What you can do to prevent or reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes.
Losing weight and becoming more active is a very good start when it comes to preventing or reversing insulin resistance and prediabetes.
Obesity, especially abdominal fat plays a major role in blood sugar balance.
Fat plays a huge role in metabolism, it helps to manage blood sugar, blood cell production and appetite.
Fat has the ability to produce both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory proteins, especially when broken down. The fat tissue also called adipose tissue is an important endocrine organ.
When there is a constant flow of too much food coming into the system at once, the fat storage system becomes overly active and it starts releasing inflammatory proteins and these inflammatory proteins have been shown to increase insulin resistance.
The fat inside the abdomen around the organs, like your heart, liver, intestines and pancreas is called visceral fat and is the most metabolically active fat and the most dangerous fat.
It is the visceral fat that results in increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke as well as hormonal imbalances such as PCOS and adrenal disorders.
Even thin people can have high levels of visceral fat, One way to know is to measure the waist hip ratio, body fat percentage can be measured using a body composition scale but body fat distribution can also tell a lot.
This takes us to diet…
To reduce visceral fat, eat less carbohydrates and sugar and eat more healthy fats and good quality proteins.
Research is now showing that intermittent fasting can be beneficial for people with insulin resistance and pre diabetes.
In the past people with diabetes were encouraged to eat three meals and at least two snacks per day to maintain steady blood sugar but we are now finding that three meals with a good balance of fats carbohydrates and proteins and no snacks at all is the best way to maintain blood sugar.
Ideally there should be 3-5 hour breaks between meals throughout the day.
I want to stress the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet containing healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and good quality proteins.
If you need a snack in between meals, try to keep the carbs below 15 grams and pair it with fat or protein.
Always consult your doctor before starting a new diet and especially if you are using insulin, you may need some time to adjust over time and not go cold turkey.
Stress is another huge contributor to insulin resistance. When you feel stressed, the stress hormone cortisol gets released into the system. This increased cortisol has a direct influence on insulin as well and on the fat cells.
When there is too much insulin, the body produces more cortisol, which causes more insulin resistance and more insulin production, which then release even more cortisol. It is a very vicious cycle!
When cortisol is high due to stress, the fatty tissue releases inflammatory proteins.
These inflammatory proteins make the skeletal muscle and liver cells less sensitive to insulin.
High levels of cortisol also stimulate appetite which causes central fat to increase overtime, and as you already know, abdominal fat also contributes to insulin resistance.
Managing and dealing with stress is crucial for insulin resistance, just as important as working on a healthy and balanced diet. Work on creating a daily self care routine and allow yourself to take some time out for you on a daily basis.
Sleep is also critical for good blood sugar management. In one study as little as four days of sleeping less than five hours per night increased insulin resistance by 30% in healthy individuals.
Sleep deficiency also contributes to obesity in both adults and children as it increases appetite. Multiple studies show that sleeping less than five hours per night, significantly increased body weight.
For every hour less than 8 hours of sleep the expected difference in weight compared to an adult who got 8 hours was about 3lb.
Think about how you can create a bed time routine that improves sleep quality as well as quantity.
Toxins like BPA, pesticides, nitrates, mercury, cadmium, flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls influences insulin sensitivity. Many of these have a direct impact on the beta cells in the pancreas which are responsible for producing insulin.
While some of these are now banned there are still very present in our environment.
To avoid these as much as possible try to:
Eat a clean and organic diet.
Avoid smoked meats
Eliminate shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish
Use “green” cleaning products
Filter your water, both for drinking and for showering
Avoid plastic containers and bags
Avoid flame retardants
Use organic cotton or bamboo sheets, towels and textiles.
Exercise
Exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity both directly and through weight loss.
High intensity interval training (HIIT) helps to consume excess sugar and improve insulin regulation.
Exercises like yoga and resistance training such as weightlifting has also great benefits for insulin sensitivity in moderation.
Working against resistance helps to remove fat from the muscle, allowing the muscle cells to take up glucose better.
However there are certain exercises that may have a negative impact on insulin resistance. For example marathon training or bodybuilding are two of those exercises. When you train too hard it makes your cortisol levels rise and your energy levels bottom out which drives the body into survival mode.
Maybe you have heard of people who are training on a daily basis and they're still not managing to lose weight. That's because the intense exercise they're doing is pushing their bodies into survival mode which makes it impossible to lose weight.
Survival mode increases insulin resistance which then has long term effects on the thyroid, adrenals, gut, ovaries, and brain.
Some great exercises for insulin resistance is HIIT training, tabata, yoga, and resistance training in moderation.
To recap what you can do to prevent or reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes.
Lose weight, especially the visceral fat that can cause inflammation, by eating a healthy and balanced diet with 3-4 hours gap in between meals.
Manage your stress levels by introducing stress management exercises, and self care.
Create a healthy bed time routine to get more and better sleep. Quality as well as quantity.
Eliminate or reduce toxins from your food as well as environment as much as possible.
Exercise daily but don’t overdo it.
Supplements that are helpful for blood sugar management.
There are some very helpful supplements for blood sugar management, but before you start any new supplement regimen, please speak with your doctor, especially if you are on medications.
6 supplements to balance blood sugar:
1. Magnesium
People at risk for metabolic syndrome have low magnesium levels. The recommended dose for treating and preventing metabolic syndrome is to supplement with 150 to 200 milligrams of magnesium two or three times per day.
You will know you taking enough when your stools become loose.
Magnesium also helps with sugar cravings.
2. Berberine
Berberine is a plant compound that shows promise in treating insulin sensitivity. Berberine appears to affect insulin sensitivity by decreasing the amount of inflammation produced by the fatty tissue. This helps to both prevent and treat insulin resistance. The recommended dose is 500 milligrams three times per day.
Berberine should be used with caution in people who are taking other medications to treat diabetes. It also may cause problems with antibiotics and should be avoided in people taking them. Make sure to consult with your doctor before starting to supplement with Berberine.
3. Inulin
Inulin is a specific fiber, a fermentable carbohydrate that acts a prebiotic which can improve insulin sensitivity and help to nourish the cells of the digestive tract. One of the best sources is Jerusalem artichoke, but chicory root is also good.
Inulin usually comes in capsule or powder form. Start with 3 grams per day and slowly increase to 5 grams and then up to 10 grams as tolerated.
Not everybody can take prebiotics especially if you have gut inflammation. It can result in uncomfortable gassiness and bloating. If you experience these symptoms, decrease the amount or stop taking it until you have improved your gut health first.
4. Curcumin
A potent anti-inflammatory, often used in Indian cooking. This is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric. The effect of curcumin on insulin is indirect, as curcumin works by decreasing the inflammation in the muscle cells that cause insulin resistance.
Curcumin is metabolized in the body very quickly, so to absorb and use the curcumin more efficiently, it is recommended to buy the curcumin combined with black pepper. Sometimes called Piperine.
The recommended dose 500 to 1000 milligrams per day in divided doses.
5. Vitamin D
This vitamin is essential to good blood sugar management and affects blood sugar in several ways. First and probably most importantly, it helps to control stress at the cellular level, keeping everything running smoothly and limiting inflammation. Another important role it plays is that it helps to treat depression. Depression appears to worsen insulin resistance.
Before beginning supplementations, if vitamin D levels are below 50 nanograms per milliliter you can take 5000 international units daily or 50,000 international units once a week to help keep your vitamin D levels in prime working order. You must retest within 60 to 90 days to determine if your vitamin D levels have improved. If vitamin D levels are near or above 50 then you can supplement with a maintenance dose of 2000 international units a day.
Important! Vitamin D in high levels can be toxic so should only be taken if and when testing has shown that there is a deficiency.
6. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a potent blood sugar balancer. It has a lot of benefits for metabolic syndrome. Its biggest benefit is that it acts like insulin and makes the insulin receptors more responsive which a big plus for people with insulin resistance as it helps the receptors absorb the energy into the muscles.
Cinnamon is also a very strong antioxidant, helping to decrease inflammation in the fat cells which also helps to improve insulin resistance.
The recommended dose is 3 grams of cinnamon per day (about a teaspoon). You can add it to many different foods.
Please be reminded to always consult with your doctor before starting any new supplement regimen.
Foods that helps with insulin resistance:
Alfalfa
Algae and seaweed
Avocado
Basil
Bitter Gourd
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cucumber
Garlic
Ginger
Greens
Jerusalem artichoke
Onion
Turmeric
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