How to reverse insulin resistance

That’s what this whole site is about! Weight loss is only part of the picture and if you read these posts you will see that my aim is to reverse insulin resistance before it ever develops into Type 2 diabetes. It can be done with drugs but it can also be done naturally, so you can try this way first!

Some people with insulin resistance (a huge percentage, unfortunately) don’t even know they have it. The typical Western diet primes us for it from birth. But those of us who know we have it – we want to find out how to reverse insulin resistance, preferably naturally. We can start with what we choose to eat. Continue Reading »

If you’ve just been diagnosed as insulin resistant (or even prediabetic), you may be very confused and wondering where to start. I know how you feel!  I’ve been where you are now and I understand what it’s like to be faced with this.

For many people this is completely new territory, but if you follow an insulin resistance diet:

1. it will bring your weight down where other diets have failed
2. you will quickly gain control of your appetite and cravings
3. your blood sugar will stabilize
4. you will greatly reduce the risk of ever getting diabetes
5. you will learn what foods you can eat to be able to maintain a healthy weight
6. you’ll finally be able to reduce your abdominal fat

Insulin Resistance Diet Menu

One of the challenges insulin resistance brings is the planning of your meals from day to day. Before I was diagnosed, my meals were very different – cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, main meal at night would pretty much always include rice or pasta or potatoes. I’m sure many of you are the same, and things need to change on a low carb diet! So what is a typical insulin resistance diet menu?

Breakfast on an Insulin Resistance Diet

For many people, breakfast means eggs. I don’t like them much so I’d never want to start my day that way, but I know I’m in the minority! Have them any way you want – they’re nutritious even with the yolks, and we all know there are a lot of different ways to cook them. Continue Reading »

The easiest Insulin Resistance Diet breakfast

Those of us with insulin resistance know that we should have protein with every meal, and for many people that translates to “eggs” for breakfast. I don’t really like eggs that much (I’ll eat them if I have to but always choose something else if there’s an alternative!).

If you want to make your own healthy protein shake, you have to get the blender out … which takes time and is messy! Who can be bothered, right?

Or you may be the kind of person who prefers to skip breakfast – you know you should have something, but you don’t feel like much.  If so, this will interest you…

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What is a healthy diet for someone with insulin resistance?

Lots of people have told me that they think their diets are quite healthy – much more so than many of their friends, who may be consuming vast quantities of “junk”. Yet if you have insulin resistance, one of the most frustrating things is that your weight will stay the same (and may even go up), even if you’re making a conscious effort to stay away from the chips and cakes. In fact, you may not even be eating much at all.

I was in the same boat, and let me tell you, I was super-disciplined! Exercising almost daily, keeping to very small portion sizes, very rarely indulging in anything that I thought would derail my efforts, including alcohol. I remember being into my 11th week of a strict regime I had put myself on. Who could question that kind of dedication? And still I did not see any results.

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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 »

Comparing low carb diets

There seem to be a few different schools of thought when it comes to low carb diets.

Once you are faced with a diagnosis of insulin resistance, or worse still, diabetes, you begin to look at suggested diets. What foods are you allowed to have? Which ones are forbidden?

And when you start to investigate, you find that there is some conflicting advice. It’s the same with exercise advice – it’s just so confusing and all you want is some clarity on what will work.

Low carb diet confusion

Some say you can have dairy, others not. Some advocate high fat but no fruit, others allow some types of fruit but only low-fat dairy and lean cuts of meat. And the majority (but not all) suggest you cut out carbohydrates altogether. So which one should you choose?

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The “Link and Balance” formula

The key to the way of eating known as Link and Balance, as outlined in The Insulin Resistance Diet, is to be able to control the effects that carbohydrates have on our bodies – not by never eating any again, but by not eating them in isolation. Linking and Balancing is a way to ensure that your body gets the necessary amounts of protein and carbohydrates to prevent insulin spikes – and as a result, control your appetite and lose weight.

Linking simply means adding protein to your diet. It is something we don’t naturally think of. Sure, most of us have protein in the form of meat or fish with our evening meals, but many of our snacks are carbohydrates and we would normally just consume them on their own, without even thinking about the type of food we are eating.

Balancing is making sure you have the right quantities of protein with your carbohydrates.  You do have permission to eat carbohydrates, but for each serving you have (and there are limits), you need to balance the carb with protein.  It is a principle that makes this insulin resistance diet a more realistic approach than some of the others out there. Continue Reading »

My insulin resistance diet success formula

Over the years of searching for an answer to my weight problem, in particular the abdominal fat, I have done a lot of research into various methods, bought and tried a host of products and subscribed to countless sites. Since being diagnosed with insulin resistance, I have finally settled on a diet and a course that works for me.  I have taken a little of this, a little of that and combined the best advice I could find.  I now have a method that truly works!

The path I have followed has given me

• freedom from cravings
• 100% more energy
• the certainty that my weight loss is permanent

Continue Reading »

Top 3 fast food choices for insulin resistance

You’re at the mall with your friends or family. Everyone’s getting hungry and you know you still have hours to go before you can get home.

Much as you’d like to be in control of everything you eat, you know that you’re going to be getting something from the food court, and because you suffer from insulin resistance, you’re worried about how your choice might affect you.

What can you do in this situation? Continue Reading »

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 »

Insulin Resistance Diet and Travel

As many of you may know, I live in Sydney, Australia, but originally come from England. Although I don’t make the trip back to the UK as often as I would like, when I do get on one of those long-haul flights, I know I’ll be sitting in one place for many, many hours at a time. So how can you keep to an insulin resistance diet when you travel?

Continue Reading »

Some low carb food reviews

Since beginning an insulin resistance diet, I have swung between trying to have very few carbohydrates (very difficult to sustain long term) and “linking and balancing” my carbs with protein. Some weeks it is just easier, other times I feel like I need some new items in the pantry.

I am looking for products that will be better for my long-term health as well as help me to keep the weight down. I am not trying to cut out all carbohydrates, but I am definitely interested in low glycemic carbs and ways to keep my menus varied. In the day-to-day search for better alternatives, I am continually looking at and comparing food labels, and today I want to share a few of the things I’ve found.

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Insulin Resistance Weight Loss

Does insulin resistance weight loss happen for everyone on a low carb diet? Whereas it’s hard to say with 100% certainty, the results are more likely with a low carb diet than any other way. By getting rid of the refined starches in our diets, we not only regain control of our appetites, we also start to increase insulin sensitivity, so that our bodies respond more normally to our food intake.

Our diet dilemmas are different from other dieters’ – people with insulin resistance are not just looking for quick weight loss, we need something that will sustain us and which will help to restore us to good health.

But what if I’m not losing?

Insulin resistance weight loss is usually quite fast when you begin your new regime, but for those of you who have hit a plateau or are just not seeing the results you’d like, this post is for you! Continue Reading »

Insulin resistance symptoms

How do I know if I’m insulin resistant?

The apple shape vs the pear shape

The first clue that you may be insulin resistant is the distribution of fat on your body, as demonstrated in the “apple” vs “pear” shaped body images.

Insulin resistance is characterized by abdominal fat, as in the “apple” shape on the left. The rolls of fat around the midsection, the swollen belly – these are the classic signs. The accumulation of fat around and above the waistline is a danger sign.

In the “pear” shape, the weight is mostly below the waistline, on the hips and thighs, and the abdomen is markedly flatter. If you’re pear-shaped, you are unlikely to have insulin resistance. Continue Reading »

5 not-so-healthy foods for insulin resistance!

Welcome and thanks for signing up to receive this free gift. I hope you will enjoy learning about these 5 not so healthy foods for insulin resistance – most people have no clue about these, and you may find that changing just one of them will bring you fantastic results!

Click the image to claim your free gift!

Click on the image for the PDF document (click to view in your browser, right-click to save it to your computer).

Feel free to pass it on – there are no catches and no costs involved. If I can help more people then I am delighted to share this with anyone who may benefit!

I was diagnosed with IR in February 2011, and (like you) I wanted to understand the condition and make changes to reverse it – if possible without having to resort to medication. I started this website to help you too!

My website is full of free information – the articles were all written by me as I learned more about IR and the best way to go about making changes. Please look around! You can just go to the home page and scroll down to see articles that may help you, or you can find a list of them in the sidebar on the right.

Insulin resistance diet tips

Over the months of following an insulin resistance diet, I have found that certain things have helped and others haven’t worked. It depends on the individual, of course, but I thought it would be good to list a few tips to help others who might be in this situation. This post is more about keeping yourself motivated – for practical tips to get over a weight loss plateau, there are several strategies to help you here.

It’s tough being insulin resistant! This is no ordinary weight loss journey and the discipline required is harder than for most people. You will sometimes notice that you’re not losing weight, or that your appetite/cravings seem to have come back with a vengeance. You may be incredibly bored with the food you’re “allowed” to eat and need some inspiration to continue. Sound familiar?!

OK – here are my insulin resistance diet tips to stay motivated and on track: Continue Reading »

How long have you been following a low carb diet?

Do you think you’ll ever have a meal with lots of carbs again?

That’s the thing – if you are truly committed to this way of eating (and if you’re insulin resistant and want to change that, you probably are), you’re likely to shudder at the thought of having that kind of food again. Well yes – on a regular basis, it’s not on the cards. It’s fine to have the occasional sandwich, it’s fine to have some “good” carbs as long as we balance them with protein.

But what happens if you’ve been invited somewhere where you know you will have no control over the type of food that will be offered? If you think you can avoid high carb food forever you’re not being very realistic!

I recently went to an informal birthday celebration where Continue Reading »

Insulin Resistance and Exercise

Let’s talk about exercise.. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite subject but it goes hand in hand with your diet to combat insulin resistance and to make sure you reverse it. When you follow a diet for insulin resistance and exercise too, you are giving yourself the best possible chance of staying healthy, losing that stubborn abdominal fat for good and never having to face the prospect of diabetes. In fact, exercising is THE KEY, so please don’t think you can do this with diet alone.

One of the most frustrating things about having insulin resistance is that you may well have been dieting and exercising, just as hard as anyone else, doing all the right things – yet still becoming fatter and more sluggish. Well, now we know it’s not our fault! Continue Reading »

Insulin Resistance Diet Recipes

When you’re insulin resistant, one of the biggest problems you’re likely to face is coming up with some ideas for meals which will not only fit in with the restrictions of your low carb lifestyle, but will also be appetizing and delicious! If you have The Insulin-Resistance Diet, fortunately there are are a lot of insulin resistance diet recipes included which will help to get you started. I’ve put a few menu suggestions on this post, and I also post occasional tips and meal successes on my Facebook page, but there comes a time when you’ll want more recipes…

Cookbooks for Insulin Resistance

Depending on the low carb diet you follow, you may need some inspiration for recipes and meal ideas that will conform to your particular diet guidelines. The Paleo Diet, in particular, has so many restrictions, you may very quickly run out of ideas Continue Reading »