How to Cure Insulin Resistance Naturally

When it comes to protecting your body from diabetes, heart disease, and other long-term health complications, one of the best things you can do now is work on lowering and then eradicating insulin resistance. While that may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be too difficult! If you’re wondering how to cure insulin resistance naturally or increase your insulin sensitivity, a few key lifestyle changes help.

What is the main cause of insulin resistance? Can you reverse it?

So, what is insulin resistance? Insulin is a hormone in your body that’s responsible for regulating your blood sugar levels, which is the concentration of glucose (a fancy word for “sugar”) that’s coursing through your bloodstream at any given time. If your blood sugar is too high or too low for an extended period of time, that can lead to a number of issues. In the short term, it can cause side effects like dizziness, hot flashes, or fainting. But in the long term, it can lead to diabetes and heart disease as well as a number of much more serious symptoms and complications that come with both conditions.

Instead, what you’re looking for is increased insulin sensitivity, which is when the body gauges how much sugar is present and is able to self-regulate accordingly without any additional intervention, like taking medication. When insulin levels are properly maintained, your body has enough energy to sustain itself during the day, and you won’t experience many of the ups and downs that come with not having the proper amount of sugar.

If you’re wondering how to cure insulin resistance naturally and without the use of medication, there are several lifestyle factors to consider that aren’t too difficult to incorporate into your daily routine.

What exercise is best for insulin resistance?

One of the simplest steps you can take if you want to cure insulin resistance is to get moving! Research illustrates that regular exercise is an easy way to jumpstart insulin sensitivity and help your body regulate its own sugar levels.

And there’s more good news: You don’t even have to exercise for hours upon hours every day to see results! One scientific review found that working up a sweat for just 30 minutes five days a week can make a huge difference. Try doing three days of higher intensity cardio and two days of strength training work so that you mix things up.

Does it make it hard to lose weight?

One of the best ways to work on your insulin sensitivity is to focus on weight loss if you’re overweight. That’s because an increase in weight gain, particularly belly fat, reduces insulin sensitivity over time and makes it harder for your body to maintain its normal range of sugar levels.

There are also promising results showing the effectiveness of a keto diet and intermittent fasting to not only lose weight but decrease blood sugar levels and lower the risk of diabetes. This is because the body begins burning more fat instead of sugar as its main energy source, which regulates insulin levels in the process. If you’re considering making this switch, it’s worth talking to your doctor about your options and seeing what may work best for you.

Which foods decrease insulin resistance?

Fruits and vegetables, as well as other whole foods, are vital for keeping insulin resistance to a minimum and making sure that your body is monitoring your blood sugar levels as it should. Good ol’ fruits and veggies also eliminate free radicals, which can damage cells over time and contribute to health issues like insulin resistance and diabetes. Avoiding added sugars and trans fats is another good start, since they both can spike the glucose in your blood.

Fiber, both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, is also important for monitoring insulin sensitivity and preventing insulin resistance, as it helps food move through the digestive tract while simultaneously lowering cholesterol and suppressing your appetite.

Which herbs and spices help?

A number of herbs and spices can make a difference in your well-being and insulin resistance. Turmeric, ginger, and garlic are all known for their ability to bring down blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes and heart disease.

Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties thanks to a compound called curcumin, while ginger’s main ingredient, gingerol, increases the sensitivity of cellular sugar receptors. Meanwhile, garlic has active antioxidants that help regular insulin secretion.

Does sleep affect insulin resistance?

Numerous studies have found that insulin resistance is linked to a lack of sleep and to poor quality sleep. While you should be aiming for the recommended eight hours of shut-eye per night, research shows that even just getting an extra hour of sleep per night can increase and sustain increased insulin sensitivity over time.

Sleep is also helpful not just for its restorative and healing effects on the body but also because it aids in stress relief, which is a key component of reversing and curing insulin resistance. The less stress you have, the more likely your body is to regulate its blood sugar levels and prevent other issues.

Which supplements lower resistance?

Studies show that a number of different supplements may be able to boost insulin sensitivity levels. These include chromium, berberine, magnesium, and resveratrol.

Chromium (Buy on Amazon, $8.73) aids in speeding up your metabolism; berberine (Buy on Amazon, $21.95) lowers blood sugar; magnesium (Buy on Amazon, $8.59) helps with insulin receptor sensitivity; and resveratrol (Buy on Amazon, $17.99) combats overall insulin resistance. As with any supplement, talk to your doctor before beginning a new regimen!

It may be overwhelming to make so many lifestyle changes at once, so instead, start with a few that are the easiest for you to implement and then work your way up from there. Insulin resistance doesn’t have to become a larger issue in your life if you tackle to root causes from the beginning!