If you read National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) it will tell you that obesity causes metabolic syndrome (ie insulin resistance). There are plenty of folk who challenge that assertion and think it's the other way around--that insulin resistance causes obesity. I'm in that camp. Here's the thing. If you get a fasting glucose test that tells you your blood sugar is normal, it doesn't speak at all to insulin resistance, which is basically this:
When you eat a lot of carbohydrates (or any sort) it takes a lot of insulin to handle it all and eventually the cells get tired of 'listening' to insulin yelling at them and put in ear plugs. Now insulin has to scream to be heard (there's lots more of it produced). You blood sugar might still be normal, but insulin is elevated. If you are overweight, you are almost surely insulin resistant.
Why does that matter? Lots of insulin in toxic. It triggers lots of inflammatory response. The next step on that road is type II diabetes and more health issues.
If you are insulin resistant, it's almost impossible to lose weight--for two reasons. Number one is that insulin is the hormone of hunger--you'll be starving all the time. Nuber two is that when the cells are not listening so well, insulin shuffles those glucose molecules into fat cells at body fat. Double whammy.
Stomach bypass surgeries cure insulin resistance but those surgeries are simply enforced starvation. So so major fasting intervals also cures insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Low carbs cures it. Carbs cause it (probably other things too see below), so of course their lack eventually cures it.
But this is the main thing I want to tell you today. There are some nutrients that are known to help reverse insulin resistance. I'm going to list them below, but this is the thing I find bizarre. If they help cure it, why doesn't anyone look into how their lack (deficiency) contribute to the development of insulin resistance --and by implication, the development of diabetes.
Stephen Guyenet, an obesity researcher, says:
So what's the ideal fasting insulin level? My current feeling is that we can consider anything between 2 and 6 uIU/mL within our evolutionary template.
So what's the ideal fasting insulin level? My current feeling is that we can consider anything between 2 and 6 uIU/mL within our evolutionary template.
So My fasting insulin test of a couple months ago was 8.2--clearly in the metabolic syndrome range and I have been having great difficulty losing weight. Also, it concerns me for the other potential long term effects--none of them good. So I just had another fasting insulin test this last week and my new score is 3.0. And I have started to lose weight.
What am I doing different? Several things. I am working out vigorously and building muscle. BTW, it is very functional and it feels wonderful to be getting stronger (even at this late age). I have lowered carbs some and I am more rigorous about intermittent fasting. (I'm really motivated right now).
But the biggest thing, I'm pretty sure, is that I have added all the supplements on which there is good evidence of reversing insulin resistance. They are:
Vitamin K2
Magnesium
Choline
Chromium
Vanadium
Vitamin D (high levels are known to prevent insulin resistance, I think it cures it too.
NAC
If you want to know what levels or brands I've tried, email me privately.
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