Diabetes is a big problem for Western society. Being pre-diabetic is a reality for many people who are overweight and don’t exercise regularly.

Many will develop type 2 diabetes and will more than likely die as a result of diabetes-related complications.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by too much glucose (sugar from carbohydrates) in your system and your body’s inability to metabolise that glucose with insulin produced by your pancreas. Which leads to insulin resistance, where the insulin has little to no effect on metabolising the glucose at all.

This is heavily associated with obesity.

So what is the treatment? Firstly diet, and secondly exercise. That’s the reality.

Your doctor will prescribe medication and recommend you get some exercise. In many cases, doctors, nutritionists and dietitians will advise starting a nutritional plan that still includes carbohydrates, knowing full well that too many carbohydrates are the problem!

Fortunately, many people have woken up to this flawed advice and are looking at ways of eating (woe) that restrict or eliminate carbohydrates from their diet.

The most popular of these is the ketogenic diet. This diet restricts carbohydrates while increasing the intake of good fats and protein. This forces your metabolism to start using fat as an energy source. It helps the fats you’re eating and your fat stores (glucose) to be used as fuel for your muscles by converting those fatty acids into ketones.

Now on the more extreme end, there’s the carnivore way of eating. This is an extreme elimination diet designed to get your body back to running on fats instead of carbohydrates. As the name suggests, it’s all meat and animal products.

The simple fact behind the carnivore woe is that we’re designed to run on fats and not carbohydrates as they both metabolise into the same thing – glucose. Plus you get the added nutritional benefits of meat as a protein source. Which is the best source of protein on the planet.

Few people will argue that you need to have fruits and vegetables in your diet and they have their reasons. But do you? Well, no you don’t. Saturated fat is not bad for you. If you want to see studies showing saturated fat is good for you, feel free to get in touch and I will provide you with some.

Many people like to go plant-based, which is fine – it’s their life. Leaving the vegan arguments aside, the fact is that you will not get the same quality of nutrients from a plant-based diet as you will from a diet high in animal proteins.

There are plenty of studies that prove that, too – no matter what was presented in “that” documentary you saw on Netflix.

Simply put if you want to reverse your pre-diabetic condition or treat your diabetes better, stop eating carbohydrates. Really you don’t need them. Especially for weightloss and muscle growth. Human beings come from an evolutionary stand point of being meat eaters who’s bodies run better on glucose metabolised from fats. ”

• Daniel is an exercise professional who operates DuxFit Functional Fitness from a private studio in Ōtaki. Contact 022 1099 442 or danielduxfield@gmail.com and see www.facebook.com/duxfitfunctionalfitness/