Insulin Resistance

Now that the basics of blood sugar regulation are out of the way, I want to speak of one common physiological result of it. Now I want to get more specific, as it will be a topic that I’ll mention often because it is so important in health and disease. So this article will serve as a good reference for the future.

Insulin resistance occurs when the cells rely on an increasing amount of insulin in the bloodstream before they begin to “soak” the sugar (glucose) up; to lower the blood sugar levels, and get the energy they need. They become resistant because there is too much insulin “knocking on the cell door” telling it to open up and let the sugar in. The reason insulin reaches such high levels in the blood is becuase the sugar levels get high in the blood. And the body does everything it can to keep blood sugar in a stable range. So the insulin is really just doing it’s normal job. The reason sugar gets so high in the blood is from poor dietary choices and/or high stress levels. Nutrient deficiencies also play a role to some degree. So imagine you were at your front door, and an increasing amount of people kept knocking and bringing more people over to come in your house. Wouldn’t you soon become resistant to opening the door as well.

This condition can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, weight gain (especially around the abdomen), fatigue, infections/lowered immune system, and a whole host of other symptoms and conditions indirectly. I’ll speak about many of those specifically in other articles.

The key to preventing or reversing insulin resistance is rather simple. Eat a healthy diet, exercise, manage stress levels, and take supplements (if necessary). Here is an article with guidelines for a healthy diet as a start. This is by far one of the easiest conditions to reverse, and also the starting point to reverse many other symptoms or conditions that develop as a result. And remember it’s simple, just 3-4 things to do! Then again, I realize that it may not be easy to do, depending on your current lifestyle. Good luck and keep this in mind.

Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiologist