How Are Seborrheic Keratoses Treated
Seborrheic keratoses are harmless and are not contagious. Therefore, they don’t need to be treated.
If you decide to have seborrheic keratoses removed because you don’t like the way they look, or because they are chronically irritated by clothing, methods for removing them include cutting them off, cryosurgery, and electrosurgery.
What If My Fasting Insulin Test Results Are Bad
If your results are less than optimal, dont panic! The good thing is weve caught a trend toward pre-diabetes early on, which means theres time to turn it around. By being proactive about your health, youve made an excellent choice for your future.
Fortunately, you can make changes now to prevent yourself from developing chronic blood sugar illnesses.
And make no mistake: plenty of research has shown insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, and even type 2 diabetes can be addressed through diet and lifestyle changes, as the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website states.
We encourage you to engage your primary healthcare provider, as well as health coaches, to evaluate your results and work together to help you create positive, healthy lifestyle changes.
Medical Definition Of Insulin Resistance
- Medical Editor: Jay W. Marks, MD
Reviewed on 6/3/2021
Insulin resistance: The diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in transporting glucose from the bloodstream into muscle and other tissues. Insulin resistance typically develops with obesity and heralds the onset of type 2 diabetes. It is as if insulin is “knocking” on the door of muscle. The muscle hears the knock, opens up, and lets glucose in. But with insulin resistance, the muscle cannot hear the knocking of the insulin . The pancreas makes more insulin, which increases insulin levels in the blood and causes a louder “knock.” Eventually, the pancreas produces far more insulin than normal and the muscles continue to be resistant to the knock. As long as one can produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance, blood glucose levels remain normal. Once the pancreas is no longer able to keep up, blood glucose starts to rise, initially after meals, eventually even in the fasting state.
Also Check: Can Diabetics Eat Macaroni And Cheese
Can Insulin Resistance Be Prevented Or Avoided
You cannot prevent or avoid risk factors such as race, age, and a family medical history. You can take steps to reduce your insulin resistance by losing weight , exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet. Choose healthy carbohydrates. For example, eat whole grain bread instead of white bread, drink water instead of soda, and reduce your intake of sugary foods.
If you have or have had gestational diabetes, insulin resistance typically goes away after you give birth. However, you are at greater risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when you are older. That should be a warning to change your diet and lifestyle early so that you can delay it for as long as possible.
Insulin Resistance In Woman Your Guide
What does it mean to be insulin resistant?
First up, lets go back to basics. What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps remove glucose from the bloodstream and move it into your cells, where it is used for energy, Hobson says.
Essentially, it is produced when blood glucose levels aka blood sugar levels rise, for example, after you eat. The release of insulin helps to lower the blood sugar levels, so they stay within a normal, healthy range.
Insulin resistance occurs when the cells found in the liver, muscle and fat no longer respond well to insulin, and as such the body has difficulty taking up glucose, says Hobson. When this happens, your pancreas compensates by making more insulin. If your pancreas can keep making enough insulin to overcome the weak response by cells, then your blood glucose levels can remain healthy.
But if it cant?
Insulin resistance is on the rise around one in three adults has prediabetes
The next stage is prediabetes, which can occur in people with insulin resistance who cant produce enough insulin to manage blood glucose levels. Blood sugar levels fall out of the healthy range and, over time, if left untreated, this can result in diabetes.
What is the main cause of insulin resistance?
Scary stuff, right? But how do you know if youre at an increased risk? Common factors that may result in you developing insulin resistance, include:
How do you know if youre insulin resistant?
2. Losing excess weight
Read Also: Can You Get Diabetes If You Re Skinny
What Are The Symptoms Of Insulin Resistance
The following are common symptoms of insulin resistance:
- Acne
- Weight gain, especially belly fat
- Fatigue after eating
- Needing to eat frequently for energy
- Hormone imbalances, including PCOS and infertility in women
- Craving carbohydrate foods
As a precautionary measure, we recommend getting fasting insulin tests done even if you dont have the above symptoms.
You Crave Carbs And Sugar
Do you love a sweet treat? Or maybe you love those salty junk foods?
These cravings are fueled by insulin resistance. The more you eat them, the more your body wants them.
Your body becomes accustomed to craving more sugar and it becomes an addiction.
Is there such a thing as sugar addition? YES!!!
In fact, there are studies that use fMRI scans to conclude that sugar activates the same brain regions that are activated when a person consumes drugs like cocaine.
That is why breaking a sugar addiction is straight-up hard. Sugar is that bad boy that we lust for but in the end, will only end up breaking your heart.
Unfortunately, this vicious cycle can mess with your hormones and waistline. Leaving you with extra unwanted pounds and unbalanced hormones that cause you to feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster.
Constantly craving these types of carbohydrates is not normal. Make sure you read this article for more detailed information on insulin resistant foods to avoid.
To reduce cravings, try insulin resistance supplements like Ovasitol which promotes insulin sensitivity. Ovasitol has been shown to reduce sugar cravings and promote normal hormone levels. To learn more about how Ovasitol can help PCOS and insulin resistance, check out this review on Ovasitol for PCOS.
OVASITOL is a 100% pure inositol supplement to promote menstrual regularity, normal ovarian function, and insulin sensitivity. Inositols are one of the best supplements for insulin resistance.
Also Check: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar
To Improve Insulin Sensitivity Get Less:
- Industrialized seed oils such as canola, vegetable, and corn oils. These are inflammatory oils and should be avoided if possible. The inflammation triggered as a result of these oils can reduce your cells ability to respond to the message insulin sends.
- Refined carbohydrates. Breads, pasta, cereal, cookies, and other processed carbohydrates spike blood sugar the most, and create more work for your pancreas. They generally provide little to no nutrition and can contribute to chronically high insulin levels.
- Sugar. Sugar has many forms. Added sugars like candy and desserts are more obvious, but sugar can lurk in drinks, condiments, and many foods that quickly add up throughout the day. Some of the worst culprits are foods we think of as healthy like granola or fruit juice.
How To Accurately Assess Your Level Of Insulin Resistance
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Understanding insulin resistance can be somewhat challenging, but it doesnt have to be.
At Mastering Diabetes, our mission is to provide you with a clear understanding of what causes insulin resistance, and provide you with the tools to reverse it using your food as medicine, so that you can maximize your metabolic health safely and effectively.
Our team hears the following statement all the time: My A1c is now in the non-diabetic range. Does that mean that I reversed insulin resistance completely? If not, what am I supposed to do now?
The what now? part of the question is important, because if youve fully adopted a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food lifestyle, then your habits will continue to improve your insulin sensitivity over time.
Read Also: Can You Get Diabetes If You Re Skinny
Reducing Your Insulin Resistance Will Pay Off
As a type 1 diabetic, you cant afford not to be focusing on minimizing your insulin resistance. Literally. The more readily your body accepts the insulin you inject into it, the less insulin you will need to use. That means spending less money on insulin. And we all know how much those little vials and pens cost.
I went to a diabetes Meetup recently where everyone shared how much basal and bolus insulin they used a day. I was blown away at some of the numbers I heard. Some people, even those younger than me and who had had diabetes less time than me, were using more insulin a day than I loaded in my reservoir to last three days.
But its not all about the insulin or even the resistance to it.
Insulin resistance is just one factor in the cyclical world of diabetes. Exercising, building muscle in place of body fat, reducing your stress levels, and eating a diet of unprocessed, healthy foods that nourish your body instead of poison it, are all key to helping you control your blood sugars more easily.
And the more normal your blood sugars, the lower your insulin resistance. And the healthier you will be for the long run.
Functional Medicine To Reverse Insulin Resistance
Being more insulin sensitive is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. Fortunately, there are many small steps you can incorporate right now the benefit your insulin sensitivity, no matter where you are on your health journey.
You have the power to have a significant and life-changing impact upon your health, and CentreSpringMD can provide the tools you need to reach your goals.
Contact us today to learn how you can reverse your insulin resistance and improve your health.
Also Check: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar
Insulin Resistance In Children
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
Insulin resistance is a pathological condition strongly associated with obesity. However, corticosteroids or growth hormone therapy and genetic diseases may affect insulin sensitivity lifelong. In obese children and adolescents of any age there is an evident association between IR and an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes and other elements contributing to the metabolic syndrome, leading to a higher cardiovascular risk. Therefore, early diagnosis and interventions in the attempt to prevent T2D when glycemia values are still normal is fundamental. The gold standard technique used to evaluate IR is the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, however it is costly and difficult to perform in clinical and research sets. Therefore, several surrogate markers have been proposed. Although the treatment of insulin resistance in children is firstly targeted to lifestyle interventions, in selected cases the integration of a pharmacological intervention might be taken into consideration. The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge on IR in children, starting with an outline of the recent evidences about the congenital forms of deficiency in insulin functioning and therefore focusing on the physiopathology of IR, its appropriate measurement, consequences, treatment options and prevention strategies.
Less Risk Of All Disease
This seems like a lofty statement, but evidence supports its truth. Healthy, balanced blood sugar and insulin sensitivity are essential for whole-body health. Insulin resistance increases risk of all chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, Alzheimers disease, Type 2 diabetes, and much more .
Recommended Reading: Does Type 2 Diabetes Need Insulin
F Stands For Fasting Blood Glucose
Your fasting blood glucose value is a key indicator of your level of insulin resistance, and is important to monitor daily when living with any form of diabetes. As you become more insulin sensitive, your fasting blood glucose is likely to decrease.
Monitoring your daily fasting blood glucose is a simple way to measure how your diet is affecting your glycemic control. The goal is to achieve a consistent fasting blood glucose between 80-100 mg/dL.
As you transition to a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet, you are likely to experience fluctuations in your fasting blood glucose, but an overall downward trend is a great indicator of increased insulin sensitivity.
Fasting Blood Glucose Target: 80-100 mg/dL
Consequences Of Insulin Resistance In Children
The adverse effects of IR are primarily due to the hyperinsulinemia which occurs in case of IR . Reduced insulin sensitivity represents an important risk factor for the development of T2D , being one of the two fundamental elements involved in the pathogenesis of T2D, together with -cell dysfunction . IR is strongly correlated with hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension, high C-reactive protein levels, T2D and low plasma HDL-cholesterol. In addition, MS and cardiometabolic risk factors are well-known outcomes of IR in several ethnic groups . In fact, IR has been demonstrated to be a reliable marker in the prediction of cardiovascular risk .
An observational study on a Japanese adult population from the Kyushu-Okinawa Population Study and on an American sample of adult Caucasian individuals from the Framingham Offspring Study revealed that the prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases in Japanese population was much lower than the one observed in the USA8. More importantly, these differences could not be considered secondary to standard cardiovascular disease risk factors, but were related to significant population differences in IR .
It has been suggested that IR may be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, according to the evidence that the more pronounced IR in youths is, the more circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction are elevated, while adiponectin, which plays an antiatherogenic role, is reduced .
Read Also: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar
How Is Insulin Resistance Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, your personal and family medical history, evaluate your weight, and take your blood pressure. Diagnosing insulin resistance requires a blood test. This might be done through a small finger prick or by having a small needle inserted into a vein to take a sample of blood. You will often be required to fast 8 hours before the test. The blood sample will be sent to a lab for testing. It will test your fasting blood sugar. Anything more than 100 mg/dL is an indication of insulin resistance. Your doctor also may have the lab check your cholesterol levels . People with insulin resistance often have high cholesterol.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends blood glucose screening of all pregnant women for gestational diabetes after the 24th week of pregnancy. Also, the AAFP recommends blood glucose screening for adults age 40 to 70 years who are overweight or obese and may be at risk of heart disease.
Skin Tags/darkening Of The Skin
Insulin resistance causes darkening of the skin usually around the neck and areas where there are folds in the skin and is referred to as acanthosis nigricans.
You may also notice skin tags. Skin tags can occur on the neck, eyelids, underarms, in your groin area, and under your breasts.
You can tell a lot about someone and their health based on their skins appearance. If it is dry and flaky, it means you are dehydrated. Acne can signal inflammation and insulin resistance. Yellowing skin can be a sign of liver problems.
Pay attention to the health of your skin, it tells a story.
While skin tags can be unsightly, they arent harmful to you. You can remove them if you want. You can either try to remove them yourself with an over-the-counter product or you can have a dermatologist remove them for you.
Recommended Reading: What Is A High Blood Sugar Reading
Answers To Your Questions About Prediabetes And Diabetes
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Q: My doctor told me that I have insulin resistance, and that I may be headed for diabetes. What is insulin resistance, and what can I do about it?
A: The cells of your body need sugar for energy. The sugar they need is glucose, which powers your brain, muscles, and other parts of your body, just as gasoline powers a car. To get glucose into your cells, your body makes insulin, a hormone that acts like a key. It attaches to the surface of your cells, allowing glucose to enter. For some people, the cells do not respond well to insulin. Imagine that you try to start your car and insert your key into the ignition, only to find that it does not turn very easily. Looking more closely, you discover that some mischievous person put gum in your ignition. There is nothing wrong with your key, but your ignition does not work right.
Q: What causes it?
Q: Does insulin resistance cause other problems too?
Q: So if sugar is building up in the bloodstream, does that mean I should avoid carbohydrates, such as bread or rice?
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What Are The Complications Of Insulin Resistance
The long-term consequences of insulin resistance include the effects of diabetes and certain malignancies associated with obesity and insulin resistance .
The hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia, and release of adipocyte cytokines associated with insulin resistance lead to vascular endothelialdysfunction, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and vascular inflammation. These effects promote the development of the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Recommended Reading: Smoking And Insulin Resistance
What Foods Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Foods that are particularly helpful for people trying to prevent type 2 diabetes and maintain a healthy weight are similar to the low glycemic index foods described above:
- Vegetables and fruits provide fiber and vitamins.
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products provide calcium and strengthen bones. Avoid full-fat dairy products, as high-fat foods can worsen insulin resistance.
- Whole-grain products have a lower glycemic index than refined grains and are rich in fiber.
- Nuts contain fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- Some fish can be a source of “good” fats, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, or sardines.
- Lean meats or beans are an excellent source of protein.
Several studies have confirmed that weight loss — and even aerobic exercise without weight loss — increases the rate at which muscle cells take glucose from the blood as a result of improved sensitivity to insulin.