Type 2 diabetes causes numerous health complications. And everyone who develops type 2 diabetes actually has a metabolic condition—often years before diagnosis—called insulin resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
In this condition, the body’s cells (mostly muscle cells) become less sensitive to the action of insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose levels.
Insulin is essential for moving glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it is used as a source of energy. When cells become less responsive to insulin, the pancreas starts producing more and more insulin, which can eventually lead to pancreatic exhaustion and the development of type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of insulin resistance
Symptoms can be subtle and often become noticeable only once insulin resistance progresses. Some possible symptoms include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Poor concentration (brain fog)
- Headaches
- Excess sweating and feeling warm
- Episodes of weakness during the day
- Bloating and digestive issues
- Swelling of the face and extremities
- Inability to lose weight
Insulin resistance can also lead to other health issues, including thyroid disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, reduced testosterone levels, elevated triglycerides, gout, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, and many others.
Since insulin resistance is the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes, reducing its impact improves diabetes control. In other words, by lowering insulin resistance, it is possible to significantly improve the management of this condition and prevent many long-term complications associated with diabetes
How to Reduce Insulin Resistance?
Primarily through a diet lower in carbohydrates and by increasing physical activity. This helps preserve pancreatic function for as long as possible and prevents its exhaustion.
Reducing carbohydrate intake lowers the rapid rise in blood glucose after meals, which decreases the need for large amounts of insulin. In this approach, carbohydrates are replaced with healthy fats as the main and stable source of energy—fats that do not require pancreatic insulin for metabolism.
This nutrition style is known as Metabolic Friendly Nutrition, which is low in carbohydrates and high in fats, and has an additional important characteristic—it is highly nutrient dense.
Metabolic Friendly nutrition is a version of the Mediterranean diet, characterized by high intake of non-starchy vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fish, with moderate intake of starchy vegetables, fruit, and legumes. This way of eating is rich in fiber, which helps regulate blood glucose and insulin levels.
This nutrition approach avoids highly processed, carbohydrate-dense foods. Examples include refined products such as white bread, pasta, and gnocchi, which contain easily digestible carbohydrates; sweets and desserts such as cakes, pastries, cookies, candies, chocolates, and ice cream, rich in processed sugars; sugary drinks like sodas, fruit juices, and sports or energy drinks; as well as fast foods and snacks like fries and chips, all of which contain significant amounts of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates.
In conclusion, a properly adapted diet is a powerful tool in overcoming insulin resistance. Recognizing and addressing insulin resistance early provides a crucial window of opportunity to delay or even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and its complications.
