5 Incredibly Powerful Eating Tips That Boost Insulin Sensitivity Naturally
5 Incredibly Powerful Eating Tips That Boost Insulin Sensitivity Naturally
5 Incredibly Powerful Eating Tips That Boost Insulin Sensitivity Naturally
Scientific research has demonstrated foods like vinegar, lemon, lime, walnuts, almonds, green
tea, cinnamon, and turmeric have insulin-sensitizing properties. Including nutrient-dense foods
like these in your diet may help improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin and ability to store
consumed carbohydrates within muscle glycogen stores instead of as fat. That’s why I included
all these kinds of foods inside the Ultra Lean and Muscle Building Cookbooks. If you haven’t
checked these cookbooks out already, you’re missing out on over 200+ mouth-watering diabetic
friendly recipe ideas that will help you get you in shape without giving up the foods you love.
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTING WITH MAGNESIUM AND
VITAMIN D.
Magnesium and vitamin D have been shown to improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Low
magnesium levels are common in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral and the second most prevalent electrolyte in the
body besides sodium. Magnesium has a strong relationship with insulin and thus plays an
important role in carbohydrate metabolism 1,2.
Research has shown that subjects who supplemented with oral magnesium improved their
fasting blood glucose levels and increased their insulin sensitivity.3
Vitamin D is known to aid in improving insulin receptor function, prevent islet cell death, as well
as improve beta cell function.
Research in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have shown positive results in that supplementing
with vitamin D has the potential to lower haemoglobin A1c compared to baseline.5,6 Much of this
may in part be due to improving insulin resistance.
Individuals with diabetes should get a 25(OH)D blood test to assess their current vitamin D
status. The Vitamin D Council recommends a blood level between 50–80 ng/mL year round.
If needed, 1,000-2,000 IU (25–50 mcg) of Vitamin D per day is more than adequate. 7
Both magnesium and vitamin D may be consumed via supplements. However, they can also be
obtained from food.
Magnesium rich foods include green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and broccoli.
Vitamin D is easily received by getting sun exposure daily; however, people who live further
away from the equator or experience harsh, cold winters are at a disadvantage and may need
an additional vitamin D supplement. Also, foods such as fatty fish like salmon, dairy, eggs, and
cod liver oil may be consumed to achieve adequate vitamin D levels.
PRIORITIZE THE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS, ESPECIALLY
OMEGA-3.
The human body can synthesize most of its fat needs from the diet. However, there are two
essential fatty acids, known as Omega 6 (linoleic acid) and Omega 3 (alpha-linolenic acid)
which cannot be produced in the body and must be consumed from food. Both of these fats can
be found in plant and animal foods.
Consuming a healthy balance of omega-6s and omega-3s is very important for human health.
However, in today’s modern society many populations at risk of obesity and diabetes have an
imbalance in their consumption of omega 3s and 6s, whereby too much omega 6 is consumed
at the expense of omega 3.
While both of these fatty acids are essential for good health, the stark imbalance is pro-
inflammatory and detrimental to insulin sensitivity. The imbalance is a result of the world’s
growing food intake, particularly increased consumption of processed food cooked in processed
polyunsaturated fats like sunflower oil.
The first line of defence in rectifying this imbalance involves eating fewer calories and improving
energy balance with physical activity. The next step is to increase omega 3 consumption from
cold water fatty fish or use of high-quality Omega 3 food supplements.
Ideally, 340-453g (12–16 oz.) of cold-water, fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel
each week, if personal taste allows for it. Otherwise a good quality fish oil supplement.
There is nothing positive or healthy about man-made trans fats. They are well established to
cause insulin resistance, resulting in a decrease in insulin sensitivity. Additionally, trans fat may
increase abdominal fat storage.
Food products that contain trans fat include, cakes, vegetable oils and margarine. Substitute
these common cooking products for healthier oils like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or real
butter.
Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on blood glucose levels, protein has a moderate effect
and fat a relatively small effect.
However, when it comes to mealtimes, we mostly consume mixed macronutrient meals
comprised of different food sources.
Think about it. You rarely eat a potato on its own. Rather, a combination of potato (carbs), meat
or fish (protein) and a good dab of butter (as fat).
If you keep consistent with the amounts of carbs, fat and protein at meal times, you’ll have a
much better chance at working out a reliable insulin to carb ratio.
This is great, but what happens when you make an extreme change and decide to consume a
food dominant in one macronutrient? Or, vary the composition of your set meal in favour of a
certain macronutrient such as a pepperoni pizza which is super high in fat?
When the time comes, you must be willing to increase or decrease your insulin accordingly. This
requires an in-depth understanding of how to dose and spread your insulin for mixed and, or,
single macronutrient-based meals.
Dosing your insulin accurately is extremely important for avoiding hyperglycemia and further
insulin resistance.
Want to put this learning into practice?
I’ve taken all of these principles and incorporate them into Diabetic Shred Guide – a 112-day
fat loss system for men and women living with diabetes. It contains everything you need to know
about eating, training and living to get lean. You get weekly meal plans tailored to your
metabolism and over 50 challenging workouts.
If you want to learn more about flexible dieting you can check out my body transformation diet
and training guides created exclusively for people with diabetes.