Hey team, Welcome back! I’m excited to talk to you about one of the most important topics in health. Insulin Resistance. It’s so important that this is going to be a 5 email sequence. Yes, seriously. Every Tuesday through November you'll get an email covering what I'd consider the most important topic in health. So buckle in. This first one is a bit long, but understanding these topics will
change your life.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Get off the blood sugar roller coaster! Anytime you eat, there is a natural rise and fall in blood sugar (glucose). When done right and in a healthy individual this looks like a calm ocean wave with a small rise and fall following a meal. (Green Line)
As it rises, your body will release insulin from the pancreas. Insulin acts like a "lock and key" system to unlock the door (receptor) to allows muscle cells, the liver and fat cells to remove sugar from the blood stream and store them for later use.
What you eat and how much will determine the severity and peak of that initial wave. A higher carb or more processed meal will result in a higher spike in blood sugar followed by a compensatory high release of insulin. The purple graph above gives a good example of this.
Insulin release causes the blood sugar to begin dropping as it unlocks the doors to muscle, liver and fat cells. But following a large spike up, larger amounts of insulin cause a quick drop in blood sugar levels. This leaves you feeling hungry or low energy and looking for a quick “pick me up”. That’s when most are experiencing a “2:00 o’clock feeling” and needing a snack or extra coffee to boost energy levels The snack is typically low quality and the cycle repeats.
Most have been eating in this pattern for years. The result is what’s called “insulin resistance”
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