The American Medical Association Journal had a review article which stated that 25% of adults in the US are suffering from the effects of Metabolic Syndrome also known as Syndrome X or Insulin Resistance Syndrome. There is another 25% of the population who are in the process of developing insulin resistance. That adds up to 50% of the adults and 1/3 of the children are either developing or have already developed insulin resistance that will result in Metabolic Syndrome and then most of them will develop Type 2 Diabetes. That is alarming and if this trend is not reversed it will result in a catastrophic healthcare disaster. There is no way that the healthy population can pay for the cost of this healthcare disaster.
Understanding Insulin Resistance
Because of a unhealthy lifestyle, including eating food that is highly process and lacking in any nutritional value, there is an epidemic of individuals developing insulin resistance. This is the metabolic sequence of events that lead to the development of this condition: due to a improper diet an individual becomes less sensitive to their own insulin (insulin insensitivity), the body begins to compensate by producing more insulin, due to the extra insulin the body is able to control the blood sugar levels at this point, as this condition progresses the body will have to continue to produce an even higher abnormal level of insulin, eventually the insulin level will begin to drop as the body is unable to keep up with the demand for more insulin, now your blood sugar level will begin to increase, next this individual will begin to develop diabetes which will develop into Type 2 Diabetes for most of the patients at this point. This individual has now developed full blown Metabolic Syndrome with all of it’s devastating effects including pre-mature death if this condition is not reversed.
The 3 Main Causes of Insulin Resistance:
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What are the results of Insulin Resistance – Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X or Insulin Resistance Syndrome? Here are some of them:
- arteries begin to increase signs of premature aging – arterosclerosis,
- increase in cholesterol and triglyceride levels,
- 90% of Type 2 Diabetes caused by Insulin Resistance,
- Nearly all of non-genetic obesity,
- blood pressure increases,
- unable to lose and maintain body weight
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Is It Possible to Reverse Insulin Resistance?
Dr. Ray Strand, in his book Healthy for Life, explains the Triad for a Healthy Life. I highly recommend that you purchase and read this book. Actually the three things in the Triad are the reverse of the same three things that caused the condition to begin with: 1. Healthy Eating, 2. Modest Aerobic Exercise and 3. High Quality Supplements.
1. Healthy Eating - #1 this is not a diet plan that you do for a short period of time, loss some weight, then slip back into your old habits and regain the weight back plus some. This is a lifestyle change, forming new habits and reaping the results of a healthier body. You will not be hunger on this eating plan even in phase 1 where you completely eliminate the high-glycemic carbohydrates and most of the good carbohydrates as you start reversing the Insulin Resistance. Some have referred to this eating style as the Mediterranean Diet. By eliminating the bad carbs you are eliminating the main cause of the problem to begin with and also breaking the cycle of what Dr. Strand calls, Carbohydrate Addiction. It is important to note that the main tool that is used to measure what a person should and should not eat is the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index measures the rate of how fast blood sugar or glucose levels increase after food containing carbohydrates are consumed.
Note of Caution: from Dr. Strand if you already have Type 2 Diabetes : “If you are diabetic and on medication or insulin, you must be checking your blood sugars at least four times daily during the first few weeks of the program. If your blood sugar begins to drop聽 and fall into the low blood sugar range (hypoglycemic range),