Does any of the following sound familiar?
- family history of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol? frequent cravings for sweet and salty foods? weight gain around your waist? need to eat often? difficulty losing weight even with exercise and calorie reduction? afternoon fatigue? addicted to carbs? high blood pressure? high cholesterol? 30lbs overweight? jitters, headaches, fuzzy thinking?
These are all indications that you may be Insulin Resistant (IR). Insulin Resistance is a hormonal condition where the body does not efficiently use insulin. This can lead to heart disease, hypertension (high BP), diabetes, obesity, and stroke.
Insulin is a very important hormone. It helps transform food into energy and regulates blood sugar levels. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose after we eat. As glucose levels increase, the pancreas then releases insulin to transport glucose to our cells for energy usage. If our body has excess glucose (blood sugar) that is not being used (expended through activity), then the body stores it as fat. Glucose is the body’s energy fuel.
Those people who are insulin resistant need to balance their insulin levels and avoid spiking blood sugar levels. Refined carbs (breads not made with whole grains, regular pasta) are quickly digested into glucose, much faster than whole grain foods. So is sugar!!!! This is not great for anyone, but especially problematic for individuals who are insulin resistant. Imagine eating a bagel. It is broken down into glucose superfast, which triggers a release of insulin. IR folks do not use insulin efficiently so the glucose gets stored as fat. IR folks tend to carry their weight around the belly. Having high insulin levels on a regular basis can make you fat. Eating a lot of sugar is more worrisome than eating fatty foods.
The body produces fat 2-3 hours after a high-carb meal. Keys to controlling IR are good nutrition and physical activity. Exercise makes the body more responsive to insulin. Avoiding refined carbs keeps blood sugar levels balanced and avoids insulin spikes. Best to eat your carbs (even the whole grain ones) with a protein. The idea is to combine the faster-to-be digested carb with a slower-to-be digested protein in order to maintain a balanced blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels — add to fruit or cereal. Make sure your multi-vitamin has chromium and magnesium (minerals that help with regulating blood sugar levels). Limit caffeine intake and use of artifical sweeteners as they can cause an increase in insulin. So does stress.
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