Beyond carbohydrate counting
Most "diabetes-friendly" meal plans focus on carbs. Cutting back on bread, rice, pasta, and replacing them with low-carb substitutes. But what if the real metabolic trigger is something less discussed — meal frequency and constant insulin signaling?
Dr. Fung's Diabetes Code highlights an important concept often overlooked by conventional healthcare advice: frequent eating keeps insulin chronically elevated, even when meals are technically low-carb. Clinical data supports this observation. Even low-carb snacks can cause insulin elevations that may impede metabolic improvement.
My takeaways from Dr. Fung's insights:
- 2 larger meals per day, with true fasting gaps in between (eliminating "healthy snacks")
- Meals built around proteins and natural fats, rather than just pursuing low-carb replacements
- Elimination of ultra-processed "low-carb products" that can trigger insulin responses despite minimal glucose impact
This approach has been associated with improved insulin sensitivity compared to carbohydrate restriction alone. Studies show fasting insulin levels can decrease significantly over several months, with improved post-meal glucose recovery times.
Anyone else in this community tracked insulin directly or experimented with fasting + meal frequency?