Thursday, February 13, 2014

Principles On How To Reverse Insulin Resistance

By Serena Price


Insulin is a very important hormone in metabolism. It is particularly important in regulating the uptake of glucose breakdown products by the cell. Disordered production of this hormone is associated with serious clinical consequences. Deficiency of insulin is the main cause of type I diabetes. The other cause of this medical disorder is resistance of the body to the hormone. There are a number of interventions that can be used to reverse insulin resistance among diabetic patients.

The mechanisms involved in hormone resistance are a bit complicated for the layman to understand but the main thing that you need to know is that resistance occurs when the amount of hormone produced does not meet the demands of the body. This can also be termed as relative insulin deficiency. It is a typical occurrence in type two diabetes. The commonest cause of this occurrence is a change in hormone receptors.

Usually, symptoms and signs of relative insulin deficiency go unnoticed because of their constitutional nature. Such constitutional signs include weight gain, fatigue, depression, frequent urination and so forth. Other indications include raised blood sugar levels and acidosis. It is only through these tests that one can certainly know whether they are diabetics or not.

A lot of research has been directed towards the identification of the causes of resistance. Leading a sedentary lifestyle is thought to be a common cause. When the blood sugar is persistently high, more of the hormone is produced. This occurs proportionally until levels of hormone are too high for the available receptors. An increase in the sugar may be caused by alcohol, caffeine, and carbohydrate-rich foods.

Since hormone resistance is cause by high blood sugar, it can be reversed by cutting down of carbohydrate and replacing it with a diet rich in fats and protein. When this is done, the body responds by producing less hormone and using up stored fat. This in turn causes a stabilization of insulin, cholesterol, blood pressure and everything else that had been out of place.

Exercise is also important for metabolizing glucose and lowering the levels of the hormone. Short exercise intervals are recommended to allow effective communication with the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This prevents the adrenals from releasing adrenaline and therefore the liver is able to recruit glucagon into the bloodstream.

Exercise and diet have to be used in combination to enhance reversal. Exercise alone can be hectic since continuous work out will be required to burn out the daily intake of carbohydrates. Drinking alcohol and caffeine and cigarette smoking is also discouraged since these substances stimulate the liver to secrete glucose into blood. Getting enough sleep a day is also important. A minimum of eight hours a day is recommended. Stress can be avoided or managed through meditation and deep breathing exercises.

One can liaise with a nutritionist to come up with detailed program on diet. This is a major step if you intend to reverse insulin resistance. Recommended supplements include chromium, glutamine and vitamin. Minor ones include manganese, magnesium and vitamins B, C and E. The supplements not only help in diet adjustment but in lowering sugar levels. An ideal diet will be one containing fish, eggs, lean meat, vegetables without starch and clean drinking water.




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