The Pima Indians, descendants of the prehistoric Hokoham, have lived in Arizona since before the first non-Native American settlers arrived. Like all tribes, their diets consisted of food sources surrounding them, always a challenge in the harsh desert they called home…

Insulin resistance (IR) is the precursor to Type 2 diabetes. It can start as early as 20 years prior to a diabetes diagnosis. And, to put another twist into it, some people go their entire life without high blood sugar but still have IR.

There are 3 problems with this:

• Most people are never diagnosed and get frustrated that they have no answers to the symptoms they have
• The same life-threatening illnesses that afflict diabetics also strike those with IR including: heart disease, cognitive decline, retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney disease, obesity, cancer, stroke and depression.
• This is NOT part of a normal blood panel; that’s why it’s not diagnosed.

HERE’S THE LOW-DOWN

NORMAL INSULIN METABOLISM:

Let’s say you eat some type of carbohydrate. When it enters the bloodstream, the carbohydrate is converted to glucose. Glucose needs to absorb into the cells of muscle, fat and the liver so that you are able to use them for energy. In order to do this, the pancreas produces a transmitting substance, insulin. So, insulin “knocks” on the door of the cells; the cells lets them in. Now you have immediate energy and energy stored for later; this is normal metabolism.

ABNORMAL INSULIN METABOLISM:

Everything goes wrong when the cells don’t “hear” the knock on their door. So, more insulin is released; this is insulin resistance. If the knock still isn’t heard, even more insulin is released. At this point, the blood sugar continues to rise. This will happen, initially, after eating meals. Eventually, it will happen in a fasting state; and Type 2 diabetes has begun. The increased demand and stress on the pancreas could cause it to shut down completely leading to insulin-dependent diabetes.

WHAT TO DO:

The good news: IR is nearly 100% preventable. Type 2 diabetes is preventable. But, action and change must occur. As your health coach, I’ll work with you to find what’s causing this issue and together, we’ll work on a long-term solution.

DO YOU HAVE INSULIN RESISTANCE?

Fill out the questionnaire below to find out if you might have IR.

Answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions:

1. Do you feel hungry either immediately or within a few hours after eating?
2. If you miss a meal, do you feel irritable, tired, or “hungry”?
3. Do you tend to retain water after eating salty foods?
4. Do you get tired or feel lethargic after eating a meal (without caffeine)?
5. Do you have any relatives with diabetes, high or low blood sugar?
6. Do you have a family history of anyone with gout, obesity, heart disease or PCOS?
7. Do you have high blood pressure or are you on blood pressure medication?
8. Do you carry any extra weight around the midsection?
9. Do you tend to gain weight easily if you over-eat or over-eat carbs?
10. Do you crave sweet, starchy, or crunchy carbohydrate snacks or foods?
11. Do you have mood swings which seem to be relieved by eating carbs?
12. Do you feel tired in the afternoon or early evening (without caffeine)?
13. Do you have high cholesterol, triglycerides or are you taking medication for this?
14. Have you ever been told that your blood sugar was high?
15. Do you have a high BMI? See chart on following page.

SCORING: Add up the number of “Yes” answers

0-1 You likely don’t have insulin resistance.

2-5 You may have early insulin resistance.

6-10 You likely have moderate insulin resistance.

11-15 You likely have significant insulin resistance.

NOW WHAT?

If you’re in the 4+ range, click here to schedule a FREE 30 minute strategy session. We’ll discuss where you are on this continuum and how you can stop it before more issues arise.