Most of us do not understand the meaning of the condition, insulin resistance. It is a very serious condition that ultimately leads to diabetes as well as other health problems. Hence, it is imperative we know about it and take all the necessary steps to tackle and reverse the condition. The objective of the article is to familiarize you with the problem of insulin resistance while at the same time helping you to reverse the condition. So, come and join in fir the article “What is Insulin Resistance and How to Reverse It?”

What is the Meaning of Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance refers to a condition where the body loses its sensitivity to the hormone insulin. When a person suffers from this condition, the glucose is unable to enter into the cells appropriately and the required amount of energy is not produced in the body. When you do not have the problem of insulin resistance, the level of insulin rises to a small amount after eating. The liver is stimulated to take up the essential glucose from the blood and thereby convert the same into energy. Hence, the level of glucose in the blood thereby falls and the raised insulin also balances itself out.

However, when you are having the problem of insulin resistance, the blood sugar could be normal but the level of insulin is always high as the liver is not responding to the hormone which makes the pancreas release more of insulin. The calories are then stored as fats and there are major problems in the body.

With time, the problem of insulin resistance can cause severe health conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, and several other complications.

Read Also: Which Type of Diabetes is an Insulin Resistance Disorder?

The main causes of the same include:

• Genetic factors such as heart diseases or occurrence of diabetes within the family
• increased weight
• consistent high blood pressure

Some of the Signs That Can Help Depict That You might be Suffering From Insulin Resistance

Although there are no clear signs and symptoms of the condition, the following few signals can help you understand the problem:

• There are dark patches that can develop somewhere around the neck or even at the back of the neck. This condition is called acanthosis nigricans.
• The above mentioned dark patch like structure can also occur in other body parts namely the elbows, knees, armpits, amongst others.
• Sugar and carbohydrates cravings are other important signs which should not go ignored
• You also tend to suffer from severe mood swings and anxiety
• Your fasting level of insulin is measured above 5
• You go through the problem of PCOS and periods in women are irregular
• The body suffers from low levels of good cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides, as well as the content of uric acid in the urine also find an increase.

Why is Insulin So Important?

Insulin is a very important hormone for our body. Released by the pancreas, it is insulin which is responsible for carrying the glucose into the cells and producing the much-required energy in the body. When we eat food, the essential nutrients are broken down in the form of glucose and the same should be utilized for the production of insulin, this entire process is facilitated by the hormone insulin.

How to Reverse Insulin Resistance?

As seen above, if insulin resistance is not controlled with time, several problems can be caused in the body. As such, it is imperative that you adopt steps to reverse these. Following are few of the ways in which insulin resistance can be corrected:

1. Diet

The best way to tackle the problem is to make important changes in your overall diet plan. You can adopt the following:

• You should be mindful of the total amount of carbohydrates that you are taking in a days’ time. Focus on the foods which have a lower value of glycemic index
• Also, go for healthy sources of fats. Monosaturated fats are the ones which are always considered healthy. Extra virgin oil, nuts, as well as avocado are some of the most sought- after sources of healthy fats.
• Also, improve the intake of nuts and seeds such as raw walnuts, flax seeds, almonds, etc.
• Go for those foods which are a good source of various antioxidants such as ginger, garlic, rosemary, turmeric, among others.
• Non-starchy vegetables such as the green leafy vegetables comprising spinach, kale, etc. go a long way in helping you deal with the problem
• Fish such as salmon, sardines, amongst others are a good source of omega 3’s that can help in dealing with some of the problems caused by insulin resistance.
• You should always eat small meals. You can eat frequently but eating small meals is the way to go.
• Avoid eating fried foods, foods containing artificial sweeteners, sodas, too much of coffee, amongst others.

2. Physical Activity

Exercise plays an important role in dealing with the problem of insulin resistance. The same can help control the amount of accumulated body fat, helps in strengthening metabolism of the body. You should ideally go for 20 to 30 minutes of walking every single day. Besides, you can also go for regular physical activity such as cycling, gymming, swimming, amongst other activities for around 20 minutes for at least five times in a week.

3. Relax Your Mind

Meditation can help you relax your mind and also reduces stress levels. stress could be a major contributor to causing problems of insulin resistance.

4. Take Supplements

You can take the following recommended supplements

Coenzyme q10

This supplement is known to be a powerful antioxidant which reduces the level of bad cholesterol, promotes heart health. You should go for 90 to 120 milligrams in one day.

Magnesium

The supplements which contain this element can go a long way in helping to control insulin resistance. It is advisable that you go with magnesium citrate, chelate, etc. while avoiding taking magnesium oxide at the same time. The recommended quantity of the same is 100 milligrams to 400 milligrams in a day.

Chromium

With its ability to improve the levels of blood sugar, helping the body to better utilize glucose, and also to improve the raised levels of lipid, chromium is a preferred supplement for controlling insulin resistance. GTF Chromium is highly recommended and the advisable dose quantity is around 1,000 mcg in a day.

Alpha-lipoic Acid

This supplement also goes a long way in helping to control the condition and the recommended dosage of the same is around 100 milligrams to 400 milligrams in a day.

Medications

Following are some of the drugs that are often prescribed by the doctors for controlling the problem of insulin resistance:

• Metformin is one of the best medicines to improve sensitivity of the body towards insulin
• There are various thiazolidinedione drugs such as Avandia and Actos that can help
• Besides, doctors also recommend the use of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors to help improve the situation

We hope that the above article has been helpful in educating you about insulin resistance, its symptoms and various other aspects of the condition. We have also tried to make you understand the various ways in which the condition can be reversed. It is important to handle the situation as it can lead to various health issues in the future and same can be achieved under the supervision of your medical doctor!