What is important to know about insulin and Type 2 Diabetes
We are talking about the kind of insulin our body naturally produces, and what you need to know about insulin and Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes and insulin are in a cause-and-effect relationship. Lack of insulin sensitivity leads to Type 2 diabetes. The hormone Insulin is produced in the pancreas and regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It then allows glucose to enter the cells where it’s used for energy.
After eating your body digests the food and breaks the food down into sugar, then sugar is then sent to the cells for energy. Insulin helps the sugar move from the blood into the cells. When the sugar does not get into the cells it creates many health problems.
The main reason the sugar can’t get into the cells is insulin resistance.
What is Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is when the tissues of your body don’t respond to insulin. They ignore it. Then the cells can’t get the sugar out of the blood. This causes a high amount of sugar to be circulating in the blood creating high blood sugar.
What causes insulin resistance?
There is a genetic factor. If members of your family have Type 2 diabetes you may be at risk. Belly fat and fat around the organs are a cause of insulin resistance.
For men, a waist measurement should not be greater than 40 inches. This puts them at greater risk. When considering women, a waist measurement should not be greater than 35 inches. A higher measurement increases their risk.
Continued high blood sugar pushes insulin resistance to get worse over time and leads to higher and high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is dangerous, it will damage blood vessels and cause high blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure
What is high blood pressure? High blood pressure is when blood pressure on the walls of blood vessels remains high over time.
The kidneys are particularly at risk. This damages the heart, kidneys, and eyes. It’s a leading cause of kidney damage in people with Type 2 diabetes. It puts you at risk for heart failure, vision loss, strokes, sexual dysfunction, and kidney disease.
The goal is to increase insulin sensitivity and get the sugar from the blood into the cells where it gets used. Otherwise, the sugar in the blood gets stored as fat, these fats increase insulin resistance. Now you are stuck in a cycle of decreasing health.
Click here to read Is The Ketogenic Diet Dangerous For Type 2 Diabetics?
How can we increase insulin sensitivity?
- Go for walks
- Lose weight
- Cut out carbohydrates
- Remove sugar from your diet
- Get good sleep
- Reduce stress
- Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables
People who start a Ketogenic diet will see insulin resistance improve very quickly. A Ketogenic diet is high in healthy fats and low in carbs. This causes the body to burn fat for energy. Not only will you gain insulin sensitivity but you’ll also lose weight.
Insulin plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels. Any efforts we can make to improve insulin sensitivity are well worth it.
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She helped start and managed a supplement company and has consulted on targeted supplement creation.
She has also served for over 7 years as an admin for very large Facebook groups about health and autoimmune issues.
Anna has years of unique experience seeing which protocols and treatments work for which people, having seen hundreds of thousands of patient experiences and testimonials.
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