The Role of Insulin
Every time you eat, insulin rises to store glucose. • Glucose first fills the liver and muscle glycogen “tanks.”
Once those tanks are full, excess glucose is stored as fat. • Eating highly processed or sugary foods causes frequent spikes in insulin, leading to insulin resistance—where fat stays locked away and energy levels crash.
However, the type of food we eat greatly influences how much insulin our pancreas must release. Too much insulin = the body stores the fat. Antilipolytic – Anti (against) lipolysis (fat burning)
Foods That Trigger the Highest Insulin Response
- Refined Carbohydrates o White bread, pastries, sugary cereals o These are digested quickly, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar and a sharp rise in insulin.
- Sugary Beverages o Soda, energy drinks, sweetened teas o Liquids with high sugar content are absorbed almost instantly, forcing the body to pump out insulin quickly.
- Starchy Foods o White rice, potatoes, past. Even without added sugar, these starchy foods break down into glucose rapidly, leading to high insulin demand.
- Ultra-Processed Snacks o Chips, candy bars, fast food o Often a combination of refined carbs, unhealthy fats, and added sugars, which exaggerates insulin release.
- Certain Dairy Products o Interestingly, milk and yogurt (even unsweetened) can cause a disproportionately high insulin response compared to their sugar content, due to specific amino acids and hormones present.
Insulin resistance can be quite sneaky because a person may have it for some time without obvious symptoms. The body is producing insulin, but the cells become less responsive to it, so the pancreas has to produce more insulin to keep blood glucose under control.
Some common signs and clues include:
- Difficulty losing weight, particularly around the abdomen, despite eating reasonably well and exercising.
- Weight gain around the waist or increasing abdominal fat.
- Strong cravings for sugar or refined carbohydrates, especially in the afternoon or evening.
- Feeling hungry soon after eating, even after a substantial meal.
- Energy crashes, particularly after meals.
- Feeling tired or sleepy after eating, especially after a carbohydrate-rich meal.
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating.
- Feeling shaky, irritable or weak when hungry, sometimes improving quickly after eating.
- Increased thirst or urination when blood glucose becomes elevated.
- High blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol/triglyceride levels.
- Darkened, thickened skin, particularly around the neck, armpits or groin (called acanthosis nigricans).
- Skin tags, which can sometimes be associated with insulin resistance.
- In women, irregular periods or symptoms associated with PCOS can sometimes occur alongside insulin resistance.
One important point for your wellness material: having no symptoms does not rule out insulin resistance. Someone can have elevated insulin levels while their blood glucose still appears normal.
If insulin resistance is suspected, useful tests to discuss with a healthcare professional include fasting glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin and a lipid profile. A doctor may also assess waist circumference, blood pressure and other risk factors.
A particularly useful section could be the idea that:
“When insulin is continually elevated, the body can find it harder to access stored fat for energy. This can contribute to hunger, cravings and difficulty losing weight. Intermittent fasting gives insulin levels periods of time to fall, allowing the body to move more readily between using glucose and stored fat for energy.”
For more details on insulin and weight loss: Marie’s Mind &Body Healing Series – Benefits of intermittent fasting —- https://naturalhealthsolutions.info/?p=2047