Understanding Insulin Resistance

When insulin is continuously released over an extended period, the cells in the body begin to ignore the high insulin levels, and become resistant to the hormone’s effects. Insulin resistance can cause weight gain to the point of obesity.

The typical Western diet, lacking in nutrients, high in saturated fats and refined and starchy carbohydrates, and low in vegetable protein and fibre, plays a major role in insulin resistance. Other contributing factors include obesity, genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and chronic alcohol and cigarette use.

Insulin resistance is not just a blood sugar imbalance; your adrenal glands, pancreas, nervous system and liver are all implicated. Successful treatment protocols need to address these issues in addition to dietary and lifestyle changes.

Signs and Symptoms of Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is associated with the accumulation of body fat, especially around the abdomen, along with:

• Weight gain
• Ongoing fatigue
• High blood sugar levels
• Elevated insulin levels
• High blood pressure
• Low levels of the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
• Elevated levels of triglycerides and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol
• Abnormalities in blood clotting
• Increased inflammation.

Some of the indicators of insulin resistance can only be assessed via pathology testing. You may need to discuss some of these tests with your health professional.

If you have insulin resistance syndrome, your blood sugar and insulin levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis to be made. However, if left untreated, Type 2 diabetes usually develops.

The good news is that it is possible to turn around insulin resistance by controlling your insulin and blood sugar levels with a natural weight loss program.

This will also reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes and other complications, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos) if you are female.

Stress and Insulin Resistance

During the stress response, several hormones are released by the adrenal glands to alert the individual to a threat or challenge to the body’s homoeostatic mechanisms. Such hormones include dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, all secreted from your adrenal glands.

Under stress, there can be a breakdown of your muscles, and stored glycogen in the liver can be dumped back into the bloodstream to be stored as fat. Inadequate function of the adrenal cortex may lead to disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. This stress effect on your body may progress to hypoglycemia and insulin resistance.

An inability to cope with stress is a common feature of insulin resistance. Classic signs and symptoms of adrenal stress include anxiety, insomnia and altered moods.

New research suggests that, over time, the regular use of stress management techniques can significantly reduce blood glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics. Given the consequences of stress listed above, it is very important that stress coping techniques form an integral component of your treatment plan for insulin resistance.

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