Most doctors still treat insulin resistance with medication but what if the real cure starts with food? In this episode, Dr. Eric Westman sits down with Dr. Tony Hampton to reveal how patients are reversing diabetes, dropping A1C from 12 to 6, and regaining their health in just weeks using a simple low-carb food playbook. Backed by CGM data and real clinical results, they expose why medical schools ignore nutrition, how carbs drive insulin spikes, and what foods truly fix metabolism. Whether you're battling blood sugar issues, weight gain, or metabolic syndrome — this conversation will change how you see food forever.
The core message is type 2 diabetes is reversible
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Title: Fix Insulin Resistance in 2 Weeks?! (Keto Made Simple Podcast with Dr. Eric Westman & Dr. Tony Hampton)
Core message
- Insulin resistance is reversible for most people by removing the drivers: excess carbohydrates/sugar, frequent snacking, poor sleep, chronic stress, and seed-oil–heavy ultra-processed foods.
- Therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (low-carb/keto) can rapidly improve glycemia—often within days—enabling safe, supervised deprescribing of diabetes medications.
Key takeaways
- Dietary strategy
- Remove sugars, refined starches, fruit juices, sweetened drinks, and most grains.
- Center meals on protein (meat, eggs, fish) and add natural fats to satiety; non-starchy vegetables as tolerated.
- Avoid industrial seed oils; choose simpler, minimally processed foods.
- Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) may need attention early in keto; hydration matters.
- Expected clinical responses (seen in practice)
- Rapid drops in blood glucose and insulin requirements; some patients reduce or stop insulin very quickly under supervision.
- Improvements in weight, blood pressure, triglycerides/HDL, and markers tied to metabolic syndrome.
- Kidney outcomes discussed: improvement in renal function is reported when glycemia and blood pressure improve.
- Deprescribing approach
- Reduce/stop insulin and sulfonylureas first to avoid hypoglycemia as carbs are lowered.
- Monitor glucose, blood pressure, and symptoms closely; adjust other meds (e.g., antihypertensives) as physiology normalizes.
- Lifestyle frameworks Dr. Hampton uses
- “NEST/ROPE” concepts: Nutrition, Exercise, Stress/Sleep/Trauma foundations (“roots”) that support behavior change; build a trusting relationship first, then implement low-carb.
- Common obstacles & solutions
- Skepticism from clinicians or family; counter with patient results and published evidence.
- Cultural food patterns and access; adapt low-carb within preferred cuisines and local options.
- Long-term success hinges on support, education, and addressing sleep, stress, and environment—not diet alone.
Notes from cases discussed
- Examples of large, rapid insulin reductions when carbohydrate intake is restricted and coaching is provided.
- Emphasis on hope and agency: patients can improve neuropathy risk, vision risk, and amputation risk by treating the root cause (hyperinsulinemia/hyperglycemia).
Papers referenced in the conversation (DOI links)
- Very low-carb/keto vs. DASH randomized trial in adults with hypertension and prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (greater improvements; diabetes remission notably higher in VLCD group).
https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2968 - Virta Health 1-year outcomes (open-label, non-randomized; substantial A1c reduction, weight loss, and major reductions in diabetes medications including insulin).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-018-0386-4 - Virta Health 2-year outcomes (continued benefits with remote care and nutritional ketosis).
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00348 - Kidney function with low-carb diets in type 2 diabetes (literature review plus 7-year primary-care data; renal function outcomes discussed).
https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.0000000000000658
I have friends with T2D and interviews like this are super helpful in motivating them. They start as doomers and end up empowered