Many of you may not be asking the question, what is insulin resistance, but you should, because prevalence of this condition is at an alarming, more than 25 percent of the population, and the consequences to your health can be deadly.
Prevalence is even higher in the elderly population and perimenopausal women. Not only that, many people are not even aware they have the condition.
In a nutshell, insulin resistance is an endocrine disorder that occurs in response to too much sugar (carbohydrates) in the blood stream on a continuous basis. The endocrine system can no longer regulate blood sugar adequately. Glucose receptors get overwhelmed and resist the messages from the pancreas to process sugar, which results in high levels of insulin being released. If this process continues, the pancreas wears out, blood sugar remains high and it leads to type 2 diabetes.
However, a great deal of damage is done to the body before ever progressing to diabetes. High levels of insulin in the body lead to hypoglycemia, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high tryglycerides, high ldl/low hdl, adrenal fatigue, cancer, liver disease, alcoholism, auto-immune disorder, pos, impaired memory and cognitive abilities, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, acidosis and many more.
Some of the earliest symptoms are often overlooked because they mimic other conditions or aren’t taken seriously like cravings for sugar or carbohydrates, chronic fatigue, weight gain, depression, brain fog, indigestion, mood swings and low blood sugar. Anyone with high blood pressure, cholesterol and tryglycerides probably has insulin resistance and each of these conditions can be overcome by treating the resistance.
The primary cause of insulin resistance is a diet high in sugar and/or carbohydrates. All carbohydrates break down into sugar in the body and cause the release of insulin. This includes whole grains, beans, potatoes and other complex carbohydrates which are often mistaken for healthy foods.
The reason this condition is so prevalent in our society is because most people are eating way too many carbohydrates and not enough meat protein and fat. Other factors like nicotine, caffeine, environmental toxins, aging, hormonal changes and high levels of stress are also major contributors.
To answer the question, what is insulin resistance and why should you care more thoroughly, I’ve written about this topic extensively. I encourage you to read more by visiting my insulin resistance symptoms page.
Because here’s the thing, insulin resistance is completely preventable, so if you educate yourself now about the causes and make the necessary changes in your diet and lifestyle, you can protect yourself from ever developing it. If you already have insulin resistance, it can almost always be reversed with these same changes.
