How to beat insulin resistance: The #1 trigger of chronic obesity
When too much of a good thing is bad
Eating too many processed foods containing refined sugar and trans fats causes insulin resistance, leading to elevated levels of insulin as cells are insensitive to its presence and thus cannot uptake or utilize the glucose molecules gushing through the bloodstream.
Obesity and hyperinsulinemia are linked in a positive feedback loop, where both enable each other and each is the consequence of the other.
Being anabolic, the hormone, insulin regulates multiple cellular responses, including glucose homeostasis. Its production from the islets of Langerhans causes increased uptake of glucose from the blood and into the cells.
Obese individuals are insulin resistant, meaning their body tissues are irresponsive to large amounts of glucose and insulin in the blood (hyperinsulinemia), leading to reduced fat-burning.
Table of Contents
Can we lower insulin or reverse insulin resistance through diet?
Effects of Low-Fat Diets
Effects of High-Fiber Diets
How does fiber reduce insulin resistance?
How to create a low Glycemic Index (GI) meal?
Effects of High-Fat Diets
Effects of Low-Carbohydrate High-Protein Diets
How to design a diet plan for insulin resistance
-Morning drink (5:30- 8:30 am)
-Breakfast (9:00–11:00 am)
-Lunch (2:00–4:00 pm)
-Evening snack (5:00–6:00 pm)
-Dinner (By 8:00 pm)
Does dairy cause insulin resistance?
A sample insulin-resistance diet plan created on Canva
Recommended daily practices to beat insulin resistance
Final takeaways
Can we lower insulin or reverse insulin resistance through diet?
As the number 1 cause of chronic obesity, insulin remains the major problem that should be addressed if you want long-lasting weight loss. Fortunately, it is possible to reduce insulin levels through diet. Reducing insulin levels naturally restores responsiveness in cells, increasing their capacity to sense insulin and putting a check on aberrant lipogenesis (i.e synthesis of triglycerides).
In the following section, we will discuss how to achieve this state through proper dietary practices. First, let us review scientific literature to better understand which dietary practices are most effective in lowering insulin levels and improving insulin sensitivity.
Effects of Low-Fat Diets
Low-carb and low-fat meals were equally effective in inducing weight loss in a one-year study . Moreover, reducing calorie consumption had the same effect as reducing consumption of dietary fats. This implies that the quality of food and the consumption of a balanced proportion of macronutrients is what determine insulin response in individuals with diet-induced obesity.
Effects of High-Fiber Diets
Studies have repeatedly shown that dietary fiber increases satiety, helping you feel fuller faster. Also, dietary fiber-rich foods have a low GI, which explains their efficacy in boosting insulin response and weight loss .
In one study spanning 10 years people consuming low GI diet (high in fiber, high in fat) gained the LEAST amount of weight, as compared to those who consumed a high GI diet (low in fiber, low in fat)
How does fiber reduce insulin resistance?
Here, we should consider three properties of fiber.
1. It’s viscous
2. water-soluble, and
3. bulky in content
So whenever you consume a fiber-rich source of carbohydrate, it greatly slows down the glycemic response due to its bulking effect. Thus, as less insulin is produced, the absorption of dietary carb/fat contents in the digestive system is ultimately slowed down. In other words, your stomach gets empty at a slower rate, making you feel full for a long time. Thus, having a fiber-rich meal lowers your chances to get hungry later and reach out for an unhealthy snack. This is another way by which fiber boosts weight loss, by lowering your calorie consumption.
How to create a low Glycemic Index (GI) meal?
Based on these studies, the following dietary practices are recommended for lowering insulin and insulin resistance:
· There’s no need to go for low-carb meals. If you take a high-carb meal, make sure it is rich in fiber too, like whole grain cereals, millets, beans of all kinds (pinto, kidney, black, garbanzo), root vegetables, green leafy vegetables
· What about fruits? A hell yes! Choose high-fiber fruits like banana, apple, peach, prunes, mangoes, guava and berries
· Canned fruits, fruit juices are all devoid of fiber and cause an instant spike in blood glucose and insulin. Hence, they are best consumed in moderation.
· Fill up on non-starchy vegetables. These include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, eggplant, okra, mushrooms and a lot more. Here’s a list. Pumpkin, white potato, peas, squash and zucchini are the starchy vegetables. They have higher carb content and tend to increase blood sugar rapidly
· Lower your sodium intake by replacing table salt with rock salt. High sodium intake has been linked with insulin resistance and diet-induced obesity
Effects of High-Fat Diets
As we know, dietary fat is of four major types: monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), saturated fatty acid (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and trans unsaturated fatty acid (TFA). Replacing saturated fat (SFA) with monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) has been been found to restore normal insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance in obese individuals.
Sources of MUFA to include in your insulin-resistance diet are: Olives and olive oil, nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamia and pecans), avocadoes, and a variety of nut butters
Similar to MUFA, polyunsaturated fat i.e. PUFA also reduces insulin resistance, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a beneficial effect in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and circulating triglyceride levels . One type of PUFA, i.e. omega-6-fatty acid PUFA is particularly beneficial.
Sources of omega-6-fatty acid-rich sources of PUFA to include in your insulin-resistance diet are: Eggs, poultry, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and whole-grain breads/cereals
Effects of Low-Carbohydrate High-Protein Diets
A combination of low-carb and high-protein leads to significant reduction in appetite, inducing satiety and promoting insulin sensitivity, leading to fat reduction and weight loss. Consuming more protein causes an increase in thermogenesis, i.e. the amount of calories your body spends towards heat generation, further improving BMR in obese individuals with hyperinsulinemia.
Diet choices to reduce insulin resistance:
As the number one trigger of prolonged obesity, insulin is the primary hormone that needs to be balanced if you want your weight to be in check. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to achieve that by proper diet and nutrition:
1.) Lower your intake of refined carbohydrates. This includes fast food, aerated beverages, processed cereals, and bakery items made from flour and sugar.
2.) Limit your sugar intake to less than 25 gms per day. Swap refined sugar and artificial sweeteners for natural alternatives like stevia leaves and coconut sugar.
3.) Eat real foods and good carbs. That includes fruits that are local and in season, green, leafy vegetables, and nuts.
4.) Load up on good fats like coconut oil, nuts, and salmons.
5.) Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods in your diet like pomegranate, beetroot smoothies, cruciferous vegetables, lemon, and ginger.
6.) Have magnesium-rich foods like spinach, banana, almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds. They lower insulin levels in the body and help reverse insulin resistance.
7.) Sip green tea in-between meals. Chockful of antioxidants, tannins, and catechols, green tea counteracts the inflammatory effects of high insulin and even reduces fasting levels of insulin.
8.) Increase protein intake. In one scientific study, when obese people were fed more than 0.83gm protein/per kg/day, they experienced a reduction in body weight as a result of increased insulin sensitivity.
How to design a diet plan for insulin resistance
Based on the above information, we’ll next discuss how to implement these dietary practices in your everyday meal planning. Since people with high insulin levels are likely to have chronic inflammation in their body, whatever meals you include in your diet must be anti-inflammatory and antioxidant in nature.
We’ll start with the morning drink.
Morning drink (5:30- 8:30 am)
For your morning drink, you can take a green smoothie made with seasonal, dark, leafy greens like kale and spinach. You can add yogurt as the base for a nice dose of probiotic or go for water for a light, easily digestible smoothie.
Detox drinks, like fruit-infused water, ginger tea, turmeric water are all advisable as they scavenge harmful free radicals and assist in liver functioning, thereby allowing for effective removal of toxin byproducts of inflammation from the body.
Recommendations for morning drinks that lower insulin resistance are:
Green smoothie; Ingredients: ¼ cup kale + ¼ cup spinach + 1 cup yogurt/water
Fruit-infused water
Fresh vegetable juice (celery/cucumber/ash gourd/bottle gourd)
Ginger-tea
Green tea
Turmeric-water
Carrot-celery juice
Breakfast (9:00–11:00 am)
It is recommended that you keep breakfast light if you have eaten the night before. Intermittent fasting, the concept of having breakfast later during the day has been proven to be enormously effective in reducing insulin resistance. If you are reasonably full after the morning drink, you can skip breakfast entirely and have an early lunch. However, if you are not comfortable in skipping breakfast, make sure to eat whole grains that are full of fiber, or better still, proteins.
Consider the following options:
Antioxidant-rich fruits (e.g.: pomegranate, ripe papaya, berries)
Oatmeal porridge
Apple slices dipped in almond butter & pre-soaked almonds
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes n green bell peppers
Oats pancakes
Barley flakes
Muesli
Boiled egg salad (4 whole eggs + diced onions + green chillies; dressing: vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil)
Chickpea-cucumber salad
Healthy source of fats like avocados
Alternatives to eating breakfast for reducing insulin resistance:
1. Skip breakfast if you have eaten the night before, i.e. practice intermittent fasting
2. Eat something light (antioxidant-rich fruit) if you’re are expecting an early lunch
3. Eating something reasonably satiating (e.g: fiber-rich carbs/protein/ good fats) if you’re expecting a late lunch
Lunch (2:00–4:00 pm)
Having a well-balanced lunch negates post-afternoon sugar cravings. Also, since insulin-resistant people are likely to feel rather sleepy and lethargic after lunch, it’s advisable to consume protein as compared to starch. However, if you’re a vegetarian, consider opting for non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and beetroots.
Here are some options to consider:
Chicken lettuce wraps
Tofu scramble
Black bean and kale salad
Stir-fried mushrooms in garlic, thyme and olive oil
Chicken and rice
Pan-fried cottage cheese
Roasted sweet potatoes with smoked salmon/poached eggs
Shrimp/tuna/cod
Boiled eggs and chickpea salad with freshly diced cucumber
Evening snack (5:00–6:00 pm)
No-snacking is a strong feature of the insulin-resistance diet. This is because, every time you eat, your body produces insulin. And if you eat all the time, your body will keep producing insulin and exacerbate the underlying insulin resistance.
If you do want to snack, consider opting for zero-calorie drinks like green tea or black coffee. They boost metabolism as well, and suppress hunger. Also, consider nuts, seeds, seasonal fruit (low-carb), water-rich fruits/veggies like watermelon and cucumber, or folate-rich foods like sprouts.
Here are some options:
-Energy seed bars
-Sprout salad
-Cinnamon-spiced black coffee
-Homemade cheese crackers
Dinner (By 8:00 pm)
It’s imperative to inculcate the habit of having an early dinner, at least 2 hours before bedtime and 14 hours before the time of breakfast the next day. Maintaining a time gap of 14–16 hours between today’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast allows your body to fight insulin-resistance naturally and makes weight loss effortlessly. This is the whole essence of intermittent fasting.
Consider the following options:
Amaranth-lentil porridge
Spinach-egg-mushroom lasagna
Skillet-roasted corn, tomato and asparagus
Bean chilli; pinto bean, kidney bean, black bean
Grilled/roasted chicken
Winter vegetable soup
Whole wheat pasta with shrimps and garlic
Does dairy cause insulin resistance?
Low-fat dairy has been found to be beneficial in reducing insulin levels. Dairy is rich in whey, casein, and vitamin D, all which contribute to improving insulin resistance. As a result, unless you are lactose intolerant, it is advisable to include milk and milk products in your diet.
Recommended daily practices to beat insulin resistance
In addition to following the diet choices suggested above, there are several ways you can tweak your lifestyle to reduce hyperinsulinemia and reverse insulin resistance. Weight loss then becomes a given.
1.) Practice intermittent fasting: Every time you eat, your body produces insulin in a bid to store that food in the form of fat. When you restrict meal times to a certain part of the day, your body has ample time when it’s receiving no food. In that time, it turns towards burning stored fat to produce energy, leading to fat loss.
2.) No snacking between meals: Increasing the gap between meals helps with insulin resistance and allows the body to utilize its fat stores. If you do want to snack, make sure you eat foods with a low glycemic index (<50) like whole, natural foods.
3.) Read labels when buying food: Refined carbs find a way to creep into every food item you seem to lay on in the store. Thus, make sure what you eat is minimally processed and only includes real ingredients. By the rule of thumb, anything you buy should have no more than 5 ingredients. If added sugar tops the list of ingredients put it back on the rack immediately.
4.) Eat your favorite dessert for breakfast: Studies have found that glycemic control is best in the morning, which means having dessert in the morning won’t spike your blood sugar levels as much and even keep afternoon sugar cravings at bay. Also, you’ll end up feeling satiated all day.
Final takeaways
The final takeaways from the scientific evaluation of these different dietary methods in reducing insulin and insulin resistance are as follows:
1. Low-carb, high-protein meals are maximally effective, as they have a dual effect- on one hand, they improve satiety and on the other hand, they promote insulin sensitivity
2. Low-glycemic index foods are also effective.
3. If you want to have carb sources, you’re welcome to do so but they should be fiber-rich. High-fiber carbs have low glycemic index and thus don’t raise insulin as much
4. Dietary fats like MUFA and PUFA (omega-6-fatty acids, in particular) are beneficial
5. Eliminating fats from diet or calorie restriction is not necessarily effective as long as you:
-Eat high-protein, low-carb meals
-Include fiber-rich foods in your diet
-Eat low GI foods
In conclusion, if you are attempting to get rid of weight that has accumulated as a result of improper diet over the years, then lowering insulin should be your go-to strategy. Adopting the above dietary practices will not only lower insulin and insulin resistance but also boost good health, paving the way for sustainable weight loss that is easy to maintain as well.
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