10 Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity & Your Metabolism
Insulin resistance can be difficult to detect without medical tests. However, its effects can be dangerous if left unchecked. I test for this often in my practice to help patients get to the root cause of their metabolic symptoms.
This month we are taking a look at the risks and symptoms of insulin resistance, plus 10 preventative measures you can take to reduce your risks of insulin resistance and increase your insulin sensitivity.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which allows blood cells to absorb and use glucose. When a person experiences insulin resistance, their cells are unable to use insulin effectively. Consistently high levels of glucose develop, which can lead to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes if left untreated.
In order to prevent insulin resistance and its progression to diabetes, you must increase your insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity means that your cells respond well to insulin—the opposite of resistance.
Who Is At Risk of Insulin Resistance?
Certain factors increase your likelihood of developing insulin resistance:
Being overweight or obese, especially when excess weight is around the midsection
A sedentary lifestyle or lack of exercise
Smoking
Consuming large amounts of alcohol
Lack of sleep or sleep issues
High levels of cholesterol
High blood pressure
A history of gestational diabetes
A family history of diabetes
A high-carbohydrate diet
Sleep apnea
While it may not be possible to eliminate all risk factors as some are genetic, most are avoidable and doctors typically recommend lifestyle changes to prevent the condition.
What Are The Symptoms of Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is difficult to detect without medical testing, as major symptoms don’t usually present until the condition has progressed into diabetes. The CDC has reported that over 85% of people with prediabetes do not know they have it. That’s unfortunate since lifestyle changes can reverse the development of diabetes.
High insulin and blood sugar levels are the hallmark symptoms of insulin resistance. Your health practitioner can use several methods to measure your blood sugar and insulin levels, such as a HOMA-IR test. Waist measurements in excess of 40 inches for men and 35 for women can also indicate insulin resistance.
In addition, there are links that have been drawn between insulin resistance and other health conditions:
Acanthosis nigricans. This skin condition causes dark spots on the groin, armpits, and back of the neck. It can be an indicator of insulin resistance.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). There is often an overlap between PCOS and insulin resistance. The symptoms of PCOS can include irregular menstruation, infertility, and painful periods.
Major depressive disorder. High levels of insulin in the blood have also been associated with an increased likelihood of depression.
If you are experiencing any of these conditions or conditions, it may be worthwhile to seek a test for insulin levels and insulin resistance.
How To Prevent Insulin Resistance
There are numerous natural and science-backed ways you can increase your insulin sensitivity:
1 - Sleep more
Getting enough rest is important for your health in many ways. A lack of good sleep has been linked to reduced insulin sensitivity, so be sure to catch up on your Zs.
2 - Fit movement into your day
Regular physical activity is a major key to increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise will move sugar into the muscles for storage and promote insulin sensitivity immediately. This can also help keep off excess weight, which is another risk factor for insulin resistance.
3 - Reduce stress
Recurrent stress keeps hormone levels high and increases blood sugar. Stress also makes the body more insulin resistant.
Practicing meditation, getting regular exercise, and other stress-reduction techniques like conscious breathing will help lower your stress and increase your insulin sensitivity.
4 - Choose your drinks carefully
Even seemingly “healthy” drinks like kombucha can be loaded with sugar. Limit alcohol including beer, spirits and wine, especially pre-made cocktails with added sugar.
Hydrate well with water, at least 2 L a day, and choose herbal or green tea which has been linked to improved sensitivity.
5 - Eat more fibre
Studies have found strong links between fibre intake and insulin sensitivity. Incorporate fibre-rich foods into your diet such as legumes, oatmeal, fruits, and lots of vegetables.
6 - Add high-antioxidant foods to your diet
A diet that includes a variety of plants is highly beneficial for health. The antioxidants in brightly coloured produce prevent inflammation in the body and boost insulin sensitivity. However, be sure not to eat too much fruit at once, as many types of fruit are high in sugar.
7 - Reduce carb intake
Carbohydrates are the primary stimulus of rising insulin levels. High-carb diets tend to lead to blood sugar spikes. Spread out your carb intake throughout the day to prevent this, eating smaller portions at regular intervals.
8 - Supplement wisely
In addition to a well-rounded diet, certain supplements can help increase insulin sensitivity. Magnesium, chromium, berberine, and resveratrol have all been studied for their effects on insulin, with positive results. It is best to seek the care of a health care professional who can choose which supplements are best for YOU and can monitor your progress.
9 - Cut back on processed sugar
The two major processed sugars are high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose. These are different from the natural sugars found in nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables. Many studies have found that high doses of fructose and sucrose increase insulin resistance. It is best to avoid candy, sugary beverages, cakes, and cookies.
10 - Cook with herbs and spices
The medicinal properties of herbs and spices have shown good potential for increasing insulin sensitivity. Cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are some popular and flavourful ingredients that have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity.
If you’d like to learn more about developing lifestyle habits for healthy insulin levels, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can address your symptoms, run the appropriate tests, and develop a plan.
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Strategies to Reduce Stress and Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
‘Tis the season for joy, togetherness, and celebration - but also stress. Despite the festive, happy images we are bombarded with in the media, many people find the holidays a difficult time. Financial pressures, loneliness, shorter and darker days are just some of the factors that contribute to a rise in depression and anxiety during the holidays. Plus, this year may be particularly challenging as we continue to wrestle with the stresses of the pandemic. To make matters worse, those negative feelings are often exacerbated by the unhealthy habits so common during the holidays, like increased alcohol consumption, poor food choices, and overscheduling.
Make this Holiday Season Different
Start taking steps now to prevent holiday stress by prioritizing your health and well-being. Eating well, enjoying the company of friends and loved ones, and practicing self-care strategies that work for you can all help bring the holiday season back to its true meaning: a time of joy.
Here are some of my top strategies to enjoy a happy, healthy and stress-free holiday season this year:
1 - Delegate and be selective with activities.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do everything on your own for a picture-perfect holiday season. Letting go of that expectation can actually lead to greater enjoyment and less stress, so don’t be afraid to ask others to contribute to big meals, encourage a healthy potluck style dinner, and turn down a social invitation that doesn’t excite you. Setting healthy boundaries with your time and energy is important!
2 - Shop wisely.
Financial pressure is one of the top stressors at this time of year. Making a budget at the onset can help keep spending in check. Always remember that personal, meaningful gifts don’t have to be pricey - and are often more appreciated!
WIth supply chain difficulties and many shortages of goods predicted for this winter, shopping locally can also alleviate stress. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of supporting a small business owner.
3 - Stick to your sleep schedule.
The relationship between stress and sleep goes two ways. When you’re stressed, it’s more difficult to sleep, and when you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re more likely to feel stressed. When we’re staying up later or missing sleep, we are not at our best - studies show it takes up to four days to recover from just one hour of missed sleep! Practice good sleep hygiene, including keeping regular hours, staying away from screens before bedtime, sleeping in a cooler room and limiting alcohol consumption to at least 2 hours before heading to bed.
4 - Build movement into your schedule.
Exercise is a proven way to reduce the harmful effects of stress on your body, but when you’re busy and stressed, it can be hard to fit it in. If exercise is part of your daily routine, don’t let the busy-ness of the holiday season get in the way!
Consciously blocking out time for fitness regardless of what you have to do that day, and prioritizing that time helps. So does combining movement with holiday social events, whether that means going for a walk together, planning a snowshoe party, or heading to a skating rink.
5 - Include nutrient dense foods and practice mindful eating.
It’s not surprising that studies find that many adults gain weight over the holidays, but you might be surprised to learn that even adults who plan to lose weight often end up gaining instead. Keep your expectations realistic and focus on eating mindfully, enjoying everything in moderation. Here are some tips for eating more mindfully:
People often skip meals over the holidays, thinking that they’re compensating for indulging later, however, they end up eating more during their holiday events. A better strategy is to have healthy, satisfying food with plenty of protein, healthy fats and fibre before an event to stay on a regular eating schedule and prevent over-indulging.
Throughout your meals, allow some time between bites so your brain can more accurately measure when you’re full.
When you are faced with a lot of treats, retain a mindful approach. Choose the treats you really enjoy, and savour them slowly.
Making smart food choices during the holiday season with plenty of nutrient-dense foods can also support your immune system to help prevent illness (and nobody wants to be sick right now!) Fresh produce, particularly brightly coloured vegetables and citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C, which supports immunity. And foods high in antioxidants reduce inflammation, so focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.
6 - Don’t forget to take care of your gut health.
The stress, potential depression, and sugary diets that many people face at this time of the year create an unfortunate trifecta leading to poor gut health. To protect your gut microbiome, focus on a wide variety of natural foods high in fibre. Fermented foods and drinks like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha also help maintain a beneficial balance of bacteria because they are high in the beneficial bacteria lactobacilli.
7 - Limit alcohol.
Another factor affecting gut health and immune health is alcohol. Studies show that alcohol consumption doubles during the holidays. Bear in mind that binge drinking carries many health risks, even if you’re not a heavy drinker over the rest of the year. Plus, excess alcohol consumption can sap your energy and contribute to depression. Raise a glass for special occasions, but be mindful of what you drink. Kombucha, mocktails and sparkling water with fruit are excellent festive substitutes.
8 - Practice gratitude and focus on the good.
Sometimes, we all need to slow down and recognize the good in our lives. Practicing gratitude is a proven way to improve your mental well-being, and can be as easy as taking a moment to thank people for simple acts. Some studies have connected a “gratitude journal,” in which participants recorded the things they were grateful for, with improved mental health and reduced depression. As this becomes a habit, you’ll start to notice the good around you more often, in essence shifting the way you view the world for the better.
Make this holiday season the best ever - we all deserve it! Reach out if you’d like to learn more about creating healthy habits for the holidays.
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Lending Tree, 61% of Americans Are Dreading the Holidays Due to Spending, by Jacqueline Demarco
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Are You Suffering from Hormonal Imbalance? Top 10 Signs
Hormones affect every aspect of your wellbeing, from your appetite to your zest for life. Despite their large impact on overall health, hormonal imbalances can be frustratingly difficult to recognize. That’s partly because our hormones must maintain a delicate balance and even a slight shift can have negative repercussions.
Key Players in Hormone Balance
Think of your hormones as messengers delivering instructions to the rest of your body in order to regulate many things, including mood, appetite, stress levels, metabolism, sleep, sexual functions, blood sugar and more!
Many organs are involved in maintaining hormone balance. The hypothalamus, a small region in your brain, sends signals to your endocrine system, which controls the secretion of hormones. The endocrine system contains the adrenals, hypothalamus, ovaries, testes, parathyroid, pineal and pituitary glands.
When these glands receive a signal from the hypothalamus, they react by releasing hormones. For example, if your brain perceives a threat, your hypothalamus tells your adrenal and pituitary glands to secrete the “stress hormones” adrenaline and cortisol. This dynamic is sometimes called the HPA axis and it has far-reaching effects on your body. Those hormones tell your heart to speed up, your muscles to tense, your breathing to quicken, and your liver to release more glucose for extra energy. Those responses likely served us well way back in history, when we were more likely to be under an actual attack, because they primed our “flight or fight” response. Today, however, stress is often more chronic, and we’re not typically able to flee or fight the stressors. Instead, the long-term effects continue to take a toll.
Who Is at Risk and Why?
We all experience some hormonal imbalances over the course of a lifetime, but certain developmental stages raise the risk. Puberty is one obvious stage when hormones are sometimes wildly out of balance because the ovaries and testes receive signals to start producing more hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormone. Middle age ushers in a new era of hormonal changes. For women, the production of estrogen starts to slow down with the transition to menopause. For many women, however, this isn’t a smooth decrease in hormone production, but rather, something that occurs in fits and starts, which can make symptoms harder to manage.
Men aren’t immune from midlife hormone imbalances. Around the age of 40, men’s level of androgens (“male” hormones like testosterone) starts to decline by about one percent a year.
Outside of age-related hormonal changes, other factors can lead to hormone imbalance, including stress, disordered eating, nutritional deficiencies, medication, exposure to toxins, birth control pills, and many medical conditions.
Top 10 Signs of Hormone Imbalance
1- Bad PMS
Wild mood swings. Unexplained sadness. Disabling irritability. Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, isn’t much fun, and hormones are to blame. PMS is caused by the drop in estrogen and progesterone that occurs in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Low estrogen and progesterone levels can lead to a decrease in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in mood stabilization.
2 - Mood swings
Many hormones influence our moods, including norepinephrine and epinephrine, testosterone, and oxytocin, so it is not surprising that fluctuating hormones can lead to an emotional rollercoaster, for all genders.
3 - Fatigue
Hormones play an important role in energy levels, so an imbalance often leads to unexplained fatigue. A decrease in thyroid hormone in particular can lead to extreme tiredness. And decreases in another hormone, progesterone, can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
4 - Low sex drive
Lower levels of estrogen in women and testosterone in men often lead to a loss of libido.
5 - Irregular periods
Low levels of estrogen and difficulties with thyroid hormone levels can lead to periods that don’t follow a regular 28-day cycle. As women enter the perimenopause stage, this often becomes more pronounced, and the timing of their periods becomes difficult to predict.
6 - Weight fluctuations
Anyone who struggles to control their weight, despite conscientious exercise and careful calorie control, should have their hormone levels checked.The impact of hormones on weight is complex, and can involve ghrelin, cortisol, insulin, thyroid hormone, and leptin. Imbalances with just one of these can easily derail weight-control.
7 - Food cravings
Studies (and plenty of anecdotal evidence) suggest that hormonal fluctuations, particularly those tied to the menstrual cycle, lead to cravings for sweet and high-carb foods. Stress hormones can also play a role, as they send signals to your body that it needs more energy to fight the perceived stress. The “pleasure” hormones like dopamine can also contribute, as your body seeks to repeat the temporary feelings of satisfaction from eating certain foods.
8 - Brain fog
That feeling of not being able to think clearly can be influenced by many hormones, including cortisol, insulin, estrogen and testosterone.
9 - Headaches
For women, low levels of estrogen can lead to an increase in headaches. Imbalances in other hormones, such as cortisol and thyroid hormone, can also contribute.
10 - Sleep problems
Disruptions in levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin lead to issues with your circadian rhythm, but other hormones also play a role in a good night of sleep.
Restoring Balance
As you can see from the above list, hormonal imbalances can lead to many health issues. It’s important to note their connectivity: Hormones influence each other in a complex chain. For example, a disruption in melatonin levels can lead to less sleep. In turn, not getting enough sleep can inhibit testosterone production, even in young men. It’s all connected!
These intertwined relationships point to the importance of taking a holistic approach to hormonal balance. Here are just some proven strategies that I use in my practice:
Maintain a healthy body weight.
Yes, this can feel like a Catch-22 when your hormones aren’t cooperating. Focus on whole, natural foods, centred around organic produce and high-quality protein sources, healthy fats, and whole grains. Avoid drastically reducing calories, as that can be counterproductive. Eliminate, or reduce, alcohol, and processed foods.
Practice stress reduction.
Stress reduction helps stabilize hormones by minimizing the flight or fight response and its impact on hormones. Studies point to the success of meditation and other stress-reduction activities such as yoga or tai chi.
Incorporate exercise into your life.
Even simple walking can regulate hormone levels. Work with a knowledgeable professional to figure out what’s the best approach for you.
Minimize the use of hormone disruptors.
We’re growing increasingly aware of the impact of certain chemicals on our hormones. Some chemicals, for example, “mimic” certain hormones, which confuses the body’s response. Others change the way we process hormones, or change our sensitivity to them. These chemicals can be found in pesticides, many kinds of packaging, household cleaners, cosmetics and toiletry items, and more. It all points to the importance of becoming an informed consumer.
Get tested and get balanced.
Your hormones have a profound impact on your health. Maintaining balanced hormone levels is one of the most important things you can do to enjoy a healthy life. If you’d like more information on testing and a tailored health plan to gain control of your hormones, reach out to me-I would love to help!
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