Blood Sugar - Part 2
What is Insulin Resistance?
In this part, we’re taking a deep dive into insulin. What it’s used for, why we need it, and how it affects our appetite and hunger.
Insulin plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels in the body. It allows the cells in our body to use glucose (sugar) for energy or store it for later use. However, when our body becomes resistant to insulin, it can no longer use it effectively, which can lead to a range of health issues, including type 2 diabetes.
In this section, we'll explore what insulin resistance is, what causes it, and how to manage it to prevent complications.
What is insulin & why do we need it?
Insulin is a hormone that our body uses to manage the sugar in our bloodstream. As we talked about in Part 1, glucose, our main energy source, rises in our blood after we eat and reduces a few hours later. But glucose needs to be heavily managed in the body because it’s like a teeny tiny shard of glass…it can damage the cell if there’s too much.
Insulin is released in concert with glucose and helps the cell manage this little shard of glass. Insulin binds to a receptor site on the cell and opens up the glucose gate for one molecule to go in. Insulin stops glucose from flooding into the cell and causing damage.
We can see how helpful insulin is when we look at our brain and eyes. They don’t use insulin and they are the first organs damaged by high blood sugar. This is why diabetics are at risk of blindness and cognitive problems. Our whole body would be at risk if it wasn’t for our friend insulin.
But, like with all good things, too much is a problem.
If insulin is too high in our blood, then it triggers inflammation & weight gain, so we want to keep our insulin managed.
How Insulin Resistance Begins…
When there’s chronically too much sugar in the bloodstream, insulin becomes like an annoying neighbour to the cell.
Instead of waiting until the cell is hungry, insulin needs to get rid of all of this glucose. It comes knocking at the cell, but the cell is already satisfied with its glucose. The cell can handle this here and there, but if the cell gets too much sugar for too long, then it might break its insulin receptor so the insulin can’t bother it anymore.
It’s a short-term fix that creates a mega problem. Sooner than later the cell will get hungry again, but it no longer has an insulin receptor. It keeps begging for sugar (which you feel as hunger), but your blood glucose and insulin are already high.
Your body doesn’t understand what’s going on, so pumps out more insulin to pull down the glucose. Type II Diabetics tend to release twice as much insulin as someone who has balanced blood sugar. This extra insulin starts to move the extra glucose into fat cells for storage instead, and this process also triggers inflammation.
…and remember, you’ve still got those hungry cells with broken insulin receptors. This makes you hungry. Sometimes insatiably hungry.
Overall, this results in a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which can lead to a range of health problems, including inflammation, weight gain, and eventually type 2 diabetes.
Here are some symptoms of Insulin Resistance:
Increased thirst and hunger: When your body can't use glucose effectively, it can cause feelings of thirst and hunger even if you've eaten recently.
Fatigue: Insulin resistance can cause a lack of energy due to the body's inability to use glucose effectively for fuel.
Difficulty losing weight: Insulin resistance can make it challenging to lose weight, even with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Dark patches on the skin: Insulin resistance can cause dark, velvety patches of skin on the neck, armpits, or groin.
High blood pressure: Insulin resistance can increase blood pressure, which can lead to other health complications.
How to know if you’re Insulin Resistant
If you have access to health care, there are a few blood tests that can help to diagnose Insulin Resistance. If you don’t have access to these tests, if you have many of the symptoms listed above, it’s reasonable to assume that it might be a factor for you and there will be a lot of ideas for you in Part 3 :).
Fasting insulin test: This test measures the level of insulin in your blood after you've fasted for at least eight hours. If your insulin level is high, it could indicate insulin resistance.
Glucose tolerance test: This test measures how well your body can handle a large dose of glucose. After fasting for at least eight hours, you drink a sugary drink, and then your blood glucose level is measured at regular intervals. If your blood glucose level is high or returns to normal levels slowly, it could indicate insulin resistance.
Hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1c) test: It’s the blood sugar test mentioned in Part 1. It measures the average blood glucose level over the past two to three months. A HgbA1c above 5.5 could indicate early Insulin Resistance.
C-peptide test: This test measures the level of C-peptide, a byproduct of insulin production. A low C-peptide level can indicate insulin resistance.
Insulin Resistance and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
So, here's the deal: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and insulin resistance are pretty tightly linked. You see, when your body can't properly use insulin to manage your blood sugar levels, your liver starts to produce more and more fat. Over time, this can lead to a buildup of fat in your liver cells, which is NAFLD. But that's not all - NAFLD can actually make insulin resistance worse, creating a vicious cycle that's tough to break.
Here's how it works:
NAFLD occurs when too much fat is accumulating in your liver. Your body stores energy there normally, but refined fructose consumption can push your liver to store too much…causing more Insulin Resistance.
There are many people walking around with undiagnosed NAFLD, it’s usually found during an ultrasound (often for a different organ), and it’s reversible as your body becomes more and more sensitive to insulin.
If you’re dealing with NAFLD, balancing your blood sugar and increasing your insulin sensitivity is very important. And, keep in mind that your liver is struggling, so it’s good to be extra kind to it. Alcohol, medications, and many chemicals in our environment (check out the Detoxify Your Home masterclass) can add stress to your liver.
Intermittent Fasting and Insulin Resistance
Intermittent fasting (IF) has been a popular health trend lately, but the research on its effects on insulin sensitivity in women is mixed. While some studies have shown that IF can be an effective way to improve insulin sensitivity in women, other research suggests that it may actually have the opposite effect.
For example, a study published in the journal Obesity in 2016 found that women who practiced time-restricted feeding (a type of IF) for five weeks had reduced insulin sensitivity compared to a control group. Another study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2018 found that short-term fasting (less than 24 hours) also resulted in decreased insulin sensitivity in women. Reducing insulin sensitivity = increased risk of insulin resistance.
It's worth noting, however, that most of the research on IF and insulin sensitivity in women is relatively new, and the results are not always consistent. Additionally, many of these studies have small sample sizes or other limitations that make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
How do you know if this might be okay for you? First, look at your Fasting Glucose. If it’s in a good range, then it’s something you could consider trying and it *may* work for you. I wouldn’t recommend it for those who have high fasting glucose.
If you’re going to try it, the way to know if your body likes it is simple – it’s easy. You feel better this way. If it feels hard or it stops feeling easy, that’s a good sign to stop fasting and go back to eating regularly.
Okay, we’re done the physiology less and now it’s time for real-life tips to help you find balance and turn your blood sugar train around.
The next section will focus on practical tips and strategies to help you find balance and manage insulin resistance effectively. Whether you're looking to prevent insulin resistance or manage it, the upcoming tips will help you take control of your health and live a healthier, more balanced life.
So, let's get started!
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :). Head over to Part 3.