The Healthy Diabetic
Welcome to The healthy Diabetic Podcast, each week I talk about how to navigate the complexities of diabetes. I interview doctors, Endo's, dietitians, CDE's, technology leaders, caregivers, and of course anybody who is affected by diabetes. This show is for you if you're looking for safe, educational, and engaging conversations. I promise to brighten your day, and you'll be sure to leave educated, supported, and guided on your way to a healthier and happier life with diabetes.
Remember, your only job as a diabetic is to figure out what works for you!
See you inside!
Coach Ken.
The Healthy Diabetic
#367: Does Intermittent Fasting Actually Work for Diabetics?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
It started with a simple question — does intermittent fasting live up to the hype?
Ken and Graham both have opinions. And as usual, those opinions don't fully line up.
Ken makes the case that the real benefits of intermittent fasting don't kick in until you hit that 16 to 18 hour window — and that for diabetics specifically, the morning hours are full of landmines that can derail a fast before it even gets started. Blood sugar drops during a morning workout, coffee, treating a low — any of these technically breaks the fast and changes the equation entirely.
Graham takes a different angle. He's not opposed to intermittent fasting in theory, but his relationship with food goes far deeper than timing windows and eating schedules. And that's where the conversation takes a turn nobody saw coming.
What starts as a nutrition debate evolves into one of the most honest conversations Ken and Graham have had about food, culture, identity, and how the way you were raised shapes everything about how you eat — including how you manage your blood sugar. Graham introduces a phrase that might just end up on a t-shirt — TFD for life — and explains what it means to live with a diabetes philosophy that was forged not just by medical advice, but by culture, family, and lived experience.
This one goes places. And it's better for it.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- What intermittent fasting actually is — and when the real benefits start kicking in
- Why the 16 to 18 hour fasting window matters more than most people realize
- The specific challenges intermittent fasting creates for Type 1 diabetics
- Why morning exercise and blood sugar management can derail a fast before it starts
- How food culture and upbringing shape diabetes management in ways medicine doesn't account for
- Why what works for one diabetic may never work for another — and why that's okay
- Ken's honest take on GLP-1 medications and where they fit in a diabetes management strategy
- Why looking in the mirror and being honest with yourself is the foundation of everything
What works for one person with diabetes may never work for another — and that's not failure, that's individuality. The goal isn't to follow someone else's plan. It's to understand your own body and how diabetes is going to fit into your life so you can take control of your LIFE.
Additional Resources
- Watch our LIVE episodes Mondays & Wednesdays @2pm EST — Tune in Here
- 🎯 5 Lessons You Can't Learn From Your Doctor — Free 5-Day Experience
- 🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
- 📚 The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course: Start Learning
- 💪 Work with me: More Than A1C — 1on1 Coaching
- 📞 Simplify Your Diabetes — Free Call: Book Now
- 🎙 Donate to the Podcast: Contribute Here
If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star review — it helps more people living with diabetes discover the podcast.
Share this episode with someone who's ever wondered whether intermittent fasting is worth trying with Type 1 diabetes.
Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your Diabetes management.
