Insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, occurs when your pancreas produces insulin, but your body doesn't use it properly, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Your blood sugar level may not be high enough to be considered diabetes, but insulin resistance raises your risk for developing both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Insulin resistance is one symptom of metabolic syndrome.
Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome, also called syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome or prediabetes, is actually a group of health conditions that includes elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess abdominal fat. Together, these symptoms raise your risk of developing serious health problems, including coronary artery disease, diabetes and stroke. You can lower your risk of these diseases by losing weight and making dietary changes to bring your cholesterol and blood pressure under control and to stabilize your glucose levels. You'll need to make sustainable lifestyle choices, which include choosing a diet for slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
Choosing the 'Right' Carbohydrates
Your body's primary source of energy is glucose, which your body produces from the food you eat. Carbohydrates, especially sugar, refined flours and starchy vegetables, are very easy for your body to convert to glucose and must be limited when trying to stabilize blood sugar levels. The American Diabetes Association recommends limiting carbohydrates to between 45 and 60 g per meal. Choose high-fiber vegetables, whole fruits rather than juice, whole grains rather than refined white flour, legumes and brown rice rather than white rice to help slow digestion and conversion of food into glucose. Always eat carbohydrates with a protein or fat to slow digestion even more. The glycemic index, which measure how quickly a food will cause your blood sugar to rise, can be a guideline for choosing the right carbs.
Limiting Saturated and Trans Fats
The American Heart Association recommends unsaturated fats, rather than saturated and trans fats, to help lower cholesterol. The AHA suggests you eat no more than 6 oz. of animal protein daily, which would limit dietary cholesterol intake to about 150 mg. Lower your saturated fat intake by choosing leaner meats whose names end in -loin, such as sirloin or pork loin. Trim all visible fat, broil rather than pan-fry, avoid processed meats such as hot dogs, lunch meats and pepperoni and cook poultry with the skin on to keep meat moist, but remove the skin before serving. Avoid trans fats by not eating deep-fried foods, commercially baked snacks, cakes, cookies and crackers and avoiding any product that lists "hydrogenated oils" in its ingredients.
Lowering Your Sodium Intake
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the best way to lower high blood pressure is to limit your sodium intake. If you have insulin resistance, try to eat no more than 1,500 mg of sodium daily -- about 1/2 tsp. of table salt. The majority of sodium in the average diet comes from packaged foods -- it's often used as a preservative, especially in canned items. Buy fresh or frozen foods without added sodium. When cooking at home, use herbs and spices instead of salt for flavor.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DIseases: Insulin Resistance and Pre-diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- American Heart Association: Cooking for Lower Cholesterol
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: DASH Eating Plan
- MayoClinic.com; Metabolic Syndrome; Nov. 5, 2009
