What Is Insulin Resistance? How Can You Change It?

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin Resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond to insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. Your pancreas makes more insulin to make up for that. Making your blood sugar levels go up.

Insulin resistance syndrome (also called metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, diabetes type 2) includes a group of problems like obesity, especially belly fat. High blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance can affect 1 in 3 Americans.

Symptoms

You can’t tell by the way you feel if you have insulin resistance. You need to see a physician to get blood tests to check your blood sugar levels. Tests may include.

Fasting glucose test. This test measures your blood sugar after you haven’t eaten for at least 8 hours. Look for results measuring 100–125. 126 or higher is too high.

Oral glucose tolerance test. First, you’ll take the fasting glucose test. Then you’ll drink a sugary solution. Two hours after that, you’ll take another blood test. Look for results measuring 140–199. 200 or higher is too high.

Hemoglobin a1c test. This blood test shows your average blood sugar level for the past 3 months. Doctors use it to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you have diabetes, it helps show whether it’s under control. You may need to take the test again to confirm the results. Looking for results measuring 5.7%-6.4%. 6.5% or higher is too high.

Other Symptoms

* Waistline over 40 inches for men, over 35 inches for women

* A blood pressure reading of 130/80 or higher

* Fasting glucose level over 100mg/dl to 125mg/dl

* Fasting triglyceride level over 150mg/dl

* HDL cholesterol level under 40mg/dl

* Skin tags

* Patches of dark velvety skin are called acanthosis nigricans

Risk Factors

* Obesity, belly fat

* Inactive lifestyle

* A diet high in carbs

* Gestational diabetes

* Health conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and polycystic ovary disease

* Hormonal birth control can impair muscle gain and causes insulin resistance. That’s one of the ways birth control can cause weight gain. Birth control with a high androgen index can also cause insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain

*A family history of diabetes

* Smoking

* Ethnicity — It’s more likely if your ancestors are African, Latino, or Native American

* Age 45 and over

* Hormonal disorders like Cushing's syndrome, and Acromegaly

* Medications like HIV medications, steroids, or antipsychotics

* Sleep apnea

* Complications of Insulin Resistance

* Heart attack

* Stroke

* Kidney disease

* Cancer

* Eye problems

* Severe high or low blood sugar

* Alzheimer's disease

4 ways to help reverse insulin resistance

1. Change your diet.- Stop drinking fruit and sugary juice and drinks. Stop eating sugary desserts. Lower your carb intake. Stay away from processed foods. Stay away from saturated and transfat, switch to healthier fats. Eat plenty of low-carb vegetables and low-carb fruits. Whole grains, lean meats, and fish, legumes, nuts. Eat only low-fat dairy. You need at least 50 grams of fiber a day. It will help lower your blood sugar levels. Maintain a healthy weight.

2. Exercise.- Try to do 30 minutes of exercise at least 4–5 days a week. If you can’t, you can work up to it. Building muscles can help you turn food into energy, resulting in lower blood sugar levels.

3. Sleep.- Your body needs good sleep. It helps maintain healthy levels of insulin.

4. Take a magnesium supplement. - Magnesium deficiency is a significant contributor to insulin resistance. Taking magnesium has been found to improve insulin resistance. Magnesium also improves sleep, curbs sugar cravings, and reduces inflammation.

Last words

Please consult your physician before making any changes in your diet, exercise, or taking any dietary supplements.