How to Lower Insulin and Reverse Insulin Resistance
The Diary Of A CEO Podcast with Dr. Andrew Koutnik | February 8, 2026
What is the most effective diet for controlling blood sugar?
The most effective diet for controlling blood sugar is a well-formulated ketogenic diet, which dramatically reduces carbohydrate intake. This dietary approach lowers insulin levels, shifts the body to burning fat for fuel, and has been shown to reverse insulin resistance, improve glycemic control, and reduce the risk factors for major chronic diseases.
Why Your “Healthy” Diet Is Secretly Failing You
You exercise, choose foods labeled “natural” or “heart-healthy,” and avoid obvious junk. Yet, you still struggle with low energy, brain fog, weight gain, or creeping lab numbers. The problem isn’t a lack of willpower—it’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern food, even the “healthy” kind, hijacks your metabolism. Most dietary advice fails because it doesn’t address the root regulator of health: blood glucose and insulin stability.
Drawing on a decade of metabolic research and personal experience reversing chronic disease, Dr. Andrew Koutnik’s insights, shared on The Diary of a CEO podcast, reveal a different path. This article will show you the common foods causing metabolic chaos, explain the powerful science behind a glucose-stabilizing diet, and provide a practical framework to take control of your energy, cognition, and long-term health.
The Hidden Driver of Disease: It’s Not Just About Sugar
We often hear sugar is bad, but the issue is broader. It’s about carbohydrate tolerance and metabolic resilience. When you consume carbs, they break down into glucose, spiking blood sugar. Your pancreas releases insulin to shuttle that glucose into cells. In a metabolically healthy person, this system works smoothly. However, for the vast majority—with over 68% of American adults now obese and over 90% showing some metabolic dysfunction—this system is broken.
As Dr. Koutnik explains, high and variable glucose levels, driven by frequent carb intake, lead to chronically elevated insulin. This insulin resistance is the gateway to nearly all chronic diseases:
- Cardiovascular Disease: The #1 cause of death. High average blood sugar (HbA1c) is a top predictor.
- Cognitive Decline & Mental Illness: Unstable glucose impacts brain network stability, focus, and mood, with emerging links to Alzheimer’s and psychiatric conditions.
- Type 2 Diabetes: The direct result of insulin resistance over time.
The goal isn’t just to eat less sugar; it’s to achieve metabolic flexibility—your body’s ability to efficiently switch between using glucose and fat for fuel.
3 “Health Foods” That Sabotage Your Metabolism (And What to Eat Instead)
The most damaging dietary mistakes come from good intentions. Based on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data and clinical research, here are common offenders:
1. Fruit Juices & Smoothies
The Myth: They’re a vitamin-packed, natural way to start your day.
The Reality: Blending or juicing removes fiber and structure, turning fruit into a sugar slurry that floods your bloodstream. This causes a rapid glucose spike and a subsequent crash, triggering hunger and fatigue. As noted, this processing “rapidly increases the speed of how the nutrients enter the body and completely changes the hormonal response.”
Practical Swap: Eat whole fruit in moderation (like berries), prioritizing high-fiber, low-sugar options. Or, skip the sweet breakfast entirely.
2. “Heart-Healthy” Whole Grains (Cereal, Bread, Rice)
The Myth: Whole grains are an essential part of a balanced diet.
The Reality: For metabolically compromised individuals, even whole grains can provoke a significant insulin response. Many cereals, even whole-grain ones, are “actually worse than… white rice on blood sugar and insulin by a long shot.”
Practical Swap: Focus on non-starchy, fibrous vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens) as your primary carbohydrate source.
3. Dried Fruits & “Keto-Friendly” Processed Snacks
The Myth: Dried fruit is a nutritious snack, and “keto-friendly” labels mean a food is safe.
The Reality: Drying fruit concentrates its sugars, leading to a rapid glucose spike. Meanwhile, the “keto” label is often a marketing trick. “They’re putting zero sugar on the label… but swap it for something that has the same exact metabolic effect as sugar,” like maltitol or maltodextrin.
Practical Swap: For snacks, choose whole foods like nuts, cheese, or olives. Always read ingredient lists, not just front-of-package claims
The Metabolic Impact of Common Foods
| Food Category | Common Example | Primary Metabolic Effect | Better Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Calories | Orange Juice, Smoothies | Rapid glucose/insulin spike, reduced satiety | Whole fruit (berries), water, herbal tea |
| Refined Grains | Cereal, White Bread/Bagels | High glycemic load, promotes insulin resistance | Fiber-rich vegetables (leafy greens, cruciferous) |
| Processed “Health” Snacks | Dried Fruit, “Keto” Bars | Concentrated sugars or deceptive ingredients | Whole food fats & proteins (avocado, hard-boiled eggs) |
The Ketogenic Diet: Therapeutic Tool, Not Just a Trend
The ketogenic diet is often misunderstood as a bacon-and-steak fad. In reality, a well-formulated ketogenic diet is a powerful therapeutic tool with a century of clinical evidence. It is characterized by:
- Very Low Carbohydrate Intake (typically <50g net carbs).
- Adequate Protein for muscle maintenance.
- High Fat from healthy sources to provide energy.
How It Works: By drastically reducing carbs, you lower glucose and thus insulin. Low insulin allows your body to access and break down stored fat, converting it in the liver into ketones—an alternative, efficient fuel for the brain and body.
Proven Benefits from the Research:
- Reverses Type 2 Diabetes: The American Diabetes Association notes low-carb diets as a primary evidence-based strategy.
- Normalizes Type 1 Diabetes Management: Dr. Koutnik’s 10-year case study showed normalized glucose control and superior cardiovascular health markers despite doubling LDL cholesterol, challenging conventional risk models.
- Enhances Cognitive Function: Ketones increase brain network stability by up to 87% compared to glucose, as shown in a 2020 study. This translates to improved focus, clarity, and mental endurance.
- Reduces Hunger & “Food Noise”: By stabilizing fuel sources, it naturally regulates appetite hormones, ending the cycle of cravings.
Ketogenic Diet vs. Standard Diet: A Metabolic Comparison
| Aspect | Standard High-Carb Diet | Well-Formulated Ketogenic Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Fuel | Glucose (from food) | Ketones & Fat (from food & stores) |
| Insulin Level | Chronically high & spiking | Low & stable |
| Blood Glucose | High variability (peaks & crashes) | Low & stable within normal range |
| Hunger Signals | Driven by insulin crashes & leptin resistance | Regulated by stable energy availability |
| Metabolic State | Insulin resistance, fat storage promoted | Metabolic flexibility, fat burning promoted |
Answering Your Top Questions on Diet & Metabolism
Q: Won’t a keto diet ruin my athletic performance?
A: Not after adaptation. Early studies showing performance drops looked at periods of less than 4 weeks. Research controlling for adaptation has found that once fully keto-adapted (after ~4+ weeks), athletes can achieve record levels of fat oxidation, fueling even high-intensity exercise without needing carbs.
Q: Is it just about eating less sugar?
A: No. It’s about controlling the total carbohydrate load and glycemic impact of your diet. “Healthy” starches like rice, potatoes, and bread contribute significantly to this load. The most potent lever for glucose control is reducing overall carbohydrates.
Q: Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet?
A: Yes. Adequate protein intake and proper resistance training are the keys to building muscle. Studies, including military research, show muscle mass can be maintained and built on a ketogenic diet, even in a caloric deficit.
Q: Are exogenous ketones (like ketone salts/oils) worth it?
A: They serve a different purpose. Exogenous ketones can rapidly elevate blood ketones, offering immediate cognitive and potentially anti-inflammatory benefits without dietary change. They are a tool for a quick boost or to aid the transition into ketosis, but they do not replace the long-term metabolic repair of a sustained ketogenic diet.
A Practical Framework for Metabolic Health
Based on the principles from the discussion, here is a step-by-step approach:
- Eliminate Liquid Calories: Stop drinking your sugar (soda, juice, sweet coffee drinks). This is the lowest-effort, highest-return change.
- Prioritize Whole Foods: Build meals around non-starchy vegetables, quality proteins (meat, fish, eggs), and natural fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts).
- Drastically Reduce Processed Carbs: Significantly cut back on bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and anything made from flour or added sugar.
- Try a Period of Strict Carbohydrate Restriction: Aim for <30g of net carbs daily for 4-6 weeks to experience the cognitive and energy benefits of full keto-adaptation.
- Monitor, Don’t Just Assume: If possible, use a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) for 1-2 months to learn your personal responses to different foods. You may discover unique triggers.
- Anchor in Exercise & Sleep: No diet works in isolation. Regular resistance training and prioritizing 7-9 hours of quality sleep are non-negotiable pillars that improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.
Key Takeaways
- Metabolic health is the foundation: Unstable blood glucose and high insulin are root causes of most chronic diseases, not just diabetes.
- “Health foods” can be deceptive: Fruit juices, whole-grain cereals, and dried fruit often cause significant glucose spikes, undermining your metabolism.
- The ketogenic diet is a metabolic therapy: It’s a proven tool to reverse insulin resistance, stabilize energy, enhance brain function, and reduce disease risk by shifting your body’s primary fuel source.
- Adaptation is key: The full benefits of a low-carb/keto diet, especially for physical performance, take at least 4 weeks to manifest as your body becomes efficient at burning fat.
- Personal experimentation is essential: Use tools like CGMs or simple food-energy journals to discover what works for your unique biology. Average advice yields average results.
If you’re interested in how some common ‘health foods’ might actually be working against your metabolism and blood sugar goals, this article from Dr. Casey Means breaks it down perfectly and offers solutions.
Your journey to better health doesn’t require perfection—it requires a better framework. By shifting your focus from calorie counting to carbohydrate management and metabolic stability, you empower your body with the consistent energy it needs to thrive, think clearly, and resist disease for the long term. Start by questioning one assumption about a “healthy” food in your diet today, and observe the difference it makes.
Unlock the Science of Your Metabolism
This is just the beginning of understanding how to master your metabolic health. For a complete, science-backed roadmap, continue your journey with Dr. Andrew Koutnik's groundbreaking work. Dive deeper into the strategies and research discussed here by checking out his essential book, Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease. This resource is your next step to taking full control of your health and performance.
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