Insulin resistance is a condition in which your body produces the hormone insulin, but uses it improperly. Insulin resistance usually does not cause symptoms. However, it often coexists with abdominal obesity, high triglycerides and cholesterol levels and/or hypertension -- conditions that increase your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cardiac death. Fortunately, insulin resistance is reversible, typically through increased physical activity and a reduced-calorie, nutritious diet. For best results, seek specified guidance from your doctor or dietitian.
Function
The primary goal of treatment for metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance is lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. To best manage your short and long-term risks, the American Heart Association recommends healthy eating habits, including limiting trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and lowering your body weight to a desirable level, or until your body mass index falls below 25. Your diet should provide sufficient amounts of calories for energy, nutrients for overall wellness and, ideally, enjoyment. Once you're able, your diet will also help fuel physical activity, which the AHA also recommends.
Guidelines
Your diet should contain a variety of nutritious foods from all vital food groups, including complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. Protein-rich foods help keep your appetite and blood sugar in-check, according to authors of "The Insulin-Resistance Diet," Dr. Cheryle R. Hart and dietitian Mary Kay Grossman. Eating fats and protein-rich foods along with carbohydrate-rich foods protects against blood sugar spikes and can help ensure balanced nutrient intake and reduced hunger between meals. Consume plentiful amounts of fruits and vegetables, which have a lesser impact on your blood sugar than refined foods, such as candy. Because they are dense in water and fiber, fresh produce also allows you to feel satisfied from eating fewer calories. In addition to keeping your saturated and trans fat intake to a minimum, the AHA recommends limiting your cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day and your sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg per day.
Helpful Foods
Many foods suit a diet for managing insulin resistance. Emphasizing foods richest in nutrients and fiber can help ensure your overall wellness and success. Fruits and vegetables particularly rich in fiber, yet low in calories, include berries, citrus fruits, apples, artichokes, leafy greens, peas, broccoli and eggplant. For improved energy, blood sugar and appetite control, consume fiber-rich whole grains, such as barley, oats, brown rice and quinoa. Lean protein sources include skinless white-meat poultry, egg whites, low-fat dairy products, legumes and fish. The AHA recommends eating fatty fish, such as salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel and halibut, at least twice per week for improved cardiovascular health. Other healthy fat sources include flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, olive oil and avocados.
Foods to Limit
While you can consume most any food in appropriate amounts, keep foods that may cause blood sugar imbalances or damage your heart-health and weight control to a minimum. Added sugars, such as cane sugar, corn syrup, rice syrup, maltose and dextrose, can have a significant impact on your blood sugar. Common sources include regular soft drinks, jelly, pancake syrup, candy and commercially baked cakes, pastries and cookies. Enriched flour products may pose similar effects. Artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose and aspartame, do not cause blood sugar spikes, according to Hart and Grossman. Because they may stimulate insulin production, consume them with food, not calorie-free beverages only, to prevent complications. Foods particularly rich in unhealthy fats and cholesterol include red and processed meats, high-fat cheeses, whole milk, butter, margarine, shortening, fried foods and processed snack foods, such as crackers, doughnuts and cookies, that list hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient.
References
- American Heart Association: Metabolic Syndrome
- "The Insulin-Resistance Diet"; Cheryle R. Hart, Mary Kay Grossman; 2007
- American Heart Association: Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations
