Insulin Resistance Demystified: Causes and Solutions

What is Insulin Resistance?

You have probably heard of the term “insulin resistance” regarding anything from weight loss to chronic disease. But what is it exactly? Insulin resistance is a condition in which our body does not respond normally to insulin. In this blog post, we will be diving deeper into what insulin resistance is, what causes this to happen, the effects of insulin resistance can have on your health, and what lifestyle changes can be made to manage, or even reverse it.

What Does This Mean?

First of all, let’s break it up. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas. Insulin is a storage hormone that regulates the amount of sugar present in the blood. When we eat food, sugar is delivered into the bloodstream through digestion. One of the best ways to describe the function of insulin is the “lock and key model”. Think of insulin as the key that opens the doors of the cells in your body. Once insulin opens your cell doors, glucose (sugar) can leave your bloodstream and move into cells where you use it for energy. Without insulin, sugar can’t get into your cells and instead, builds up in your blood, which is why we see people with high blood sugars. 

In some cases, the locks and keys are not working as they should be, so it makes it hard for blood sugar to move into the cells. This is called insulin resistance. If this condition is present in your body, it’s important to understand what it is and how to manage it. When the body is not getting the blood sugars that it needs, the pancreas responds by producing more and more insulin to compensate for the cell’s lack of sugar. Like any organ, the pancreas can get worn out, which leads to an increase in blood sugar levels. 

How is Insulin Resistance Diagnosed?

If you are thinking you might have insulin resistance, here are some things to watch out for:

• Increased thirst
• Increased hunger
• Headaches
• Weight gain
• Difficulty losing weight
• Fatigue
• Slow-healing wounds 
• High cholesterol levels
• High blood sugar levels 

While there is no blood test for insulin resistance, there are other ways health care professionals are able to detect the inability of our body to correctly manage insulin. 

Tests such as fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels and oral glucose tolerance tests are typically done. A fasting blood glucose test measures the blood sugar in the body after a period of fasting. The normal level is 99 mg/dL or lower, and anything above 100 mg/dL is seen as a risk factor for diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test also measures blood sugar levels but does not require a period of fasting. Patients are given a glucose solution containing a set amount of sugar. After consuming, the blood glucose level is tested, and is tested again a few hours later.

What Causes Resistance to Insulin?

Insulin resistance is a complex, metabolic disorder that can be the result of a variety of risk factors. These factors increase the risk of developing insulin resistance and decrease the ability to manage it. 

1. Excess body fat: Having excessive body fat, especially around the midline, is one of the main contributing factors to developing insulin resistance. An accumulation of fat in the body can interfere with insulin receptors, causing a decrease in sugar transport and a decrease in sugar uptake into the cells. 
2. Lack of physical activity: Having a sedentary lifestyle is also one of the main contributing factors. Keeping yourself active each day increases the uptake of glucose by muscle cells. If muscles are not exercised regularly, they may lose their sensitivity to insulin so it’s important to stay active!
3. Dietary Intake: A diet high in processed foods, simple sugars, and saturated fat is also known to contribute to insulin resistance. All of these foods can lead to inflammation which makes insulin not do its job as well. 
4. Genetics: Unfortunately, like many other health conditions, certain people may be prone to insulin resistance due to genetics. Our genetic makeup may interfere with the way our body produces and processes insulin. 

Treating and Managing Insulin Resistance

There are two categories in which insulin resistance is treated: lifestyle interventions and medications. In terms of lifestyle interventions, there are a few simple changes you can make in your everyday life. 

1. Prioritize physical activity. Doing aerobic exercises, like walking, cycling, and swimming, are recommended as they increase the sugar used by the muscle for the body’s energy needed to be active. These exercises also work to reduce body fat. Brainstorm some ways you can get movement into your day!
2. Avoid or eat less foods that are full of added sugars. Foods like soda, juice, candy, and other sweets are typically packed full of added sugar, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. Pay attention to food labels and ingredient lists to watch out for those sneaky added sugars. 
3. Swap out refined carbohydrates for whole grains. Refined, or processed, carbohydrates tend to increase blood sugar levels. Swapping out your white bread for whole wheat bread and white pasta for whole grain pasta will help in managing blood sugar. The fiber in whole grains slows the absorption of sugar in your body, making it easier for your body to digest and keep your blood sugars stable rather than a sharp spike.
4. Increase your intake of protein and fat. Pairing complex carbohydrates with healthy fats and lean protein helps to slow down the digestion process of carbohydrates. Balancing your plate with vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates also helps to promote more stable blood sugar levels. 

Key Takeaways

Insulin resistance can be successfully managed if it’s detected early, and proper precautions are taken. Making good lifestyle choices, in the form of increasing physical activity and making healthy food choices, can help. Think about some ways you can add movement into your day and easy food swaps you can make with the foods you enjoy every day! If you feel as though your symptoms are worsening, or you have more concerns specific to your lifestyle, do not hesitate to make an appointment with someone from your healthcare team. If you are looking for support in managing your blood sugar levels and choosing foods that combat insulin resistance, make an appointment with one of our dietitians for personalized nutrition support! We also have created an online course on diabetes that is helpful if you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes and are looking for tools to help manage your diabetes, all from the comfort of your home.