Insulin is at the center of glucose metabolism. In the absence of this important hormone, sugar levels become deranged and this has the potential to cause both acute and chronic complications. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreatic cells responsible for its production are not functioning hence the hormone is completely absent. In type 2 diabetes, the hormone is present but resistance in body tissues exist. In this article, we will look at how to reverse insulin resistance.
The starting point should be the diet. A lot can be achieved by making changes to the quality and quantity of food that one consumes. Carbohydrates are a direct precursor of glucose which means that whenever one eats foods in this group the level of blood glucose is likely to spike. The problem is bigger if larger fewer meals are consumed (as opposed to smaller, more frequent meals).
High levels of blood glucose may cause over-stimulation of insulin receptors rendering them unresponsive to any further increases. When this occurs repeatedly, the risk of insulin resistance is increased markedly. For this reason, the general advice is that the amount of carbohydrates in a meal should be kept at a third. Proteins, vegetables and fruits should make up two thirds.
Several supplements have been established to be quite beneficial to people that are at risk of this problem. Examples include beans, nuts, omega-3 fats, olive oil and soy products among others. It is not very clear how they achieve their effect but a number of theories have been advanced. One of the theories claims that they work at the level of the gene and improve carbohydrate metabolism. Another theory claims that they enhance liver detoxification and reduce oxidative stress.
Other than having a proper diet, one needs to take part in physical exercise regularly. There are two main benefits of physical exercise. The first one is the fact that during exercise fat breakdown takes place due increased metabolic demand. The result of this is a reduction in the amount of central abdominal fat that would otherwise act as risk factor for hormonal resistance. The other benefit is that the intake of glucose by body cells is increased during exercise hence a lower blood sugar level.
Chronic tress is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that a person that is psychologically stressed on most occasions is at a higher risk of having hormonal resistance than someone in the general population. This is because, their levels of cortisol are generally higher and so is their metabolism of glucose. Strive to get time off to relax every so often. Some of the relaxation activities recommended include yoga, massage, hypnosis and meditation.
Failure to get adequate sleep has been shown to be a contributing factor to hormonal resistance. The underlying mechanisms are similar to those of stress. Sleeping eases, the stress on our physiological systems and gives them an opportunity to readjust. In the case of carbohydrate metabolism, for instance, the chemicals that are involved in communication between the hormone and the receptor are re-synthesized when we are resting.
When all these lifestyle modification strategies fail to yield results, drugs may be an option. There are many different types of drugs that are available in the market all with varying mechanisms of action. The end result, however, is a decrease in average blood glucose levels and a reduction in the risk of hormonal resistance.
The starting point should be the diet. A lot can be achieved by making changes to the quality and quantity of food that one consumes. Carbohydrates are a direct precursor of glucose which means that whenever one eats foods in this group the level of blood glucose is likely to spike. The problem is bigger if larger fewer meals are consumed (as opposed to smaller, more frequent meals).
High levels of blood glucose may cause over-stimulation of insulin receptors rendering them unresponsive to any further increases. When this occurs repeatedly, the risk of insulin resistance is increased markedly. For this reason, the general advice is that the amount of carbohydrates in a meal should be kept at a third. Proteins, vegetables and fruits should make up two thirds.
Several supplements have been established to be quite beneficial to people that are at risk of this problem. Examples include beans, nuts, omega-3 fats, olive oil and soy products among others. It is not very clear how they achieve their effect but a number of theories have been advanced. One of the theories claims that they work at the level of the gene and improve carbohydrate metabolism. Another theory claims that they enhance liver detoxification and reduce oxidative stress.
Other than having a proper diet, one needs to take part in physical exercise regularly. There are two main benefits of physical exercise. The first one is the fact that during exercise fat breakdown takes place due increased metabolic demand. The result of this is a reduction in the amount of central abdominal fat that would otherwise act as risk factor for hormonal resistance. The other benefit is that the intake of glucose by body cells is increased during exercise hence a lower blood sugar level.
Chronic tress is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that a person that is psychologically stressed on most occasions is at a higher risk of having hormonal resistance than someone in the general population. This is because, their levels of cortisol are generally higher and so is their metabolism of glucose. Strive to get time off to relax every so often. Some of the relaxation activities recommended include yoga, massage, hypnosis and meditation.
Failure to get adequate sleep has been shown to be a contributing factor to hormonal resistance. The underlying mechanisms are similar to those of stress. Sleeping eases, the stress on our physiological systems and gives them an opportunity to readjust. In the case of carbohydrate metabolism, for instance, the chemicals that are involved in communication between the hormone and the receptor are re-synthesized when we are resting.
When all these lifestyle modification strategies fail to yield results, drugs may be an option. There are many different types of drugs that are available in the market all with varying mechanisms of action. The end result, however, is a decrease in average blood glucose levels and a reduction in the risk of hormonal resistance.
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