Insulin Resistance Diet Plan For Weight Loss

Diet Plan For Insulin Resistance 7 Days

Following an insulin resistance diet plan can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. Heres an example 7-day plan to help you get started.

Always consult with a doctor before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Scrambled or hard-boiled egg with whole-wheat toast.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken or black bean wrap with whole-grain tortilla, and side salad with a simple vinaigrette.
• Dinner: Roasted salmon with a side of vegetables

Day 2

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with 1 cup of blueberries
• Lunch: 1 cup of soup and half a sandwich on whole-wheat toast
• Dinner: Chicken breast or tofu with a serving of greens and sweet potato

Day 3

• Breakfast: Protein pancakes topped with fresh berries
• Lunch: Lettuce wraps with beans or a lean meat of your choosing, topped with hoisin sauce
• Dinner: 1 cup of soup with a side salad

Day 4

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Lean Protein And Poultry

Fans of chicken and turkey neednt go hungry at Thanksgiving. Lean white meat is a good source of protein.

However, be sure to avoid eating the skin if youre looking to manage your insulin resistance even if youve cooked the bird skin-on, which is fine. This is because the skin is high in poor quality fat, which isnt good for heart health.

Other lean sources of protein include:

• pork: center loin or tenderloin*

• veal: roast or loin chop*

• lamb: roast or lean chop*

• beef: lean, with the fat removed*

• vegetarian protein: beans, legumes, tofu, soy, and tempeh

*Limit to 1-2 times per week

Insulin Resistance Diet Meal Plan

A sample insulin resistance diet meal plan might consist of the following:

• Breakfast: Plain cottage cheese with hemp and chia seeds, sliced green apple, and ground cinnamon
• Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with a handful of almonds or walnuts
• Lunch: Salad with quinoa, romaine lettuce, kale, bell peppers, and grilled chicken tossed with a vinaigrette made with avocado or olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt
• Snack: Raw veggies with hummus
• Dinner: Baked trout or salmon, millet, and green beans with apple slices dipped in melted dark chocolate for dessert

Try our one-day insulin resistance diet meal plan:

The insulin resistance diet doesnât have to be boring to be effective! Speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any questions about what you should eat if you are insulin resistant.

Also Check: Can Stress Raise Blood Sugar In Type 2 Diabetes

Diet And Insulin Resistance

One of the single most effective things you can do to reverse insulin resistance is to change your diet.

Now there are some good ways to do this and there are some bad ways to do this, so let’s talk about each one.

First, you need to realize that just going low carb may not be enough to lower your insulin levels and cause significant weight loss.

In many patients, a low carb diet will simply NOT be enough to lower glucose levels.

Why?

I believe this is most likely secondary to other factors including how bad your insulin resistance is and other factors like hormone imbalances.

It is known that high levels of stress and other hormones can increase insulin levels .

I’ve found that one of the major drivers that potentiate insulin resistance in some patients is chronic and recurrent stress.

Death of family members, social stress, financial problems, etc.

All of these can potentiate cortisol levels and make insulin resistance worse.

In addition, I’ve found that hypothyroid patients tend to almost always have some degree of insulin resistance.

Most likely this is related to the fact that thyroid hormone plays some role in insulin signaling as you can see here .

Because of this, you will need to do more than just simply change your diet.

You will also have to address underlying hormone imbalances, reduce stress levels and make sure you are not eating too much of certain foods.

Let’s take a look at what I mean.

What foods to eat:

Is this “real” food?

Is this food “natural”?

What Are The Symptoms Of Insulin Resistance

You will usually not notice any symptoms of insulin resistance.

However, it is possible to develop a condition called acanthosis nigricans. This occurs when the skin in your armpit or on your neck becomes darker. You may also develop skin tags in the same areas.

If insulin resistance leads to higher blood glucose levels, you may experience symptoms such as:

• an increased need to urinate
• feeling more tired than usual
• increased thirst
• a tingling sensation on the bottoms of your feet

You may also notice changes to your vision. If insulin resistance causes prediabetes, this can lead to type 2 diabetes. Around one-third of people with type 2 diabetes have diabetic retinopathy, which is a condition that can result in vision loss or blindness. Learn more about the signs of diabetic retinopathy.

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Why Is Insulin Resistance Bad

Taking more insulin isnt necessarily bad what is detrimental to your health is when you have to take increasing amounts of insulin for the same number of carbohydrates eaten.

Insulin resistance means that a person needs to take more insulin to manage their blood sugars, and if not, they will struggle with persistent hyperglycemia that can lead to diabetes complications, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation, and even premature death.

In the shorter term, insulin resistance can lead to unwanted weight gain and can contribute to obesity, as well as the development of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes and at risk for diabetes.

Over time, insulin resistance can lead to a condition called metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance syndrome. This chronic condition involves a combination of adverse effects such as:

• High cholesterol
• Excess fat around the waist

Pay Attention To Food Order

While what you eat is incredibly important, its also about how you eat your food. In one study, researchers found that eating protein, vegetables, and fat 15 minutes before carbs led to significantly lower post-meal glucose and insulin levels.

These findings show that the order in which you eat your food matters and can play an important role in effectively controlling post-meal glucose.

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Which Diet Is Best For People Diagnosed With Insulin Resistance

When it comes to diets for insulin resistance, prediabetes, or even diabetes, a quick fix or one-size-fits-all approach, unfortunately, does not exist.

There may be benefits to a variety of insulin resistance diet approaches including Mediterranean, vegetarian or vegan, low fat, low carb, and very low carb but there is no singular diet defined at this time for people with prediabetes or diabetes.

What we do know based on current research in the field of nutrition as it relates to prediabetes or diabetes is summed up in the American Diabetes Associations recently released report. Heres what the experts recommend:

• Choose a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.
• Minimize the amount of highly processed foods containing added sugars, salt, and artificial trans fats as much as possible.
• Choose non-starchy vegetables in place of starchy vegetables or refined grains.
• Eat more fiber, especially from vegetables, fruit, beans, and intact whole grains.
• Reduce the number of calories coming from carbohydrates to the extent that is appropriate for you.
• Strive to achieve and maintain a weight loss of 7-10% if youre overweight or obese.

An Insulin Resistance Food Hack: Avoid The Middle Of The Grocery Store

As the American Diabetes Association says, Everyone’s body responds differently to different types of foods and diets, so there is no single “magic” diet for diabetes, but that doesnt mean you have to worry about not eating enough or missing out on delicious foods.

To simplify the what can I eat? concern, Erik Levi, certified functional nutritional therapy practitioner and health coach, says, I tell clients to avoid the entire middle of the grocery store. In short, focus on the perimeter of the grocery store, where youll find all of the fresh produce, meat, and seafood.

Youll want to avoid alcohol, sodas, boxed foods, candies, ice creams, breads, pastas and anything else that is processed. You can spot processed foods easily by looking at the packaging. Most processed foods come in a box or bag. You can also take a peek at the ingredient list. If its got a long list of ingredients, skip it.

Levi makes it very clear: The less ingredients the better.

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Treating Insulin Resistance Beyond Diet

As I mentioned previously dietary intervention is certainly important in the treatment of insulin resistance but you can take it several steps further by adding in other therapies.

Specifically, the use of medications, supplements, exercise and lifestyle interventions can add a multiplicative effect to treating your insulin resistance.

This means that weight loss will be more profound and the lowering of your insulin levels will occur much more quickly when all of these therapies are added together.

The best part about the interventions I’m going to mention below is that they all have literary sources backing them up.

That means they have been shown in studies to help lower insulin levels, augment weight loss or balance hormones.

I will provide relevant links when appropriate below.

Insulin Resistance Medications:

This is where things can get tricky.

Most diabetic medications are targeted at reducing blood sugar levels instead of focusing on reducing insulin levels themselves.

In fact, many diabetic medications cause an INCREASE in insulin in an effort to reduce blood sugar.

Does it make sense to increase insulin levels further if high insulin levels lead to insulin resistance in the first place?

Not really – but this is how many medications work.

If you remember what we discussed above you will recall that reducing blood sugar levels makes us feel good, but it doesn’t always reduce adverse events or help patients live longer.

1. GLP-1 Agonists

Gluca-what?

3. Metformin

Foods To Avoid For Insulin Resistance

If youre managing insulin resistance through what you eat, its important to cut down on processed foods with added sugar.

Foods like these increase your risk of a blood sugar spike:

• soda, juice, and sweet tea

• refined grains, including white rice, white bread, and cereal with added sugar

• ultra-processed snack foods like candy, cookies, cakes, and chips

Also Check: Where Can Insulin Be Injected

How Exercise Improves Insulin Resistance

Endurance exercises, like those performed in the study, are effective when it comes to improving insulin resistance.

Exercise training both aerobic and resistance training have been associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity or the responsiveness of cells at absorbing blood sugar, said Kathryn Starr, PhD, assistant professor in medicine at Duke University and chief scientific officer for Vivo, a virtual personal fitness program for older adults.

Evidence consistently indicates that 8 weeks of 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week leads to improvements in insulin sensitivity, and the combination of both aerobic and resistance exercise may lead to even greater improvements, Starr told Healthline.

Nancy Mitchell, RN, a geriatric nurse, explained that endurance exercises work to keep your heart rate up for prolonged periods, even after a workout.

usually involve engaging muscles like the heart and those in the lower body, Mitchell said.

Muscle is highly metabolic tissue because it demands high energy to recover from exercise. That said, you dont have to go hard on intense endurance exercises to start seeing improvements.

Mitchell added that weighted exercises, swimming, or brisk walking are enough to activate your muscles and elevate your heart rate.

What You Should Eat With Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is often caused by repeated spikes in blood sugar due to poor diet and nutrition. Therefore, to reverse insulin resistance, you must manage blood sugar levels and prevent them from rising and falling quickly.

The easiest way to do this is to avoid foods that cause blood sugar spikes in the first place. One of the biggest culprits is simple carbohydrates because your body converts these to glucose, aka blood sugar, faster than any other food. That’s why low-carb diets are some of the most highly recommended when it comes to reversing insulin resistance.

In fact, a small 2016 study found eating three low-carb meals within 24 hours reduced insulin resistance by over 30% in postmenopausal women of a healthy weight.

Important: Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Refined carbs like white rice, bread, and pasta cause blood sugar and insulin to rise faster, causing blood sugar spikes, than complex carbs like steel-cut oats, quinoa, and whole-grain bread.

Meanwhile, some doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet because, in addition to being low in simple carbs, it’s also high in fiber and protein. If fiber and protein is paired with carbs, the body converts it to glucose more slowly, thereby minimizing blood sugar spikes. This can help explain why research has found a high dietary fiber intake is associated with a 20% to 30% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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Cut Way Back On Carbs

Start by eliminating foods high in carbs: sweets, bread, pasta, fruit, and similar foods. Going low carb can significantly speed up weight loss, for several reasons.

First, according to high-quality research, very-low-carb diets also known as keto diets reduce hunger.8This allows you to eat less and lose weight quickly without deliberately restricting calories and without feeling hungry or deprived.9

Several studies have shown that low-carb eating is more effective than other diets for losing fat quickly.10

This impressive fat loss may be partly due to the drop in insulin levels that occur during keto eating. When insulin levels are low, your body is primed to burn rather than store fat.11

Finally, some research suggests that continuing to eat low carb to maintain your new weight may help keep your metabolic rate up, increasing the likelihood that youll keep the weight off.12

How many carbs should you eat to lose weight quickly? Sticking to 20 or fewer grams of net carbs per day may produce the fastest results.13

But instead of counting every carb, you can simply choose foods from our ketogenic diet foods list below and avoid any foods that arent on it.

Note: Be sure to read our tips to avoid or minimize symptoms of the keto flubefore going low carb.

Meal Planning Ideas For Quick Weight Loss

Putting together very-low-carb meals can be simple:

• Start with a generous serving of protein
• Add as many low-carb vegetables as you like
• Use fat as needed for cooking or in salad dressing
• Season with salt, pepper, and spices
• Drink water, coffee, or tea

What about calories? We dont recommend counting calories when trying to lose weight. However, we suggest that you eat only when hungry and stop as soon as you begin to feel full.

Recommended Reading: What To Do When Low Blood Sugar

How Can Insulin Lead To Weight Gain

When blood sugar rises after a meal, your pancreas releases insulin. The insulin shuttles nutrients like glucose into the cell, which is then used for energy and upkeep.

But if blood sugar spikes repeatedly over the years, your body becomes desensitized to the insulin. This means you have to produce more insulin to do the same job.

And more insulin equals more fat storage.

Well explain how insulin resistance leads to weight gain. But first, lets find out what insulin resistance is all about and if youre at risk for it.

Weight Loss Diet Plan For Insulin Resistance

You can see from my previous blog post that I am quite dedicated to losing weight and getting healthy, so the opportunity to create this wordpress diet plan for weight loss has been timely. I already had the content written, but it needed a home on WordPress. This is a wordpress diet for weight loss with an emphasis on insulin resistance.

Here are some diet tips that can help you lose weight faster when you have insulin issues. If you have insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, this diet plan is the best way to lose weight without losing muscle.

Would you like to shed some pounds and get rid of those love handles? Are you unhappy with how you feel, physically and emotionally? Do you want to feel happier? In order to achieve a healthier and happier lifestyle, you need to lose weight. This article will give you advice on how to accomplish that.

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Shop The Outskirts Of The Grocery Store

Youve probably heard that the outer edges of the grocery store are the healthiest areas to shopand thats because all of the freshest food is displayed there.

To reverse your insulin resistance, youll need to eat a lot of veggiesespecially green, leafy veggies like broccoli, kale, and spinach.

You can eat fruit, but only in moderation since it still has sugar. Stick to high-fiber or low-sugar fruits like berries and avocados, rather than bananas and grapes.

These fresh, fiber-filled foods have a low glycemic indexand thats exactly what you should be looking for when trying to reverse insulin resistance.

Determining the glycemic index of foods can help you understand how quickly your food will turn into glucose in your bloodstream, so you can choose your meals wisely.

Foods that have a high glycemic index are rapidly converted into glucose, which translates to a sudden spike in blood sugar. This means your body has to work harder to process the sudden dump of glucose in your system, which is exactly what you should avoid if youre trying to reverse insulin resistance.

Instead, you should look for foods with a low glycemic index, which are digested more slowly, releasing a slow, steady stream of glucose into your system.

In addition to green veggies and fibrous fruits, foods that are high in protein or have whole grains are also usually low on the glycemic index.

Youll want to make sure your food has a glycemic index of no higher than 70, and preferably lower.