Introduction to Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes

ABSTRACT

Insulin resistance is a condition that is complex in nature in which the body of the patient does not respond to insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas which is essential for regulation of the level of blood sugar. Certain lifestyle factors and genetic factors can cause insulin resistance. Prediabetes is a condition when the glucose levels are higher than the normal level but are not high enough to be called diabetes. In this article we will learn about insulin resistance and prediabetes and the precautions one person needs to take in prediabetic stage.

INTRODUCTION TO INSULIN RESISTANCE AND PREDIABETES

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas which allows the cells of the body to absorb glucose and use it. Cells of people with insulin resistance are unable to use insulin properly. Level of the glucose in the blood starts to build when it is not absorbed and used effectively by the cells. Insulin resistance is also called impaired insulin sensitivity, this condition occurs when muscle cells, liver and fat don’t respond effectively to insulin. This condition can be either chronic or temporary. When the liver cells, muscles and fat do not take up the glucose or store it, pancreas in response start to make more insulin to overcome the elevating glucose levels in blood which is termed as hyperinsulinemia.  Until this weak response of cells to insulin is covered by enough insulin formation , everything is fine but when your pancreas over the time cannot produce enough insulin, blood sugar level increases causing diabetes or prediabetic stage.

Anyone can get affected by insulin resistance and it can be either temporary or chronic. However there are two main factors which can contribute in the causation of insulin resistance, i.e. lack of physical activity and excessive body fat especially around the belly. Increased insulin level due to insulin resistance causes many side effects like weight gain which makes the insulin resistance worse.

PRECAUTIONS IF YOU ARE HAVING A PREDIABETIC STAGE

Diagnosis of Prediabetes is a wake up alarm and means that you need to get alert in order to prevent yourself from going into diabetic stage. However the risk is much bigger to a prediabetic person to get diabetes as compared to a healthy person but it doesn’t mean that you will surely get diabetes. You can still take certain steps and change the things around for good. Rather than getting depressed about it, you should take it as an opportunity to change your unhealthy habits and lifestyle and initiate certain steps that will slow down or even stop the progression of the condition to diabetes.

Here are a few important things that are a good way to start with healthy habits:

1. Walk more- One of the best things to stop progression of prediabetes into diabetes is to become more active and move more. If you are not one of those people who exercise daily, you should start by including more physical movements by doing stretching while watching tv or ads in them or take stairs instead of lifts in your buildings or office. Being physically active helps in lowering blood glucose levels and also decreases body fat.
2. Maintain healthy weight- If you are overweight, losing weight can help in lowering down the blood sugar levels from higher. It will help in managing the diabetes and prevent the diabetic stage from prediabetic.
3. Healthy diet- Everyone must be aware of the fact that people in prediabetic or with diabetes must drop down the sugar consumption. It is must to decrease the consumption of foods high in fat and sweets in order to prevent diabetes in a prediabetic person. Such a person should include protein containing fruits, vegetables, lean meats and pulses like fish or chicken and avoid red meat completely. Opt for non-dairy or low fat products. Avoid taking refined foods, refined flour, wheat, processed food, and fried food.
4. Sleep well- Losing weight can be harder if you are not sleeping well regularly. Less sleep also makes it difficult for the body to effectively use insulin which increases chances of diabetes. Hence make and follow good sleep habits like going to bed early and waking up early almost at the same time daily. Don’t forget to relax a bit before going to sleep. Avoid using your phones or watching television when you are lying down to sleep or just before it. You should also avoid taking caffeine anytime after having your lunch especially if you are having problems falling asleep.
5. Right mind set-up- Having the right type of mind set up can help a lot. You should know that you will not be doing all the things perfectly but make a promise to yourself to do your best. Try to be consistent in your healthy habits.
6. Take it step by step- It can be panicking to know that one is suffering from prediabetes. But you should understand that it can be reversed and diabetes can be prevented. Healthy lifestyle is the key for preventing diabetes in case of prediabetes. But you shouldn’t do it in haste as it can leave you exhausted when you don’t see quick results. This situation can add up to anxiety and stress because of keeping check of body parameters. So you should take this step by step and change should be gradual rather than hasty in lifestyle so that your body can also adopt it easily.
7. Consult your doctor- Visit your doctor to have open and honest talk regarding your current health and further measures to prevent diabetes. They will help you regarding your exercise routine and diet. You can get all your health related answers from them and this will help in reducing the stress and anxiety and you can have a good approach regarding your prediabetic state.

I hope this article can help you have information about your prediabetic condition and also you can feel a bit relaxed. In case of any query kindly visit www.PlanetAyurveda.com. For more queries, you can send your queries to our email id herbalremedies123@yahoo.com.