Insulin Resistance Diet Menu

Controlling insulin and blood sugar levels is key to sustainable weight loss, which is what makes low-carbohydrate dieting so effective. Because insulin is affected primarily by consumption of carbohydrates, its regulation makes sense if your goal is to minimize body fat while keeping weight in check. Not all carbs, however, are bad. To clear up confusion about beneficial and harmful types of food while on a diet, what follows is a sample eating plan for people who want to combat their insulin resistance.

Insulin and Insulin Resistance

Insulin is the primary storage hormone in your body. Its job to to clean up excess blood sugar in the bloodstream, transporting it to fat and muscle cells for use or storage. So insulin is released only when blood sugar becomes elevated, and nothing elevates blood sugar more than rapidly digested carbs. While high insulin levels are hardly a problem if they occur infrequently, chronically elevated insulin levels can, over time, make the body more resistant to its effects. In that case, your body has to release more insulin to produce the desired effect. Eventually, this can lead to the development of diabetes, a condition in which your body can no longer produce or properly manage insulin.

Lowering Insulin Resistance

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, you most certainly have a heightened level of insulin resistance. Fear not, however, because you can combat this problem with meticulous attention to detail in your diet. The best way to reverse a condition of insulin resistance is to remove the following food types from your diet: starchy carbs, refined (white) flours and sugar. Keep your carbohydrate intake to fruits, vegetables and limited amounts of whole grains for optimal benefits when it comes to reversing insulin resistance. Another good way to keep blood sugar constant (and insulin low) is to consume smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

Insulin Resistance Diet

A sample breakfast while on an insulin resistance diet could consist of eggs, turkey bacon, fruit salad and fresh-squeezed orange juice (with no added sugar). As a mid-morning snack, consume some almonds along with an apple or other piece of fruit. For lunch, eat two grilled chicken breasts, a garden salad with olive oil dressing and a pear. Between lunch and dinner, snack on beef jerky and grapes. Finally, for dinner, eat wild salmon with fresh (not canned) green beans and another salad, this time with balsamic dressing. This diet will keep your blood sugar under control throughout the day, providing your body with plenty of protein, fiber, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals and quality carbohydrates.