Silent Metabolic Disruption

Posted on 17 August, 2016

It comes as a killer in the night. Like a villain in black. Like a python in your bed… Too dramatic?

It’s possibly not that dramatic, but it is pretty serious. It’s insulin resistance.

It’s a silent metabolic condition and most individuals who have it, aren’t even aware that they do. It’s the precursor to type two diabetes and essentially, it’s the metabolic condition resulting from ‘food in excess’.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases around the globe, especially in developed, western countries like Australia. And it’s not surprising. It’s the disease of over-consumption. Combined with a genetic predisposition, type 2 diabetes is basically the consequence of long term, over-eating.

In fact, the development of diabetes is actually thought to occur years before you actually get it. Through the metabolic condition insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance occurs when particular cells in your body stop listening to a metabolic hormone, called insulin. Insulin is produced in response to glucose in your blood.  It tells the body’s cells (liver cells, muscle cells, fat cells) to the take the glucose out of the blood stream and metabolise it (burn or store it). This helps to keep your blood glucose levels stable and means that glucose can be used as a fuel source in your muscles and liver. Glucose is no good to you if it stays in your blood.

What’s interesting is that people with insulin resistance have normal blood glucose levels. This is one of the reasons why it’s so difficult to detect. So what’s the problem?

To explain it, I want to tell you a little story:

In this story, you’re the main character. You’re an insulin receptor. I know, I gave you the lead role. Thank me later. Your house is a muscle cell, your neighbour’s house/yard is the blood stream. Lemons are sugar (glucose from your diet) and your neighbour is insulin. Got it? Here is goes.

There are lots of lemons growing next door. And every year, during lemon season, your neighbour would bring you some. Knock, knock, knock. It’s usually only a couple of lemons each week. Enough for you to handle. You’d squeeze them over your pancakes for breakfast, they’re fab in your tomato, basil and pine nut pasta and we can’t forget Grandma’s lemon slice recipe. Mmmm.

This year, however, the tree is overflowing and your neighbour has been round three times a week for the past month. Knock, knock, knock.

“Arrrrgh”, you groan as the tapping echoes through your kitchen and you gaze at the fruit bowl full of lemons. “Please”, you mumble under your breath, “I don’t want any more”.

This particular afternoon you decide to pretend that you’re not home. If you don’t answer, maybe your neighbour will eventually go home. But he doesn’t. He just keeps knocking.

“Gosh! Go away!” You stomp towards the front door and fling it open. Your neighbour is there, smiling. His arms full of lemons! You fake a smile back and take the bundle from him and close the door.

This continues for days. Then months. Then years. At first you keep up with the supply.

Lemonade, lemon preserves, lemon butter, more lemon slice, lemon cakes for fundraisers and events… every dinner a different lemony twist. But after a while, the lemons start building up. They’re everywhere, all over your house, some of them starting to rot. The neighbour is now bringing huge amounts of them, morning, noon and night. And He just won’t stop knocking! So you’ve got no choice, but to open the door, receive his lemon delivery and let him get on his way. Knock, knock, knock.

Insulin resistance is like an annoying neighbor who brings over excess lemons from their tree. It’s like a friggin’ lemon nightmare!

All the cells of the body have become resistant to insulin’s signals. So the body increases insulin production until the body starts to listen. So even though your body is controlling its blood glucose levels OK, it needs super high levels of insulin to do it.

The presence of all this excess insulin in the body wreaks havoc on other body systems. Heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver and even some cancers are thought to be the result of these extra-high insulin levels. And, of course, insulin resistance eventually leads to full-blown type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance, however, is not a disease you can just ‘catch’! It’s much more complex than that. Check out my video below to find out more!

If you’re struggling with managing your type 2 diabetes or suspect that you may be pre-diabetic or have insulin resistance, then please go see your GP. Get everything checked out! Then, once you’ve done that, head on over and get some help from an accredited practicing dietitian (APD), like the ones at my private practice, The Healthy Eating Hub. They can help you so much!

The Healthy Eating Hub is actually running a course very soon called Reversing Diabetes, it’s perfect if you’ve been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance and with a doctor’s referral you can claim some of the cost back through Medicare.

In the meantime, here are some quick daily dietary tips that can help:

• Include plenty of fresh vegetables and two pieces of fruit: Eat as much vegetables as you can! Raw, steamed, stir-fried, roasted, braised! Get on it!
• Include daily exercise: The more active you are the less insulin resistant your body becomes – walk, dance, run, lift weights, play sport! It doesn’t matter what it is, just move! And do it often!
• Lose weight: Research shows that even a loss of 5% of your body weight can improve insulin resistance and decrease risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Lose weight in the same way you want to maintain it and you can keep it off for life!

Just know that you don’t need a special pill, potion, powder, cleanse or detox to deal with diabetes or insulin resistance.

Your body needs to move, not consume more food than it needs and be nourished with beautiful whole foods. Don’t be deceived. Keep it simple!

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact me.