November is National Diabetes month, and it’s a great time to raise awareness about diabetes and to learn how to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes, especially if it runs in your family. Well, let me start by saying diabetes doesn’t “just happen” overnight, it all starts with insulin resistance.
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which “unlocks” your energy cells and regulates the amount of glucose (broken down carbohydrates) in the bloodstream. However, once the cells are full of glucose (energy), anything extra is stored as fat.
Insulin resistance is when your cells don’t respond well to insulin, so your body has to produce more and more insulin for blood sugar management, compared to someone who is insulin sensitive in which the body responds well to insulin and it doesn’t need to make as much to keep blood sugar levels stable. The problem with insulin resistance is that there are initially no symptoms. The first symptoms observed are usually diabetes symptoms. What’s crazy is that long before you feel these symptoms, your insulin struggles to keep up as you become more and more insulin resistant on the road to diabetes.
Here are the five steps using whole-food nutrition you can start taking today to drastically change how your insulin functions. The good news is that even if you are insulin resistant through diet and exercise, you can reverse this to become the more insulin sensitive:
First, move your body. A short walk after meals helps support your insulin’s efficiency, while strength training builds muscle mass and improves carbohydrate metabolism.
Second, eliminate “fast-acting carbohydrates” like refined sugar, white flour, white rice and white potatoes, which cause blood sugar spikes. Replace them with slow-acting carbohydrates, such as high-fiber grains and vegetables.
Third, add insulin-sensitizing herbs and spices like American ginseng, garlic, fenugreek, cinnamon and turmeric. These herbs are all known to help stabilize blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.
Fourth, eat balanced meals with vegetables, protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. This approach helps slow down glucose absorption, which improves insulin response.
Fifth, avoid grazing. Every bite keeps insulin active. Space meals four hours apart, avoid eating after dinner and establish a healthy nighttime fast.
If you are a little overwhelmed by the idea of all this, it’s OK. Just pick one of the five steps and start working on it this week. Remember, there’s always help available. As you make these nutritional changes, you’ll feel better, have more energy and yes, even lose weight. Let’s get you off the path to diabetes by using whole-food nutrition to create a healthier insulin response.
Fran Sutherlin, RD, MS, is a local registered dietitian, specializing in using digestive wellness to prevent or manage chronic disease. She has a master’s degree in nutrition, is a personal health coach, speaker, and owner of Sustainable Nutrition. She can be reached at 444-2122 or fran@fransutherlin.com.
