Low Carbohydrate/Reduced Fat Diet

With insulin resistance, carbohydrates become a source of problems as carbohydrates break down with digestion into glucose (sugar) molecules. After years of following patients in the clinic and monitoring thousands of patients home glucose monitor reports in combination with advanced lipid evaluation, I have come to the conclusion that carbohydrates ingestion greater than 25 grams in a four hour period leads to the liver manufacturing large quantities of bad fats and bad inflammatory factors for approximately four days. It is vital that every patient eat < 25 grams of carbohydrates every four hours strictly and consistently!

Bread and fruit are almost “deal-breakers” when you attempt to stay under 25 grams of carbohydrates every four hours. It seems strange to say this but it is better to avoid bread and fruit altogether if you have any form of insulin resistance.

I suggest that insulin resistant patients avoid pasta and rice as well due to the amount of carbohydrates contained within pasta and rice. It is difficult to stay under 25 grams of carbohydrates when rice and pasta are included in the meal. Some dieticians/clinicians suggest that whole wheat pasta and brown rice are acceptable options due to the complex carbohydrates contained within these foods, but I see problems with this strategy and suggest that you avoid all pasta and all rice intake.

Low carbohydrates diets emphasize proteins as “proteins are your friend!” To succeed at our low carbohydrate/reduced fat diet you will be eating mostly meat, vegetables, soup, and salad.

Most vegetables are great for this diet with the exception of potatoes, corn, carrots, and beats. Some of the other vegetables contain a modest amount of carbohydrates but, in my experience, most of the other vegetables are well tolerated when reasonable portions are eaten.

Your carbohydrate allowance is strictly < 25 grams in a four hour period. If you skip a meal, you cannot eat 50 grams of carbohydrates in the next feeding time period! There is no credit system for your carbohydrate reduced diet! If you miss eating a meal, you simply loose the 25 gram carbohydrate allotment that you could have eaten. If you eat all 25 grams of the carbohydrates that you are allowed at a mealtime, you cannot eat a 12 gram carbohydrate snack in 2 hours. If you want to snack between meals, you have to lessen your carbohydrate intake at mealtimes so that the total carbohydrates for the meal and snack do not exceed 25 grams total in a four hour time period.

Regarding fat intake, you want to be careful to avoid saturated fats, often obtained from red meat, eggs, and fried foods. If the meat doesn’t swim underwater or fly, it is probably bad for you! You can cook your meats almost anyway imaginable except do not fry your food! Baking, broiling, grilling, rotisserie, roasting, or microwaving your meats all will be fine.

Adding > 40 minutes of nonstop, aerobic exercise daily to the above low carbohydrate/reduced fat diet will help remove the endothelial inflammatory factors and help you maximize your overall cardiovascular health status!

The 25/40 rule is the summation of what every insulin resistant patient needs to have deeply embedded in their mindset! The 25 represents the absolute 4 hour limit of carbohydrate intake while the 40 represents the “minimum” amount of nonstop, aerobic exercise necessary to obtain removal of endothelial inflammation. Following the 25/40 rule is the key to successful lifestyle changes that facilitate a healthy cardiovascular system!