Improve Insulin Sensitivity with These 10 Tips! 

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Wouldn’t you want to know if your habits were making you likely to develop a disease? I sure hope you answered yes! But sometimes you don’t necessarily know that. So, my focus today is to empower you with some diet and lifestyle habits that can help you prevent conditions like insulin resistance and diabetes. 

What is Insulin?

First of all, what is insulin? Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin’s purpose is to help glucose (from your food) go inside your cells to be converted into energy. Your body uses this energy to maintain all your basic functions…or to be stored as fat and used in the future. 


What is Insulin Resistance?

If your body does not respond to the effects of insulin, glucose stays in your blood instead of entering the cells. Since this really isn’t good for your body, your pancreas will send out even more insulin to get the job done. The loss of ability of your body to listen to insulin the first time it “knocks on your door”, so to speak, and to knock louder and louder until your answer is called insulin resistance. Over time, the consistent build-up of glucose in the blood leads to the development of Type 2 diabetes.


What is Insulin Resistance?

If your body does not respond to the effects of insulin, glucose stays in your blood instead of entering the cells. Since this really isn’t good for your body, your pancreas will send out even more insulin to get the job done. The loss of ability of your body to listen to insulin the first time it “knocks on your door”, so to speak, and to knock louder and louder until your answer is called insulin resistance. Over time, the consistent build-up of glucose in the blood leads to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

What is Insulin Sensitivity?

So to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes, we need to be sensitive to insulin. Being sensitive to insulin means that your body responds well to the effects of insulin (aka “answers the door” after the first knock). When there is a glucose in the blood, what is supposed to happen is that your pancreas will release insulin…and that insulin helps glucose to enter the cells, resulting in a decrease in blood glucose level (a return to balance or homeostasis).

Who’s at Risk for Insulin Resistance?

Some people are more prone to develop resistance to insulin. There are factors that may contribute to that, including:

  • History of gestational diabetes
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • A high-carb diet
  • Obese or overweight
  • Binge drinking of alcohol
  • Smoking
  • High blood pressure
  • Sleep issues (Poor sleeping habits)
  • Sleep apnea (a condition when breathing stops and restarts during sleep)

10 Tips to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

To prevent insulin resistance, the following are science-backed lifestyle changes:

  1. Sleep more. – Having more Zs is linked to preventing insulin resistance.
  2. Move your body daily – Exercise helps glucose move into the muscles and be used. Aside from that, exercise can help you burn excess fat, reducing another risk factor for insulin resistance. Aim for 10k steps and accumulate at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. 
  3. Manage stress – Stress keeps your blood sugar and hormones high (cortisol and insulin). Manage stress by HeartMath, meditation, exercise, etc.
  4. Hydrate with water, instead of drinking sweet beverages.
  5. Increase fiber in your diet. – Veggies, fruit, legumes, chia seeds, and oat bran are all good sources of fiber.
  6. Eat more foods rich in antioxidants. – Antioxidants prevent inflammation and boost insulin sensitivity. Fresh foods like blueberries, broccoli, nuts and seeds, leafy greens, cloves and cinnamon, and many herbs are loaded with antioxidants.
  7. Decrease processed carbohydrates in your diet. – Eat unprocessed carbs (like veggies, fruits, beans, root veggies) instead of processed carbs like crackers, pasta, bread, and cereal–processed carbs often lead to sugar spikes in the blood. If you are going to eat them, pair them with protein, keep the portion of the carbs small and infrequent.
  8. Take supplements that can help with insulin sensitivity such as magnesium.
  9. Lessen eating sweets. – Avoid eating candies, cakes, cookies, and sugary beverages.
  10. When cooking, use herbs and spices. – Cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are all great for helping to reduce inflammation (inflammation to lead to higher blood sugar!).

In a nutshell, practice the habit of living a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget the basic things like exercise, proper sleep, and a well-balanced diet–they go a long way! Instead of eating processed sweets and carbs, eat more fruits and veggies because they contain natural sugars and are loaded with nutrients. And if you want dessert, check here for MUCH healthier options!

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca

The Benefits and Side Effects of Biotin

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The secret to healthy hair, brilliant skin and strong nails lies in a balanced diet that is made up of a variety of fruits and vegetables, protein, and plenty of water.
The highlight of today’s newsletter is a micronutrient called biotin or vitamin B7. Many people swear that biotin has improved their hair, nails, and skin. Let’s take a deeper look.

What is Biotin?

Biotin is also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H (which stands for Haar and Haut, the German words for hair and skin). It is a water-soluble vitamin…meaning, it is carried to your body’s tissues but your body does not store it. 
 

Where Can We Get Biotin?

Various foods are a good source of biotin. You can get them from eggs, fish, meat, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. And your gut microbes also produce biotin.

What Is the Role of Biotin in the Body?

Biotin is an essential vitamin. We can’t live without it. It is involved in many metabolic processes such as converting glucose, fats, and proteins into nutrients and energy. Biotin also supports cardiovascular health as well as the proper functioning of your brain and nerves.

Biotin also plays an essential role in maintaining healthy skin because enzymes that nourish the skin rely on biotin. 

In addition, studies show that biotin helps decrease blood sugar levels among insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

What Are the Symptoms of Biotin Deficiency? 

While biotin deficiency is rare in the U.S., symptoms of deficiency include brittle nails, hair loss, and red, scaly skin rashes.

Those same symptoms can also be caused by iron deficiency or a thyroid issue.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 30 micrograms (mcg) is the adequate daily intake for adults (19 years of age and older), and this amount is easily achieved through the diet.

So what happens if you take supplemental biotin without having a deficiency?
 

What Happens When You Take Too Much Biotin?

Since biotin is water-soluble, it is easily eliminated from the body through urine and the chance of vitamin toxicity is pretty low. And as I mentioned, it is pretty easy to get biotin from your diet. 

Taking a lot of extra biotin may interfere with some lab results such as thyroid hormone tests, so before any blood work is done, it is important to let your practitioner know about any medications or supplements you are taking.

Other negative side effects of excessive biotin intake are: 

  • Acne breakouts and changes in skin tone and texture – Too much biotin can hinder the absorption of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) which is essential in fighting acne.
  • Signs of allergic reaction such as skin rashes, watery eyes, and congestion – These happen when you are allergic to an ingredient or additive in some biotin supplements.
  • Nausea, cramping, diarrhea, or indigestion – They usually occur when biotin is taken on an empty stomach. So if you are taking biotin, make sure that you eat first.
  • Interactions with medications like anticonvulsants.
  • Blood sugar level alterations – Mentioned earlier, biotin can decrease glucose levels in the blood. Consequently, this can also result to abnormally low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) among insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

How to Take Biotin Safely?

As I mentioned, if you eat an unprocessed diet with plenty of protein, you are likely meeting your biotin needs. Different age groups have different RDAs (Recommended Daily Allowance):

  • 5 mcg daily for infants
  • 6–8 mcg daily for infants ages 7 months to 3 years old
  • 12–20 mcg daily for children ages 4–13 years old
  • 25 mcg for adolescents
  • 30 mcg for male and female adults over 19 years old
  • 30 mcg for pregnant women

For hair loss, the amount of biotin recommended is a lot higher: 2,500-3,000 mcg. It’s best to start slowly and work your way up.
If you are pregnant, drink a lot of alcohol, a smoker, or have a kidney disease, have undergone stomach surgery, have been taking antibiotics or anti-seizure drugs, or have digestive disorders, please discuss with your healthcare provider before supplementing.

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca

Cauliflower “Fried” Rice

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I’m excited to share this yummy and healthy recipe with you today! First, a reminder that I have 2 events coming up and you’re invited. The first is this upcoming Saturday, Sept 24th in person at Park Avenue Fitness’s Health Fair! Come see me and some other top notch practitioners (details here). Second, I’ll be teaching a masterclass on weight release Oct 4th (details here). I would love to see you at one or both of these events!

So back to today’s recipe. I modified this from skinnytaste (their original recipe here).


Ingredients:

  • Two 1-lb bags organic fresh or frozen riced cauliflower (or you can make your own pulsing cauli florets in a food processor…I’d guess 2 heads worth). If using frozen, defrost an hour before cooking
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic peas
  • 1 cup diced organic carrots
  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 yellow onions, diced
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1 T ghee
  • 3 T tamari
  • 2 eggs (scrambled)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: top with sesame seeds

How to:

  • Add ghee to large wok or pan, medium heat
  • Once pan is warm and ghee melted, add onions
  • Stir and cook onions until almost translucent and then add carrots and garlic
  • Cook for several minutes and then add cauliflower, stir well.
  • Mix in the sesame oil, tamari, peas, salt and pepper then cover with a lid for about 5 mins
  • While cooking, scramble up the eggs.
  • Uncover, add eggs, stir well and check cauli and carrots for texture (I prefer al dente but if you like it more well cooked, cook until desired texture–leave uncovered so the cauliflower doesn’t become mushy.
  • Enjoy!


We absolutely love this recipe at our house. I hope you do too! Pro tip: if you or other family members prefer less spice or flavor, you can leave out the sesame oil and/or tamari and let them add it as desired to their own serving.

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca