Reversing Insulin Resistance

 

Insulin resistance CAN be reversed, but it takes more than hope and good intentions. The three elements of a program to reverse insulin resistance will not surprise anyone who has been reading my blog for a while: diet, exercise and stress reduction.

Diet

The following dietary changes will help to reduce your risk of developing insulin resistance or help begin to reverse it if you are already there.

1. Reduce your sugar intake. Sugar is a far greater threat to your heart health than fat is. Sugar is extremely inflammatory in your body and the average American is consuming three or more times the recommended daily amount. Added sugar is a particular concern as it adds no nutritive value at all, just empty calories. Food labels are finally required to list added sugar so you can at least see what you are getting. The best bet for reducing your intake of added sugar is to eliminate all sodas, sweetened fruit juices and breakfast cereals, baked deserts and candy. If "eliminate" seems just too difficult for you, substitute "reduce" and work you way up to eliminate.

2. Eat more whole, fresh, unprocessed foods. This means fresh (or frozen) vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, poultry and (in moderation) unprocessed lean red meats. Spice up your dishes with anti-inflammatory seasonings like garlic or turmeric. Cut back fast and processed foods as much as you possibly can.

3. Use poly and mono-unsaturated oils for cooking. Olive, avocado, canola, almond, and peanut oils are all good choices. Avoid corn and soybean oils. 

Any diet that tends to reduce inflammation is a good way to go. Here are some examples of anti-inflammatory diets from the Harvard Health Letter.

Exercise

It doesn't matter if you love exercise or hate it, it is part of the answer. You do not need to train like an athlete, just get on your feet and get moving. Try for just 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Just going for a walk counts. Interval training is especially effective for reversing insulin resistance but any exercise will help.

Stress

Stress is a part of life, it is always going to be there. Whether or not stress causes insulin resistance is still to be discovered but chronic stress does contribute to it. Cortisol is one of the hormones released from the adrenal glands in response to chronic stress. When cortisol is released in response to a stressor it signals insulin to restrict glucose uptake to the cells. Cortisol also triggers glucagon to release stored glucose from the liver.

Since very few of us can eliminate stress from our lives, it is important that we learn to deal with it constructively. Breathing exercises, meditation, massage and even simply practicing positive emotions and challenging negative ones can all help reduce your body's reaction to stress.

We do not become insulin resistant over a weekend. It takes years of stressful, sedentary living and a less than ideal diet. So don't expect it to be reversed in a few weeks either. But changes like the ones suggested above, over time, will help you make real progress.