapt Paleo, view it as a lifestyle. Ignore the hype and craze around it being a trendy diet. My suggestion would be to take time to research and understand the "why" behind the philosophy - it will make it so much easier to follow and adapt, and my guess is your heart health questions will go away! Robb Wolf's website is a fantastic source of information and he has posted a few times specifically on Type 1 and paleo: http://robbwolf.com/. As a T1 you may consider trying the auto-immune protocol to begin with --- you may be surprised by how many foods your body has unknown intolerances to.
I've had a lot less highs and more predictable sugars since adapting --- and my hormones are far more balanced. My blood work in terms of heart health, cholesterol etc. is perfect. I think above all it has taught me how interconnected gut health is to diabetes management and optimal autoimmune function.
Best of luck and feel free to message me if you'd like to talk further or know more!
How awesome for you Katie! I've been looking at it more and more. My niece has noticed that when she removes gluten she needs far less insulin. How did you figure out the amount needed? How quickly did your insulin needs change? Did you have lots of lows?
That's great to hear Dee Dee! For me it was trial and error, completely. I'm a pump user so I can be very agile with adjusting. I was already following a relatively low carb diet, and before finding paleo I had eliminated gluten, soy, and most dairy for a myriad of reasons, which is where I saw the biggest insulin requirement shift. Within two weeks of doing that I decreased my basal rate by 40%. Then, somehow, it seems like (at least for me) the body adjusts to your new way of doing things and so I think I netted out somewhere at about a 25-30% reduction. I think the big caveat here is that paleo isn't clearance to consume copious amounts of fruit, nuts, or almond-flour based baked goods ;) - Your blood sugar will keep you honest with that (as I quickly learned!) I have found that because I eat such nutrient dense foods, I am not much of a snacker like I used to be. Important to note though that I adapted Paleo to a low carb lifestyle - I eat a very restricted amount of carbohydrate. Paleo itself is not a low carb way of eating.
Rajesh - one more follow up - I noticed from your profile that you live in Northern India. If you research more and are interested in pursuing further, I know of a dietitian in Delhi that helps adapt traditional North India cuisine to be gluten and soy free...(I met her mother last time I was in Delhi.) A ways of a drive but may be worth connecting with her as someone to support you.
awww katie, thanks thats a very kind gesture. But currently i am in New Zealand. And here for 2 years at least. Its so many gluten free options here and yes i m doing lots of research on same, watching lot of things on you tube on paleo. Hearing mark Sisson, Jeff Wallack and many more. I am very excited for going on diet, as i always wanted a healthy and good strong build up type of physique. But after being diagnosed with T1, it was very depressing for me and like my dreams was shattered. And my sugars are not keeping up well, even i wanted to save my organs, further diabetic is effecting my sex life a lot. So i feel paleo is the answer i was looking for. But u r right, i should not be jumping fast, i should complete my research first. But your reply has given me a lot of calm.
Ok tell me are their any limits, for eating all these meats, as they are big stores of saturated fat. or go with flow. I tell u what i eat, 2 chicken legs with a very small quantity of brown rice, and a bowl of salad with mushrooms, avocado, half apple, 3 boiled carrots and surimi crab meat. And in evening chicken breast with small quantity of brown rice and again bowl of salad. But i am thinking starting lamb stakes as well.
Hey, I don't mean to self-promote, but I wrote a post about my experience switching to the diet some time ago. I have been on it for the past 5 months and really saw an amazing improvement with stabilizing my glucose levels. I am currently switching to the pump, however I feel confident that I would be perfectly fine and healthy managing the T1 condition with just MDI and following this diet. As far as fat goes, you can get your protein through lean meats like chicken breast that don't have much fat, just stay away from the burgers.
My story: I was diagnosed with T1D a year and a half ago, landed in the hospital with a a1c of 15.6. Got on insulin and a good endo and thought I had things pretty well managed for a while but the past six months I saw my insulin doses going up and up to the point where they had more than doubled (I inject using pens) Had always dismissed Paleo as fad-ish but was intrigued by stories by others with T1D. Decided to try it two weeks ago, and within 10 days I was back down to half the Lantus I was on before I made the switch, I haven't injected for meals (Novolog) at all during that time. I feel really good and my numbers have never been lower or more stable. For whatever reason, it is working for me.
Re: saturated fat / heart disease, I am actually eating less meat / saturated fat now than I was before I decided to try Paleo. I had upped my meat and cheese intake exponentially after diagnosis -- no carbs = no shot -- and was also concerned about the effects of my changed diet on my heart, but I had a really thorough workup by the cardiologist who saw me in the hospital about a year after being diagnosed (was initially admitted because I thought I was having a heart attack) and my numbers were great, very similar to before diagnosis.
That's my experience, anyway. I will add I had cut out grains completely already for a few months beforehand because I was seeing such a big spike in my numbers eating any grain, particularly wheat, so it wasn't such a huge change to go Paleo except for the dairy, which I really enjoy(ed), particularly yogurt and kefir.
If you try it please update this post. Also, I would suggest easing into it, and see how it goes. Good luck to you!
Does paleo mean eliminating yogurt, kefir? From where do you get calcium? Yogurt and kefir also contain "good" bacteria....do you have a source for that? I also want to reduce/eliminate wheat, grains...etc.
As a diabetic we learn pretty quickly that we're all different. Hence, the most unbiased and quantitative way to determine what you can and cannot eat is through trial and error and testing with your meter - or "eating to your meter," as it is often said. As one poster recently aptly stated, it's the "you" diet. Hence, see what Yoghurt and Kefir do to your BG after eating. Some people will spike dramatically, others won't. If you do not tolerate it well, rest assured that no milk products provide essential nutrition: Broccoli is a better source of calcuim, for example. Sauerkraut and Kimchee are good sources of "good" bacteria, as well as the multitude of probiotic supplements readily available over the counter at almost every drugstore.
I've found following a high-fat, low-carb diet has made BG control straightforward, and I've experienced all the other benefits listed by the other posters on this thread including optimal lipid profile, ideal weight, consistent energy and improved mental acuity.
Be careful of the "gluten free" fad the food industry is promoting. The best way to go "gluten free" is to eat foods that naturally do not contain it - not by eating foods that would normally contain it but have been modified. This because they will often have a much higher glycemic index and spike your BG even worse. Instead of wheat, for example, they will use rice starch which will convert to glucose even faster. Hence, if you plan to go "gluten free," don't start buying "gluten free" bread, just stop eating bread.
In a strict definition of Paleo, dairy is not allowed although eggs generally are. I think we all need to adapt and I think it is reasonable to consider a Paleo diet which also include dairy and eggs.
A big thing to remember with the Paleo diet is that foods like yogurt and kefir that you buy from the store may be very different foods than "real" yogurt and kefir. I make my own yogurt, I ferment it completely and I don't add sugar. It is low carb, very rich and quite different than the typical store bought yogurt.
Excellent point, Brian. I fully agree. I also make my own yoghurt, the equivalent of which is almost impossible to find commercially these days. It's the way yoghurt used to be made before processed food companies like General Mills (Yoplait) got in the game. When you make it yourself, you can be certain it is free of all the processing that includes removing fat and adding sugar, and God only knows what else they do to it. Most commercial fat-free yoghurts (including Greek) have enough added sugar that their sugar content is the same or even greater than the equivalent portion of ice cream.
do you have a recipe or a how to url link? I purchase the ones with the label "live active culture" added after pasteurization and prefer goat kefir and yogurt.
Understand, this is by no means paleo. And it is just my current version, there are lots of variations you can do.
I typically make batch of 3 pints as that is what fits in my yogurt maker. Pour 3 cups heavy cream and 3 cups whole milk in 3 quart saucepan. Actually be skimpy so you come up about 1/4-1/2 cup short on the cream/milk. Heat slowly to 175-180 deg F, this kills other bacteria. If you overheat slightly it you can still use it, but it won't taste as good. Then place saucepan in ice bath until it cools to 110 deg F at which time you should place 1/4 cup starter yogurt (this is why you are skimpy on the cream/milk), a dash of vanilla extract and sweetener as desired into the mixture. Whisk it quickly and then pour into cups and place in the yogurt maker. Let ferment for 12-24 hours in the yogurt maker and then place in the fridge.
ps. As a starter, I reuse the last cup of yogurt left over but after 4-6 times I refresh the starter with a new "store bought" yogurt to be used as starter.
