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Too much weight gain is a risk factor for insulin resistance.
What is Insulin Resistance (IR)?
Imagine someone in a home needs your help urgently. You are at the door to help. You keep knocking at the door but no one answers. You call for more help and now there are multiple people at the door knocking and trying to push their way in to help. More and more people keep showing up to bring help until there is a huge crowd of people outside the door.
This is what happens in the body with insulin resistance. Insulin works to bring glucose (sugar) from the blood into the cells so that the cells can use the glucose for energy. The cells normally respond to insulin by allowing it transport glucose in. When you have IR, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for the increased blood sugar. This will work for sometime to decrease your blood sugar but your pancreas eventually stops compensating. It has been overworked! This leads to diabetes.
Unfortunately there are many things that can increase the risk of insulin resistance. These include the Standard American Diet (The Sad Diet) with highly processed foods, an inactive lifestyle, high stress (constant flight or fight mode), obesity (excess weight gain), medications, fatty liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Some signs of IR include
A waistline over 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women
Blood pressure readings of 130/80 or higher
High fasting blood insulin levels
High fasting glucose levels over 100 mg/dl
High cholesterol
Patches of dark velvety skin around the neck or Acanthosis Nigricans
You can take steps to prevent IR by:
Get regular check ups. Regular check ups should include a hip and waist measurement. A hip and waist ratio is a great way to screen for signs of IR especially when it is not notable on your blood work or if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is normal. This can allow you to take action sooner to prevent IR.
See a functional medicine provider that will take a deep dive to determine the root cause of IR.
Improve gut health. Chronic Inflammation in the gut can also increase risk for IR. Your functional medicine provider can help you discover food sensitivities or intolerance that may be contributing to your risk of IR. Eliminating those foods can help significantly.
Stay active. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity. This can improve your cell's response to insulin.
Eat a healthy diet. Avoid processed foods. Reach for whole foods as much as possible.
IR can be reversed, but it is important to notice the signs early to prevent full blown diabetes and other chronic conditions that can result from it.
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