Insulin Resistance

FEELING FATIGUED, HAVE WEIGHT GAIN PARTICULARLY AROUND YOUR MIDDLE, TROUBLE SLEEPING, MOOD SWINGS, HUNGRY ALL THE TIME

Do these symptoms sound familiar?  You could have insulin resistance!

Firstly, let’s discuss insulin and its role in the body.  Insulin is a hormone that is critical in allowing blood glucose to enter your cells and depending on the amount of glucose in the bloodstream will determine how much insulin is secreted.  Insulin is also the main fat storage hormone in the body so if you struggle with stubborn weight gain then abnormal insulin levels may be the culprit.  

In insulin resistance, the insulin is not as effective at allowing glucose into the cells and as a consequence both insulin and glucose levels become dysregulated and weight gain occurs.  When people have insulin resistance the pancreas can release 3-4 times more insulin in order to get the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells where it is utilised (for energy and therefore why you may be experiencing fatigue)!  When there are high levels of glucose in the blood, glucose molecules (which are quite large) can also cause damage to the small blood vessels, particularly in the eyes and kidneys.  This is one of the reasons that people who have diabetes often have eye and kidney disorders

Additionally, these high levels of insulin result in increased fat storage and decreased rates of fat breakdown – a vicious cycle when you are trying to reduce body fat!  

What about sleep – how do glucose/insulin levels impact on sleep? 

Research has shown that sleep deprivation can increase your risk of developing insulin resistance! And just as poor sleep can affect blood sugar levels, when you have high blood sugar levels this can impact on your sleep quality.  

Blood sugar fluctuations can result in mood disturbances, not just in people with insulin resistance but in otherwise healthy individuals who consume a diet high in refined carbohydrates.  Higher blood glucose, or hyperglycemia, has been linked with anger or sadness, while blood sugar dips, or hypoglycemia, has been linked with anxiety.

When you eat your blood sugar fluctuates and this is normal. However, when you eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates on a regular basis your fluctuations can become more extreme.  So if your blood sugar levels fall below what is normal for you, then your body will signal that it’s time to eat. Often in this situation, you will find yourself making poorer foods choices, such as more refined carbohydrates and this creates a cycle of extreme blood sugar fluctuations with intense hunger signals making you feel like you are hungry all the time! 

So what can you do about insulin resistance?? 

Firstly, eating a healthy wholefoods diet, with no more than 3 meals daily plus the inclusion of a brisk walk every day may help to stabilise your blood glucose and insulin levels. Secondly, weight loss can help, however, sometimes a standard weight loss diet is not enough and you may need to get support from a qualified practitioner.

If you are interested in a personalised nutrition plan and support to attain metabolic balance, contact me for a confidential discussion.