Insulin resistance, also called metabolic syndrome, is a group of medical conditions that can lead to serious health problems. Elevated triglyceride, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, high blood sugar and excess abdominal fat are all signs of Insulin resistance and can lead to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Because insulin resistance starves your cells of vital nutrients and energy, you may feel fatigued, tired and hungry.
Insulin and Triglycerides
Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that helps transport substances from your bloodstream into your cells. Without insulin, glucose and triglycerides continue to circulate in your blood, rather than get used by your body. Glucose is used as energy right away, and triglycerides are stored in your fat cells to be used for energy later. Although triglycerides are a type of lipid, or fat -- much like cholesterol -- triglycerides form when you consume excess sugar and simple carbohydrates. Following a low-fat diet may help lower cholesterol levels, but following the same low-sugar diet that keeps glucose levels stable will help lower triglyceride levels.
Insulin Resistance
If you eat a diet high in simple carbs, such as sugar and starchy foods, you can start a negative cycle of high and low blood sugar levels that can exhaust your pancreas and cause your cells to build up an insensitivity to insulin. The more sugar you eat, the faster glucose levels rise. The faster glucose levels rise, the more insulin your pancreas produces to try and move that glucose into your cells. Often too much insulin is released and you end up with low blood sugar -- feeling hungry, tired, shaky and craving more sugar. Eating more sugar starts the whole process all over again.
Insulin Resistance and Fatigue
Eventually your body becomes desensitized to insulin or your pancreas can't keep up with the demand. This leaves you with high blood sugar levels, but no energy because glucose is trapped in your bloodstream and your cells don't have the energy they need. If you are insulin resistant, both glucose and triglyceride blood levels will be high, because those substances can't be moved from your bloodstream into your cells. It isn't the high triglyceride levels that are making you tired, it's the lack of glucose. Elevated triglyceride levels have no physical symptoms until they've built up enough to narrow your arteries and cause high blood pressure and heart disease.
Treatment
Left untreated, insulin resistance may lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But you can increase insulin sensitivity through diet and lifestyle changes. Losing weight is key; excess body fat stops your body from using insulin efficiently -- maintaining a healthy body weight will fight insulin resistance. Limiting added sugars and foods that your body can easily convert to glucose will help keep insulin levels low and give your body a chance to regain sensitivity. Refined flours in bread and pasta, starchy vegetables such as white potatoes and corn, and all types of added sugars -- even natural ones such as honey or maple syrup should be limited.
References
- National Diabetes Inforamtion Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Insulin Resistance Syndrome; Mar 2001
- Medscape Family Medicine; What is the Realtionship Between Elevated Triglycerides and Insulin Resistance?; Henry Ginsberg, MD ; November 2007
- Ultra Prevention: Insulin Resistance
