Experts say that in the next 25 years, the number of diabetic patients will increase from 190 million to 325. That sounds very sad. We should start to work on our health and realize what exactly we should do with it. So, let’s discuss one of the important health problems – insulin resistance.
7 Steps to Losing Weight With Insulin Resistance
1
Control of carbohydrate intake.
They, of course, should not be removed, but counted and analyzed but simple ones should be removed for sure. Complex ones from vegetables, cereals, legumes, berries and some fruits (limited) should be left. It also makes sense to consume fermented milk products under control and carefully.
2
Elimination of sugary drinks.
Not only sweetened tea and coffee but also drinks with a high milk content. Cappuccino-definitely not. You can leave a little bit of milk or even better heavy cream in the Americano.
Sweet sodas are on one of the first places in the list of causes of diabetes. Even sodas with sweeteners are a very bad idea, insulin also reacts to them.
You can add stevia to tea, for example.
3
Control of fiber intake.
It has a positive effect on both insulin and blood glucose. [1] Legumes, non-starchy vegetables, avocados and a small percentage of whole grains are the basis.
Complex carbohydrates in high concentration (porridge or grain bread) are appropriate only in the morning, because during these hours the body is more sensitive to insulin. Next, add only fresh salads and stewed vegetables to protein products (but not potatoes, beets and carrots, but zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants).
4
Healthy fats.
With insulin resistance, unsaturated fats are more useful (saturated fats are also needed, but quite a bit - say, 1 yolk and 15 grams of butter per day). [2]
It is optimal to get the right fats from fish, avocado and natural olive oil.
Seeds and nuts are also a good thing, but at the initial stage, when you lose weight and learn to control food, they can interfere with you. Too tasty, you can overeat. If you are confident in yourself - you are welcome!
So, mackerel, salmon, herring, sardine, any white fish should definitely be in the diet! Walnuts, flax seeds and chia are also useful.
5
Protein.
Protein is what puts your appetite in order, normalizes sleep, and triggers recovery processes. [3] It is neutral in terms of glucose and fat metabolism, supports muscle mass and bone mineral density.
Chicken, lean beef or veal, fish, eggs, legumes are excellent blood sugar regulators.
6
Serving size. Losing weight is the key.
Eating less does not mean starving. With insulin resistance, you can not allow feelings of hunger in any way. You'll just overeat a lot later.
Find a schedule in which you will be comfortable to act.
Food stress is also cortisol, and cortisol will increase the level of sugar, and that will increase the level of insulin. We don't need such a vicious circle. [4]
7
Training.
Start with a quick walk or a swimming pool (if you are overweight and already have health problems), and then, as you lose weight, be sure to connect power components.
Training balances the hormonal chaos.
How Insulin Works
It is a peptide hormone produced by the pancreas. Its beta cells synthesize insulin and send it to the blood so that it controls blood sugar levels and keeps it stable, helping the cells to get glucose. [5]
Tasks of insulin:
• Regulation of blood sugar levels.
• Assimilation of nutrients by cells.
• Promoting cell growth and division. Yes, it is also a growth hormone.
• Control of the body's use of digested food for energy.
How does this happen?
• The glucose level rises, the pancreas immediately reacts and releases insulin into the blood.
• Insulin, along with glucose, is sent to the cells of the muscles, liver and fat depots, depending on the tasks.
• The level of sugar in the blood decreases.
In a normal scenario, this is the case.
How does the resistance of cells to insulin appear:
• With huge portions with high calories, a lot of carbohydrates, excess fat, sugar and flour, blood sugar does not rise, but takes off. This is a serious stress.
• The pancreas must rapidly release a lot of insulin into the blood, it makes a jerk, and then, without having time to "catch its breath", it receives the next signal - and again produces insulin, and again it drags glucose into the cells.
• At such moments, you first feel euphoria (sugar rose from the donut), and then failure, hunger and a new craving for carbohydrates.
• The cages, meanwhile, are also not rubber. Of course, they need the energy that insulin drags every hour - but not in the same frenzied amount and not so often! And they start to "block", they just don't take glucose anymore, and that's it. Insulin knocks, but no one opens it. This is called insulin resistance.
• And this is where the saving adipose tissue comes into play. Muscles do not take it, the liver does not take it, but fat will take with pleasure, this is our defense mechanism. First, subcutaneous fat grows (as long as the resource is enough), but then the visceral fat begins to clog... A difficult story with a sad ending.
What Is the Best Diet for Insulin Resistance?
The best solution is to stop eating constantly and start eating thoughtfully and REGULARLY.
The main thing is that there is a system. Modest portions. Normal food, human-nothing refined. And training.
Of course, we are not talking about people with a diagnosis, but about those who want to prevent trouble.
It is necessary to plan your meals in advance.
You can take it for a day:
• 50 grams of cereals in dry form.
• 100 grams of berries.
• A small amount of milk in the coffee (if required).
• 400 grams of different vegetables and herbs.
• 50 grams of legumes.
• 300-400 grams of protein products in raw form (for example, 150 grams of lean veal and 150 grams of fish).
5 meals:
1. In the morning, make porridge with berries and add to it a spoonful of any good oil, a protein component for satiety. An egg, for example.
Or scrambled eggs with avocado and red fish.
2. For a snack, you can take, for example, baked cheesecakes (only cook them from normal cottage cheese, 9%) without grain flour. Chickpea and coconut are a great alternative.
3. Lunch - 150 grams of chicken or fish + 200 grams of fresh salad or stewed vegetables. A little olive oil.
4. Dinner-similarly. Add more herbs, especially parsley.
5. Before going to bed, you can drink a protein shake or eat 3 pure proteins.
William Toro ‧ CPT & Nutritionist
William is a certified personal trainer from NASM, he has also been a rehab physiologist for sports persons. He has more than 15 years of experience training people. And has featured in multiple publications like FoxNews, CNBC, Bustle, and other.
References:
1. G Riccardi, A A Rivellese, Effects of dietary fiber and carbohydrate on glucose and lipoprotein metabolism in diabetic patients, retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1663443/
2. G Riccardi, R Giacco, A A Rivellese, Dietary fat, insulin sensitivity and the metabolic syndrome, retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15297079/
3. Meghana D. Gadgil, MD, MPH, Lawrence J. Appel, MD, MPH, Edwina Yeung, PHD, Cheryl A.M. Anderson, PHD, MPH, MS, Frank M. Sacks, MD, Edgar R. Miller III, PHD, MD, The Effects of Carbohydrate, Unsaturated Fat, and Protein Intake on Measures of Insulin Sensitivity, retrieved from https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/5/1132
4. Dina Aronson, MS, RD, Cortisol — Its Role in Stress, Inflammation, and Indications for Diet Therapy, retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml
5. Stephanie Watson, Michael Dansinger, MD, How Insulin Works, retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-explained
