There are many people walking around with insulin resistance and not even know it. An astounding amount of people have this condition which has been referred to as pre diabetes. If left untreated, it not only can, but will, become type II diabetes. There is no cure for diabetes but there are things that can help you to ward it off for a long time.
I was diagnosed with insulin resistance back in 2001 when I was trying to conceive. I found out at that point that I had polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. Insulin resistance is kind of a pre cursor to PCOS and almost all women that have PCOS have insulin resistance,whether they know it or not. Insulin resistance causes carbohydrate and sugar cravings. Another common symptoms is obesity, or being overweight. It is also very hard to lose the weight if you are unaware of the insulin imbalance that you have.
There are some lifestyle changes that can help you out if you have insulin resistance. I got pregnant after about six month of taking metformin, an insulin sensitizing drug that many diabetics take. Because of the insulin resistance that I had before getting pregnant, I developed gestational diabetes. After giving birth, the insulin resistance did not present itself again until after I had my third child. I immediately went on a no carb diet for a week and then slowly introduced good carbs back into my diet after the first week. I exercised every day and kept up my lifestyle change and that led to me conceiving a fourth time. Since having that child, I haven’t had any insulin issues, as of yet.
To ensure that I stay balanced, I do a few things that everyone that has insulin issues should do. I eat a low carb diet. I try to stay on a low glycemic index diet, which is not a hard thing to do once you get used to it. I limit my carb intake to about 15-25 grams at each meal and less at snacks. I do allow myself at least once or twice a week to have something that I wouldn’t normally have. Moderation is the key to many things and this is no different. If you don’t give in to at least one craving a week, you will go insane so indulge at least once a week. I also exercise daily. I feel bad if I don’t, that is how things have gotten, which isn’t a bad thing at all. It helps to keep me motivated.
Some people are not into exercising. What I do would help out people that aren’t as motivated as they would like to be. I will not shower in the morning until I do at least 20 minutes of exercising. Of course, if I have some place to be in the morning, I will just exercise later in the day. I also go for a walk with my kids every night after dinner, unless the weather is bad. I also do another 20-30 minute workout at night. This way, I am getting in about an hour or more of exercise a day but not all at one shot. My kids love to go on walks in the stroller and that helps me to walk further and longer. I have someone to talk to and they are relaxed and quiet for the most part. That is something I don’t see all day long so I enjoy it while I can.
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables and as much natural and organic foods is another great thing to do to combat your insulin resistance. Limiting any ready made foods and anything with additives or preservatives or food coloring is essential. Eating more grilled or broiled instead of fried is the better option. It isn’t as hard as it sounds. Start off slowly. My recommendation is to clean out cabinets and get rid of anything that wouldn’t be the healthiest choices. Do without pasta, unless it is whole wheat. Get rid of white rice, white bread and white flour. Brown rice is actually tastier than white rice anyway. Low carb whole wheat or multi grain bread tastes great and is a better option for your health as well. Try organic and natural whenever possible. Limit eating out to once or twice a month is possible. It is always better to know exactly what ingredients are in the meals you are consuming.
A sample menu might help you decide what is the better option when trying to keep insulin levels in a good range. For breakfast, I suggest an egg, made any way you like and a piece of whole wheat toast. A glass of water should be consumed before each meal. That helps with overeating. You can have a banana or other piece of fruit with breakfast or a small glass of juice. Make sure if you do drink juice that you do some in extreme moderation and that you only drink the juice that is 100% juice with no added sugars. For lunch, a salad with lots of veggies in it. You can add cheese or hard boiled eggs or even tuna. If you would rather have a sandwich, use low carb whole wheat or multi grain bread and add tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad. If you are a deli lover, only eat the natural deli meats with no additives or nitrates. There are many brands out now that are all natural. Use mustard instead of mayo if at all possible. Limiting your fat consumption is also a wise choice. For dinner, a piece of baked chicken or fish with a small amount of brown rice and some mixed steamed vegetables. The best way to do that is to split your plate in three sections. One large section, one medium section and one small section. Put the veggies in the large section, the meat or fish in the medium section and use the smaller section for your grains.
You should try to eat every two to three hours throughout the day. This will ensure that your blood sugar and insulin remain balanced and that there are no big drops in blood sugar. You should have a snack, a healthy one, between each meal. That means one after breakfast, one after lunch and one after dinner. Space snacks out about two to three hours to help with balance. A healthy snack consists of a few whole grain crackers with some cheese, a low sugar yogurt, a fresh piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, some raw veggies with ranch dip, or a few slices of natural deli meat with some cheese. One other thing that I suggest is a probiotic drink daily. You can find these easily in the yogurt section of your local grocery store. There is one called Danactive. They taste great and are chock full of health.
Multivitamins and supplements are also very beneficial. The best thing to do if you have insulin resistance and are not taking any medications for it is to take cinnamon capsules. You should take two before lunch and two before dinner. Cinnamon has been found to balance blood sugars and that does wonders for your insulin. Another great supplement is a multivitamin. Use one that has no additives or preservatives. For women, I recommend vitex or chasteberry. That is a supplement that helps to balance hormones. Chromium picolonate is also another good one for balancing insulin and blood sugars. B complex vitamins have also been known to do some good. You can find any and all of these at a health food store or vitamin store. Many other stores, such as Target or Walmart also have a good selection of vitamins and herbal supplements. There are also many places online where you can buy supplements from, such as drugstore.com, as well as many others.
If you are having trouble losing weight, starting off with a week of no carbs can prove to give you the kick start that you need. The South Beach diet is a good diet to follow, with some modifications. The basic principle of it is great. I personally think that five to seven days of no carbs at all is long enough. In those five to seven days, you will probably lose anywhere from five to ten pounds. After that initial week, you should slowly add good carbs back into your diet. It will be easy to follow, trust me. Once you get used to not having all the sugary foods and high carbohydrate foods, you won’t miss it. Beverages can be the hardest for many people. I drink only water and unsweetened tea. I drink a small glass of soy milk daily as well, usually after dinner. I don’t like diet sodas or drinks because I don’t agree with artificial sweeteners. Anything that is labeled as artificial, is unhealthy. Any food product that has a list a mile long of things you cannot pronounce is probably not a good option either.
Lifestyle changes can be hard at first but once you get past the first few days, it does get easier. Motivation is the key. Changing your eating and exercise habits is much easier if you have support. Find a friend or family member that is willing to go the distance with you. Helping to keep insulin resistance at bay is very important for your health and will make you life a much happier and healthier one in the long run!!
