More and more people are affected by insulin resistance. It seems that this is a growing health condition regardless of age, therefore, it’s very important to know more about this issue as well as the main causes and healthy ways to reverse the effects. That said, you can control insulin resistance to a certain degree with your own actions.
What exactly is insulin resistance?
Insulin is one of the body’s natural hormones. Essentially, insulin has the duty to move sugar from blood to cells so that the sugar levels in the blood remain normal after every meal. Without insulin’s hard work, there’s no way for sugar (glucose) to enter the cells. So, once a person suffers from insulin resistance, all sorts of trouble can happen. For starters, cells stop responding properly to insulin which means that the sugar from blood can’t get in. Moreover, insulin also affects metabolism and with insulin resistance, the body can’t properly deal with fat, carbohydrates and protein.
The main causes of insulin resistance
There are many potential factors that can cause insulin resistance in the body. Because of that, it’s not at all easy or straightforward to answer this question, but, in general, insulin resistance occurs when there’s an inflammation in the body on a cellular level. This inflammation can be caused by poor nutrition and a diet that’s not well-balanced.
Eating a diet that’s low in fibers, antioxidants and omega-3 but high in sugar, trans-fats, omega-6 and refined carbohydrates can lead to inflammation and insulin resistance. Moreover, all consequences of physical inactivity such as weight gain, overeating and poor quality of sleep can also lead to this condition. Excess body weight and uncontrolled stress can also mess up the chemical system of the body and cause insulin resistance, but, the good news is that you can successfully reverse insulin resistance, especially when you know the main causes.
Symptoms of insulin resistance
Insulin resistance presents no obvious symptoms. The symptoms only start to appear once it leads to secondary effects such as higher blood sugar levels. Other than that, some symptoms may include:
- Lethargy (tiredness)
- Hunger
- Difficulty concentrating (brain fog)
Other signs that often appear in people with insulin resistance include:
- Weight gain around the middle (belly fat)
- High cholesterol levels
- Diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Healthy ways to reverse insulin resistance
Have a balanced diet
For many people, this will be the biggest change but also the most beneficial and effective one. In general, adding more health-promoting fats and slow-burning carbs to your diet is the best way to help manage insulin resistance.
Engage in regular physical activity
You don’t have to work out for hours in a gym in order to get the benefits of exercising, especially when it comes to insulin resistance. The key habit here is to simply get moving! Even if you just walk for half an hour every day, your body will respond. Of course, if you can organize a more impactful exercise routine, that would be great. If you hate traditional exercises, find an activity that you enjoy such as dancing or cycling. It will make a huge difference.
Take necessary supplements and stabilizers
It’s not easy to make a drastic change in your life or break the habits no matter how bad they are. So, if you’re trying to eat better and exercise more all the while dealing with symptoms of insulin resistance and other possible health conditions that go hand in hand with it, you will definitely benefit from some additional help in the form of supplements and stabilizers.
Vitamin D, L-glutamine, Cinnamon and Bone Broth are all great options when it comes to managing blood sugar and sugar cravings. However, always make sure to talk to your doctor before taking any dietary supplements on your own.
If you suspect you are suffering from insulin resistance, don’t hesitate to discuss this with your doctor so that you can have the proper tests done. This is very important as insulin resistance can be connected with many other health conditions that you may still not be aware of. Fixing one problem may affect other(s) greatly and improve the quality of your lifestyle considerably. There are different kinds of tests that you can do in this case such as Fasting Glucose, Hemoglobin Alc, Fasting Insulin, Triglycerides and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) so make sure to discuss your concerns thoroughly with a health professional.
Best, Stella Van Lane
Happy Healthy Tash 