Episode 420: Cyrus Khambatta

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Cyrus Khambatta who lives in Florida. Cyrus is the co-author of New York Times bestseller Mastering Diabetes, cohost of the Mastering Diabetes podcast, and also manages a coaching community that helps people reverse insulin resistance permanently through dietary and lifestyle changes, including intermittent fasting.  

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Cyrus has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and worked for NASA before returning to school to earn a PhD in nutritional biochemistry. Cyrus shares his personal journey that led him from battling multiple autoimmune disorders—including a type 1 diabetes diagnosis— to exploring the science of nutrition, ultimately achieving a remarkable tenfold increase in insulin sensitivity through dietary changes.

In Cyrus’s first year of managing his diabetes, he found that his insulin needs kept going up, even though he was following the low carb approach his doctors had recommended. He was introduced to the concept of a whole food plant-based diet, and since he was frustrated by his experiences managing his blood glucose, he was willing to try anything. He was shocked to discover that within one week, he went from requiring 42 units of insulin per day to only 24 units per day. He knew he wanted to understand what was happening in his own body, and was inspired to go back to school to learn more.

Cyrus explains the science of how whole food, low-fat plant-based diets are conducive to both improved blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity, despite common misconceptions to the contrary. Cyrus delves into the scientific research, which underscores the negative impact of high-fat diets on insulin sensitivity. Diving deeper into the science, Cyrus and Gin discuss Cyrus's experiments on calorie restriction and intermittent fasting with laboratory animals, showcasing the significant reversal of insulin resistance. 

Cyrus wraps up the episode with advice for listeners who may be grappling with similar health issues or seeking healthier lifestyles. He underscores the essentials: belief in the process, openness to new information, and embracing the robust scientific evidence supporting plant-based diets combined with intermittent fasting. Encouraging personal research and understanding, Cyrus leaves listeners with a powerful parting message – to approach one’s health journey with curiosity, to avoid being swayed by prevalent dietary myths, and to seek empowerment through knowledge, concluding with an invitation to explore the wealth of resources available, such as his Mastering Diabetes program, for anyone ready to take control of their health and well-being. You can connect with Cyrus and his team through https://www.masteringdiabetes.org/.

Get Gin’s books at: http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html, including her latest bestseller 28-Day Fast Start Day-By-Day, the Ultimate Guide to Starting (or Restarting) Your Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle so it Sticks, New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., and Cleanish, available wherever you buy books! Delay, Don’t Deny is available on Amazon.  

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.