Insulin is among the most important hormones as regards the control of blood glucose. Deficiency of this hormone or inability of the body to utilize it is a predisposing factor for elevated blood sugar levels. Such levels may lead to short term and long term complications. Insulin resistance occurs when the receptors for the hormone cannot utilize it. It is a common underlying problem in type 2 diabetes mellitus. There are number of things that one can do to reverse insulin resistance.
One of the first steps that one has to undertake is to modify the diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible because they are a direct source of glucose once they have been metabolized. They may result in persistent high levels of blood sugar and increase the risk of hormonal resistance. The general advice is that carbohydrates should be about one third of the meal.
Generally, the glycemic index of proteins, fruits and vegetables is lower than that of carbohydrates. This means that these foods have a lower tendency to raise the level of blood sugar as compared to carbohydrates. Their proportion of the regular diet should, therefore, be increased even as that of carbohydrates is reduced. Supplements are other additions that should be added as well. Those deemed to be most beneficial include fish oil, magnesium, calcium, multivitamins and chromium.
Regular physical exercise is another important intervention that can be undertaken. There are two main benefits related to regular exercise. Among them is the fact that physical activity reduces the amount of central abdominal fat, a known predisposing factor to many metabolic conditions including diabetes. Another benefit is that during physical exercise, muscles contract and increase their uptake of glucose from the blood stream.
Stress is a well-known predisposing factor for fluctuations in blood sugar levels and by extension, hormonal resistance. If stress is not brought under control, it promotes weight gain and is likely to increase the production of a catabolic hormone known as cortisol. The hormone promotes breakdown of macromolecules to produce glucose. It is important to set time aside for relaxation activities such as meditation, yoga and biofeedback among others.
Related to stress management is the issue of getting adequate sleep. Like uncontrolled stress, poor quality sleep has the potential to cause derangement in the levels of blood sugars. Some of the causes of poor quality sleep include a noisy environment, obstructive sleep apnea and long working hours that disrupt the sleep wake cycle. The average adult should aim for at least 6 hours of quality sleep.
Drugs can be considered if the lifestyle changes fail to yield the desired results. There are many alternatives that exist. Biguanides (of which metformin is a well-known example) are among the commonly used types. Their mechanism of action involves an improvement in the functioning of the insulin receptors. Another major group is that of the thiazolidinediones. The drugs in this group increase the cellular response to glucose.
Among the leading causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This phenomenon is seen when the cells fail to respond to insulin in spite of the latter being present in the body in adequate amounts. There are several things that can be done so as to reverse this condition. They include regular physical exercise, stress reduction and diet modification among others.
One of the first steps that one has to undertake is to modify the diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible because they are a direct source of glucose once they have been metabolized. They may result in persistent high levels of blood sugar and increase the risk of hormonal resistance. The general advice is that carbohydrates should be about one third of the meal.
Generally, the glycemic index of proteins, fruits and vegetables is lower than that of carbohydrates. This means that these foods have a lower tendency to raise the level of blood sugar as compared to carbohydrates. Their proportion of the regular diet should, therefore, be increased even as that of carbohydrates is reduced. Supplements are other additions that should be added as well. Those deemed to be most beneficial include fish oil, magnesium, calcium, multivitamins and chromium.
Regular physical exercise is another important intervention that can be undertaken. There are two main benefits related to regular exercise. Among them is the fact that physical activity reduces the amount of central abdominal fat, a known predisposing factor to many metabolic conditions including diabetes. Another benefit is that during physical exercise, muscles contract and increase their uptake of glucose from the blood stream.
Stress is a well-known predisposing factor for fluctuations in blood sugar levels and by extension, hormonal resistance. If stress is not brought under control, it promotes weight gain and is likely to increase the production of a catabolic hormone known as cortisol. The hormone promotes breakdown of macromolecules to produce glucose. It is important to set time aside for relaxation activities such as meditation, yoga and biofeedback among others.
Related to stress management is the issue of getting adequate sleep. Like uncontrolled stress, poor quality sleep has the potential to cause derangement in the levels of blood sugars. Some of the causes of poor quality sleep include a noisy environment, obstructive sleep apnea and long working hours that disrupt the sleep wake cycle. The average adult should aim for at least 6 hours of quality sleep.
Drugs can be considered if the lifestyle changes fail to yield the desired results. There are many alternatives that exist. Biguanides (of which metformin is a well-known example) are among the commonly used types. Their mechanism of action involves an improvement in the functioning of the insulin receptors. Another major group is that of the thiazolidinediones. The drugs in this group increase the cellular response to glucose.
Among the leading causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This phenomenon is seen when the cells fail to respond to insulin in spite of the latter being present in the body in adequate amounts. There are several things that can be done so as to reverse this condition. They include regular physical exercise, stress reduction and diet modification among others.
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