Insulin Resistance

Glucose is the basic fuel used by all cells in your body to make energy. It comes from our food and is transported to our cells by the blood. (Carbohydrate foods are turned into glucose by our digestion very quickly.) Glucose can only get into the cells with the help of the hormone insulin. The insulin (like a key) unlocks the insulin receptor (like a little lock) on the cell membrane to let the glucose in. Without insulin the glucose simply can’t get in to the cell to make the energy it needs to do its job.

The amount of insulin released by our bodies is determined by what we eat. Blood sugar levels rise rapidly when we eat sugars and refined carbohydrates like white flour and potatoes. Eating too many of these types of foods over a long period means there is repeatedly too much glucose circulating in our blood.

Insulin resistance happens when the insulin receptors become jaded and exhausted by regularly having to process too much glucose. Instead of going into the cells the excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. People with blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not yet in the diabetic range, have ‘pre-diabetes’. Doctors sometimes call this condition impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Glucose not taken into the cells to be converted to energy is converted to fat and stored by the body. Excess body weight is caused by, and then causes, insulin resistance—chicken and egg.

You are unlikely to develop insulin resistance if you burn up energy through regular exercise and avoid simple carbohydrates like all sugars, pasta and white rice, eating plenty of complex carbohydrates like non-starchy vegetables and low glycemic fruits instead.

Fortunately, you can also reverse insulin resistance by eating a low glycemic load diet. Regular exercise is one of the best aids to recovery from insulin resistance and other sugar metabolism problems. Stress can also play havoc with our sugar metabolism so take measures not to let stress overwhelm you. Supplements which help balance sugar metabolism are Chromium Polynicotinate, Vital Advantage Glucose Support, Glucomannan (Konjac Fibre), Hoodia and Vitamin B Complex.

Insulin Resistance Questionnaire

1	Do you eat cereal bars, breakfast cereals, crisps, corn chips or other junk food more than five times a week?	Yes	No
2	Do you have high blood pressure?	Yes	No
3	Do you have a difficult time losing weight despite exercising regularly?	Yes	No
4	Do you carry more weight in the upper abdominal area of your torso? (e.g. is your waist larger than your hips?)	Yes	No
5	Have you a close relative who has had heart disease, high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or obesity?	Yes	No
6	Do you have difficulty concentrating, feel irritable or get headaches between meals?	Yes	No
7	Do you have high cholesterol?	Yes	No
8	Do you experience frequent cravings for sugars or other high carbohydrate foods?	Yes	No
9	Are you 4.5 kilos (10 pounds) or more over what you would call your 'ideal' weight	Yes	No
10	Do you often feel tired after eating a meal?	Yes	No
11	Do you eat meals that emphasize bread, pasta, rice or potatoes more than 3 times per week?	Yes	No
12	Are you hypoglycemic (low blood sugar)?	Yes	No
13	Do you exercise less than 2 times a week?	Yes	No
14	Do you feel energy swings throughout the day?	Yes	No

1-2	Not predisposed to Insulin Resistance
3-5	You could be setting the stage for Insulin Resistance
6-9	Probably insulin resistant. Recommend taking action to reverse Insulin Resistance.
10-14	A high probability that you have Insulin Resistance. Highly recommend taking action to reverse it now.

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