I hate to “beat a dead horse,” and I worry I do that in this column sometimes. But this business of insulin resistance calls for continual warning and vigilance. Over 80 million Americans suffer from insulin resistance, and research shows it sits at the center of a web of related health problems.
Folks who are insulin resistant are at much greater risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, high cholesterol, breast cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). There is evidence that insulin resistance may contribute to endometrial cancer. And it has also been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
Insulin resistance often accompanies the most common complaints medical professionals hear— fatigue and weight gain, particularly for women. As women approach menopause, they become increasingly intolerant of carbohydrates and find it easier to gain weight, especially around their waists. Furthermore, afternoon blahs, sugar crashes and carbohydrate cravings may all be early insulin resistance symptoms.
On the website,
Women to Women, the specific signs and symptoms of insulin resistance are discussed. The doctors that write for this site say that we are at the highest risk for developing this condition if we have a family history of type 2 diabetes or if we have suffered from gestational diabetes, hypertension, or are seriously overweight.
Apple-shaped people, or those who tend to gain most of their weight around their abdomen, show less tolerance for insulin. To assess your risk, measure yourself around the smallest part of your waist (don’t hold your stomach in!) and the biggest part of your hips. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. A ratio bigger than 0.8 for women (or 1.0 for men) indicates that your abdomen is obese and you are at risk for developing insulin resistance.
Folks with dyslipidemia, especially those with low HDL levels and high triglycerides, may also be resistant. Many doctors tend to look at the ratio of HDL to triglycerides. If they can divide the triglyceride count by the HDL count and get 3.0 or higher, they say they immediately suspect insulin resistance. Another sign is a skin change called acanthosis nigricans, which are warty-like darkened patches of skin at the neck and armpits. This indicates insulin resistance in over 90% of people who experience it.
The good news is that insulin and glucose levels are very easily influenced by changes in lifestyle, exercise, and diet. If you are diagnosed with insulin resistance, there is a lot you can do to reverse its course. This wonderful news ought to be posted on billboards up and down every freeway in America!
So speaking of diet (why not, since Cook’n is all about food?), what is the #1 change doctors recommend for the insulin resistant person? Stop stop stop eating highly processed foods, especially those containing high fructose corn syrup and trans fats.
Always on the lookout for healthy meal ideas for us, I found a very helpful site, Heartland Naturopathic Clinic (https://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/sampleirdiet.htm). This site provides lots of good menu and basic meal ideas. Here is a one-day sample of a home-cooked menu for one person that features a LACK of processed food (meaning no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup):
Breakfast ( clean up takes 5 min.)
A one or two free-range egg omelet with a tablespoon of cheese, chopped scallions or other vegetables, spices, pepper and a dash of salt.
[Takes 10-12 minutes to make but while cooking go to making lunch.]
A cut up apple with cashew butter. [1 minute.]
Water/tea.
Lunch
A large salad with red leaf lettuce, red cabbage, scallions, other vegetables and walnuts or other nuts or seeds (made fresh that morning). With a natural low sugar/carb commercial dressing (canola or olive oil, vinegar, spices, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.).
[Takes 10-12 minutes to make.]
4-5 ounces of baked wild salmon with garlic, spices and a dash of salt (a piece of a salmon baked earlier in the week).
Water/tea.
Dinner
6-ounce lean range-fed sirloin steak with some garlic and olive oil added while cooking.
2-3 cups of steamed broccoli, carrots, onions and/or other vegetables with a sauce.
The sauce is:
-one quarter cup of tahini (sesame seed butter),
-lemon or lime juice to taste,
-tsp of tamari or soy sauce,
-tbsp of flax oil, and
-spices to taste.
Water/tea
A piece of fruit as dessert.
