Do You Have Insulin Insensitivity and Don’t Even Know It?

I know that sounds scary but it’s very true. Most people who have insulin insensitivity are completely unaware of the condition. And that can lead to diabetes and other degenerative diseases.

Lack of exercise, unhealthy foods, excess body fat and your genes can all cause insulin resistance. However, introducing foods that are rated Low GI on the Glycemic Index can help. Eating foods such as oatmeal and whole-wheat pasta keeps blood sugar levels in check.  

When you eat foods that are high on the GI scale your blood sugar spikes and then quickly drops. When it does you feel a dip in energy, strong hunger and develop cravings. This is caused because your body needs to get out of the starvation mode asap.

Eating low-GI foods means you avoid those spikes and huge falls in glucose and get a much steadier stream of energy. By doing so, you are also reducing risk for heart disease and other degenerative diseases that are affected by the glucose fluctuations.

 Weight Control:

Not only is it bad for your health, but frequent consumption of high GI foods also leads to weight gain. High GI foods are bad. High glucose spikes increase hunger due to the dramatic drop in glucose.

Eating low GI foods helps with weight control. The energy release is slower, you feel fuller longer and have less cravings. Also, our bodies produce a storage hormone insulin which keeps nutrients for later use by the body. Every time glucose is introduced into our system, our body produces insulin to process it.  High Gi diet causes a lot of insulin to be produced and when that happens it is a lot easier to store fat and a lot harder to burn it.

Now, you are probably wondering if you have insulin insensitivity. Well, there are a few indications that may make it more likely.

What can you do about it?

For starters you want to ensure that you are eating a lot of whole foods and eliminating junk. Another factor you need to look into is eating foods that are low on the glycemic index to ensure there are no insulin spikes.

“”The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.”

*Derived from University of Sydney GI site