Claire Hannum
Claire Hannum
March 7, 2023
If you have type 2 diabetes, the last thing you should feel is alone. Over 37 million Americans have diabetes, and around 90 to 95% of those cases are type 2 diabetes (1). There are millions of people from all walks of life who are on this diabetes journey with you—and many of them are celebrities! Plenty of superstars live with type 2 diabetes, but that doesn’t stop them from going after their dreams.
A type 2 diabetes diagnosis is just one small part of you—and it won’t get in the way of living your biggest, boldest life. Just ask these stars…
The talented diva behind hits like “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t Nobody,” and “I Feel For You” was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2011. Around the same time, Khan took custody of her young granddaughter. She was overweight and had high blood pressure, but she knew she wanted to become as healthy as possible. “I have a new little daughter to raise [my granddaughter], I adopted her so I have to be here. ... [She] was really my first and major influence to lose weight and get healthy so I can be here for her,” Khan told the Huffington Post.
Khan got her type 2 diabetes under control with a 60-pound weight loss. One thing she attributes to her weight loss: getting plenty of protein. (This can help lower blood sugar and is linked to benefits for people with type 2 diabetes!) (2, 3). “In the morning I’d have a high protein smoothie and in the afternoon I’d have a vegetable smoothie and in the evening I’d have another protein smoothie,” she shared with the San Francisco Chronicle.
Beauty queen and Designing Women star Delta Burke has a family history of type 2 diabetes. While first learning to manage her diagnosis, Burke was helping her mother manage her cancer treatment, so she was under a lot of stress. She started taking diabetes medication right away, but it took her some time to have the energy to prioritize healthier eating.
Burke started out with a self-loathing attitude, but she soon realized that eating better was much easier when she was kind to herself. "I was telling myself that I was a bad person because I couldn't lose the weight fast enough," she told EatingWell. "I decided to stop beating myself up and started to give myself credit for maintaining weight."
In interviews, Burke has urged diabetes patients to be sure their doctor is someone they can trust, and someone who will take the time to really explain their health to them. Burke is right: one study found that patients with diabetes have a 50% lower chance of death over the next ten years if they have an empathetic doctor (4).
When the Precious star was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she underwent drastic weight loss to help manage her symptoms and risks. Sidibe and her doctors decided that laparoscopic bariatric surgery was the best move for her. “I truly didn’t want to worry about all the effects that go along with diabetes," Sidibe told People of her decision. "I genuinely [would] worry all the time about losing my toes.”
While losing weight through diet and exercise alone is a good option for some people with type 2 diabetes, others find amazing success through laparoscopic weight loss surgery (5, 6). Losing toes sounds like a scary possibility, but it doesn’t have to be: exercise and a healthy diet are simple ways to avoid these outcomes (7).
Today, Sidibe follows a healthy meal plan and eats about five times per day. “I cook a lot more,” she told People. “I talk to my nutritionist a lot. I just had an appointment with her on my laptop two days ago. We keep in touch. I tell her all the things I worry about. I have all these apps to help me keep a food diary.” Sidibe also exercises with her trainer three to four days per week and loves going swimming for an extra workout.
Tom Hanks experienced high blood sugar for years before he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In 2013 the affable actor told David Letterman, “I went to the doctor, and he said, ‘You know those high blood sugar numbers you’ve been dealing with since you were 36? Well, you’ve graduated! You’ve got type 2 diabetes, young man.”
Since then, Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have shifted their habits. “We’ve really cut back a lot on sugar, and we find time in every day to exercise,” Wilson shared with People. “We actually walk and hike together.” Regular exercise, including walking, is a fantastic way to help manage your diabetes (8).
NativeTip: Make your walk even more fulfilling by inviting one of your friends to tag along! If this isn’t an option, give a loved one a call—this is an easy way to nurture your relationships AND get some exercise.
NativeTip: Make your walk even more fulfilling by inviting one of your friends to tag along! If this isn’t an option, give a loved one a call—this is an easy way to nurture your relationships AND get some exercise.
Comedian and Less Than Perfect actress Sherri Shepherd was no stranger to diabetes when she was diagnosed. Her mom died from complications of type 2 diabetes, and both of her sisters have the condition. When Shepherd received her own diagnosis in 2007, she struggled to process the news.
After some time in a bit of denial, Shepherd realized she wanted to be as healthy as possible so she could be a present parent to her son. "I was going through a nasty divorce at the time, and I thought, I'll be damned if my husband's girlfriend is going to raise my son,” Shepherd told USA Today. She shared that her friend, Oscar-winning actress Mo’Nique, told her, "We keep saying we would die for the people we love. Are you willing to live for the people you love?"
Once she processed her diagnosis, Shepherd began a total overhaul of her eating habits. "I learned how to eat. I learned how to get rid of the white foods,” she told USA Today. “The pasta, pancakes, cereal, anything loaded with sugar." These types of carbs can cause blood sugar spikes, so Shepherd is wise to be cautious around them (9, 10).
Shepherd got into the habit of reading food labels, eating more veggies, and opting for grilled protein instead of fried. She dove into a regular fitness habit and found ways to fit exercise into her everyday life. Today, she’s healthier than ever!
Vibrant Chicago Med and Law & Order star S. Epatha Merkerson discovered her type 2 diabetes when she had her blood sugar tested as part of a health publicity event. After the test, the doctor pulled her to the side. “I thought he wanted a photo or autograph,” Merkerson told Everyday Health. “Instead, he told me that my blood sugar was high, and I should go get checked out by my doctor.”
Merkerson’s family has a history of type 2 diabetes, but the condition was never really discussed among them. So the actress didn’t recognize when she started experiencing signs of the disease herself. “I could remember being really, really thirsty,” she explained to Everyday Health. “I was dealing with frequent urination, feeling fatigued even though I was getting enough sleep, and hungry when I knew I had eaten recently.”
After her diagnosis, she set out to build healthy habits. “You can’t run away from it, you have to make changes,” she told Everyday Health. “I knew it was time to take this seriously.” She made a point to learn more about the condition and found an exercise routine that she loved: walking.
Merkerson also made changes to how she eats. She approaches sugary food in moderation, and makes sure to eat a healthy breakfast every day—a great way to help lower your blood sugar and keep weight at a healthy level (11).
Tennis legend Billie Jean King was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2014. She has a family history of the condition, and has seen many friends in the tennis world experience it. By the time it happened to King, she “felt well-prepared,” she wrote in the Huffington Post. “My blood sugar started to get elevated and I tracked it with my doctor and I knew I had to make some changes in my life.” She created a focused plan, lost 35 pounds, started exercising more often, and changed the way she thought about food.
"Anyone can develop diabetes, even an athlete," she once said. In addition to her family history, King told Health that she has also struggled with eating disorders in the past, which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (12). "I was a binge eater,” she said. “I don't binge eat anymore, but for about 10 years, I was being very cruel to my poor little pancreas.”
Today, King attributes tennis as one of her tools for staying healthy. "Tennis is so good for diabetes," she told Health. "We've had several examples of professional tennis players with diabetes. Billy Talbert lived into his 80s. Ham Richardson lived into his 70s. They lived much longer than the normal lifespan for diabetics, I think, because of the tennis and taking good care of themselves.” Research has found that tennis is a great pastime for reducing blood sugar, and as the experts at Mount Sinai point out, the sport has perfect built-in breaks to check your blood sugar level (13, 14).
The blockbuster creator of Star Wars found out he had type 2 diabetes at a young age. According to Diabetes UK, Lucas was drafted for the Vietnam War at 23 years old, only to discover his diagnosis during his military physical. Doctors told him he couldn’t go to war after all. Lucas’ grandfather reportedly also had the condition, which may have increased his risk of developing it (15).
After decades of successfully managing his condition—and creating world-changing cinema along the way—Lucas definitely seems to know a thing or two about thriving with a chronic illness!
World-famous singer Patti LaBelle was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1994 when she collapsed on stage during a performance. LaBelle has a family history of the condition. When she received her diagnosis, “at first, I was angry, and I was terrified,” she told USA Today.
Today, LaBelle seamlessly manages her condition, but she struggled with facing her health when she was younger. Before she was 50, she often avoided regular check-ups. “I never saw doctors,” LaBelle told Prevention. “I was afraid of what they might tell me,” she told Prevention. Now, she’s the opposite and closely monitors her health. “I tell my friends, ‘Go check yourself before you wreck yourself.’ It’s important for us to know what’s in our bodies and how long we might be able to stay on this planet,” she shared with Prevention.
LaBelle is right: general health checks are associated with greater recognition and treatment of chronic illnesses. Regular check-ups can also help you better manage your risk factors and preventive care (16). The singer regularly exercises by walking her dog, dancing, and leaning into other activities she loves. She’s also radically changed her relationship with food and has gotten into thoughtful cooking, which can help manage diabetes (17).
“If I get my sugar below 100, I’ll have a bite of cheesecake or sweet potato pie—maybe two bites, maybe three,” she told Prevention. “But I don’t go over my limit. And I cook for myself on the road. I take my pots and pans. I make sure my body is taking in better foods, and I’m not trusting room service and restaurants.”
Legendary musician, American Idol judge, and Name That Tune star Randy Jackson shifted his approach to food after his type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Jackson told Tiffany Haddish on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he had to trim his previous emotional eating habits to get his weight down. “I had a food divorce is what I usually say”, he explained. “I had to let it all go and start over.” Now Jackson eats lots of vegetables, fruits, and other healthy whole foods, a great way to boost glycemic control (18). Jackson also walks regularly and has fallen in love with yoga, which has been found to be a great way to potentially manage type 2 diabetes (19).
When Orange Is The New Black star Lea DeLaria first developed symptoms of type 2 diabetes, she confused them for symptoms of menopause. “I just thought I was doing the menopause thing, but it lasted for almost a decade,” she told Yahoo Life.
DeLaria shared with SELF that she spent about ten years unable to afford doctor visits. When she was finally in a position to afford health care—thanks to Orange Is The New Black—DeLaria went in for a check-up. She found out she had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
DeLaria knew that certain habits needed to change. “I’m in show business and have been my entire life, so I’m used to a certain lifestyle of partying, staying up late, hanging out, sleeping during the day—all that stuff,” she told Health Insight. “Once I was diagnosed with diabetes, I knew I had to make a change in my diet, my drinking habits, and my exercise regime. It really made a huge difference. But as a result, I lost 50 pounds, which is great for one’s health.”
Weight loss (if you are overweight) is a well-known boost in managing type 2 diabetes, but fewer people are aware that heavy drinking can cause diabetes-related complications and can make blood sugar control more difficult (20, 21).
“If I go to a restaurant and everyone gets a cocktail before the meal, I think, ‘What am I going to have with my meal, am I going to have a cocktail?’ and decide to just have a club soda with lime,” DeLaria explained to Health Insight. “Previously, it would have been automatic for me to order a drink before dinner when I’m out with friends.”
A type 2 diabetes diagnosis can be life-altering, but it doesn’t have to be in a bad way. This condition doesn’t have to stop you from living your healthiest, happiest, fullest life out loud. Lea DeLaria said it best: “You can do this. You can be healthier and happier. It’s not as hard as you think—you’re stronger than the disease.”
As a writer, editor, and wellness seeker, Claire has written for Self, Health, Prevention, CNN, Mic, Livestrong, and Greatist, just to name a few. When she's not writing, she specializes in traveling, getting lost in health-related research rabbit holes, and finding new ways to spoil her cat.
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Claire Hannum
February 23, 2023
Diabetes mellitus gets its origin from the Greek language: diabetes means to pass through, while mellitus means sweet. This terminology dates back all the way to 250 B.C.
Now, 2,000 years later, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
More than 37 million Americans have it (that’s around one in ten people), while another 96 million are living with prediabetes (1, 2).
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that’s characterized by elevated blood sugar, and eating certain foods (and drinks) can exacerbate it. This is why, in this article, we’ll cover the 24 different foods and drinks you should avoid when living with diabetes.
We won’t leave you hanging there…we’ll also give you a full list of foods that you can enjoy—guilt-free.
In order to eat in a way that manages diabetes, it all comes down to two things: the glycemic index and the glycemic load of food.
The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are ways of measuring how different types of food affect your blood sugar. The GI measures how fast a food will raise your blood sugar, while the GL measures how much of an effect a food has on your blood sugar over time.
Put simply, eating foods with a lower GI and GL help keep your blood sugar levels from spiking.
The ranges for GI and GL are the following:
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Load
NativeNote: Fiber plays an important role in the GI by helping slow down the rate of your body’s sugar absorption. So when a food or beverage doesn’t have much fiber, blood sugar rises faster. This is why higher-carb foods (which are typically low in fiber) will spike your blood sugar.
NativeNote: Fiber plays an important role in the GI by helping slow down the rate of your body’s sugar absorption. So when a food or beverage doesn’t have much fiber, blood sugar rises faster. This is why higher-carb foods (which are typically low in fiber) will spike your blood sugar.
Here’s the most up-to-date list of the food and drinks to avoid with diabetes (3)…
Food | Glycemic Index | Glycemic Load | Carbs Per 100 Grams |
White Bread |
75 |
39 |
53 |
Wheat Bread |
70 |
34 |
49 |
White Rice |
70 |
56 |
80 |
Brown Rice |
50 |
37 |
73 |
Rice Cakes |
85 |
70 |
82 |
Refined Cereal |
70 |
16 |
23 |
Instant Oats Porridge |
74 |
41 |
56 |
Air Rice |
85 |
76 |
90 |
Baked Goods |
90 |
34 |
38 |
Dates |
70 |
48 |
69 |
Raisins |
65 |
52 |
79 |
Dried Bananas |
48 |
42 |
88 |
Dried Pears |
43 |
27 |
63 |
Dried Figs |
50 |
29 |
58 |
Strawberry Jam |
65 |
46 |
70 |
Cane Sugar |
58 |
58 |
100 |
Brown Sugar |
70 |
69 |
98 |
Honey |
60 |
46 |
76 |
Maple Syrup |
55 |
37 |
67 |
Corn Syrup (Dark) |
115 |
89 |
78 |
French Fries |
75 |
23 |
30 |
Potato Chips |
70 |
37 |
53 |
Baked Potato |
95 |
20 |
21 |
Maltodextrin |
95 |
94 |
99 |
Wondering about a particular food in general? Check out this handy resource.
Fortunately, there are all kinds of delicious and healthy foods that can help manage your blood sugar (10).
Here’s a list of real, whole foods to enjoy…
And try these healthier swaps for beverages you may love:
A Note About Bananas
Since bananas are high in simple carbs that can raise your blood sugar, many people with type 2 diabetes feel conflicted about whether or not they should eat them (11). If you’re wondering how much sugar is in a banana, it often depends on its size. Eating a smaller or medium-sized banana, especially one that is slightly underripe or not yet overripe, can help curb the level of carbs you consume while still reaping the benefits of bananas’ antioxidants, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, and vitamin C (12).
If you are on a strict low-carb diet, you may need to steer clear of bananas. But for most people with type 2 diabetes, bananas are okay in moderation. If you have concerns, check with your doctor before adding them to your diet.
It may seem like diabetes comes with a very restrictive diet, but if you think about it, you can still eat most of the whole foods out there! The main foods you’d want to cut out would be the highly processed, high-carb foods that weren’t even considered “food” until 100 years ago (think: soda, packaged snacks, and white bread). These are the foods that easily spike your blood sugar.
When in doubt about whether you should or shouldn’t eat a certain food, reference this guide. We recommend bookmarking it so that it’s readily available.
As a writer, editor, and wellness seeker, Claire has written for Self, Health, Prevention, CNN, Mic, Livestrong, and Greatist, just to name a few. When she's not writing, she specializes in traveling, getting lost in health-related research rabbit holes, and finding new ways to spoil her cat.
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Claire Hannum
January 24, 2023
Insulin resistance can dramatically impact your health and your overall quality of life. And since it usually has no symptoms, it can sneak up and wreak havoc on your health without you even noticing. So much so that as many as 40% of adults between 18 and 44 are living with the condition—and more than 100 million American adults develop diabetes or prediabetes because of it (1, 2).
Luckily, there are ways you can manage, reduce, or even reverse insulin resistance. You can make big changes through exercise or by lowering your stress, by quitting smoking or sleeping better, and most importantly—by eating the right foods (3, 4, 5, 6).
In this article, we’ll cover which five foods to avoid when you have insulin resistance—and which seven foods to add to your grocery list.
Insulin is a hormone, and when it’s working correctly, it helps regulate blood sugar (glucose) in the body (7). So, whenever you eat food, your pancreas will produce insulin in response to the rise in blood sugar. This insulin is what helps blood sugar get into your cells where it can then be used for energy (8, 9).
Put simply, insulin is integral in sending signals to your body to maintain the exact balance of blood sugar that you need.
Insulin resistance, on the other hand, is when your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, which means that your blood sugar will stay high.
This can exhaust your liver, cause weight gain, and put you at risk for a wide range of health issues (10). Perhaps most notably, insulin resistance can put you at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (11, 12).
One of the most direct ways to improve or reverse your insulin resistance is by changing what you eat. These powerful healthy foods can get you there.
Fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and it’s a great alternative to processed snacks when you’re craving something sweet. Any fruit is great, but avocados in particular stand out from the pack when it comes to insulin resistance. They’re high in fiber and healthy fats but low in sugar and carbs, so they won’t make your blood sugar spike. Research has found that a unique fat molecule in avocados could specifically help to reduce insulin resistance (13).
Fresh kale, spinach, and other greens are high in nutrients like vitamin C but low in glucose-spiking carbs (14). Some research indicates that people with diabetes have lower levels of vitamin C than people without it (15). Since insulin resistance can put you at risk for prediabetes, it’s a great idea to load up on greens!
Fish rich in healthy fats, like salmon, herring, anchovies, mackerel, and sardines are a great (and delicious) choice. They are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which may counteract insulin resistance (16, 17). Fatty fish can also help lower your risk of heart disease and is linked to lower blood sugar levels after eating (18, 19).
Seek out a moderate amount of lean, high-quality protein. That means protein that isn’t too rich in fat, like skinless chicken or turkey, fish, egg whites, beans, lentils, and nut butters (20).
Nuts and seeds—specifically almonds, pistachios, chia seeds, and flaxseeds—are a great low-carb snack to munch on if you have insulin resistance (21, 22). By swapping other processed, artificial snacks for nuts and seeds, you’ll feel more satiated and energized throughout the day—all while maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Adults who eat more fiber have been found to experience less insulin resistance than those who don’t (23). Women should aim to eat around 25 grams of fiber per day, and men should opt for 38 grams per day (24). Foods like almonds, broccoli, chickpeas, flax seeds, and chia seeds can help you reach that daily goal.
Swap out inflammatory seed oils like canola oil and vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Recent animal studies show that EVOO significantly improves insulin resistance and blood sugar levels (25). Drizzle some on your eggs, steak, or salad to reap the benefits.
Steer clear of these foods to improve your insulin resistance more quickly.
Healthy carbs like quinoa and brown rice are better than highly-processed carbs like white bread and pasta, but at the end of the day, all carbs raise blood sugar. So aim to avoid or drastically reduce your carb intake—especially if they come in the form of sugar, baked goods, sweets, or corn syrup (26).
Starchy vegetables have more carbs than green leafy vegetables. Avoid potatoes, corn, and peas to keep your blood sugar in check (27).
Trans fats and saturated fats can make insulin resistance significantly worse (28, 29). Trans fats were banned by the FDA in 2018 (30). However, certain foods today may still include trace amounts due to their processing method. And of course, foods on your shelves that were manufactured before the ban may still contain trans fats too. As for saturated fats, you can avoid them by cutting back on foods like fatty meats, sausage, bacon, cured meats, pies, lard, excess butter, cream, and ice cream.
Processed foods are often loaded with unhealthy ingredients like excess fats, salts, and sugar. Ultra-processed foods have been found to increase the risk of diabetes and promote insulin resistance (31).
Sweetened beverages like soda, iced tea, and overly sweetened fruit juices often contain high fructose corn syrup, which can make your insulin resistance worse and damage your health overall (32).
Along with healthy eating habits, these supplements are a great way to help tackle your insulin resistance.
Krill oil crams countless life-changing benefits into one tiny softgel, and one of those benefits is its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 can counteract insulin resistance and help you work toward reversing it (33). At the same time, krill oil has other perks, like improving heart health, soothing joint pain, and reducing inflammation (34, 35). NativePath Antarctic Krill Oil is sourced from the pure, chilly waters of the Antarctic, so you can experience all the benefits without any added toxins or heavy metals.
Magnesium is known for benefits like energy boosts, better sleep, improved heart health, and increased bone density—but it may also help improve your insulin sensitivity. One study found that taking magnesium for more than four months led to a significant improvement in insulin resistance, both in participants with and without diabetes (36).
An easy way to get a daily dose of magnesium is through NativePath Collagen PM, which combines 10 milligrams of magnesium with other sleepytime ingredients like collagen, GABA, L-theanine, and melatonin. Mix Collagen PM into a cozy beverage each evening to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and improve your insulin resistance while you doze.
This mineral is a powerful antioxidant that can help support immunity, brain health, and thyroid health (37, 38, 39). Most importantly, it may help manage insulin resistance (40)! In one 2013 study, women with insulin deficiency and PCOS were found to have lower selenium levels than those who did not (41). You can find selenium in supplement form, but one of the easiest ways to get enough of it is by eating Brazil nuts. Just one nut has anywhere from 68 to 91 micrograms!
Insulin resistance is a condition in which your body is unable to regulate your blood sugar or take important cues from insulin.
Insulin resistance can put you at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
It can be managed or reversed with healthy lifestyle changes like exercise, lowering stress, quitting smoking, getting better sleep, and healthy eating.
To lower your insulin resistance, eat fruit, leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, lean protein, nuts and seeds, high-fiber foods, and extra virgin olive oil.
Avoid foods and ingredients that may worsen insulin resistance, like carbs, starchy vegetables, trans fats, saturated fats, processed food, and sugary drinks.
Supplements can help manage insulin resistance too, including krill oil, magnesium, and selenium.
Your body is most likely burning sugar for its energy. To lose weight while you have insulin resistance, switch your body to burning fat for energy. You want to become a fat burner instead of a sugar burner. You can do this by making healthy lifestyle changes and following a keto diet, which is low in carbs. This diet will switch your body to ketosis, a fat-burning metabolic state that can help you lose weight fast and can help reverse insulin resistance (43, 44).
If you’re wondering how to fix insulin resistance naturally, you should know that how long it takes to reverse depends a lot on your individual case and situation. Some markers of improved insulin resistance can show up within a few days, though many researchers track insulin resistance improvement in measurements of weeks (45). However, it is possible to see improvement relatively soon after making simple changes.
As a writer, editor, and wellness seeker, Claire has written for Self, Health, Prevention, CNN, Mic, Livestrong, and Greatist, just to name a few. When she's not writing, she specializes in traveling, getting lost in health-related research rabbit holes, and finding new ways to spoil her cat.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html
https://diabetes.org/tools-support/diabetes-prevention/high-blood-sugar
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mnfr.201900688
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.015176
https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm449162.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661816303085
Claire Hannum
January 5, 2023
Long before you develop type 2 diabetes, your body starts to change in ways that you can’t even see.
These invisible transformations are like alarm bells, setting off the alert that dangerous changes to your health are right around the corner—except you can’t hear them.
One of the most important silent alarm bells is insulin resistance. It’s a common precursor to type 2 diabetes, but if you catch it in time, you just might be able to stop it in its tracks.
Insulin is a powerful hormone that helps regulate blood sugar (also called glucose) in your body (1). Insulin’s role is complex—here are the basics for a healthy individual:
If you develop insulin resistance, the process no longer works properly. Here’s what happens instead:
Most of this goes unnoticed, as that silent alarm continues to blare unheard.
Doctors can conduct several tests to find out whether you have insulin resistance. They can test your fasting insulin level, or they can conduct a test called HOMA-IR, which gauges your blood sugar and insulin levels to estimate whether you’re resistant (8).
One longer way to find out is through an oral glucose tolerance test, which takes a few hours, but will deliver a more direct result. Checking your cholesterol and triglycerides are good ways to determine whether you’re insulin resistant as well (9).
If you’re concerned about whether you have insulin resistance, you should be on the lookout for symptoms of diabetes. These include:
While there can be many potential causes of insulin resistance, the most common two are excess eating (beyond when you are hungry or what you need for fuel) and an increase in body fat (11, 12). Not everyone with insulin resistance is overweight, though it is most common among people who are (13).
Eating excessive calories or gaining too much body fat can lead to increased fatty acids in the blood, which sometimes causes the body to become insulin-resistant (14). Fatty acids are most likely to be released from belly fat, which can accumulate around your essential organs (15, 16).
Other potential causes of insulin resistance include chronic inflammation, consuming excessive fructose (the kind from added sugars, not fruit), lack of physical exercise, and gut health issues (17, 18, 19, 20, 21).
Potential risk factors of insulin resistance include:
Insulin resistance can lead to prediabetes, and ultimately type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance has also been heavily linked to heart disease (23, 24). It is additionally suspected of being linked to several other serious health conditions (25, 26, 27, 28). However, it doesn’t need to get to this point—there are steps you can take to treat and stop insulin resistance before it leads to potential health issues…
Insulin resistance can often be reversed through a series of lifestyle changes. One of the most common solutions is a low-carb diet (29, 30).
Since your body gets blood sugar from carbs, reducing the number of carbs you eat reduces the amount of blood sugar you’re taking in. In fact, if you’re really into this idea, you can take your low-carb diet to the next level and try the keto diet.
On the keto diet, you reduce your carb intake to the extent that your body must switch over from using blood sugar as energy to using fat as energy (31). When this happens, it means your body is in ketosis. Studies have found that ketosis can fully reverse insulin resistance (32, 33, 34). It can also help you lose weight and feel more full (35)!
Other ways to reduce or reverse insulin resistance include getting regular exercise, reducing how much sugar you eat, quitting smoking, eating whole foods, taking omega-3s, getting better sleep, and managing your stress (36, 37, 38, 39, 40). Along with reducing insulin resistance, habits like these can lead to an overall happier, healthier, and calmer lifestyle.
Insulin resistance can be reversed fairly quickly. Some research on reversing insulin resistance follows participants for a year or more, but many are able to kickstart the process within days, and can see some results within a few weeks (41).
As a writer, editor, and wellness seeker, Claire has written for Self, Health, Prevention, CNN, Mic, Livestrong, and Greatist, just to name a few. When she's not writing, she specializes in traveling, getting lost in health-related research rabbit holes, and finding new ways to spoil her cat.
Sources