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How Understanding Insulin Resistance Can Help Improve Your Health and Well-Being

Published March 22nd, 2023 by Buena Vita Wellness Center

Diabetes is a word that no one is unfamiliar with. Everyone understands that if you have diabetes, you have to take insulin, and you cannot eat much sugar.

But? have you ever paused, and thought about why the body becomes resistant to insulin?

Do you know there is an organ named the pancreas that is responsible for converting food into energy? It does so with the help of a hormone called insulin.

Insulin Resistance:

Now, sometimes what happens is that our body starts a resistance behavior against insulin, why, there are multiple reasons.

Causes:

Here is the list of a few such causes:

Obesity

Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen¹.

Physical Inactivity

Lack of exercise.

Poor Diet

A diet high in refined carbohydrates, sugars and saturated fats.

Sleep Disturbances

Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality².

Chronic Stress

Stress increases cortisol levels; Therefore cortisol the ?stress hormone? contributes to insulin resistance.

Genetics

Genetically inherited insulin resistance.

Symptoms:

How will we know that our body is developing insulin resistance?
When cells in the body become less sensitive to insulin, the body may produce more insulin to compensate, leading to a variety of symptoms.

High Blood Sugar
- Detected through blood tests.
Fatigue
- The body is unable to convert glucose into energy.
High Blood Pressure
- Increased sugar intake inhibits the production of Nitric Oxide, which causes vasoconstriction and lead to high blood pressure.
Increased Hunger and Cravings
- Cravings for sugary and starchy food, as the body does not absorb these efficiently.
Weight Gain
- Excess sugar gets stored as fat.
Hormonal imbalance
- May cause Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
  Skin Changes ? Skin tags, and dark patches may appear due to insulin resistance.

Treatment:

The treatment of insulin resistance includes a combination of lifestyle changes and medications.

Here are some of the most common treatments for insulin resistance:

Diet and Exercise
- Diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, reducing sugar and processed food, and last we mustn?t forget about regular exercise³.
Weight Loss
- Even a small amount of weight loss increases insulin sensitivity and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes.
Managing Underlying Conditions
- Treating conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol often reduces insulin resistance.
Medications
- Healthcare providers often prescribe metformin, thiazolidinediones, and GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Insulin Therapy
- This is typically reserved for severe cases of insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.

In Summary:
Fortunately, insulin resistance can be managed and even reversed with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, healthy eating, and increased physical activity.
In today's world, the trend of fast food, which is not healthy, has increased the cases of diabetes⁴.

Nature has blessed us with food like oats, leafy greens, legumes and grains.
Don't lose heart that you cannot have certain things with insulin resistance and diabetes, there are many healthy and tasty alternatives. You just have to do a little bit extra effort to be a little bit extra happy.

Furthermore, keep in mind that prevention is better than cure & you are good to go.