Insulin and Health

Today we are going to talk about a serious issue that is affecting society. The issue is insulin resistance. As we all know, insulin resistance leads to Type II Diabetes which is one of the biggest killers today. This issue is primarily due to lifestyle factors which can easily be altered. 

The main factor in any insulin problem is carbohydrates. Over consumption of refined carbohydrates and refined sugars lead to a massive spike in blood sugar and a massive release in insulin. This eventually does two main things: it wears out the insulin producing Beta cells of the Pancreas and also leads to the cellular membranes of the body becoming no-responsive to insulin. An analogy is to think of what happens to you when the phone constantly rings. After a while, the majority of us will ignore the call. The cells of the body are the same. If they keep on getting signals from insulin they will soon ignore those signals.

Other factors contribute to this as well. Hyperventilation can also lead to insulin resistance as well. One of the key factors with insulin sensitivity (how well your cells respond to insulin) is the amount of blood that gets to the cells. When we over breathe what happens is that the oxygen molecules bind too tightly to the hemoglobin in the blood and cannot diffuse efficiently into the cellular machinery. This lack of oxygen and blood flow then sets up the stage for insulin resistance.

Another issue is the quality of the meat we are eating. The meat we currently consume has a much higher ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 than it did as little as one hundred years ago. This is due to poor industrial farming techniques such as feeding the animals grains and soybeans which they are not suited for. Grass fed animals and wild game such as venison have a much higher Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio and are therefore better choices. Omega 3 fatty acids help insulin resistance by making the cell membrane more permeable so more nutrients can get in.

A lack of exercise is a contributing factor as well. Over two thirds of the population do not get anywhere near enough exercise. If any medicine or pill had the same benefits as exercise it would immediately be labelled the greatest drug ever made. Exercise directly contributes to the reduction of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, strokes and any other illness we can think of. The best form of exercise for insulin resistance is not cardiovascular training but rather resistance training. Resistance training increases blood flow to the muscles and also increase lean muscle mass, both of which improve insulin resistance.

Nutrition as we know plays a few roles and there are a few simple steps that we can take to help with insulin resistance. Fish oil supplementation is an excellent method and has far too many benefits to list here. Other factors too look at include reducing the amounts of carbohydrates in the diet. I also like taking a glass of water with a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar 15 minutes before a meal. This has the second effect of improving digestion.  Another supplement that has proven useful has been combining evening primrose oil with Alpha Lipoic Acid.

With exercise the best option as I said before was resistance training. A good programming structure would be full body workouts, 3-4 times a week alternating an upper body with a lower body exercise. Compound exercises such as squats, dead lifts and push ups would be the best choices as they use a large degree of muscle mass. Rest periods should be short, 45 seconds or less to allow an incomplete recovery. Tempo wise it is a good idea to have a controlled eccentric (lowering phase) of 3-4 seconds and an explosive concentric (lifting) phase. Reps should fall in the muscular endurance category of 10-15 reps. This should be combined with nasal breathing to allow optimal blood flow and prevent the release of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone and when that is released in excess it leads to problems with blood sugar levels which again compromise insulin.

Emotionally insulin issues relate to the Solar Plexus Chakra or Manipura. This Chakra relates to our self esteem, personal power, will and how we see ourselves in the world. Quite often, feelings of low self esteem lead to eating comfort foods, such as ice cream and chocolate which are full of sugar. Building strength, muscle mass and improving posture through a good exercise program and diet are good steps to improve our self esteem and sense of personal power. What I often do with clients who have insulin resistance issues is perform a Kinesiology treatment on them to get to the root cause of their low self esteem. What i often see is that these problems often extend back to childhood or school. After correcting these issues, I see a massive improvement in Insulin sensitivity. Some clients lose 5 kilos after a week with a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra! Other methods that are useful are counseling, meditation and the internal martial arts such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

So if you believe insulin resistance is an issue that is stopping you from achieving your health goals these following steps can be followed to help you:

1. Supplement with fish oil and Apple Cider Vinegar as directed

2. Begin a resistance training program using the above guidelines and nasal breathing.

3. Eliminate refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet. This includes breads, pastas, rice cakes and other refined baked goods.

4. Work on underlying issues of low self esteem and personal power. Work through them yourself with some of the methods above or find a good practitioner to help you understand yourself and work through the issue.

Until next time, good luck on the journey!

‘The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear’

Socrates