Insulin Resistance Diet Plan | Benefits of Insulin Resistance Diet Plan

What Is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is the decreased ability of cells in the body to respond to insulin. Signs and symptoms may resemble those of type 2 diabetes, including excess thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow healing sores or cuts that don’t heal. Insulin resistance can cause weight gain. So to limit this there is an Insulin resistance diet plan.

The main difference between insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is that with insulin resistance there is not a high level of sugar in the blood. One problem that occurs when someone has insulin resistance is high cholesterol levels because insulin helps remove bad cholesterol from your system if you do not have it you will get heart disease and clogged arteries which could lead to a heart attack.

Does Insulin Resistance Cause Weight Gain?

Yes! Many people who are obese or overweight struggle with insulin resistance. When you have insulin resistance fat does not come off as easy and it can be difficult to lose weight.

The most important thing to do in order to fight against insulin resistance is to exercise and eat a healthy diet full of whole grains and vegetables (no processed foods). You will also want to cut down on sugary drinks, fruit juices, candy bars, etc…

What Is Insulin Resistance Diet Plan?

An insulin resistance diet is a way of eating to avoid insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. A lot of people think that when you get older, your body gets more sensitive to carbohydrates and sugars so it’s less important that we watch our fat intake or glycemic index; however, the opposite is actually true.

Components of Insulin Resistance Diet Plan

These are some components of an insulin resistance diet plan:

Carb Intake

Carbohydrate is one of the major sources of glucose that makes up our blood sugar. When you limit your carb intake to around 30-50 grams per day, you are able to keep your blood sugar nice and stable without too many ups and downs in your energy level. To give you a general idea of what 30 – 50 grams looks like, it’s about 1/2 cup cooked oats or quinoa or brown rice or sweet potato.

Fibre Intake

Fiber is able to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates which means you won’t get blood sugar spikes. This means that your insulin levels are more stable meaning less insulin resistance. To give you a general idea of how much fiber that would be, it’s about 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal or quinoa or brown rice or sweet potato.

Protein

Protein is necessary for proper body functioning. Make sure it’s a lean source such as chicken breast, turkey, fish, etc. I always include at least one protein shake per day in my diet plan just because it makes reaching the daily intake so much easier and on-the-go people like me really appreciate not having to cook every single meal! Protein shakes come in handy when you’re too busy to get a good amount of protein from real food.

Fruit

Everyone loves fruits but they do contain quite high levels of natural sugar which may disrupt insulin function and spike blood sugar (especially if cooked). Also, whole fruit does fill you up as vegetables do but the fruit is not as filling. Fruit juices are the worst offenders so I recommend limiting your entire intake of fruit juices to 1-2 servings per day.

Vegetables

Just like fruits, whole vegetables are healthier than their juices. Juices lack the fiber that fills us up and makes us feel more satisfied. Limit your entire intake of fruit juice to 1-2 servings per day. Make sure you eat plenty of vegetables every day! Remember, darker colors mean more nutrients so go with dark leafy greens (spinach), red/orange veggies (carrots/sweet potatoes), dark-colored veggies (beetroot).

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are extremely important for proper body function. They’re the building blocks of hormones, they help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, aid in healthy brain function with omega 3’s, lower inflammation levels with omega 3’s as well. Make sure you get your daily servings of nuts (almonds), seeds (pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds), and fatty fishes such as salmon.

Low Fat Dairy

Low-fat dairy is extremely important for an insulin resistance diet plan. It keeps you feeling full while preventing the risk of developing type II diabetes.

Foods That You Can Take In Insulin Resistance Diet Plan

These are some foods that you should eat in insulin resistance:

Meats

You can eat beef and chicken with the skin on it and no added preservatives. Pork is okay for this diet as well but it does not have as many omega 3 fatty acids as chicken and beef do so try to use pork instead of chicken or beef only when necessary.

Cheese

you can also eat some cheese because there are fewer amino acid blockers in cheese than there are in meats such as beef and pork). You should not drink milk though, after dinner time, you can very slowly drink a little bit of milk before dinner if that makes your insulin resistance better though.

Beans and Nuts

You can also eat beans and nuts, but not peanuts or cashews. You should avoid peanuts and cashews because they have amino acid blockers.

Meat With Tomato Sauce

you can eat tomato sauce with your meat but just make sure that there are no added preservatives in the sauce otherwise it will elevate your insulin resistance levels and cause weight gain instead of weight loss. Also, make sure to buy organic tomatoes if possible because sometimes non-organic tomato sauces do have sugar added to them which will also increase insulin resistance levels instead of lowering them like this diet is designed to do.

Vinegar and Vegetables

You can eat vinegar with your vegetables too because the malic acid in it helps to reduce insulin resistance levels. There are no other fruits or vegetables that you should eat during this diet except these. These are spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower (you can add butter to these vegetables while cooking them), lettuce (romaine), and cucumbers.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach provide lots of nutrition and very few carbs. If eaten raw instead of cooked they also offer fiber which regulates the rate at which food leaves your stomach meaning fewer insulin spikes! You can even juice them with some green apple and/or lemon to add some flavor!

Grains

You can have whole wheat bread but nothing else, not even pasta (whole wheat pasta is okay though). Cereal grains such as oatmeal and Ezekiel 4:9 cereal (the only brand of cereal allowed on this diet) need to be eaten every day at least twice a day with unsweetened soy milk (also organic if possible) because these cereals contain enzymes and amino acids like Tryptophan which will make insulin resistance go away faster and higher than usual food combinations.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle aids in liver function which helps break down excess estrogen from going into the bloodstream and turning into insulin resistance. It also stimulates bile production which can assist with digestion! Take 750mgs daily with food starting 1-2 weeks before surgery. This will help ensure a healthy recovery post-surgery.

What To Avoid In Insulin Resistance Diet Plan?

These are some foods that you should avoid in insulin resistance diet plan:

Limit Red Meat Intake

Red meat is known to cause inflammation which can lead to chronic diseases such as type II diabetes (and cancer as well as shown by research). Don’t go overboard with meeting your daily protein servings but don’t be afraid of lean cuts of beef occasionally.

Don’t Drink Your Calories

this links back to the whole no juice rule. If you must have a sweet beverage then opt for unsweetened iced tea or water flavored with lemon and lime. Other than that make sure you drink your calories, not drink them.

Limit Processed Foods

Avoid anything on the label that sounds like a chemical. If you don’t know what it is then it’s probably not good for you (ie. dyes, preservatives, etc.). Also, make sure whatever you’re eating has a good amount of protein in it to give you energy throughout the day and keep your body functioning well.

Limit Sugar Intake

Limit your total amount of added sugar in your diet every single day to 5grams or less! Natural sugars found in fresh fruit are okay because they come with fiber which causes the body to break them down slowly.

Limit Starch Intake

These are typically refined carbohydrates. They have no nutritional value so any energy you get from them will only be used up immediately, leaving you tired and lethargic (and hungry again!).

Benefits of Insulin Resistance Diet Plan

These are some benefits of the Insulin Resistance Diet:

• Insulin resistance is the primary component of Type II diabetes.
• It can lead to many other diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.
• By adopting this diet you can control your insulin levels and drop the adverse effects of insulin resistance for a better lifestyle.
• Lower risk of diabetes and its complication
• Reduce weight gain by avoiding carbohydrate-rich food
• Promote an active lifestyle with an exercise routine designed for lean individuals

The above benefits are just some of the many you can achieve by following an insulin resistance diet. You will need to follow it strictly so as to get the maximum benefit out of this diet plan.

You should remember the fact that some high insulin levels are required for controlling your blood sugar levels, so don’t suppress it completely. At the same time try to minimize fat intake in order to reduce your chances of heart diseases and cancer.

Conclusion

The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan is a scientifically-based diet that aims to help those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. This plan provides you with all the information and tools you need to make healthy food choices, as well as how your body responds to different types of foods. If this sounds like something that might work for you, we encourage you to try it out. Our team will be around every step of the way if you have any questions along the way. Contact Mantra Care for more help.

Do you want to get rid of diabetes? Join our online diabetes consultation program and reverse your Diabetes naturally through lifestyle changes such as a Personalized Diet plan, Exercise, dieticians, and health coaches.