5 Reasons Why You Should Start Eating Insulin Sensitive Foods

‍ Many people eat whatever they want and that may include you. If that is the way you veiw eating, then you should know about insulin resistance and some foods that cause it. Did you know that the way your body cells respond to insulin whenever there is sugar-rich food in the bloodstream is a key indicator of your risk for developing type 2 diabetes? And it has nothing to do with how many carbohydrates you eat because some carbohydrates have got a lower glycemic index. It’s all about how quickly your body processes sugars and whether or not you are sensitive to insulin. Eating foods that are insulin sensitive can make a big difference in reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and making sure that you don’t develop it at all.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, which plays an important role in regulating blood sugar levels. When we eat foods that contain carbohydrates, they get broken down into glucose molecules and travel through our bloodstream. There are cells in the pancreas commonly known as islets of langerhans. These cells are subdivided into three; Alpha cells, the beta cells and the delta cells. The beta cells are ones that produce insulin, they recognize the excess glucose and release insulin into the blood stream. Once insulin enters the bloodstream, it binds with receptors on the surface of fat, muscle, and liver cells; it acts more like a key and the cell receptors as a lock. Hence, this signals these cells to take up excess glucose from the blood stream into the aforementioned cells through the cells selective permeable membrane.

What is insulin sensitivity?

Insulin sensitivity is the capability of muscle cells, fat cells and liver cells to allow entry of nutrients when insulin triggers receptors found on the surface of these cells. If you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes, your body doesn’t process sugar very well. The cells in your body have trouble taking in sugar, which can cause your blood sugar levels to get out of control. That’s when you’re said to have insulin resistance. Your body produces too much insulin in response to the high glucose levels in the blood stream, but your blood sugar levels do not drop because cells have become insensitive to insulin and your blood becomes hyperinsulinemic, which means that there is an elevation of insulin in the blood.

So even when your blood sugar levels were to drop or be within the normal ranges, you would still be insulin insensitive or insulin resistant unless it is worked on properly. That explains why you need insulin sensitive foods to get those cells to become sensitive once again or up and running like in a healthy individual.

5 Important Reasons Why You Should Eat Insulin Sensitive Foods

Eating foods that are insulin sensitive is indeed a big game changer in reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity and making sure that you don’t develop it sooner than necessary.

You can help prevent diabetes and prediabetes

One of the main reasons why you should eat insulin sensitive foods is to help prevent diabetes and prediabetes, type 2 to be specific. The reason for this is that insulin sensetive meals encourage glucagon release from the alpha cells into the blood stream which antagonizes insulin action by lowering the quantities of glucose. Glucagon is the opposite of insulin because it encourages fat catabolism or break down of fat stores. Therefore, eating foods that are insulin sensitive will also help you prevent diabetes and prediabetes.

It’s easier to lose weight

If you’ve been trying to lose weight and are having difficulty getting to your desired weight, you may want to consider eating more insulin sensitive foods. High-glycemic foods tend to cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly, hence the need for more insulin reduce that spike. This is why you sometimes get the “sugar crash” after a big meal or a sweet dessert. Eating more insulin sensitive foods will help keep blood sugar levels stable, making it easier to lose weight. Unfortunately, eating a lot of sugar-rich foods also can lead to weight gain, especially if you are not exercising or following a particular recommended diet of some sort. Consuming a lot of sugar-rich foods, especially if you don’t burn the calories off, can lead to weight gain.

Eating this type of food can lower cholesterol levels

One of the biggest risk factors for developing heart disease is having high cholesterol levels. There are different types of cholesterol in our body, such as LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein). LDL cholesterol is known as “bad” cholesterol because it can build up and clog arteries. HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because it cleans up bad cholesterol in the bloodstream and prevents it from building up in the arteries. Eating foods that are insulin sensitive can help lower cholesterol levels and protect you from heart disease. When your body processes foods with a high glycemic index, it will produce higher levels of cholesterol. Eating foods that are more insulin sensitive can help and prevent this from happening.

It will reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases

The way your body processes sugars is also related to your risk for developing autoimmune diseases, heart disease, stroke, and even death. Eating foods that are insulin sensitive can help reduce your risk of developing these diseases just like it can in types 2 diabetes. It’s also been suggested that eating more insulin sensitive foods can prevent and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, migraines, cancer, and even depression.

Bottom line

As you can see, there are many benefits to eating insulin sensitive foods. Not only will it help prevent diabetes and prediabetes, but it can also help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases. If you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, eating a diet full of insulin sensitive foods can help prevent it. Therefore, eat insulin sensitive foods, become fit, health and be happy.

For more details on insulin resistance and how to resolve and help you lose weight and be healthy, click here.