Even Dr Cywes has talked about some of his long term carnivore patients starting to experience an increase in their average blood glucose levels and trigs (and it's not due due their red blood cells living too long since the CGM measures glucose directly). He thinks that this is due to long term very low insulin levels and he recommends that they add some carbs into their diet (her recommends about 50 grams a day). Those that are carnivore can do it through dairy products or honey (if honey doesn't trigger their sugar addiction issues). And those that are low carb can add some low glycemic veggies and/or fruits. Ben Azadi also talks about Keto Flex. He does it by adding carbs on the weekend to get those periodic insulin spikes. Like you said, insulin is an important hormone and it shouldn't be too low for too long because you can start having some health issues as Type 1 diabetics show. This is not a problem for the vast majority of people in the US, but it's something that is important in our low carb community
I’ve been following you for YEARS! I have had a similar story as you. I was keto/carnivore since Jan 2019, in 2022 I started feeling terrible & after a year of doctor visits, was diagnosed with 2 autoimmune diseases. I tried everything from carnivore to dairy free, to you name it & still felt miserable. I was convinced carbs were the enemy so that wasn’t an option UNTIL I slowly added a few healthy carbs into my diet last summer & started to feel a little better. Currently I feel 80% better and finally realized maybe carbs are the enemy for some, but just not for me. I feel so much better with about 100-150 total carbs in my diet!! (For now anyway) it’s so hard to have an open mind, when you’re convinced otherwise. Keep doing what makes you feel the best!💜
Thank you for always being so honest and balanced in how you express your journey. This speaks so much to people being different and approaching your health from an educated perspective. Even though my body responds best to my version of ketoviore, I love listening to your experiences and you give me things to consider or even just to learn about. Keep doing you ❤️
I really enjoy your content because you think, you measure and collect data and reset your course as necessary, and you are not dogmatic and double down on inefficient eating styles for your health. And so importantly you work with your own doctors regarding your health and don’t blindly follow the white coat talking heads on RUclips. As an LMHR my insulin was low, but my cholesterol was through the roof, literally. I finally decided to go with my gut and increase my carbs a bit and eat very lean and very low saturated fat. I was able to finally drive it down to a level I am happy with despite all the noise in the keto community about low carbs and saturated fat being ok and more is better. I am also better fueled for my work outs with a little extra carb on board, and so far my insulin levels haven’t suffered and my A1c is very good. This is what health looks like for me and that is the N=1 that counts! I also enjoy watching other people’s journeys, but when they start stubbornly doubling down on what I think are unhealthy dietary styles and still are not getting the results they expect, I tend to let them go. Best wishes to you!! 😊
Sounds like you are on track and following your health goals with testing. We are all bio individuals, therefore, it is different for each one of us. I also follow keto/ketovore, but recently found I have nutrient deficiencies and do not metabolize fat very well. Until I address those issues, I'll need to make adjustments and will continue to test as I go to see my progress. Blood tests and urinalysis do not lie about your current health status. We must listen to them and adjust.
Thank you! This is such a great video. Lots of people are slowly backing out of the room with these extreme eating protocols. Some people, however, cannot process any carbs because their metabolism is really broken. N=1 always.
Thank you for sharing, I’m at this point now too. I have Thyriod issues and it messes with my hormones. I have found I need a few carbs especially with my busy life style. ❤🙏🏻
Nili, I just want to say thank you for sharing your journey. And, thank you for paying attention to your body. You're absolutely right when you say that everyone is different. We each have our own issues, and need truly individualized approaches to getting, and staying, healthy. I know I have insulin resistance. I have since I was in middle school. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 21. I've been having symptoms of insulin resistance since my mid-teens (skin tags, staying heavy with repetitive prolonged fasting (and, yes, I had a serious problem), among other things that I won't get into). I was never told that I needed to change my food. I was only ever told to exercise more and eat less. Well, at one point, I ate one can of tuna, two hard-boiled eggs, and a bowl of lettuce each day. Honestly, that's all I ate for 5-6 months. I walked a minimum of two miles every day. The dog I had then was a sporting dog that needed tons of exercise. I actually gained weight. I went into a pretty dark place, and stayed there for a very long time. I refuse to let that happen at this point in my life. When I got diagnosed with pre-diabetes, just over a year ago, I was terrified. I thought, "Here we go. It's finally happening, and I can do nothing about it." After about a billion hours of research, I stumbled into one of your videos. It had been a RUclips suggestion after watching another creator. You made sense to me. Your no-nonsense approach, honesty, and direct manner was exactly what I needed. And I still thoroughly enjoy your videos, even if you're back on the carbs. 😁 You're doing you, and that's perfect.
I completely agree with your analysis. Everything is easier when it's black or white - but that's not reality. Most of the time it's grey - as you said. We all have to do what is best for us and our health - and I'm glad you stand for that. One size does not fit all.
Wow, i wonder what you are describing is happening to me. I haven't done the fasting insulin, only A1C. My A1C went from 5.8 to 5.4 to 5.9 again. Very low carb to no carb. I remember Rachel from 2KK, Dr Cywes told her to add some carbs. I am more meat based, and have done nothing but gain weight. I was blaming it on my thyroid. I hope I can find the answer. Thank you for sharing.
So what are the changes you are making to improve your health? Any specifics? I also love watching and following folks and doctors. I am a 69 year old N of 1 doing pretty good with high protein, lower carbs. At least my PCP is pleased. Always tweaking for health after I lost 60+ lbs in 2010.
My last fasting bloodwork showed my blood sugar was 42 and my insulin was 106.5. I do not take insulin or any other diabetes medication. My endocrine provider thinks I may have an insulin-secreting tumor in my stomach, but I have since had an endoscopy and an abdominal CT scan and both were normal.
Kick it Naturally on RUclips talks about how not everyone should do Keto/Carnivore. His video tells the people who should not do it. I have pretty much had the same experience and adding more carbs actually kept my sugars good. Fixing my gut is where I am at now and I have read that helps with regulating blood sugar.
I believe Sarah Kleiner on RUclips came to the same conclusion you did, with a similar journey. As well as Lillie Kane and her husband. Because of them, I have begun incorporating carbs back into my diet again, from Whole Foods. Especially the two weeks before my period. Some say it helps with the formation of hormones.
What tests should I ask my doctor for to check my insulin? Why my doctor will not test for insulin resistance? I have only had glucose test and always flags high 100+. I have been Ketovore high protein for over 6 years. My doctor is mostly concerned with my extremely high cholesterol 379+. I’m 67, strength train, eat 90% Ketovore, at goal weight and normal BP. Family high cholesterol. Refused the statin meds. Love to try a CGM so I can experiment with adding healthy carbs. That will be my next discussion with my doctor along with insulin tests. 🥰
Your doctor refused to order a hemoglobin A1C? That's like gold standard in any doctor who won't order that needs to be fired. You might need to find a new physician.
Hi Nili - Curious if you think thyroid issues are connected? I went from 7 to 9 for an insulin result and can't figure it out. Mostly carnivore. Tried to add yogurt and a clean protein powder? Love your in depth dives!
Do some more research. I came to the conclusion that the blood type diet is bogus if that's what you're referring to. Your research might come to a different conclusion to mine.
No, not at all. Foods spike blood glucose based on how many sugars/carbs they have. Insulin is released to keep blood sugar in a good range. Therefore if more insulin is needed to keep large blood sugar spikes in check, then you will have a higher amount of free floating insulin. Generally the same foods spike each persons blood sugar the same regardless. Although, if someone is more metabolically unhealthy, those foods could spike someone higher than it might spike someone else as a result. Thus making insulin higher. I hope that makes sense the way I explained it 😊
I'm a little confused. I knew from your last video that your insulin numbers were up to 6.8. In this video i thought you were saying you insulin had gone even higher, but you never mentioned it in your video. Are you just elaborating on the previous video? Your insulin has not gone above 6.8?
Yes, this is part 2 on my insulin test result of 6.8. I mentioned in the last video that I would elaborate on my thoughts about it in the next one (this video).
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Even Dr Cywes has talked about some of his long term carnivore patients starting to experience an increase in their average blood glucose levels and trigs (and it's not due due their red blood cells living too long since the CGM measures glucose directly). He thinks that this is due to long term very low insulin levels and he recommends that they add some carbs into their diet (her recommends about 50 grams a day). Those that are carnivore can do it through dairy products or honey (if honey doesn't trigger their sugar addiction issues). And those that are low carb can add some low glycemic veggies and/or fruits. Ben Azadi also talks about Keto Flex. He does it by adding carbs on the weekend to get those periodic insulin spikes. Like you said, insulin is an important hormone and it shouldn't be too low for too long because you can start having some health issues as Type 1 diabetics show. This is not a problem for the vast majority of people in the US, but it's something that is important in our low carb community
I love listening to Dr. Bikman. These last two videos were great. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been following you for YEARS! I have had a similar story as you. I was keto/carnivore since Jan 2019, in 2022 I started feeling terrible & after a year of doctor visits, was diagnosed with 2 autoimmune diseases. I tried everything from carnivore to dairy free, to you name it & still felt miserable. I was convinced carbs were the enemy so that wasn’t an option UNTIL I slowly added a few healthy carbs into my diet last summer & started to feel a little better. Currently I feel 80% better and finally realized maybe carbs are the enemy for some, but just not for me. I feel so much better with about 100-150 total carbs in my diet!! (For now anyway) it’s so hard to have an open mind, when you’re convinced otherwise. Keep doing what makes you feel the best!💜
Thank you for always being so honest and balanced in how you express your journey. This speaks so much to people being different and approaching your health from an educated perspective. Even though my body responds best to my version of ketoviore, I love listening to your experiences and you give me things to consider or even just to learn about. Keep doing you ❤️
I think this was your best video. Thanks for the perspective and your work.
I agree! This was a very sharp analysis and brings up some great points.
I really enjoy your content because you think, you measure and collect data and reset your course as necessary, and you are not dogmatic and double down on inefficient eating styles for your health. And so importantly you work with your own doctors regarding your health and don’t blindly follow the white coat talking heads on RUclips. As an LMHR my insulin was low, but my cholesterol was through the roof, literally. I finally decided to go with my gut and increase my carbs a bit and eat very lean and very low saturated fat. I was able to finally drive it down to a level I am happy with despite all the noise in the keto community about low carbs and saturated fat being ok and more is better. I am also better fueled for my work outs with a little extra carb on board, and so far my insulin levels haven’t suffered and my A1c is very good. This is what health looks like for me and that is the N=1 that counts! I also enjoy watching other people’s journeys, but when they start stubbornly doubling down on what I think are unhealthy dietary styles and still are not getting the results they expect, I tend to let them go. Best wishes to you!! 😊
Sounds like you are on track and following your health goals with testing. We are all bio individuals, therefore, it is different for each one of us. I also follow keto/ketovore, but recently found I have nutrient deficiencies and do not metabolize fat very well. Until I address those issues, I'll need to make adjustments and will continue to test as I go to see my progress. Blood tests and urinalysis do not lie about your current health status. We must listen to them and adjust.
So wonderful you see the good and bad for different journeys. I love you sharing your journey. Please continue. Great content. Thank you.
Nicely and clearly explained.
Great video. Thank you for sharing your results.
Thank you! This is such a great video. Lots of people are slowly backing out of the room with these extreme eating protocols. Some people, however, cannot process any carbs because their metabolism is really broken. N=1 always.
Thank you for sharing, I’m at this point now too. I have Thyriod issues and it messes with my hormones. I have found I need a few carbs especially with my busy life style. ❤🙏🏻
Nili, I just want to say thank you for sharing your journey. And, thank you for paying attention to your body.
You're absolutely right when you say that everyone is different. We each have our own issues, and need truly individualized approaches to getting, and staying, healthy.
I know I have insulin resistance. I have since I was in middle school. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 21. I've been having symptoms of insulin resistance since my mid-teens (skin tags, staying heavy with repetitive prolonged fasting (and, yes, I had a serious problem), among other things that I won't get into).
I was never told that I needed to change my food. I was only ever told to exercise more and eat less. Well, at one point, I ate one can of tuna, two hard-boiled eggs, and a bowl of lettuce each day. Honestly, that's all I ate for 5-6 months. I walked a minimum of two miles every day. The dog I had then was a sporting dog that needed tons of exercise.
I actually gained weight. I went into a pretty dark place, and stayed there for a very long time.
I refuse to let that happen at this point in my life.
When I got diagnosed with pre-diabetes, just over a year ago, I was terrified. I thought, "Here we go. It's finally happening, and I can do nothing about it."
After about a billion hours of research, I stumbled into one of your videos. It had been a RUclips suggestion after watching another creator. You made sense to me. Your no-nonsense approach, honesty, and direct manner was exactly what I needed. And I still thoroughly enjoy your videos, even if you're back on the carbs. 😁 You're doing you, and that's perfect.
Brava!! Sounds like metabolic flexibility!
I completely agree with your analysis. Everything is easier when it's black or white - but that's not reality. Most of the time it's grey - as you said. We all have to do what is best for us and our health - and I'm glad you stand for that. One size does not fit all.
Wow, i wonder what you are describing is happening to me. I haven't done the fasting insulin, only A1C. My A1C went from 5.8 to 5.4 to 5.9 again. Very low carb to no carb. I remember Rachel from 2KK, Dr Cywes told her to add some carbs. I am more meat based, and have done nothing but gain weight. I was blaming it on my thyroid. I hope I can find the answer. Thank you for sharing.
I have a similar story. Trying my darndest to figure it out but it might be that I need to add a few carbs. Just a few...
Dr gary fetky says 5 is top range to be insulin sensitive still.😊
So what are the changes you are making to improve your health? Any specifics?
I also love watching and following folks and doctors. I am a 69 year old N of 1 doing pretty good with high protein, lower carbs. At least my PCP is pleased. Always tweaking for health after I lost 60+ lbs in 2010.
My last fasting bloodwork showed my blood sugar was 42 and my insulin was 106.5. I do not take insulin or any other diabetes medication. My endocrine provider thinks I may have an insulin-secreting tumor in my stomach, but I have since had an endoscopy and an abdominal CT scan and both were normal.
Are you sure about the numbers? At a blood sugar of 42 you probably would not still be conscious..
Love this video and following your journey! ❤
very interesting
Kick it Naturally on RUclips talks about how not everyone should do Keto/Carnivore. His video tells the people who should not do it. I have pretty much had the same experience and adding more carbs actually kept my sugars good. Fixing my gut is where I am at now and I have read that helps with regulating blood sugar.
I believe Sarah Kleiner on RUclips came to the same conclusion you did, with a similar journey. As well as Lillie Kane and her husband. Because of them, I have begun incorporating carbs back into my diet again, from Whole Foods. Especially the two weeks before my period. Some say it helps with the formation of hormones.
What tests should I ask my doctor for to check my insulin? Why my doctor will not test for insulin resistance? I have only had glucose test and always flags high 100+. I have been Ketovore high protein for over 6 years. My doctor is mostly concerned with my extremely high cholesterol 379+. I’m 67, strength train, eat 90% Ketovore, at goal weight and normal BP. Family high cholesterol. Refused the statin meds. Love to try a CGM so I can experiment with adding healthy carbs. That will be my next discussion with my doctor along with insulin tests. 🥰
Your doctor refused to order a hemoglobin A1C? That's like gold standard in any doctor who won't order that needs to be fired. You might need to find a new physician.
8 glasses of water or 4 ?
Hi Nili - Curious if you think thyroid issues are connected? I went from 7 to 9 for an insulin result and can't figure it out. Mostly carnivore. Tried to add yogurt and a clean protein powder? Love your in depth dives!
No study that I'm aware of, that clearly proves more or better etophogy from fasting.
Your liver will make all the sugar you need.
??? Would the foods that spike our insulin be the result of the blood type of each man/woman ?
Do some more research. I came to the conclusion that the blood type diet is bogus if that's what you're referring to.
Your research might come to a different conclusion to mine.
No, not at all. Foods spike blood glucose based on how many sugars/carbs they have. Insulin is released to keep blood sugar in a good range. Therefore if more insulin is needed to keep large blood sugar spikes in check, then you will have a higher amount of free floating insulin. Generally the same foods spike each persons blood sugar the same regardless. Although, if someone is more metabolically unhealthy, those foods could spike someone higher than it might spike someone else as a result. Thus making insulin higher. I hope that makes sense the way I explained it 😊
I'm a little confused. I knew from your last video that your insulin numbers were up to 6.8. In this video i thought you were saying you insulin had gone even higher, but you never mentioned it in your video. Are you just elaborating on the previous video? Your insulin has not gone above 6.8?
Yes, this is part 2 on my insulin test result of 6.8. I mentioned in the last video that I would elaborate on my thoughts about it in the next one (this video).