Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a type of hormonal imbalance where target tissues do not respond properly to normal circulating concentrations of insulin. To maintain normal blood glucose, the pancreas compensates by secreting increased amounts of insulin. This is only effective temporarily and consequently insulin resistance increases. This sets the stage for type 11 diabetes due to failure and exhaustion of the insulin producing B-cells of the pancreas. There is a quick self-test that can give you an indication of the likelihood of insulin resistance – it is the waist to hip ratio. Take the measurement around your midline at the level of your belly button, divide this by the measurement of your hips. If it is greater than 0.8 – there is a chance you may have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes you store excess fat and can be a vicious cycle as it also increases your appetite thus gaining more weight. It can cause infertility in women and low testosterone in men. The good news – it is reversible with diet and exercise! Stop eating refined sugar and grains, don’t eat processed foods, increase good fats and omega 3, balance nutritional deficiencies and exercise! The only certain way of knowing if you have insulin resistance is to do an insulin response test that measures blood glucose and insulin levels. Please private message or call my clinic if you require further information or would like to take the insulin resistance test.