Insulin resistance – 13 recommendations from a dietitian! |

Let’s start with what the title insulin resistance really is, where it comes from and why it can pose a threat to our health. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that plays a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Its task is to restore the optimal blood glucose level after eating a meal.

Przy insulinooporności nasz organizm nie potrafi odpowiednio gospodarować insuliną, w rezultacie czego poziom glukozy może przyjmować nieprawidłowe wartości. To z kolei może prowadzić do zwiększonego odkładania tkanki tłuszczowej, czyli nadwagi i otyłości. 

Sama insulinooporność nie jest klasyfikowana jako jednostka chorobowa, traktuje się ją jako zaburzenie metaboliczne. Jednak w jej przypadku, brak interwencji, czyli zmiany diety i stylu życia, może doprowadzić do rozwoju bardzo groźnej choroby, jaką jest cukrzyca typu 2.

What are the causes and symptoms of insulin resistance?

Abdominal obesity is considered to be the main cause of insulin resistance, and factors such as excessive consumption of calories, consumption of products with a high glycemic index, age, impaired hormonal balance or genetic determinants are also the subject of research. Importantly, the disorder may be asymptomatic for a long period, but it is worth paying special attention to such signals as:

• difficulty in shedding unnecessary kilograms,
• unjustified weight gain, despite the use of a healthy diet,
• senność po spożyciu posiłku,
• mood changes
• joint and headache,
• ochota na słodkie i wilczy apetyt.

Podobnie jak w przypadku naszego artykułu o Hashimoto warto wspomnieć, że insulinooporność to nie wyrok, ale leczenie będzie wymagać nierzadko radykalnych zmian — zarówno w kontekście dotychczasowej diety, nawyków żywieniowych, jak i stylu życia. Poniżej przygotowaliśmy dla Was listę z najważniejszymi zaleceniami.

Recommendations for insulin resistance

The goal of the insulin resistance diet is to avoid excessively rapid insulin surges and to balance insulin levels in the blood. Excessive production by pancreatic cells is the result of a rapid increase in blood glucose. It is therefore clear that in the case of insulin resistance, products that rapidly increase blood glucose levels should be avoided. Products with a low glycemic index are recommended. None of the scientific associations presented specific recommendations, but the knowledge of how human physiology works allowed me to prepare 13 recommendations for insulin resistance for you.

1. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables left without heat treatment are characterized by a lower glycemic index. The same applies to more and less mature products, which we wrote about in more detail in our article about the differences between brown and green bananas, the link can be found here: https://.pl/ Where you don’t need to cook fruit and vegetables – don’t. If heat treatment is necessary, try to cook them al dente, do not overcook them.

2. Use whole grain cereal products

Limit the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates, which can be found in white bread, small porridges, cookies or sweets. Choose whole grain products: bread (wholemeal, rye, spelled, mixed, graham) as well as pasta and coarse groats. In addition to more minerals, vitamins and FIBER (which delays the digestion of products, so that glucose enters the blood for a longer time), charakteryzują się one niższym indeksem glikemicznym.

3. Prepare groats, rice and noodles the day before

With these products, it is important not to overcook them if you use them al dente. Preparing them the day before, cooling them and consuming them the next day will play a quite important role in lowering their glycemic index.

4. Give up alcohol

You probably already know that beer at IO is absolutely out of the question. However, scientists are not unanimous about the consumption of stronger drinks – some argue that moderate consumption of (stronger) alcohol does not impair cellular insulin sensitivity, while most believe that abstinence significantly improves insulin sensitivity. 

5. Kieruj się Indeksem Glikemicznym

When choosing a product, take into account its glycemic index – try to choose those products that are low or medium. However, if you choose to consume a product with a high GI to koniecznie pamiętaj o tym, by nie jeść go samodzielnie — do posiłku, dla zneutralizowania dodaj produkt z niskim IG. It’s a good idea to sprinkle lemon juice or apple cider vinegar over your meal.

6. Keep your meals regular

Na Vitalii powtarzamy to jak mantrę i jest to jedno z najważniejszych założeń w procesie kształtowania zdrowych nawyków żywieniowych. Dla osób z insulinoopornością jest to jeszcze bardziej istotne, ponieważ regularne posiłki pozwolą zapobiec skokom glukozy i zapewnią jej stały poziom we krwi.

7. Do not eat sugary drinks

Tutaj chodzi przede wszystkim o napoje słodzone cukrem. Badania mówią, że u osób spożywających więcej niż 3 porcje słodzonych napojów tygodniowo wzrasta ryzyko wystąpienia stanu przedcukrzycowego. Can you drink the juice then?

Juices are characterized by a high glycemic index. Instead of drinking fast-absorbing juice, choose fresh fruit, let your body do the work. By choosing the juice, you make it easier for him by giving him a ready-made, fiber-free liquid.

Oczywiście tak radzi większość środowisk naukowych, jednak w tej kwestii także pojawiła się też ciekawa teoria. Inne światło na temat soków rzuca 8-tygodniowe badanie, które pokazało, że regularne spożywanie ok. 750 ml przez osoby z IO bogatego w przeciwutleniacze soku pomarańczowego zmniejszyło poziom insuliny na czczo o 25%, a wskaźnik HOMA o 28%.

Follow this information according to your own tolerance and feeling. One thing is certain – do not consume juices additionally, one glass is a meal and should be included in the energy balance.

8. Don’t give up on fruit

Remember that fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals. In the case of IO, you do not have to give them up, indeed! it would be a great pity if it were necessary. You can eat bananas, dates, grapes, but choose the less ripe ones instead of those with overripe skins, they have a lower glycemic index.

It is also important to eat them in the company of dairy products or fat – e.g. yoghurt, nuts. Their addition will make the glycemic load of the meal lower than that of the fruit eaten separately, and the glucose from the meal will be absorbed more slowly.

9. Eat lean dairy products

Nie rezygnuj z niego. Badacze wskazują, że regularne spożywanie niskotłuszczowych produktów mlecznych pozwala obniżyć stężenie insuliny na czczo, skutkując tym samym niższym wskaźnikiem HOMA. Większość badań potwierdza albo pozytywny, albo neutralny wpływ niskotłuszczowych produktów mlecznych na parametry insulinooporności

Remember! Don’t choose lactose-free milk. Go for the regular one, and if you suffer from milk sugar intolerance, better choose a good quality plant-based drink (sugar-free of course :)).

10. Nie pal papierosów

Smoking worsens the cells’ sensitivity to insulin. You fight for your health, try to overcome your weaknesses, now you have a new motivation to quit!

11. Exclude ready-made sweet snacks rich in simple sugars

Simple sugars increase both postprandial glycemia and insulinemia. If you fancy something sweet, choose a self-made milk-fruit, fruit-nut dessert, or based on porridge or oatmeal.

12. Consume coffee with milk with a meal

You don’t have to give up coffee, and we know that this is good news for many people struggling with insulin resistance. If you like coffee with milk, include it in the energy balance of the meal. You can drink the “pure” infusion regardless of your diet, of course in reasonable amounts. If you like sugar, try replacing it with erythitol (it does not trigger insulin and has 0 kcal).

13. Czytaj etykiety

Do not throw into your basket products containing all kinds of syrups, e.g. glucose or fructose. You can use the priceless cheat sheet that Amanda has recently prepared for us, here: https://.pl/7-wledzowek-jak-czytac-etykiety-i-nie-dac-sie-oszukac

Aktywność fizyczna przy insulinooporności

Beyond all doubt, there is the question of physical activity. Each person should, as far as possible, cultivate it. Remember that regular physical activity sensitizes cells to insulin and lowers blood glucose levels.

You don’t need to exercise just cardio to sensitize your cells to insulin, strength training will also do the job. However, it is worth focusing on aerobic exercises, because the concentration of insulin in the blood decreases with the duration of training. Mostly recommended is a 30-40 minute effort of moderate intensity, e.g. cycling, walking (or Nordic walking burning about 30-50% more than a standard walk), swimming.

Jadłospis przy insulinooporności

Na Vitalii w ubiegłym roku pojawiła się nowa usługa — dieta o niskim IG. To zbilansowane i zdrowe plany dla osób zmagających się z insulinoopornością, ale z naszych planów mogą skorzystać także cukrzycy. Dieta o niskim IG, jako pierwsza usługa w Polsce uzyskała także certyfikat Fundacji Insulinooporność jako «usługa przyjazna insulinoopornym». Z całą ofertą możecie zapoznać się tutaj: https://.pl/dieta-o-niskim-IG.

Bibliography:

Gołąbek D.K, Regulska-IIow B, Dietary support in insulin resistance: An overview of current scientific reports, Adv Clin Exp Med. 2019;28(11):1577–1585 https://ncez.pl/choroba-a-dieta/cukrzyca-i-insulinoopornosc/aktywnosc-fizyczna-w-insulinoopornosci https://ncez.pl/choroba-a-dieta/cukrzyca-i-insulinoopornosc/dieta-w-przebiegu-insulinoopornosci-i-zespolu-metabolicznego Silveira JQ, Dourado GK, Cesar TB. Red-fleshed sweet orange juice improves the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015;66(7):830–836