5 Major Signs of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition that affects about 50% of the American population.
Many people don’t realize they have it and it’s one of the major causes of pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and other metabolism conditions. Insulin resistance can be a really big problem because it can make it extremely difficult to lose weight. Many people go undiagnosed.
What is Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone responsible for making sure your cells properly use the energy you get from the foods you eat. The energy from the food you eat is called glucose. Glucose is mostly found in carbohydrate foods. Glucose is a form of sugar. If you have too much sugar from glucose in your bloodstream, it is called high blood sugar and this can cause a lot of health complications. If you have insulin resistance, this means, your cells are not responding properly to insulin resulting in more glucose in your bloodstream.
Here are a few signs you could be insulin resistant.
#1 - Abdominal Fat - If you carry a lot of fat in your midsection or belly, this is a sign you could be insulin resistant.
#2 - Water Retention - Swollen ankles, legs, and hands, are often a sign that you are insulin resistant. Too much glucose in your bloodstream tells your kidneys to store water, resulting in water retention.
#3 - Sugar Cravings - Sugar cravings can be a sign your insulin resistance. When your blood sugar levels are not properly managed, your cells are literally starving energy, resulting in carbohydrate cravings.
#4 - Dark Skin Patches - High levels of glucose in the bloodstream can make your skin look dark around the folds of your skin like around your neck, under your arms, and around the groin area.
#5- Hormonal Imbalance - If you are insulin resistant, it can sometimes trigger hormonal imbalances as seen in women with PCOS. It has been shown that when insulin resistance is addressed, symptoms of PCOS improves.
There are many more signs, like constant urination, being thirsty all the time, having skin tags, and elevated blood sugar. You will know if your blood sugar is elevated if you test it using a glucose meter.
If you have some of these signs, make sure to see your doctor. Also, know that insulin resistance can be reversed. There are a couple of ways you can reverse insulin resistance.
First, you can eat foods that don’t require a lot of insulin to be produced in your body. Following a low-glycemic diet, is a way of eating that allows for you to eat foods that trigger less insulin. When you have less insulin in your bloodstream, your body can utilize the energy from your foods better, thus resulting in better fat loss.
Second, making sure to exercise, manage stress levels, getting proper sleep, and other factors can help reduce insulin resistance.
Lastly, I strongly recommend that you seek the guidance of your physician who will be able to properly diagnose whether you have insulin resistance or any condition that may be contributing to your inability to lose weight effectively.
Stay tuned for my next article where I will discuss some of the foods that help reverse insulin resistance.
XOXO
Kamille
