Insulin resistance is when the cell (particularly liver, muscle and fat cells, with the liver losing sensitivity first, then the muscle and then the fat cells) loses its responsiveness on the insulin receptor site. Your body adds more and more insulin to store fat. Overtime, the pancreas give up leading to type II diabetes.
In type II diabetes, your body isn’t making enough insulin and/or the cells are resistant to insulin causing too much sugar to remain in the blood.
Insulin is necessary for your body’s use of sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for your cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.
A fasting blood glucose level higher than 100-125 mg/dL is not indicative of diabetes, but it can be indicative of insulin resistance, and is above normal levels. Optimum serum glucose range is 80-95. Fasting serum insulin levels should be below 10.
Controlling your insulin levels with diet/nutrition, lifestyle modifications, exercise and supplements are a powerful anti-aging strategy and a must for health, vitality, longevity and fat loss.
Insulin Resistance Symptoms and Conditions:
- Brain fogginess and inability to focus
- Elevated triglycerides. Optimum range: 70-110 mg/dL. (40 to 60% of total cholesterol). This can only be determined with a fasting test. Triglycerides are a component of fat stored in the tissue. Decreased HDL with elevated triglycerides is a more significant indicator of risk to heart disease than total cholesterol over 200 mg/dL. Triglycerides are often increased with dysinsulinism (Syndrome-X/Metabolic Syndrome), alcoholism (GGT/GGTP also generally increased) and diabetes.
- Excess fat around your midsection or scapula area
- Hypertension
- Intestinal bloating
- Low HDL levels. Optimum range: Males – above 55 mg/dL. Females – above 60 mg/dL. Should be > than 25% of total cholesterol. Most effective way to > HDL is > exercise.
- Sleepiness and fatigue
- Type II diabetes
When glucose (sugar) builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause problems:
- Higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease (in diabetes, hyperinsulinemia doubles your risk for AD compared to people without diabetes).
- Obesity
- Over time, high blood glucose levels damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
ALL hormones work in synergy with one another. The hormone you have the most control over is insulin. This is regulated by your diet.
What Causes Insulin Resistance and Diabetes?
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Calorie restriction, skipping meals, diet pills and a crap diet of fast foods, boxed, canned or microwaved foods. Unbalanced meals, high in carbohydrates, sugar and a low intake of fats and protein.
- Drinking soft drinks and fruit juices.
- Elevated lypogenic (fat storing) enzymes and decreased lypolytic (fat burning) enzymes
- Lack of quality sleep
- Stress and altered hormonal levels. Years of high adrenaline and/or cortisol levels due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits.
DIET AND NUTRITION for insulin resistance/type II diabetes:
- Allowed fruits in moderation include: tomatoes, avocados, berries, grapefruit, lemons, limes
- Avoid agave syrup,, HFCS, Nutra Sweet and Aspartame products as they may trigger diabetes and obesity.
- Cut carbohydrates and increase protein. Eat a diet of organic proteins, non-starchy vegetables and fats (fats slow down the insulin spike)
- Eliminate all boxed, canned and microwavable foods.
- Eliminate all refined carbohydrates, grains, dairy products, fast-acting sugars (fruit juices, soft drinks, high glycemic fruits and starchy vegetables), hydrogenated fats, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco).
- Lemon and lime juice reduce the insulin index of the meal due to the flavonoids.
- If it does not run around in the field, swim, fly or is not green – do not eat it!
- Small mini meals 5-7x daily. Include smart fats and protein at each meal.
- Sweeten with stevia, an herb, instead of sugar. Stevia will not elevate blood sugars.
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS for insulin resistance/type II diabetes:
- Vitamin D – Bio D Mulsion Forte
- Chromium
- R-Alpha Lipoic Acid (lowers glucose levels up to 30%)
- Omega-3 Fish oil with 400 I.U. mixed tocopherols
- Bio-Glycozyme Forte (use with hypoglycemia)
- Fiber
- GlucoBalance (use with elevated triglycerides and ‘ blood sugar)
- ADHS (consider with increased glucose or triglycerides, adrenal cortical hyperfuntion.
- Research and clinical feed back indicates that 7 Keto-DHEA is often effective in helping to ameliorate increased glucose levels. In addition, the 7-keto DHEA will not convert androgens to estrogens.
- Resveratrol
- Silymarin, an antioxidant that can improve liver function (especially the insulin resistant-liver cells) and blood sugar levels, have shown great promise in the effort to fully restore insulin sensitivity.
- Zinc, magnesium and potassium deficiencies lead to insulin resistance.
- Improves insulin sensitivity: CoQ 10, L-Carnitine, Taurine, L-Arginine, Glutathione
SUPPLEMENTAL BOTANICALS for Insulin Resistance/Diabetes:
Fenugreek/Flax seed Potion for diabetes and insulin resistance:
Take on an empty stomach first thing in the AM
1 T. freshly ground fenugreek seeds
1 T. freshly ground flax seeds
1 T. Liquid chlorophyll
16 ounces water
- Gymnema Sylvestre before meals helps repair the pancreas and damage to liver and kidneys. Studies show that it may be able to help repair damage that has been done to the pancreas, as well as reduce the amount of insulin many diabetics need to maintain normal blood sugar levels. There is also research showing that it can reduce triglyceride levels and aid in weight loss.
- Bitter Gourd
- Banaba Tree Extract
- Grape Seed Extract
- Cinnamon – add to coffee with organic heavy cream to make you more insulin sensitive. Coffee has polyphenols which protect you from diabetes.
- Tea: Green tea, Pau d’ arco, Astragalus, Burdock, Fenugreek
LIFESTYLE protocol for insulin resistance/type II diabetes:
- Ensure healthy gut flora. Consider a CDSA (comprehensive digestive stool analysis).
- Get to bed by 10pm and get up no earlier than 6am. Lack of sleep disturbs lipid profile, glucose metabolism, androgen production and blood pressure, immune system and memory.
- Glucose levels are influenced by carbohydrate intake, stress, glandular and liver function. Serum Glucose: Optimum range – 80-95 mg/dL. 105 and > = adrenal issues
- Monitor blood glucose levels at least 2 times a day and before eating meals. If you are exercising you will need to test your glucose levels more frequently.
- Obtain fasting serum glucose and insulin levels.
- Rule out food allergies with increased or decreased blood sugar.
- Rule out heavy metal burdens, pesticides, other xenobiotics and inoculations. These can be locus to pancreatic dysfunction resulting in diabetes or hypoglycemia.
- Take Care of Your Eyes – Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness. It can lead to Retinopathy and other eye problems such as cataracts.
EXERCISE protocol for insulin resistance/type II diabetes:
- Begin some form of exercise routine. Walking is excellent for diabetes. A daily 3mph brisk walk decreases diabetes risk by 50%!
- Strength training is far superior to steady state aerobic exercise to prevent obesity and improve insulin resistance. Steady state aerobic exercise ‘cortisol levels which ‘insulin levels.
- The power of being active should never be underestimated: from a short five minute walk to forty-five minute strength training sessions, it all counts towards reducing and eliminating the pre-diabetes (insulin resistance) syndrome.