WHAT IS INSULIN RESISTANCE?

TRANSCRIPT

Hi there, I’m Ginger, a Holistic Nutritionist and I’m here today to talk about insulin resistance, what it is, how it happens, and what you can do about it.

It is said that as many as 88% of American adults could be walking around with insulin resistance and most people aren’t even aware. The reason this is so concerning is insulin resistance causes weight gain, can lead to things such as type 2 diabetes, and many other chronic health conditions. But here’s the good news, because it is a condition of diet and lifestyle it is often reversible!

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas when we eat,  processed carbs and sugar having the biggest impact.

Though insulin has many jobs, it is most known for regulating our blood sugar level. When we eat food that increases our blood sugar, the pancreas releases insulin which then opens the doors that moves glucose from the blood to different parts of the body, such as the heart, brain, muscles, and fat tissue. Insulin is a unique hormone in that it affects every cell in every tissue of the body, meaning it affects every organ in the body.

The way it affects the organ is different depending on what organ we’re talking about. An example is when insulin binds to a cell in the liver, the liver creates fat. When insulin binds to a cell in the muscles, it creates new proteins.

So, from head to toe, insulin is regulating how your cells use energy and can even determine whether a cell will live or die.

When we eat a diet that is high in sugar and processed foods, and when we eat too often, our blood sugar levels spike throughout the day, causing our pancreas to release insulin every time it spikes.

Over time, our cells develop a resistance to insulin and stop responding. This is one-way insulin resistance happens. And since every cell in the body responds to insulin, every organ in the body can become insulin resistant.

When the body begins to become resistant to insulin, normal amounts are not sufficient to get the glucose into the cells, so the body produces more and more insulin to try and force those cells open. This is a vicious cycle and causes the body to become more and more resistant to insulin.

As I mentioned, one of the main goals of insulin is to regulate our blood sugar level. High glucose levels in the body are dangerous so our body needs that insulin to get the glucose out of our blood and into the cells to lower blood sugar levels back to baseline. When the cells become resistant to insulin, and insulin resistance takes hold, this process is compromised and leads to a state called hyperglycemia, and this is when a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is given.

Here’s a little secret most people aren’t aware of, insulin resistance can be present for years, even decades before a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is given. People can actually have normal blood sugar levels and still be insulin resistant. The reason so many are not aware is because the standard blood tests given only test glucose levels, so the insulin levels are rarely looked at.

Remember, insulin is affecting every single organ in the body, because it affects every cell in the body, so too much insulin circulating in your system leaves you susceptible to many serious and chronic health conditions beyond type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, and even certain types of cancer.

Ok, now I’m going to share some common signs you can look for to see if you are insulin resistant.

Number 1: Are you someone who is hungry all the time? Do you eat a meal and you finish and could still continue eating? This is because your blood sugar is not being regulated properly. So, you’ve got all that energy circulating in your blood, but your body is not able to use it.

This leads me to the second symptom, which is similar to the first, and that is having cravings. If you often crave sugar and other carbohydrates, this is because your cells can’t use the glucose it needs for energy. So you eat, creating the glucose, and the energy is there, but your body has no way to access it.

Number three: Fatigue after a meal. Do you feel like you want to take a nap after eating? This often happens at lunchtime after a sandwich or bowl of pasta. The reason for the fatigue is because these high carb meals cause blood sugar to rise quickly, leading to a  rush of insulin. Because your cells are resistant to that insulin, the glucose can’t make its way into the cells to be used as energy. This leaves you feeling exhausted and ready to lay down for a nap!

Number five is weight gain in the midsection. One of the ways the body stores fat is around the organs, this is called visceral fat and it is always a sign of insulin resistance.

This fat is typically hard, and can’t be pinched. It is often called a beer belly.

If you have a belly and you lay down on your back and your belly doesn’t fall flat, that is likely visceral fat. Another sign of visceral fat is if your waist is bigger around than your hips.

Number six is retaining water. Insulin tells the kidneys to hold on to water and sodium. When this happens swelling and bloating occur. It is often most noticeable around the ankles.

Number seven: needing to urinate all the time, this can also be a sign of insulin resistance. Because insulin is not able to regulate glucose, the body has to get rid of it somehow so it will signal the kidneys to create more urine to pass the sugar from the blood.

This leads to symptoms number eight and that is of frequent thirst. If you’re peeing all the time, you’re flushing all that water out and that is going to leave you thirsty.

Number nine shows up on the skin, and that is skin tags. These can show up anywhere on the body but are most common on the neck and in the armpits.

Number ten is also skin-related and that is dark patches. When there are high levels of insulin in the body, dark dry patches of skin often appear in the folds, like the neck, groin, and armpits.

Number eleven only pertains to the ladies, and that is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or (PCOS). This typically happens to women during their reproductive years and shows up as either infrequent or longer than normal menstrual periods. It causes the body to create excess male hormone levels and is one of the most common causes of infertility. This is always a sign of insulin resistance.

And number twelve is elevated blood sugar levels. Like I mentioned earlier, you can be insulin resistant without high blood sugar, but it is a common symptom. If you’ve got a blood glucometer, check your blood sugar level prior to eating a meal, and again 2 hours after your meal. If blood sugar is regulated, your level should be back to your baseline, the level it was prior to eating your meal. If it’s not, this is a sign of insulin resistance.

Ok, as I mentioned at the beginning of this video because insulin resistance is largely due to diet, it is reversible with diet! So, I’m going to leave you today a couple of changes you can make that will have a big impact on reversing your insulin resistance.

The first is to cut back on the number of carbs you’re eating.

When we look at the 3 macronutrients, carbs, protein, and fat, carbs have the biggest impact on raising blood sugar levels, protein has a moderate impact, and fat has almost zero impact. So eating a diet that is low in carbohydrates, and high in dietary fats, will cause the least amount of increase to your blood sugar level, and this, in turn, will mean your body will not have to release as much insulin. Over time, with less insulin needed to respond to all the blood sugar, your cells will begin to gain sensitivity to insulin again, and this is when the resistance is reversed. A ketogenic or carnivore diet are two great options for someone with insulin resistance

The second thing that will have the biggest impact is to restrict how often you eat. Eating enough food to sustain you between meals will mean less snacking. Remember, every single time you eat, your blood sugar levels go up resulting in a rush of insulin to take care of the blood sugar. So snacking keeps you on a blood sugar roller coaster throughout the day. The best way to prevent snacking is to eat meals with sufficient fat and protein, to sustain you until the next meal.

Another thing to consider is intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating. A good place to start is going 16 hours between meals. An example would be to finish your last meal of the day at 7 pm and then not eat again until 11 am the following day. If you’re not eating, you’re not releasing insulin.

Diet is by far going to have the biggest impact on reversing insulin resistance, but there are two other lifestyle habits to focus on that can also really help, and that is to get daily exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic will help, the key here is consistency. The last thing I’ll mention is to focus on and prioritize sleep. Getting enough and quality sleep will help stabilize blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. And, when we’re more rested, we tend to make better food choices!

Ok, that’s what I’ve got for you today. Thank you for watching, don’t forget to subscribe and hit like and I’ll see you next time!