If you know me, you know I love having my eyes on nutrition research, especially as it relates to lipedema. Not because I think every new study means we need to completely change the way we eat, but because research can give us valuable clues about what might be happening inside the body and how we can use that information in practice. For example, the effect of a low-insulin approach for lipedema.
One study I keep coming back to on this topic is a 2022 study that looked at two different nutrition approaches in women with lipedema. The results are really interesting! They also help explain why I talk so much about metabolic health and insulin when working with women with lipedema.
Let’s take a closer look together.
What Did the Study Look At?
The study included 91 women with lipedema who followed one of two calorie-restricted nutrition plans for 16 weeks.
One group followed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, while the other followed a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat diet.
Both groups experienced improvements, but the differences between the two groups caught my attention.
The women following the low-carbohydrate, high-fat approach experienced greater reductions in body weight and body fat. They also had greater reductions in waist, hip, thigh, and calf circumferences compared with the moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat group. The researchers also reported improvements in pain and mobility in the low-carbohydrate, high-fat group.
That’s important because when we’re talking about lipedema, we’re not just talking about a number on the scale.
We’re talking about how a woman feels in her body, swelling, tenderness, mobility, body composition, and quality of life.
And that’s where this study gets really interesting!
Maybe It’s About More Than Calories
For years, we’ve been given a very simple message about weight loss:
Eat fewer calories than you burn.
And yes, energy balance matters, but the human body isn’t simply a calculator.
Hormones, insulin, inflammation, appetite, sleep, stress, activity, and metabolic health can all influence how our bodies respond to the food we’re eating. This is especially interesting when we’re talking about lipedema.
The researchers behind the 2022 study discussed the potential role of insulin signaling in lipedema and pointed to the interaction between adipose tissue, inflammation, and hormones.
That doesn’t mean insulin is the cause of lipedema. It also doesn’t mean carbohydrates are “bad.” And it certainly doesn’t mean every woman with lipedema needs to follow a ketogenic diet.
What it does mean is that insulin and metabolic health are worth paying attention to.
So, What Is Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body manage glucose in your bloodstream.
When you eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose. Your blood glucose rises, and your pancreas releases insulin to help move that glucose into your cells where it can be used for energy. That’s a normal and necessary process.
The problem isn’t insulin itself; we need insulin to function.
The bigger question is what happens when we’re constantly asking our bodies to produce insulin throughout the day, particularly in the context of a diet high in refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods, along with other factors that can affect metabolic health.
Over time, some people can develop insulin resistance, meaning their cells don’t respond to insulin as effectively. This is one reason I believe it’s helpful to look at the bigger metabolic picture rather than focusing solely on calories.
Why Does This Matter for Lipedema?
Lipedema is a complex condition, and nutrition isn’t a cure. However, nutrition can be one piece of a larger strategy for supporting the body. The 2022 study gives us an interesting piece of evidence to consider.
The women following the low-carbohydrate, high-fat approach had greater improvements in body composition and limb measurements than those following the moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat approach, even though both groups were following calorie-restricted diets.
That raises an important question:
Could the way we eat influence more than just calorie intake?
This is exactly where metabolic health comes into the conversation. Rather than asking only, “How many calories am I eating?” I want women to also consider questions like:
- Am I getting adequate protein?
- Am I eating enough fiber?
- Am I relying heavily on processed carbohydrates?
- What happens to my energy and hunger after meals?
- Am I getting enough sleep?
- Am I moving my body regularly?
- How am I managing stress?
- Am I giving my body enough time between meals?
- Am I supporting healthy blood sugar regulation?
These questions give us a much bigger picture and help us craft a plan that is designed for our own unique bodies.
This Is Why I Talk About a Low-Insulin Approach for Lipedema
When I talk about my low-insulin approach, I’m not talking about another extreme diet. I’m not interested in creating a plan that leaves you terrified of carbohydrates or afraid to eat a piece of fruit.
Instead, I want to help women understand how their food choices can influence blood sugar and insulin throughout the day and how those choices fit into their overall metabolic health.
That might mean building meals around protein, fiber, healthy fats, and minimally processed foods. It might also mean reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates and added sugars you’re eating.
Meal timing, sleep, and movement are other factors to consider in a low-insulin approach as well.
Sometimes, it may even mean taking a closer look at what’s happening with your metabolic health through appropriate lab testing.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s creating an environment where your body has the support it needs to function well.
What About Inflammation?
This is another piece I don’t want to overlook. Lipedema involves complex changes in adipose tissue, and inflammation is an important area of ongoing research. We also know that metabolic health and inflammation are closely connected.
When we’re eating a diet that’s heavy in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars, while also not getting enough protein, fiber, movement, or sleep, we’re missing opportunities to support our metabolic health.
On the other hand, building meals around whole, nutrient-dense foods gives us plenty of ways to support the body.
Instead of thinking something like, How few calories can I eat?, let’s replace that thought with How can I build a meal that includes protein + plants + healthy fats + fiber?
That’s a very different mindset and serves your body in many different ways, including both supporting a low-insulin lifestyle and reducing inflammation.
You Don’t Have to Go From Zero to Keto
This is something I really want women with lipedema to hear. You don’t have to completely overhaul your diet tomorrow or eliminate every carbohydrate. You don’t have to follow the exact diet used in a research study to benefit from the concepts we’re learning.
Instead, start with the basics.
Maybe breakfast is currently a pastry and coffee. Try switching that out for eggs and berries.
Try making a big, satisfying salad wrap with chicken or another protein source at lunch time.
Maybe you’re reaching for something sweet every afternoon. Look at whether you’re eating enough protein and fiber earlier in the day.
Maybe you’re eating dinner at 8:30 every night and going to bed shortly afterward. Experiment with giving yourself more time between dinner and bedtime.
Small changes can add up, and those changes don’t have to feel like punishment!
What I Take Away From This Study
I don’t look at this 2022 study and think, “Everyone with lipedema needs to eat a high-fat diet.”
That’s not what the study tells us.
Instead, I see it as another reason to look beyond calories and consider metabolic health, insulin signaling, inflammation, and overall nutrition quality when we’re supporting women with lipedema.
So keep these in mind when you read ANY study, including this one:
- There isn’t one perfect nutrition plan for every woman.
- Your genetics are different.
- Your hormones are different.
- Your activity level is different.
- Your metabolic health is different.
- Your relationship with food is different.
- And your lipedema is uniquely yours.
Research like this gives us more questions to ask and more tools to consider, and that’s exactly what good nutrition care should do.
It should help us understand why your body may not be responding the way you expect it to and then figure out what support makes sense for you.
The Bottom Line: Should You Try a Low-Insulin Approach?
Lipedema management isn’t about finding the most restrictive diet possible. It’s about finding a sustainable way of eating and living that supports your body. For me, that means paying attention to the bigger picture of metabolic health.
Protein. Fiber. Whole foods. Healthy fats. Movement. Sleep. Stress management. Blood sugar balance.
And yes, sometimes we need to look beyond the obvious and ask what else might be going on. You are more than a number on the scale, and your health is about so much more than calories!
If you’ve been struggling, this could be an intervention worth exploring.
Want to Learn More About a Low-Insulin Approach?
If you’re curious about what a low-insulin approach actually looks like in everyday life, I’ve created a Free Low-Insulin Jumpstart Guide to help you get started with practical, realistic changes.
Grab it here and get started learning about how to apply these tools to your life to improve your lipedema symptoms and support your health goals.
Reference:
Jeziorek M, Szuba A, Kujawa K, Regulska-Ilow B. The Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diet versus Moderate-Carbohydrate and Fat Diet on Body Composition in Patients with Lipedema. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2022;15:2545-2561. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S377720
