Insulin resistance is an underlying cause for diabetes and pre-diabetes. It is also an underlying cause for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, or mental health diseases, just to name a few.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells have a decrease ability to respond to insulin receptors. To compensate for insulin resistance of the cells the pancreas begins to secrete more insulin to help blood sugar into the cell.
Insulin resistance is identified through blood tests, fasting blood sugar levels, HbA1C and fasting insulin levels.
One of the symptoms that you can see that might indicate you are insulin resistant is trunkal obesity. Trunkal obesity is having body fat around the belly.
Increased fat is now being considered in the medical community as another endocrine organ.
What that means is that the extra fat around the middle is releasing hormones and throwing off our hormonal balance, creating insulin resistance. The extra fat impacts insulin levels, cortisol levels, as well as male and female hormones in a negative way by causing imbalances.
Insulin resistance can be managed and controlled through dietary choices. If you have a chronic disease, eating an appropriate whole foods diet can help repair the damage to your cells and your organs. If you don’t have a chronic disease, then eating a whole foods diet acts as a preventive step to increase your longevity and quality of life.
What is a whole food diet?
It is a diet that focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans. Small servings of organic free-range lean meats, eggs, dairy and fish are great sources of protein. Appropriate hydration, or drinking enough water, is also part of a healthy whole foods diet.
Stress reduction techniques, exercise and lifestyle changes also reduce insulin resistance by increasing the cells' sensitivity to insulin, especially muscle cells.
We have the power to create great health in our lives. We just have to take the time to incorporate healthy attitudes and changes. You can create better health just by starting to increase one more serving of vegetables per day. Try it and let me know what great changes happen over time!
If you need recipes consider buying my book at www.healthydaes.com/cookbook
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Daemon Jones
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.com
Dr. Dae's Bio:Dr. Daemon Jones is your diabetes reversal, hormones, metabolism and weight loss expert. Dr. Dae is a naturopathic doctor who treats patients all over the country using Skype and phone visits. Visit her or schedule a free consultation at her website www.HealthyDaes.org/
Sources:
The Whole Foods Diet: 6 reasons to switch to a less processed way of eating.
WebMD, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-whole-foods-diet
Insulin Resistance Syndrome (Metabolic Syndrome) Symptoms, Treatments. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/insulin-resistance-syndrome
Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/#resistance
Pantanetti P et. al. Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ? A review of recent data related to cardiovascular complications of endocrine dysfunctions. Clin Exp Hypertens. 2004 May;26(4):387-98.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15195692?dopt=Abstract
Reviewed November 22, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith