Hello! Nurse Practitioner, Functional Nutrition & Fitness Coach Nicole here to talk to you about treatment for insulin resistance. Disclaimer: As always, these videos are for information purposes only and are not meant to diagnose or treat any one person. You must seek the health of a qualified health professional for your healthcare needs.
The main underlying causes of insulin resistance that leads to metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes, then leading to full-blown type 2 diabetes include overconsumption of calories, including highly processed and refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils; a sedentary lifestyle; sleep disturbances such as sleeping less than 8 hours a night on average, sleep apnea, social jet lag from keeping different hours on weekends than on weekdays, actual jet lag from frequent travel, and shift work or night shift work; and chronic stress leading to chronically high cortisol and an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
In order to reverse insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, or Type 2 Diabetes, the underlying causes MUST be reversed. There is no drug regimen that reverses this process – the drugs will only manage symptoms, and not without consequences of possible side effects.
Reversing insulin resistance and the downstream effects is simple – do the opposite of what caused it to begin with. If it’s the overconsumption of calories and highly processed foods, a calorie deficit and more whole foods cooked at home will reverse it. If it’s from a sedentary lifestyle, being more active on a daily basis with walking and strength training will reverse it. If it’s from sleep disturbances, getting more sleep, treating sleep apnea, and keeping a regular sleep and wake schedule all week long will reverse it. If it’s from chronic stress, finding ways to take things off your plate that are causing overload, working on stress management techniques, and even seeking professional counseling will reverse it. Oftentimes, many, if not all of these factors are contributing, and so they all must be addressed to reverse insulin resistance and its consequences.
In the next video, I will go into some tactical things a night shift or swing shift worker can do to optimize their circadian rhythm and insulin sensitivity for health and longevity, as there are those who don’t have the option to not work these shifts. If you or someone you know may have or does have insulin resistance, work with a qualified health professional to treat and even reverse this process before it’s too late.
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