Avoiding insulin resistance
In the second of our blood sugar series, we’re going to take a closer look at insulin. Before you continue, be sure to read ‘Finding blood sugar balance‘ if you haven’t already.
So it’s in the news and everybody is talking about it, but what is insulin resistance and how can you avoid it? Well before we get to that, we need to do a little bit of the science behind. And do bear with me if it gets too ‘sciencey’, we’ll recap as we go!
What is insulin?
We introduced you to insulin in the last post, explaining how it’s one of the body’s main self-regulating mechanisms. We also described how it acts as a messenger, allowing circulating sugar to enter our body cells for use as fuel.
Insulin has many actions within the body, most of which are directed at the control of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
It’s made by the pancreas; you may have heard the pancreas consists of both exocrine (outside of) and endocrine (inside) functions. The exocrine function involves digestive enzyme secretion and the endocrine function consists of the ‘Islets of Langerhans’.
It sounds rather like an island, doesn’t it?! Well, we have an incredible 1 million islet cells in our pancreas and within each cell there are alpha, beta and delta cells which all perform different functions.
It’s the beta cells that produce the peptide hormone insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels from getting too high and entering the realm of hyperglycaemia.
OK, time to recap/explain!
Our bodies like to keep everything in balance to function optimally; we call this ‘homeostasis’. The body uses glucose as fuel and the pancreas secretes insulin when needed to prevent our blood sugar from getting too high. Hyperglycaemia can prove fatal.
So we know the cells in our bodies need glucose for energy. However, glucose cannot enter the cells directly. Nothing is so simple!
When we eat, our food is broken down to glucose which naturally raises our blood sugar levels. This is where the pancreas comes in – with the beta cells signalled to release insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin acts as the ‘key’ that attaches to and unlocks the cells to allow sugar to be used as energy.
Insulin also causes fat to be stored when we have enough energy at that time. Naturally this happens more when we’ve eaten foods that cause our blood sugar levels to get too high, and explains why excess sugar leads to weight gain!
In contrast, when blood glucose levels deplete (e.g. after a heavy workout or a skipped meal) then alpha cells release glucagon. Glucagon helps regulate the use of glucose and energy from fats.
It stimulates the liver to break down stored glucose to be released into the bloodstream in a process called ‘gluconeogenesis’.
Just think how today’s diet and lifestyle affects the body. Can you imagine the processes your body has to go through each time it rides the blood sugar roller-coaster (high blood sugar, followed by low, then high, and so on)?
This roller-coaster naturally puts an incredible strain on the body. A strain that, over time, causes the cells to lose their ability to respond to insulin. As a result, our pancreas actually pumps out even more insulin in its bid to keep us alive.
This leads to insulin resistance – which can itself lead to and exacerbate a host of other conditions, including Type 2 Diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
OK, that’s the science and the explanation! Ready for some rules to ensure homeostasis and an all round happy body?
12 top tips to healthy insulin balance:
1. Avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates (these spike your blood glucose levels)
2. Include a source of protein in each meal
3. Opt for more portions of vegetables than fruit
4. Choose healthy snacks to keep glucose levels stable – try nuts, crudities, eggs, salad, corn, avocado, olives and seeds
5. Portion sizes are important: don’t give your body a reason to work harder
6. Maintain a healthy weight, losing weight if needed
7. Get active for at least an hour each day (walking, running, dancing, swimming and cycling are all fantastic)
8. Opt for healthy fats, such as avocado, coconut, feta cheese, dairy and olive oil
9. Avoid processed meats, sticking to fish and lean meats, such as chicken and turkey
10. Avoid high saturated fat foods, including crisps, chips, kebabs, mayo-loaded salads and burgers
11. Increase your fibre levels with flaxseed, vegetables and healthy grains, e.g. quinoa and buckwheat
12. Aim for 8 hours of sleep to allow your body to rest and repair
13. Wondering if you may be experiencing or at risk of insulin resistance? Please get in touch.
We also took a closer look at blood sugar balance in our recent Health Tribe Mailing. Let us know if you missed it and, again, be sure to get on our list for future editions! We’ll be back soon to explore Type 2 Diabetes and what you can do to avoid it.
Nourishing well wishes,
Angelique
Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, and before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.
Part of my work in clinic is to identity and address the root cause which is responsible for the symptoms a client is experiencing. The most common underlying condition I see is unbalanced hormones. Once I noticed that balancing hormones leads to the reduction of so many other symptoms, I knew I had to create a simple plan to help people understand and support their hormones.
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