Glucose resistance, more commonly referred to as insulin resistance, can lead to Type 2 Diabetes if you fail to bring it under control. With insulin resistance, your body cannot use this hormone efficiently and your pancreas must pump out more and more to get your blood sugar under control. After a while, it cannot keep up with the demand, and insufficient insulin levels lead to consistently high glucose levels. Fortunately, this problem responds favorably to lifestyle changes such as making better food choices, which means you can take an active role in determining the course of your health.
Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar
When it comes to managing insulin resistance, the types of carbohydrates you consume take center stage. Your body uses carbohydrates to create glucose, your cells' primary form of energy. Certain carbohydrate-containing foods can increase blood sugar very quickly while others contribute to a steadier release of glucose. Regardless of whether a food qualifies as a ''good'' carbohydrate or a ''bad'' carbohydrate, you still need to watch overall intake of this nutrient because all forms will affect your blood sugar. The amount of carbohydrates you should eat daily depends on individual factors, and no blanket amount applies to everyone. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian for guidance.
Choosing Carbohydrates Wisely
Refined carbohydrates like white bread and sugar-rich foods and drinks top the list of foods to limit. Starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn have a rich store of beneficial nutrients, but they are high in carbohydrates. Do not eat them in excess and keep your servings small. Choose whole fruits over dried fruits and fruit juices. Naturopathic physician Rachelle S. Bradley of the Heartland Naturopathic Clinic in Nebraska recommends pairing fruits with proteins to mitigate their effect on blood sugar. She also recommends that non-starchy vegetables form the bulk of your carbohydrate intake. Examples include avocado, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, mushrooms, garlic, kale, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers.
Considerations for Other Foods
The need to limit carbohydrates does not give you a free pass to eat other types of foods in unlimited quantities. Excess weight contributes strongly to insulin resistance, and eating a diet rich in fats, which contain more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates or proteins, will only worsen your problems and increase your risk for other diseases. Watch your intake of all types of fats, particularly saturated fats found in animal products. Get the bulk of your fat from healthy sources like olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and flax seed.
Choose healthy proteins like beans, legumes, and lean meats. Low-fat milk actually contains more carbohydrates than whole milk, but the latter has more saturated fat. Dr. Bradley recommends avoiding milk completely, but thinks it is OK to include other forms of dairy.
Importance of Weight Loss
No matter the type of diet you follow, eat in a manner that encourages weight loss. Losing just 5 percent to 7 percent of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. It reports on research that found lifestyle changes reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent. These changes appeared even more effective in individuals over 60, who reduced their risk by 71 percent. Your doctor or dietitian can offer guidance on appropriate calorie intake and other factors necessary to lose weight.
Other Tips
How you eat, along with what you eat, can influence your blood sugar levels, according to Mayoclinic.com. Keep your carbohydrate intake steady throughout the day, rather than eating the bulk in one sitting. Combine carbohydrate-rich foods with fats and proteins to temper the release of glucose. Eat your meals and snacks around the same time each day.
