Fortunately, specific lifestyle changes can help despite the complex mechanisms behind insulin resistance.
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1.
Exercise More
Physical activity is an essential piece of overall wellness.
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The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans outlines exercise recommendations for adults to improve their health.
Losing extra weight can decrease your body’s fat stores, lower inflammation, and improveinsulin sensitivity.
Make Dietary Changes
Nutrition is a crucial factor in improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.
A well-balanced diet helps manage blood sugar spikes and reduces inflammation, both of which contribute to insulin resistance.
The best approach is to emphasize nutrient-dense foods and reduce ultra-processed foods with minimal nutritional value.
Take inventory of your current dietary habits and identify areas for improvement.
They generally result in dramatic spikes in blood sugar levels and can contribute to unwanted weight gain.
Increase Fiber
Fiber is only found in plant foods.
High saturated fat intake is known to reduce insulin sensitivity.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is your body’s time to repair, rest, and rejuvenate.
Ongoing sleep deprivation affects your overall well-being, including aspects of your metabolic health.
Poor or inadequate sleep disrupts normal hormonal balance, including cortisol (the stress hormone) and insulin.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress leads to elevated cortisol levels, which can increase blood sugar and decrease insulin sensitivity.
Try some of these stress management tools:
6.
By quitting smoking, your body can reduce these harmful effects, allowing for improved insulin sensitivity.
If you need help quitting smoking, reach out to a healthcare provider or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
For example, they may provide nutrients you are lacking that support metabolic health and normal blood sugar regulation.
They appear to act on the mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses of your cells.
Magnesium
This mineral is essential for numerous biochemical reactions, including glucose metabolism.
Chromium
This mineral is thought to support insulin action by improving cellular uptake of glucose.
However, research suggests that dietary chromium isn’t well-absorbed.
Duringperiods of fasting, your body switches from using carbohydrates (glucose) for energy to stored fat.
Over time, this can reduce overall fat mass and inflammation, which can otherwise promote insulin resistance.
Some research suggests that intermittent fasting also boosts the production of hormones likeadiponectin, which benefits blood sugar regulation.
Still, intermittent fasting isn’t guaranteed to benefit everyone, and people can have different experiences with it.
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