Why I Focus on Protein Instead of Carbs for Diabetes

Why Carbs Didn't Work For Me

When you have diabetes, everyone always says to watch your carbs. Carbs are the most important. Eat complex carbs so your body takes longer to process them. Figure out what your key number is for your carbs and stick with that. This is what I heard from everyone when I was diagnosed with diabetes. It wasn’t until 3 years later that I learned that what everyone was saying was not going to work for me.

Now, I know everyone is different. If you are able to manage your sugars with carbs, great! Keep doing it if it is working for you. However, if you are still not finding a good balance you may need to forget the carbs and try something different.

A Quick Note Before We Begin

First off, I want to add, I am on a GLP-1. I take Mounjaro. This could make a difference in how my body works compared to yours if you are not taking something similar. But I did see great results before I started the Mounjaro. Also, I am not a doctor. I am just someone sharing my experience, hoping it will help others who might be struggling. Always consult with your doctor before changing anything with your diet or medication.

How Protein Changed Everything

Now that we have that out of the way. The way I manage my sugars is with protein. I have found the times of day when my sugars will run too high or too low and I have protein around that time. I also do not have any meal without protein.

For me, if I eat processed carbs at all, my sugars jump too high. So, I avoid processed carbs as much as possible. My carbs come from natural ingredients, like strawberries and blueberries. I do get some carbs from my milk. I am lactose intolerant, so I drink Lactaid which has carbs. However, it is important, so I get the calcium that I need.

What I Eat in a Typical Day

Anyway, back to protein. I have protein and a glass of Lactaid for breakfast every day. This keeps me level until I get to work. The start of my day is pretty busy, so I need a little extra protein to keep me going. Exercise will lower your sugars (at least it does for me) so I have half of a smoothie for my snack two hours after getting to work. I make the smoothie using strawberries, blueberries, Lactaid, and peanut butter. The natural carbs from the fruit gives me energy to keep going and the peanut butter adds the protein to keep my sugars from jumping too high from the fruit and Lactaid. At lunch I am hungry but due to Mounjaro not very hungry so I drink the other half of my smoothie. This keeps me going for the rest of the day.

At night while sleeping my sugars tend to drop pretty low. So, every night for dinner I have 2 pieces of boneless skinless chicken thighs. I used to add other stuff to it to make it into a salad. But anymore that seems to take my sugars up to high and it does not set well with my stomach. So instead, I only do extras when I am real hungry and most of the time just eat the chicken.

Now it is important to get vegetables in your diet as well. This is why I add the extra to the chicken at night. When I do eat more than just chicken, I basically make a taco salad without the shell. I add lettuce, sour cream, a little cheese, and salsa. It gives me a change and adds the much-needed vegetables to my meals.

This change from watching carbs to watching protein has been a life changer for me. It is probably the best thing I have done since I found out I was diabetic. I struggled for 3 years until I learned how important protein is for your body.

Most people eat carbs when their sugar levels start dropping. For me, I grab a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of almonds. Protein is something I always have on hand. Other than my fruit for my smoothies and some pineapple that I have as a snack after dinner when I get hungry, I do not have carbs in my house.

A Final Thought

I am not saying this will work for you but give it a try. You never know, it just might be the change you have been looking for.