Have you gained weight around the abdomen or do you have intense cravings for sweets? This might be a sign of insulin resistance – but you may wonder, what triggers insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance may be triggered by a high carbohydrate diet, chronic stress and inflammation, hormonal imbalances and PCOS. The symptoms are often described as fatigue, weight gain especially around the abdomen, increase in appetite, frequent urination, pigmentation around armpits and groin and cravings for sweets. However, by eating a low carbohydrate (anti-inflammatory) diet, reducing stress and inflammation, getting an adequate amount of sleep and incorporating supplements, you may be able to get rid of insulin resistance.
In order to address what triggers insulin resistance, we’ll go through what causes it, the symptoms and how to treat it.
What Stimulates Insulin Resistance?
If you’re wondering what triggers insulin resistance, it is a condition that impacts your body’s ability to effectively use insulin in your body.
Insulin is a hormone that’s produced in your pancreas. It plays a key role in regulating the nutrient concentration in your bloodstream. In addition, it’s linked to fat and protein metabolism.
Whenever you consume food, glucose is released into your bloodstream, which causes a rise in blood sugar levels. In response to this reaction, insulin is released from your pancreas. As insulin circulates through your bloodstream, it signals your cells to absorb sugar from your blood.
However, when your body becomes resistant to insulin, your cells become less responsive to insulin. As a consequence, your pancreas releases more insulin. Over time, this leads to an excess of insulin and glucose in your bloodstream.
Your pancreas can become damaged as a result, eventually leading to a decrease in insulin production. This leaves you vulnerable to a variety of health risks including type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance is actually quite common and has a 15.5 to 46.5% prevalence in adults globally.
There are various factors that can stimulate insulin resistance. For instance, if there’s an elevated concentration of free fatty acids in your blood, your cells may become less responsive to insulin.
An unhealthy diet with processed carbohydrates, fatty acids and sugary foods can lead to high levels of free fatty acids.
Research suggests that chronic inflammation may also lead to insulin resistance. While inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation refers to tissue destruction that happens faster than cellular regeneration.
Not only can chronic inflammation damage insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, but it also releases substances called cytokines which interfere with insulin signaling.
Study also suggests a link between insulin resistance and gut issues. Disruption in your gut’s bacterial environment can also cause inflammation, which in turn can lead to insulin resistance.
In addition, chronic stress may make you vulnerable to insulin resistance. When you’re under stress, your body releases cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Excess of cortisol interferes with insulin signals and as a consequence, your cells become less responsive to insulin.
Women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may also develop insulin resistance. You may have higher levels of androgen, which is a male hormone, due to PCOS. Not only does this disrupt insulin signals, but may also cause hormonal imbalance.
If your body has been triggered by insulin resistance, you may have little to few symptoms. However, there are still a few things that you can look out for.
Insulin Resistance Symptoms In Females
You may experience some of the following symptoms if your body has become resistant to insulin:
- An increase in craving for sweet and salty foods
- Fatigue
- An increase in your appetite
- Frequent urination
- Tingling sensation in hands and feet
- Pigmentation in the groin, armpit, and behind the neck
If you think you might have insulin resistance, I’ll recommend having your blood sugar levels checked to ensure your body has normal levels of insulin.
If your test results show a high level of insulin and glucose in your bloodstream, I’ll recommend you start working on reducing insulin resistance. Otherwise, it can in the worst case lead to serious health concerns such as diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.Â
If some of your symptoms seem to indicate a serious health concern, immediately reach out to your healthcare practitioner for guidance.
So if you think you might have insulin resistance, you may wonder how you can bring your insulin levels back to normal.
How Can I Reduce Insulin Resistance?
If you’re thinking your body may have been triggered by insulin resistance, you should know that there’s no magic medicine to instantly fix the insulin levels in your bloodstream. The best way to ensure your body returns to producing normal amounts of insulin is by making some lifestyle changes.
If you’re constantly plagued by stress, it may help to look into some stress reduction techniques. For example, doing yoga or meditation to help relieve some of your stress.Â
Alternatively, seeking the company of your loved ones can also boost levels of oxytocin, which in turn may make you feel happier and reduce levels of stress.
There’s also research that suggests lack of sleep can contribute to insulin resistance. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the balance of various hormones including cortisol and insulin.
Getting around 7 to 9 hours of regular, quality sleep can help with insulin resistance and boost your overall health.
In addition, knowing your hormone type can help you figure out the best way to maintain hormone balance. You can find out about your type with my FREE Hormone Type Quiz.
You can also get a step-to-step guide on how to maintain hormonal balance by going over my eBook, Kickstart To Hormonal Balance.
One of the easiest ways of reducing insulin resistance is through physical exercise. You can go for a quick jog around your neighborhood or take up swimming or aerobics classes. Resistance training which includes weight lifting and bodyweight exercises may also help.
Most importantly, an efficient way of managing insulin levels in your blood is by switching towards a healthier diet and reducing sugar intake.
Insulin Resistance Diet
If your body is triggered by insulin resistance, one of the most important factors in decreasing insulin levels comes down to your diet. For instance, it might help to add foods that have a low Glycemic Index (GI).
The Glycemic Index is a system that ranks foods that contain carbohydrates according to how much blood glucose levels rise after intake. Low-GI food includes grains and sweet potatoes.
Incorporate fiber-rich food such as leafy greens, mushrooms and legumes into your diet. Leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach are rich in a wide range of vitamins, potassium and antioxidants.
You can also add food that is resistant to starch, as such food promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut, which in turn helps reduce insulin resistance.
Plus, food that’s filled with resistant starch also helps make your cells more responsive to insulin.
You also need to resist the temptation to buy processed food like candies, ice cream, sodas or frozen food items.
Research suggests that insulin resistance can intensify due to high carbohydrate and low protein intake. Instead fill your cart up with fresh vegetables, lean meat and healthy fats.
Adding supplements to your diet can also be useful. For instance, magnesium supplements may be helpful in managing insulin and glucose levels in the blood.
It may also be beneficial for the reduction of insulin resistance to take omega-3 fatty acids as they may lower blood triglyceride levels.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that the requirements of our bodies vary from person to person. Therefore, whatever changes you incorporate into your overall lifestyle and diet should be done while taking into account your specific circumstances and requirements.
Also, you probably won’t see instant results. Your body will gradually adjust to the changes.
Just remember to stay consistent and you’re sure to see some improvements to your general health and wellbeing.
