What You Need to Know About Insulin Resistance + Prediabetes

Our top tips and tricks to reverse insulin resistance and a prediabetes diagnosis.

Insulin resistance and prediabetes are closely related, but are distinct conditions. Insulin resistance is where cells don’t respond properly to insulin, while prediabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Unfortunately, insulin resistance is often a precursor to prediabetes and, if not addressed, can progress to type 2 diabetes.

The Hard Facts

• Studies show that about 40% of adults aged 18 to 44 have insulin resistance.
• Obesity and being overweight are major contributors to insulin resistance.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 98 million adults in the United States have prediabetes. This represents about 1 in 3 adults.  That’s a lot.
• Prediabetes is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
• About 81% of those with prediabetes are unaware of their condition.

The Good News

Insulin resistance and prediabetes are both considered lifestyle conditions. That means, with diet and lifestyle changes, you can become more insulin sensitive and the prediabetes marker, a 3 month glucose level-HbA1C, can decrease into the normal range.

4 Questions You Can Ask Yourself to Quick Check Your Insulin Sensitivity and Circulating Glucose

1. Do you have difficulty losing weight, especially around your waist? Excess body fat, particularly abdominal fat, is strongly linked to insulin resistance.
2. Do you frequently crave sweets and carbohydrates, and feel hungry even after meals? These can be signs that your body isn’t effectively utilizing glucose for energy due to insulin resistance, leading to the need for quick fixes in the form of sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods.
3. Do you feel sleepy after eating or shaky when going without food for several hours? Fatigue and sleepiness after meals or experiencing shakiness between meals can be indicators of fluctuating blood sugar levels.
4. Do any first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) have diabetes or a history of central obesity? A family history of diabetes or obesity, especially central obesity, increases your risk of developing insulin resistance.

Reversing Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes

To effectively reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes, focus on lifestyle modifications including a balanced diet including weight management, and movement.

Here’s how:

• Prioritize whole foods: Include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables EVERYDAY, as well as whole grains (not white), which are rich in fiber and nutrients. The Mediterranean diet does this quite well!
• Manage carbohydrate intake: Opt for complex or slow-digesting carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes) over simple or fast-digesting carbohydrates (white bread, sugary drinks). Again, the Mediterranean diet really helps steer you toward slow carbs.
• Increase fiber: Fiber from colorful fruits + veggies helps regulate blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity.
• Reduce added sugars: Limit consumption of sugary drinks, desserts and processed foods. That’s not to say you can NEVER have them, but limit them to once a week-ish.
• Consider protein intake: Include protein throughout the day. This can be plant and/or animal, and is great for keeping you full, managing weight and maintaining muscle mass.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking enough water can help regulate blood sugar levels and improve overall health. Lots and lots of water!
• Physical activity: MOVE every day. Regular physical activity, such as walking, and a bit of resistance training really do assist in improving insulin sensitivity and help move glucose into muscles. A simple walk is impactful. Just 20 minutes a day is huge. If you can do more, great!
• Weight management: Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight, especially around the abdomen, is closely linked to insulin resistance. Even a small amount of weight loss (5-7%) can make a significant difference.
• Prioritize sleep: Pay attention to your sleep consistency.  Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night. Not getting enough good sleep can negatively impact blood sugar control. While wearing a continuous glucose monitor, it was stunning to see the difference a good night’s sleep made to lower my circulating glucose. Good sleep makes a big difference.
• Manage stress: Chronic stress can elevate blood sugar levels. Practice stress-reducing techniques as best you can. Yoga, meditation, spending time in nature, and a gratitude journal are wonderful tools.

We Can Help

At Healthy Nest, we take the time to change your food habits and create a healthful lifestyle for YOU, that YOU can manage. Food changes are tricky, but we have calorie and macro suggestions, four weeks of menus + recipes, easy swaps, eating out and travel tips, and other lifestyle hacks that fold seamlessly into your current life.

We try to be efficient with time (4 hours total through the Custom Nutrition Program with all info easily accessible online and tailored to you. Our job is to develop a do-able, delicious AND sustainable food framework so that you can reverse insulin resistance and a prediabetes diagnosis. 

This isn’t a one and done. Once you reverse the situation, you have to LIVE that way. We help you get used to eating for your health and we take that goal very seriously.  

Learn more about our Custom Nutrition Program and book a complimentary phone consultation with Healthy Nest Nutrition founder Robin Hutchinson to see if our programs are right for you.