What Foods To Eat For Insulin Resistance

Turmeric: 100% Effective In Preventing Diabetes

Insulin Resistance Foods To Eat for Lunch

A 2009 study found curcumin, an active compound found in turmeric, was 500 to 100,000 times more effective than the prescription drug Metformin at activating glucose uptake.

In another study of 240 pre-diabetic adults, patients were given either 250 milligrams of curcumin or a placebo every day. After nine months, NONE of those taking curcumin developed diabetes but 16.4% of the placebo group did. In other words, the curcumin was 100% effective at preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Intermittent Fasting: The Best Insulin Resistance Diet

The best way to increase your insulin sensitivity is through fasting. In an episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast . Dr. Jason Fung explains how intermittent fasting drops your insulin levels, which alters your bodys demand for insulin in a good way.

If you become very insulin resistant, then your insulin levels are up all the time, your body is always trying to shove the energy into the fat cells, and then you feel cold and tired and lousy. Thats the real problem. Resistance really depends on two things. Its not simply the high levels, but its the persistence of those levels. What people have realized is that the insulin resistance, because it depends on those two things, a period of time where you can get your insulin levels very low is going to break that resistance because it breaks that persistence. Not simply the levels, but the persistence of those levels.

RELATED: Set yourself up for intermittent fasting success instantly download the Ultimate Intermittent Fasting Guide to get your quick-start guide, sample 3-day meal plan, and printable intermittent fasting journal

Intermittent fasting is the easiest, smartest, most consistent way to fast. In short, intermittent fasting means you eat all of the food youll eat in a day in a short window of time. People will fast anywhere from 12-20 hours per day, depending on goals. More on how to do it here.

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Ginger: Lowers Fasting Blood Glucose By 105%

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 88 diabetics were divided into two groups. Every day one group received a placebo while the other received 3 one-gram capsules of ginger powder. After eight weeks, the ginger group reduced their fasting blood sugar by 10.5%. But the placebo group INCREASEDtheir fasting blood sugar by 21%. In addition, insulin sensitivity increased significantly more in the ginger group.

In another study, researchers proved that 1600 mg per day of ginger improves eight markers of diabetes including insulin sensitivity.

Many other studies prove the value of ginger for diabetes. For a complete list of studies visit Green Med Infos page on Ginger Health Benefits.

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Top 13 Foods To Reverse Insulin Resistance

Two words come to mind when talking about type 2 diabetes: insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when your cells stop responding to a hormone called insulin, which signals cells to take glucose out of the bloodstream and use it as fuel for energy.

Scroll to the end for references

Having high insulin resistance increases your risk for prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and a host of other serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

In todays video, were going to explore the top 13 foods to reverse insulin resistance. Be sure to watch until the end to learn about the variety of foods you can eat to help improve insulin sensitivity. So if youre ready, lets get into it.

As always, this video is educational and does not construe medical advice we are not doctors.

Snack On Fresh Fruit Instead Of Dried Fruit

The Insulin Resistance Diet Definitive Guide What to Eat ...

Although dried fruit contains fiber and many nutrients, the dehydration process removes the water, so it’s easier to eat more think about how many more raisins than grapes you can eat. While snacking on raisins or dried apricots is better for you than eating a cookie, itll still send your blood sugar soaring. Skip the dried fruit and instead choose whole fruits that are high in fiber, which cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose .

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When Eating Carbs Choose Complex Carbs

While complex carbs are an important part of a nutritious diet, refined or simple carbs dont usually contain a lot of fiber or micronutrients and are digested very quickly.

Refined carbs include simple sugars as well as grains that have had the fibrous parts removed. Some examples are cereal with added sugar, highly processed fast foods, foods made with refined flour like certain breads and pastries, and white rice .

Regularly consuming refined carbs can lead to several health problems, including high insulin levels and weight gain (

Summary

Replacing refined carbs, which are digested quickly and can sharply raise blood sugar, with slower-digesting complex carbs and whole grains may help lower insulin levels.

Forget About Eating Oily Breaded Fried Foods

You may have a weakness for fried foods like french fries, fried chicken, and potato chips, but satisfying this craving another way will be better for your health in the long run. Fried foods typically soak up tons of oil, which equates to lots of extra calories and many are coated in breading first, jacking up the numbers even more. Overdoing the greasy stuff can pack on the pounds and cause blood-sugar chaos, says Kimberlain. Not only do these foods initially spike blood sugar, they can leave it high over a long period of time. Fat takes longer to digest, so it keeps blood sugar elevated, she says. To make matters even worse, some foods are deep-fried in hydrogenated oils that are laden with trans fats.

For the same flavor without the fat and calories, Kimberlain suggests finding new ways to prepare the fried foods you like, such as baking, roasting, or grilling . You can even make baked fried chicken, she says. Air fryers are popular now as well, so there’s that option, too. And if you don’t have an air fryer, I have a little convection oven that works just the same. I make baked fries in there that taste so crispy, you’d think they were fried.

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Intermittent Fasting And The Insulin Resistance Diet

Another tool to help reverse insulin resistance quickly is intermittent fasting, a dietary strategy in which eating periods are interspersed with regular fasts .

The main reason that this works is due to a biological process called autophagy. During extended periods without food, your body uses this natural adaptation to burn excess fat, proteins, and recycled cells for energy.

Combined with an insulin resistance diet, the results are powerful. However, its important to be aware that without a change to your underlying diet, intermittent fasting will not be very effective.

An Insulin Resistance Food Hack: Avoid The Middle Of The Grocery Store

As the American Diabetes Association says, Everyone’s body responds differently to different types of foods and diets, so there is no single “magic” diet for diabetes, but that doesnt mean you have to worry about not eating enough or missing out on delicious foods.To simplify the what can I eat? concern, Erik Levi, certified functional nutritional therapy practitioner and health coach, says, I tell clients to avoid the entire middle of the grocery store. In short, focus on the perimeter of the grocery store, where youll find all of the fresh produce, meat, and seafood.

Youll want to avoid alcohol, sodas, boxed foods, candies, ice creams, breads, pastas and anything else that is processed. You can spot processed foods easily by looking at the packaging. Most processed foods come in a box or bag. You can also take a peek at the ingredient list. If its got a long list of ingredients, skip it.Levi makes it very clear: The less ingredients the better.

Reverse Insulin Resistance With Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is the best insulin resistance diet to help your cells respond to insulin.
When your body gets the signal that youve eaten, beta cells in your pancreas produce insulin, a hormone that tells your cells to absorb glucose to use as fuel.
Your cells respond by receiving the glucose from your bloodstream. This gives you the energy you need, and you dont pack on body fat. But sometimes, this communication gets thrown off.
Insulin resistance is when insulin tells your cells that fuel is coming, but they dont open up to receive glucose. So, sugar stays in the bloodstream, and after a while your body stores it as fat.
Read on to find out how intermittent fasting can fix insulin resistance.

Heres a scenario. Youre hungry. Because youre hungry, youre annoyed with everything. You might even recognize that your blood sugar just dropped and you need to eat something.

There are a couple things behind this: your blood sugar, your insulin, and how well your cells follow directions.

Five Quick Swaps To Support Insulin Sensitivity

Look for heart-healthy fat sources, such as fish, olive and vegetable oils, avocados, and nuts, instead of fried foods and fatty meats.
Select whole grains and whole-grain products instead of refined ones, such as bread, flour, rice, cereal, pasta, and crackers.
Choose fish and plant-based proteins instead of red or processed meat.
Drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks, and flavored/sweetened tea and coffee.
Snack on fruits and vegetables instead of chips, cookies, or French fries.

Lean Protein Helps Lower Insulin

Its important to get enough protein when trying to lower insulin levels but not from a source containing a high-fat content.

When looking for the right protein, consider lean protein like chicken or turkey without the skin.

Also, be sure to pair up these lean proteins with proteins from plants like legumes or other non-starchy vegetables, making a wholesome meal that can help lower insulin levels.

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What To Limit Or Avoid

Try your best to stay away from:

Processed foods, which often have added sugar, fat, and salt. If it comes in cans, boxes, wrappers, and other packaging, itâs probably processed.

Saturated and trans fats, which can boost insulin resistance. These come mainly from animal sources, such as meats and cheese, as well as foods fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

Sweetened drinks, like soda, fruit drinks, iced teas, and vitamin water, which can make you gain weight.

Show Sources

U.S. National Library of Medicine: âEvidence-based diabetes nutrition therapy recommendations are effective: the key is individualization,â âThe DASH Diet and Insulin Sensitivity,â âNutrition therapy recommendations for the management of adults with diabetes,â âDiet and risk of Type II diabetes: the role of types of fat and carbohydrate,â âDairy Products and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: Implications for Research and Practice.â

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: âPrediabetes and Insulin Resistance.â

Ohio State University: ââIn study, skipping meals is linked to abdominal weight gain.â

American Diabetes Association: âDiabetes Meal Plans and a Healthy Diet,â âDiabetes Superfoods,â âNon-Starchy Vegetables,â âFruits,â âProtein Foods,â âDairy,â âCreate Your Plate.â

American Heart Association: âPolyunsaturated Fat,â âMonounsaturated Fat.â

Foods To Avoid For Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a metabolic syndrome where whatever carbohydrates you eat turns into into sugar . This increases the insulin levels and instead of turning into energy, insulin resistance leads to inflammation and increase in blood sugar levels. When the insulin doesn’t get into the blood cells, it leads to a resistance as insulin is not effective in the body. This can be really dangerous for the health. If the insulin doesn’t enter the cells, it becomes inflammatory and lead to diabetes, blood sugar problems and chronic fatigue to name a few. There are few supplements that can reverse insulin resistance. To avoid such health problems, you should avoid foods that easily turn into glucose. If the insulin is less effective, it can lead to severe heart and health problems. To avoid diabetes, heart strokes and other conditions, avoid this list of foods. A proper diet can balance the insulin levels in the body and avoid insulin resistance. Take a look Foods to avoid for insulin resistance:Continue reading > >

9 Foods to Avoid When You Have Type 2 Diabetes

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Physical Activity And Exercise

Muscles burn glucose for energy. The more you move, the more glucose your muscles take out of the blood for energy use, which helps to lower your blood sugar levels. This allows for a reduction in insulin secretion, lessening the burden on your pancreas.

Likewise, muscles that dont move dont use up blood sugar, so insulin levels can rise to process any excess. Studies show that a mere five days of bed rest induces a state of insulin resistance in completely healthy volunteers.27 Multiple studies show that long-term inactivity is strongly associated with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.28

Any type of regular movement can help. Studies suggest that high-intensity interval training , resistance training, and cardio training all improve glucose utilization and thereby improve insulin sensitivity.29

No matter what your preferred form of movement or exercise, it is clear: inactivity can lead to insulin resistance. And movement increases insulin sensitivity as long as the exercise continues.30 So if you stop moving regularly, insulin resistance may come back.

One more thing on exercise: you likely cannot outrun a bad diet. Exercising regularly but still eating a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar diet will likely partially, if not completely, counteract many of the benefits derived from exercise.31

Get The Right Amount And Type Of Protein

Insulin Resistance Diet – What To Eat for Dinner

Consuming adequate protein at meals can be beneficial for controlling your weight and insulin levels.

In a small study from 2015, premenopausal individuals living with obesity had lower insulin levels after consuming a high protein breakfast compared with a low protein breakfast. They also felt fuller and ate fewer calories at lunch .

However, protein stimulates insulin production so that your muscles can take up amino acids. Therefore, eating very high amounts over a prolonged period may lead to higher insulin levels in otherwise healthy individuals .

A larger study from 2018 sheds some light on these diverging results: When it comes to protein, dietary patterns are important.

For instance, researchers found that individuals who ate a majority of plant proteins were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, while individuals who ate a lot of protein in the form of red meat had a greater likelihood of living with or developing type 2 diabetes .

So while protein is important, eating a variety of protein that isnt overly processed and is nutrient-dense is even more important.

Summary

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Working With Your Doctor

As noted previously, most doctors dont routinely test for insulin resistance. This may be appropriate when testing wont change the recommendations for lifestyle modifications and/or treatment. However, testing can be very helpful when the results would clearly inform ones choice of dietary modification or medical therapy.

If your waist-to-height ratio is larger than 0.50, you may want to talk with your doctor about ordering follow up tests to confirm that insulin resistance is present, and that you are at risk for blood sugar and metabolic problems.

You will likely have to ask for these tests. Dont be afraid to be proactive and educate your doctor about these tests if you request them, as they may be worth the effort. However, be aware that not all health systems provide coverage for insulin levels and you may have to pay the full cost yourself.

We recommend three tests, all of which can be done fasting: insulin, triglycerides, and glucose.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Insulin Resistance

At first, your pancreas tries to fight the effects of insulin resistance by releasing more insulin. Even though your cells are not responding to insulin as well as they should, the fact that there is more insulin in your bloodstream helps keep your blood sugar levels normal. Therefore, you may not have any noticeable symptoms of insulin resistance initially.

Over time, as insulin resistance gets worse, even more insulin wont be able to make up for your cells weak response to insulin. At this point, high blood sugar levels often become the first key sign of insulin resistance. As high blood sugar persists, you may begin to notice symptoms like excessive thirst, frequent urination, and headaches.

Cut Out Vegetable Antinutrients

Vegetables arent here for human survival. They dont want to be eaten.

Turns out those innocent and healthy veggies are quite devious after all. To prevent predators from eating them, vegetables all have chemical weapons and booby traps set.

Theyre all like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone. Innocent looking, but destructive. Dont judge a book by its cover

One of those groups of anti nutrients are lectins. Theyre found primarily in grains, nuts, legumes and nightshades.

And they wreak absolute havoc on your body, especially in high doses. This study found that when lectins they reach the bloodstream, they can bind insulin receptors and thereby interfere with insulins action

Just one more reason to cut out vegetables and eat meat like were made to.