If you’ve been on the journey for the last few weeks, Part 1-4 discussed what insulin resistance is, how to tell if you have it, and what you can do to prevent or reverse it. Today, we’ll tackle the most important piece of improving your health; nutrition. When it comes to becoming more insulin sensitive, in combination with exercise and a active lifestyle, there are a few pillars to consider.
1) Reduced carb intake
All carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the blood stream. And that rise in glucose triggers the release of insulin. Notice how I said ALL carbs. Many people fail to recognize that even foods that are healthy for one reason, can still have negative effects for another, especially in the wrong amount or combination.
It’s not just cookies and candy. Honey, fruit, oats, whole grain bread, pasta, quinoa, rice, potatoes, milk, corn, lentils, beer, candy, and dessert. You may or may not recognize that all of these are carbs as the primary source of their calories. Does that mean you should never eat them? No. But if you have some level of insulin resistance then it’s especially important to make adjustments to what you’ve been doing.
Maybe you start by removing a carb source from one of your meals. And depending on your level of insulin resistance, you may benefit from cutting them out for periods of time. This break from carbs gives your body a chance to improve how it processes carbs and give you more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. Excess glucose is toxic to nerves and cells in high doses. If you consistently have poor blood sugar control, you have two options:
1) Stop taking on additional sugar (carbs)
2)Burn the extra off via exercise
If you are inactive or work a sedentary job, then cutting back on carbs is important. And if you are highly active or workout regularly, continuing to utilize carbs around workouts gives you the opportunity to benefit from their immediate energy but the majority of people do not need to include a carb source at every meal.
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