What is insulin resistance and what can I do about it?

What is insulin resistance? Insulin resistance is a stage before pre-diabetes. In short, it is a condition where you produce too much insulin. As a result, you will store fat around the abdomen (and visceral fat around the internal organs – a very dangerous situation). Left unchecked, it increases your risk of developing metabolic disorders, Type 2 diabetes and numerous other inherent health risks.

Why does this happen? Well, it can have various causes, but a great proportion of people with insulin resistance have become that way through their diet. It has been well documented that insulin resistance occurs in some people when they Continue Reading »

Why am I insulin resistant?

Insulin resistance is so prevalent now (various statistics I’ve seen say 1 in 4 people, sometimes as high as 1 in 3 (in the US), have insulin resistant bodies. How can it be that this is so widespread?

Yes, a proportion of these people are genetically predisposed to the condition and may already have quite healthy diets and exercise regimes. But the great majority have been affected by what they do/don’t do and eat/don’t eat.

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Interview with an Expert on the Glycemic Index

I was lucky enough to be able to talk to Professor Jennie Brand-Miller from the University of Sydney, who is one of the foremost experts on the Glycemic Index. Jennie and her team are responsible for the testing and rating of carbohydrate foods on the GI scale, a reliable, scientific method of measuring a food’s effect on blood glucose levels.

The success I have had is mainly due to the low GI diet – which is a balanced, nutritious way of eating  for everyone, but of particular benefit to anyone who is insulin resistant, as it was initially developed for diabetics. The key is not eliminating carbohydrates completely from the diet (which works, but is difficult to sustain), but rather in making wise choices when it comes to carbohydrates. Continue Reading »

Blood sugar imbalance

As many of you know, I have put together a program over at reverseinsulinresistance.com to help people learn to make changes to their diet when they have been diagnosed as insulin resistant. These changes are the ones I have applied myself and I can testify that they work (as can many hundreds of people who have done the same thing). I have mentioned the core principles here on this website many times, but let me summarize:

To start to lessen the spikes in blood glucose which result in the over-production of insulin, the key elements you want to focus on are as follows:

• Decrease the amount of starchy carbohydrate and sugar that you consume
• Increase protein
• Increase fiber by eating more green vegetables
• Exercise regularly

This is a great place to start and is a simple concept that anybody can apply. People who have done just this have emailed me to report enormous changes – weight loss, controlled appetite, feeling better in general, more energy… it all starts with awareness.

However, there is so much more to know, if you’re interested! Continue Reading »