Blood Sugar, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance
What is the difference between blood sugar or glucose and insulin?
Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the concentration of sugar that we have in our blood. It is measured in units of milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The body keeps homeostasis with normal fasting blood sugar levels below 100 mg/dL. High blood sugar levels starting at 126 mg/dL are considered to be diabetes. Typically, levels between 100 mg/dL and 126 mg/dL are considered to be pre-diabetic levels. Taking steps now to prevent diabetes or other conditions is crucial! Chronically high blood glucose levels can cause systemic inflammation (meaning throughout the body). This inflammation can cause damage to your brain, eyes, heart, liver, and pancreas. It’s some serious stuff!
Insulin is different than glucose in that it is a very important hormone that gets secreted by the pancreas, mostly when we eat starchy, sugary, and protein-rich foods. We don’t see too much of an insulin rise when we eat fiber or healthy fats, although it is still there in smaller amounts. All of our cells require glucose for cellular production. The hormone insulin is the driver that moves the glucose from our blood into our cells. Essentially, insulin lowers our blood sugar by moving the glucose into the cells of our muscles, liver, and then fat tissue.
What is insulin resistance, exactly?
Diabetes type 2, PCOS, and other health conditions (see list below) are more often than not, caused by insulin resistance. This is a harried situation where our cells no longer respond to insulin properly. The more sugar we have in our blood, the more insulin our pancreas is required to make. Higher blood sugar levels are the result when we take in way more sugar than our pancreas can handle.
Insulin resistance happens when these cells; muscles, liver, and fat, stop responding, even ignoring, the insulin that the pancreas is putting out. The pancreas keeps making more and more insulin because it thinks it needs to continue to clear the glucose, until it completely wears out, and thus, insulin resistance occurs. The body stores the sugar or fat, called glycogen, into your liver and muscles, which can lead to fatty liver when insulin is high. Fatty liver is stated to be the killer of about 1/3 of all Americans, but this is a whole other blog post!
Things that may lead to Insulin Resistance (IR)
· Refined carbs and sugars
· Natural carbs and sugars (especially from fruit/fructose!)
· Refined seed oils
· Snacking in between meals
· Lack of movement and exercise
· Poor sleep
· Chronic stress
· Age/Menopause
Possible signs of IR
· Skin tags
· Fat belly women >35” circumference, men >43” circumference
· Fasting glucose >100 mg/dL (normal ranges are between 80 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL)
· Cravings for carbs and sugars, especially after meals (this can be for salty foods as well)
· Can’t lose weight
· Gain weight easily
· Feeling hungry all the time
· Abnormal dark skin discoloration – acanthosis nigricans (around the armpit area, groin, and back of neck)
· Thumb-shin imprint (when you press your thumb into your shin, and it leaves a thumb impression)
· Excessive facial hair
· Hair loss on scalp
· Gout
· Dizziness
· Brain fog
· Depression
· Mood swings
· Adrenal fatigue
· Any of the conditions listed in the conditions list
Conditions that may stem from IR
· Pre-diabetes
· Diabetes type 2
· Hypertension
· PCOS
· Fatty liver
· Obesity
· Alzheimer’s disease
· Cardiovascular disease
· Stroke
· Chronic adrenal fatigue
· Mental health issues/depression/moodiness
· Low vitamin D3 levels
· Low iron
· Tinnitus
· Gallbladder issues
· Gut issues
Foods and supplements that help with IR
· Berberine (with cinnamon)
· Cinnamon
· Magnesium
· All the B vitamin family
· Apple cider vinegar (ACV)
· Chromium
· NAC
· Ashwagandha
· Probiotics
· Vitamin D3
· Vitamin C
· Inositol
· Taurine
Fasting and eating the proper foods and other lifestyle tricks mean so much to prevent and cure insulin resistance. It is merely a choice! Check out my blog post here on Reversing Insulin Resistance.
It’s well known that, unfortunately, doctors are not taught very much at all concerning healthy nutrition. They are trained by Big Pharma (and probably also Big Food). This means they are taught about medicines, not foods. This is where health coaches come in. We deep dive into nutrition every single day. We know the ins and outs of nutrition that doctors just do not. Reversing is a long, slow, almost painful process to reverse, but it can be done! Some can reverse insulin resistance much faster than others. This just means others are not as sick. Problems with insulin begin decades before resistance is noticed. Again, take a look at my blog post on Reversing Insulin Resistance here, where I list some of these signs. If you are needing help, I can help.
Start with signing up here to get my FREE 7-Day Sugar Detox to get you started. If you’re ready now, sign up here for my health coaching and let’s get you started on a healthier path today!
Sources
https://www.verywellhealth.com/insulin-vs-blood-sugar-how-to-manage-type-2-diabetes-6740387
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/multimedia/vid-20536756
HONEY HILL NATURALS, LLC DISCLAIMER:
I am not a doctor, a chemist, nor a dermatologist and this is not medical advice. I am a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach, sharing my opinion of life experiences and what I was taught in the AFPA certification program, who wants to provide a more natural and healthy lifestyle for my family and others. The information contained on the Honey Hill Naturals, LLC, or blog websites, including but not limited to all workout plans, nutritional advice, and healthy lifestyle tips, is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified health care practitioner. The information available on or through the Honey Hill Naturals newsletters, or (including, but not limited to, information that may be provided by writers, editors, healthcare and/or nutrition professionals employed by, or contracting with, Honey Hill Naturals, LLC, and / or their associates), is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or prescribe medication. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements or ailments on any of the above sites or newsletters, may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America.