Living with Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

chillibreeze writer — Suchismitha Baddula

 
The main question in the minds of several people who read this article will be, “What is Insulin Resistance?” In India, we are witnessing a phenomenal rise in the incidence of diabetes and auto immune diseases. Surprisingly, a number of people know about diabetes but not a lot about Insulin Resistance.

My personal quest for the lowdown on this mysterious condition started when my doctor asked me to undergo a Glucose Tolerance Test.

Diabetes is predominantly of two types: Type I (or Insulin Dependent) and Type II (Non Insulin Dependent)

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is also known as adult onset diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

• An immediate effect of your cells being starved for energy
• A long term effect of high blood glucose levels hurting your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Insulin resistance occurs when the normal amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas is not able to unlock the door to cells.  To maintain a normal blood glucose level, the pancreas secretes additional insulin.  In some cases involving about 1/3 of the people with insulin resistance, when the body cells resist or do not respond to even high levels of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood resulting in high blood glucose or type 2 diabetes.  Even people with diabetes who take oral medication or require insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels can have higher than normal blood insulin levels due to insulin resistance.

The strange thing is that people with this condition have almost normal amounts of insulin being produced in their bodies. However, their bodies do not respond to this insulin. So how do we even know if we have this condition? Insulin resistance does not show up with specific symptoms, but if you have one or more of these conditions, it might be a good idea to approach a doctor:

1. Hypothyroidism
2. Obesity – especially around the abdomen
3. Skin lesions that include increased skin tags (a thickening of the skin that is like a wart) and a condition called acanthosis nigricans- a darkening and thickening of the skin especially in fold areas such as the neckline.
4. Gestational diabetes (Diabetes occurring during pregnancy)
5. Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOS) which is a hormone related problem often associated with irregular periods and infertility in women.
6. High blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol or arteriosclerosis
7. Any condition that needs the use of steroids

One theory is that people with Type II diabetes have a “thrifty” gene that was used in the past to cope with famine and lack of food. The lack of physical activity combined with the more comfortable lifestyles of today, have transformed the “thrifty” gene into a liability. Asians are particularly prone to this condition.

If you are constantly hungry and crave sweet food, if you are immediately hungry after a meal, if you are unreasonably sleepy after a meal or if you crave carbohydrates all the time – it’s time to listen to the warning bells!

Insulin resistance can be checked via a fasting glucose test or the Glucose Tolerance Test. Not all insulin resistant people end up being diabetic, but insulin resistance is an important precursor to it. In fact, most people in the insulin resistant stage may be in a pre-diabetic stage as well.

Once diagnosed, the condition can be managed by a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. Medication is also an important part of it.

Diet: Since carbohydrates cause higher insulin responses from the body, it is important to include carbohydrates with a low glycemic index in each meal.

The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood glucose levels. This index measures how much your blood glucose increases in the two or three hours after eating. Foods such as chana dal (chick peas), lentils, yogurt combined with high-fiber (oats, beans, non starchy vegetables, brown rice), low-fat diet and ample protein (soya, eggs, meat in small servings) are the right kinds for a person with Insulin resistance.

Exercise: Any sort is invaluable and an early morning walk has been proven to yield very good results. Yoga and pranayama can help increase sensitivity of the cells to insulin.
For the obese, weight loss can lead to a drop in Insulin Resistance.

Medication: Metformin (Glucophage) is a medicine used for treating diabetes, especially Insulin Resistance. It has two mechanisms of action that help to control blood glucose levels. It prevents the liver from releasing glucose into the blood, and it increases the sensitivity of muscle and fat cells to insulin so that they remove more glucose from the blood. Because of these actions, metformin reduces blood insulin levels. It is also essential to go for regular medical checkups with fasting blood glucose tests.

Above all, being diagnosed with Insulin Resistance or Type II diabetes can be a very traumatic experience and can lead to people feeling that they have lost control of their lives. Insulin Resistance or Type II diabetes can be serious conditions, but armed with the right knowledge and the right attitude, people can live long, healthy and happy lives.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

 

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

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—About our writer: Suchismitha says, "I'm a hedonist in the true sense of the word - I love to sleep, eat good food, watch good movies (action/thrillers/crime), read loads of books (same genre as the movies plus teen fiction) and laugh at things with my friends. Mostly, I masquerade as the mother of a 14 year old who's going on 70."

 

 

 

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