3. Halle Berry
Berry was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 19 years-old and has since cut out [most] processed sugars and bread from her diet. She initially said the diagnosis left her petrified, thinking she was “going to die,” but now she says, “Diabetes turned out to be a gift.” She told the Daily Mail:”It gave me strength and toughness because I had to face reality, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it was.”
During the 2000s, there was ample confusion and controversy around Berry’s diabetes diagnosis. Initially, the actress was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but in 2007, she reportedly said she had weaned herself off insulin by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and was now in the type 2 category. Her comments drew backlash from doctors and diabetics, who quickly explained that type 1 diabetes is incurable and quitting insulin is simply not an option.
Fast-forward to 2018—like many others, Halle Berry is promoting the ketogenic diet, which she says helped “reverse” her type 2 diabetes over several years. In January, she took to Instagram to explain why the high-fat, low-carb diet has improved her overall health. “I believe it’s largely responsible for slowly down my aging process,” she wrote. “The keto lifestyle offers so many benefits such as weight loss, (moms that’s how we get rid of our baby bellies), appetite control, more energy and better mental performance. If you’re like me, you can possibly reverse type 2 diabetes, you’ll experience better physical endurance, better skin and also less acne if that’s an issue.”