Insulin Resistance: Treat with Lifestyle Changes

Most people who develop diabetes in later life can be controlled so that they are not at increased risk for the many complications of diabetes such as heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, amputations, kidney failure, burning foot syndrome, venous insufficiency with ulceration and stasis dermatitis. Late onset diabetes usually means that a person has too much insulin because his cells cannot respond to insulin. Too much insulin constricts arteries to cause heart attacks, and stimulates your brain and liver to make you hungry and manufacture fat. The insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) puts you at very high risk for a heart attack and is associated with storing fat in the belly, rather than the hips; having high blood triglyceride levels and low level of the good HDL cholesterol; high blood pressure and an increased tendency to form clots.


If you have any of these signs, check with your doctor who will order a blood test called HBA1C. If it is high, you have diabetes and can usually be controlled with diet and/or medication. You should learn how to avoid foods that give the highest rise in blood sugar. When you eat, blood sugar level rises. The higher it rises, the more sugar sticks on cells. Once stuck on a cell membrane, sugar can never detach itself. It is converted to a poison called sorbitol that damages the cell to cause all the side effects of diabetes mentioned above.

Avoid the foods that cause your blood sugar to rise quickly. These include all types of flour products: bread, spaghetti, macaroni, bagels, rolls, crackers, cookies and pretzels; refined corn products and white rice; and all sugar added products. Eat lots of vegetables, un-ground whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts. Eat fruits and root vegetables (potatoes, carrots and beets) only with other foods.

Exercise helps to prevent blood sugar from rising too high after meals. The only places that your body can store sugar are in blood, liver and muscles. When a diabetic’s muscles are full of sugar, dietary sugar goes from the intestines into the bloodstream, causing high spikes in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, when the muscles are empty, sugars go from the intestines into the bloodstream and then directly into muscles to prevent the spike. Several studies show that it doesn’t make any difference when you empty your muscle cells. Blood sugar spikes are prevented by exercising both before and after meals. Exercise is a potent treatment for both Type I and Type II diabetics. Any diabetic or pre-diabetic who does not exercise regularly should check with his or her doctor and get started. Journal references for this article; more on prevention and treatment of diabetes.