The vicious cycle of insulin resistance
Insulin resistance and the role played by diet (particularly carbs)
One of the reasons it becomes harder to lose weight as you age is insulin resistance. This is partly due to the fact that your body is less able to deal with excess glucose (sugar) as you get older. This is especially true for women in their forties and fifties because, as oestrogen levels drop, insulin issues can worsen, or crop up for the first time, and they find they can’t eat what they could in their twenties and thirties.
Insulin resistance is the vicious cycle of overeating carbs and carb cravings and these constant cravings are partly why people with insulin resistance struggle with their weight.
How does insulin work?
When we eat carbs, our digestion turns them into glucose which is the main source of energy for our cells. The glucose enters the bloodstream, via the small intestine, which signals the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin then helps the glucose in the blood enter the cells. If there is glucose left over, insulin tells the body to store it in the liver and then once the liver stores are full, it will direct the body to store it as fat.
How does insulin go wrong?
When we eat a lot of carbs, we get a spike in blood sugar that leads to an excess of insulin. The insulin quickly does its job of bringing down blood sugar but this then leads to a blood sugar low (aka fatigue, energy slump, further hunger and cravings).
When we eat the typical high-sugar, high-carb diet every day we’re constantly subjecting our bodies to this blood sugar roller coaster which we simply weren’t designed for; our bodies evolved in an environment of food scarcity not eating sweet foods every day. The continual consumption of carbs causes the pancreas to release more and more insulin to try and control the blood sugar levels. Eventually, the cells can no longer deal with the onslaught of insulin and they stop listening and you get caught in the vicious cycle of insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance happens when cells in your body don’t respond as they should to insulin.
What is the issue with Insulin resistance?
One of the key signs of insulin resistance is putting on weight, particularly around the middle (visceral fat). It is also one of the reasons why losing weight is difficult as insulin is the fat storage hormone and when it is continually high it is impossible to lose weight.
Ultimately, insulin resistance leads to elevated glucose levels which over time leads to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. It is also associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thus it is important to tackle it.
How can insulin resistance be addressed?
The good news is that insulin resistance can in most cases be improved/reversed with the correct diet and lifestyle changes. These include:
One of the reasons it becomes harder to lose weight as you age is insulin resistance. This is partly due to the fact that your body is less able to deal with excess glucose (sugar) as you get older. This is especially true for women in their forties and fifties because, as oestrogen levels drop, insulin issues can worsen, or crop up for the first time, and they find they can’t eat what they could in their twenties and thirties.
Insulin resistance is the vicious cycle of overeating carbs and carb cravings and these constant cravings are partly why people with insulin resistance struggle with their weight.
How does insulin work?
When we eat carbs, our digestion turns them into glucose which is the main source of energy for our cells. The glucose enters the bloodstream, via the small intestine, which signals the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin then helps the glucose in the blood enter the cells. If there is glucose left over, insulin tells the body to store it in the liver and then once the liver stores are full, it will direct the body to store it as fat.
How does insulin go wrong?
When we eat a lot of carbs, we get a spike in blood sugar that leads to an excess of insulin. The insulin quickly does its job of bringing down blood sugar but this then leads to a blood sugar low (aka fatigue, energy slump, further hunger and cravings).
When we eat the typical high-sugar, high-carb diet every day we’re constantly subjecting our bodies to this blood sugar roller coaster which we simply weren’t designed for; our bodies evolved in an environment of food scarcity not eating sweet foods every day. The continual consumption of carbs causes the pancreas to release more and more insulin to try and control the blood sugar levels. Eventually, the cells can no longer deal with the onslaught of insulin and they stop listening and you get caught in the vicious cycle of insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance happens when cells in your body don’t respond as they should to insulin.
What is the issue with Insulin resistance?
One of the key signs of insulin resistance is putting on weight, particularly around the middle (visceral fat). It is also one of the reasons why losing weight is difficult as insulin is the fat storage hormone and when it is continually high it is impossible to lose weight.
Ultimately, insulin resistance leads to elevated glucose levels which over time leads to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. It is also associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thus it is important to tackle it.
How can insulin resistance be addressed?
The good news is that insulin resistance can in most cases be improved/reversed with the correct diet and lifestyle changes. These include:
- Dietary changes i.e. cutting down on carbs and eating more protein
- Exercising more
- Improving sleep
- Managing stress
- Improving your microbiome/gut health
- Reducing toxins in your environment
