Having high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Being overweight and carrying excess weight around the midsection. Having a sedentary lifestyle with little to no movement. A diet high in refined carbohydrates, high-fat foods, and processed foods.
Experts believe obesity, especially too much fat in the abdomen and around the organs, called visceral fat, is a main cause of insulin resistance. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women is linked to insulin resistance.
What Causes Insulin Resistance? It isn't clear exactly what causes insulin resistance, but a family history of type 2 diabetes, being overweight (especially around the waist), and being inactive all can raise the risk. You do not have to be overweight to have insulin resistance.
A combination of strength exercise (using your own body or weights) and cardiovascular exercise is most effective for insulin resistance and blood sugar control. Exercise should be performed at least three days per week with no more than two consecutive days without exercise.
Exercise is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reverse insulin resistance. Eat a balanced diet emphasizing vegetables, proteins, and low-fat dairy. Moderating your carb intake can help with weight loss and decreasing insulin resistance. Lose weight, especially around the middle, if possible.
Foods to avoid for insulin resistance
soda, juice, and sweet tea. refined grains, including white rice, white bread, and cereal with added sugar. ultra-processed snack foods like candy, cookies, cakes, and chips.
Symptoms of insulin resistance can be low energy, weight gain (particularly around the abdomen), sweet cravings and difficulty concentrating. Insulin resistance is often a lifestyle condition, and as such, when recognised early, it is manageable. Some professionals consider insulin resistance a reversible diagnosis.
Your diet has a big impact on your blood sugar and insulin levels. Highly processed, high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods require more insulin. In general, eating foods that have a low to medium glycemic index and limiting foods that have a high glycemic index can help you reverse and/or manage insulin resistance.
There are some signs of insulin resistance that your doctor may look for. These includes a waistline over 40 inches in men, and a waistline over 35 inches in women. Skin tags or patches of dark velvety skin called acanthosis nigricans. A blood pressure reading of 130 over 80 or higher.
For starters, several genes have been identified that make a person more or less likely to develop the condition. It's also known that older people are more prone to insulin resistance. Lifestyle can play a role, too. Being sedentary, overweight or obese increases the risk for insulin resistance.
Not everyone with diabetes is insulin resistant, and not everyone with insulin resistance will get diabetes. Dr. Bridenstine explained that insulin resistance is a broader term: If your body is secreting higher levels of insulin to adequately regulate your blood glucose levels, then you have insulin resistance.
Risk factors include excess body weight, medications (including steroids), smoking, puberty, pregnancy in the second and third trimesters, and a family history of type 2 diabetes. If you think you have insulin resistance, talk to your health care provider.
Low Vitamin D May Contribute to Insulin Resistance
Many studies have looked at the role of vitamin D in diabetes and have shown an association between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk for type 2 diabetes and its complications.
A minimum initial prolonged fast of 36 hours to 3 days may be needed to start the process of reversing insulin resistance. For morbidly obese patients Fung uses initial fasts of 7 to 21 days. The longest known medically supervised fast is over 1 year in a male weighing more than 460 lbs.
NOT NECESSARILY. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. However, it is possible to reverse insulin resistance before you develop diabetes.
Magnesium participates directly in this process by acting as a cofactor for many enzymes involved in energy metabolism and modulating insulin secretion and action in target tissues through interaction with receptors of this hormone (9, 10).
Previous studies showed that caffeine can lower insulin sensitivity and increase insulin resistance and glucose concentration [33,34,35].
Eggs are an excellent protein source with all nine essential amino acids and less than 0.5 grams of carbs, making it ideal for weight loss and for overcoming insulin resistance.
The Bottom Line. Bananas are a delicious, nutritious and affordable food for everyone, including those with diabetes. Eating this healthy fruit can help stabilize blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and improve heart health.
This fat (also called visceral fat) is especially dangerous because it causes the liver and other organs to become fatty and inflamed. Visceral fat also causes Insulin Resistance, so it becomes a “chicken and the egg” situation since Insulin Resistance also causes this belly fat to accumulate.
“Eating enough protein while following a lower-carbohydrate diet can be an effective way to feel full, control blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and ultimately, reduce or prevent belly fat,” Norwood says.
If you struggle with insulin resistance, try eating fruits in moderation. While fruits contain “natural” sugar, they still contain carbohydrates and can spike blood sugar, especially fruits like apples, bananas, and mangoes, which all have high sugar content.