Improve Insulin Sensitivity with These 10 Tips! 

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