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Real Life Nutrition Questions Answered
printReal Life Fitness Questions Answered
Emma Brown
Nutritionist
Janet Aylott
Nutritionist
Kelly Marshall
Fitness Consultant
Q.
Do I have 'insulin resistance'?
Earlier on in a reply to a message you mentioned a possibility of there being 'insulin resistant' and, as I definitely carry a lot of weight around my middle compared to the rest of me, with a diet high in carbohydrates, this got my interest!
Although I'm not going to try and use it as an excuse to explain my weight or my gain of it, I am interested in learning a bit more about it and possibly some ideas at how to soften the blow of it a little, even if it is only a vague 'maybe'. I've looked on the internet a bit but it's hard to know what to trust!
Thank you xx
A.
Our expert says...
Carrying excess weight around the middle can be a sign of insulin resistance, but can also occur for other reasons too. For example, you may have inherited a genetic disposition to store excess fat in that region (is it common in the rest of your family?) Fat storage around the middle also tends to occur more as we get older.
Just to recap, and for others reading this, insulin resistance is a syndrome in which cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin and this causes the pancreas to secrete more and more of it. This can occur if the diet is, or has been, high in sugar, sugary products and drinks (including alcohol) or refined carbohydrates, as these quickly break down into sugar in the body.
As insulin stimulates fat storage, this is how insulin resistance can lead to increased weight gain, particularly around the middle of the body. Just to make matters worse, high insulin levels in the blood also mean that blood sugar levels are kept quite low, which, in turn, often prompts cravings for sugary foods too. And so it becomes a vicious circle!
To avoid this, it is best to minimise sugar and refined carbs in the diet (except for an occasional treat, of course!) and eat low Glycaemic Index (GI) carbohydrates. These are ?brown? carbs - wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice etc. Take a look at the website www.the-gi-diet.org to identify low GI foods and maybe get some inspirational recipe ideas at the same time!
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