According to the CDC, it estimated that 30.3 million (9.4 %) of Americans are have diabetes. This is includes diagnosed and undiagnosed cases. There are may people with diabetes without symptoms and only find out when they are sick. The sickness can be related to their diabetes but sometimes its not. For instance, they might had an a car accident causing them to be hospitalized and it during their hospitalization through lab work they discover an extremely elevated glucose.
Stress can cause high glucose but in most cases the glucose returns to normal after the stress is gone.
Insulin resistance plays a major role in diabetes and if not reversed will lead to Diabetes Type 2 .This this is the diabetes that occurs to lack of exercise and processed. You will soon discover that the key to reversing diabetes naturally is exercise and diet.
Insulin resistance is when your muscle, liver, and fat cells do not respond to insulin as they should, making it difficult for these cells to take up and use the glucose in your blood. You need to use glucose for energy. But when not used or if you eat too much, it floats around your body and damages your arteries.
When your cells don’t react to glucose as efficiently as they should, your pancreas makes more insulin to overcome this lack of response, which results in higher insulin levels within the body to maintain a healthy blood glucose range.
Insulin resistance can be pre-cursor to pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is simply when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.
Insulin resistance is more likely in those who are overweight or obese, are 45 or older, have a parent or sibling with diabetes, are physically inactive, have high blood pressure and cholesterol, have a history of gestational diabetes, a history of heart disease or stroke, or have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
If you suspect you may be insulin resistant, there are ways to slow down or even reverse insulin resistance before you need to take medications.
1. Get Active to Reverse Insulin Resistance
Any regular exercise is critical to reducing blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity. During exercise, your glucagon stores are diminished, which results in the uptake of blood glucose to replenish these stores. This results in less insulin production due to lower blood sugar levels.
To successfully improve insulin resistance with exercise, it is best to engage in more intense workouts or long low-intensity workouts. A brisk walk, a jog or run, yoga, Pilates, strength and resistance training, and even high-intensity interval training will all go a long way in improving insulin sensitivity.
The more frequently you exercise, the better your health. Even making small changes such as taking the steps, parking further away from the shop entrance, and investing in a standing desk will help keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable.
2.Overhaul Your Diet to Reverse Insulin Resistance
Adjusting your diet will be the single biggest influencer to managing and reversing insulin resistance. Eliminating simple sugars and processed foods, while lowering carbohydrate intake will reduce spikes in blood sugar and insulin production.
Try to eliminate foods that contained added sugar. Foods that are typically labeled low fat may have added sugar to improve the taste. Instead, go for full fat over added sugar.
Eliminating carbohydrates entirely is not necessary, but choosing the correct carbohydrates are. Aim for foods that are high in fiber and have a low-glycaemic index.
Diets such as low carbohydrate, ketogenic, and intermittent fasting may be a starting point to reassess your lifestyle. Speak to your doctor or nutritionist for more information on what lifestyle change would be best suited for you.
3. Manage Your Stress to Reverse Insulin Resistance
We are all inundated with stress throughout the day. Stress that goes unchecked can result in blood sugar imbalances, weight gain, inflammation, and insulin resistance.
Taking some time out of your day to address stress is essential to a healthy lifestyle, whether this is through your exercise routine, practicing mindfulness, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or taking a hot bath.
4. Improve Your Sleep Quality to Reverse Insulin Resistance
Sleep is essential for all aspects of life. A lack of good quality sleep usually results in elevated blood sugar levels. Your general lack of energy from poor sleep will also lead to carbohydrate cravings.
To improve your nightly dose of sleep, it’s important to practice good sleep hygiene. Have a set routine for getting ready for bed. This can include putting away electronic devices for an hour before bedtime, relaxing to some music or reading, a bath or shower, brushing your teeth and putting on comfortable pajamas.
Good sleep hygiene also extends to your bedroom. Invest in a good, comfortable mattress, and bed linens. Block out curtains or blinds will go a long way to blocking out any light pollution from outside if this isn’t possible a silk eye mask will help block out any light. If noises prevent you from falling asleep, having some white noise in the background may help.
A good routine and sleep hygiene should drastically improve the quality and quantity of sleep. However, if these don’t help, then a sleep study may be necessary to get to the bottom of your sleeping problem.
5.Supplements that may Help Reverse Insulin Resistance
Our modern lifestyles, diet, and food choices may not give us all the nutrients our bodies need to thrive. For that reason, it may be worth your while to look at taking supplements to help improve or reverse insulin resistance.
Start with a good multivitamin; this can a long way in supplementing with a variety of vitamins and minerals to get you started. In addition to a good multivitamin consider adding chromium, magnesium, berberine, cinnamon, turmeric, fish oil, and Vitamin D to your daily supplements.
If you are on any medication, its advisable that you consult your doctor before adding supplements to your diet as they may contraindicate your medication.
6. Losing weight to Reverse Insulin Resistance
Losing weight when insulin resistant is not easy. Insulin also signals the body to turn blood sugar, which cannot be utilized immediately into long term fat storage. But weight loss should occur naturally once you have started an exercise program, are watching your diet and caloric intake, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress.
Reversing Insulin Resistance
Insulin has many roles within the body. Keeping this hormone in check is key to managing insulin resistance. If you suspect you may be insulin resistant or just want to improve your health, adjustments to diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and weight loss will certainly assist in addressing health issues holistically.