Insulin Resistance - ready to learn something?

[Pablo]

So I didn't take my BG when I woke this morning. I had some pasta last night, so had some doubts, but did go to bed at ~120 mg/dl. Kinda normalish for me. I wake typically around 130ish.

This am I goobered about, drank coffee, (lightly) sweetened fake nog, nog latte (double) and then a cacao espresso with allulose and heavy cream. But no solid food.

Just tested my BG. 108. This is boring, stupid, means nothing, etc. BUT personally am jazzed and will take a nice hike after the fish market, then finally eat.

I am inspired by good and driven by fear of bad, but now stress about neither. I know what to do, until it doesn't work, then will try another path.

 

[JTK]

So I didn't take my BG when I woke this morning. I had some pasta last night, so had some doubts, but did go to bed at ~120 mg/dl. Kinda normalish for me. I wake typically around 130ish.

This am I goobered about, drank coffee, (lightly) sweetened fake nog, nog latte (double) and then a cacao espresso with allulose and heavy cream. But no solid food.

Just tested my BG. 108. This is boring, stupid, means nothing, etc. BUT personally am jazzed and will take a nice hike after the fish market, then finally eat.

I am inspired by good and driven by fear of bad, but now stress about neither. I know what to do, until it doesn't work, then will try another path.

I don't know how you guys do it. I feel like total dog poop cutting carbs, sugar, etc from my diet. It was only a week ago I had my docs appointment after showing a BG of 147 mg/dL and an A1c of 7.2. I'm dying over here. LOL

 

[wwillson]

I don't know how you guys do it. I feel like total dog poop cutting carbs, sugar, etc from my diet.

It takes a while to adjust to life without lots of carbs. You'll feel pretty crappy for about a week, then you'll adjust. One of the keys is to drink lots of water.

 

[puellarum]

Great recommendations here. I also recommend "the obesity code" and "the diabetes code" by Dr. Jason Fung.

Excellent books. Excellent information. Time reading that is time well spent.

 

[puellarum]

I don't know how you guys do it. I feel like total dog poop cutting carbs, sugar, etc from my diet. It was only a week ago I had my docs appointment after showing a BG of 147 mg/dL and an A1c of 7.2. I'm dying over here. LOL

It's getting over an addiction. It's like a massive hangover but once you're through it you'll feel a million times better...

 

[Pablo]

I don't know how you guys do it. I feel like total dog poop cutting carbs, sugar, etc from my diet. It was only a week ago I had my docs appointment after showing a BG of 147 mg/dL and an A1c of 7.2. I'm dying over here. LOL

You have accomplished step 1 (awareness) and nearly done with step 2 (clean up)

The clean up will continue for just a bit longer, took awhile for US to get this way.

Here are my tips

1) Get active and more active. Heck I even walk laps around my property and around the sidewalks all the way around my property. Not only is it burning sugar and fat, it's distracting. Find some activity you like.

2) Find a distraction that takes real focus, so you have to think about that thing and nothing else. Even in 10 minutes your hunger will be behind you, and your stress raising cortisol will be reduced, reducing blood sugar

3) Get some good clean lean meats. Get a variety of greens. Doesn't always have to be bitter greens. Eat these things until you are full. Try to fast in the AM, and definitely stop eating after 5 PM if possible. But 6 PM at first, if that works better.

4) Don't snack. If you absolutely must, just celery or greens. Yeah I know, but don't snack. Eat a meal and be done with it.

5) Find and eliminate all inflammation in your body. For some it's teeth and gums. Joints. Etc. These will improve with time, but say if you have some junk in your teeth and it gets irritated your BG will go up. Insulin response is a complex thing.

6) Drop stress. Don't worry even about this junk, just do it as part of your life and don't fret. Know it works. Trust the folks posting here, find a doc or naturopath you can work with and will assist on your journey

7) Find out if your are Vitamin D deficient. D levels are absolutely critical in insulin response. Plus the co-factors in D uptake seem really key in IR and BG control.


I like this guy: https://www.youtube.com/@drekberg

Watch his morning drinks video

 

[Pablo]

Hit these guys hard well except the potatoes and sweet potatoes

 

[JTK]

You have accomplished step 1 (awareness) and nearly done with step 2 (clean up)

The clean up will continue for just a bit longer, took awhile for US to get this way.

Here are my tips

1) Get active and more active. Heck I even walk laps around my property and around the sidewalks all the way around my property. Not only is it burning sugar and fat, it's distracting. Find some activity you like.

2) Find a distraction that takes real focus, so you have to think about that thing and nothing else. Even in 10 minutes your hunger will be behind you, and your stress raising cortisol will be reduced, reducing blood sugar

3) Get some good clean lean meats. Get a variety of greens. Doesn't always have to be bitter greens. Eat these things until you are full. Try to fast in the AM, and definitely stop eating after 5 PM if possible. But 6 PM at first, if that works better.

4) Don't snack. If you absolutely must, just celery or greens. Yeah I know, but don't snack. Eat a meal and be done with it.

5) Find and eliminate all inflammation in your body. For some it's teeth and gums. Joints. Etc. These will improve with time, but say if you have some junk in your teeth and it gets irritated your BG will go up. Insulin response is a complex thing.

6) Drop stress. Don't worry even about this junk, just do it as part of your life and don't fret. Know it works. Trust the folks posting here, find a doc or naturopath you can work with and will assist on your journey

7) Find out if your are Vitamin D deficient. D levels are absolutely critical in insulin response. Plus the co-factors in D uptake seem really key in IR and BG control.


I like this guy: https://www.youtube.com/@drekberg

Watch his morning drinks video

Thank you. Great suggestions.

I'm not to the point eating fresh greens or fruit by itself is curbing my appetite. I'll get there though. I don't care for spinach or kale unless it's mixed in with other greens, etc. Perhaps it will grow on me...

Stress has been a part of my life for so long, that's going to take some time. The 12hr rotating shift work I've been doing for 27yrs hasn't helped.

I was found to be vitamin D deficient years ago and have taken a daily vitamin D supplement ever since. This alone seems to have boosted my immune system immensely.

 

[wwillson]

Hit these guys hard well except the potatoes and sweet potatoes View attachment 193308

That looks like our shopping cart at the grocery store. People look at us like we're weird.

 

[#18FAN]

That looks like our shopping cart at the grocery store. People look at us like we're weird.

That’s really not weird it what normal is no matter what diet you would follow.

 

[Pablo]

That looks like our shopping cart at the grocery store. People look at us like we're weird.

That cart and another with clean meat is all you really need to be 100% healthy and lean.

Also, look back at most of the people looking at you. Fat zombies.

 

[#18FAN]

That cart and another with clean meat is all you really need to be 100% healthy and lean.

Also, look back at most of the people looking at you. Fat zombies.

But no more healthy than someone eating from all food groups to stay healthy and lean.

 

[ZZman]

A major problem in modern society is the lack of eating fruits and veggies. Most people don't eat the recommended amount of fiber per day.

 

[Pablo]

But no more healthy than someone eating from all food groups to stay healthy and lean.

Sure. But I contend, we don't need to BASE our diets on grains and starches. My point remains, we will much much more healthy avoiding grains and processed foods. Even starchy root vegetables and sweet squash by some folks reading this thread.

Eating carbs triggers metabolic processes that encourage body fat storage. This happens via increased insulin production. Insulin has also growth factor-like properties that encourage body fat. Research has shown that carbs trigger the most insulin response, protein less so, and fat triggers a very minor response.

There is hard research that shows in humans and animals given the exact amount of calories, but one group minimal carbohydrates and the other, almost all carbs, again the exact calorie count for both groups, the carb group will be fatter and have shorter lifespans, with a host of health issues.

Again, IR people reading this thread, self included - will absolutely, no doubt about it, be healthier without grains and starches.

This worked out so well for the USA:

 

[Pablo]

A major problem in modern society is the lack of eating fruits and veggies. Most people don't eat the recommended amount of fiber per day.

Truth.

IR folks reading this need to know their response to starchy veggies, sweet squash and certainly not eat much sweet fruit AT ALL.

Example:

Sweet potatoes: Seen has healthy by most. My blood sugar goes nuts on sweet potato. The good news, is my insulin response is back to quick again, but still I can't keep doing this if I want to avoid IR.

Squash: Generally healthy, but really must watch my portions Small reasonable portion BG does not spike much

Parsnips: New one to me! I ate too much last night. Along with the few pieces of apple in the salad and tiny amount wine in the clams (did not drink the broth), I ate a healthy portion of parsnips. Look at this lingering spike. UGGG!!!

 

[wwillson]

Sure. But I contend, we don't need to BASE our diets on grains and starches. My point remains, we will much much more healthy avoiding grains and processed foods. Even starchy root vegetables and sweet squash by some folks reading this thread.

Eating carbs triggers metabolic processes that encourage body fat storage. This happens via increased insulin production. Insulin has also growth factor-like properties that encourage body fat. Research has shown that carbs trigger the most insulin response, protein less so, and fat triggers a very minor response.

There is hard research that shows in humans and animals given the exact amount of calories, but one group minimal carbohydrates and the other, almost all carbs, again the exact calorie count for both groups, the carb group will be fatter and have shorter lifespans, with a host of health issues.

Again, IR people reading this thread, self included - will absolutely, no doubt about it, be healthier without grains and starches.

This worked out so well for the USA:

View attachment 193414

The Food Pyramid was not the result of peer reviewed research, it was the result of lobbying. Plus we know a lot more about human nutrition now than we did in the past.

Two massive nutritional recommendation mistakes in the past resulted in terrible consequences for our population.

First, was the recommendation that everyone have a low salt diet. We know now that this is just plain wrong. There is a small percentage of the population that has a problem with salt, but the vast majority doesn't. If you are genetically dispositioned to not handle salt correctly, a single digit percentage of the population, then you need a lowered salt diet. The problem is the 90 some percent of the population that didn't need to eat a low salt diet, but did, ends up with in increased heart rate and damage to their cardiovascular system. We now understand this and the FDA has changed the recommendation for salt intake. However, if you walk up to most people and ask them is salt is bad for humans, they will enthusiastically say "yes".

Second, was the belief that all cholesterol is bad for human health and should be avoided. This is wrong. Did you know that your brain will die without the types of cholesterol it needs for energy? What the recommendation did was create a massive shift in the population's diet from fats to carbohydrates. If you look at the data starting around 1970, the population gets a whole lot fatter and a whole lot sicker than before. This is a direct result of the terribly misguided recommendation to avoid fats. There are good fats and cholesterols that you should eat every day and there are bad fats and cholesterols that you should always avoid. Everyone should avoid highly refined sugars. They have zero redeeming qualities, no nutritional value, and they do make you insulin resistant and fat. The "avoid fats" recommendation came out of poor quality research that grossly missed the mark on how plaques form in arteries. The belief was that fats caused the plaques to form, now high quality peer reviewed research has shown that insulin resistance is the number one cause of arterial plaques, not cholesterols. The FDA has stopped even making recommendations on cholesterol intake. It's highly unfortunate that they haven't recommended to avoid carbohydrates, even foods like bread, which seems to be a sacred cow, in reality are terrible for your body.

 

[#18FAN]

Sure. But I contend, we don't need to BASE our diets on grains and starches. My point remains, we will much much more healthy avoiding grains and processed foods. Even starchy root vegetables and sweet squash by some folks reading this thread.

Eating carbs triggers metabolic processes that encourage body fat storage. This happens via increased insulin production. Insulin has also growth factor-like properties that encourage body fat. Research has shown that carbs trigger the most insulin response, protein less so, and fat triggers a very minor response.

There is hard research that shows in humans and animals given the exact amount of calories, but one group minimal carbohydrates and the other, almost all carbs, again the exact calorie count for both groups, the carb group will be fatter and have shorter lifespans, with a host of health issues.

Again, IR people reading this thread, self included - will absolutely, no doubt about it, be healthier without grains and starches.

This worked out so well for the USA:

View attachment 193414

I never said to base your diet on grains and starch I've always said to base your diets mainly on vegetables and lean meats and fish
People thinking you can't enjoy and should be eating fruits and certain grains and starches are very beneficial but shouldn't be te bulk of a diet. Heck I'm not the one eating pasta and being told it's just 10 pieces right nothing wrong with that but what is it you can when you want to but you'll die if people suggest you can unbelievable.

 

[Pablo]

I never said to base your diet on grains and starch I've always said to base your diets mainly on vegetables and lean meats and fish
People thinking you can't enjoy and should be eating fruits and certain grains and starches are very beneficial but shouldn't be te bulk of a diet. Heck I'm not the one eating pasta and being told it's just 10 pieces right nothing wrong with that but what is it you can when you want to but you'll die if people suggest you can unbelievable.

I know you didn't say that and I'm sorry if it reads that way. My contention is not with YOU it never has been. But your contention - SOMETIMES (not always) seems to be with what I post.

You be you and continue to help people.

I be me and try to help others as well. In this thread, I try to tailor my posts for IR folks, not a super active person like you.

I'm not perfect. Are you?

My contention is pretty well summed up in #wwillson 's post. The experts darn well should be taken to the woodshed and people are waking up and continue to wake up. I don't expect the gov or MDs to always be perfect either, but they darn well need to be more cautious when advising like God on high, entire populations.

 

[Pablo]

I had not read - Dr. Bikman's book, "Why we get sick" until this thread - NICE book as I am into the read. It's kind of detailed, but just when your head is near exploding he moves on to the next reason why insulin (control) is absolutely critical.

I love that anyone, from any walk of life can be made aware of IR, and correct course, the earlier the better. You don't have to get into all the details.

I mean, @AutoMechanic doesn't like it when we poke fun at his food choices, but I'm glad he can learn. He can start early. I never was even pointed in the correct direction until much much later. I distinctly remember my usual DAILY breakfast, just as if yesterday, my very first real job (laboratory) after college - 1 package of Hostess choco covered donuts washed down with chocolate milk. WOW! I guess I could eat anything. BUT my pot belly was starting!

1st thing. Ya gotta stop.

We are truly blessed to have people who have learned for their body type and lifestyles post in this very thread what actually works. No there are no miracle, but there are great paths!

 

[Cujet]

Diet and exercise are not "cure-all's" and will not fix or even improve many serious or significant diseases. For example, Parkinson's will likely destroy the body, regardless of how healthy one behaves. I have multiple autoimmune diseases (MCTD and Hashimoto's) along with Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency.

I'm currently on the Carnivore diet for weight loss (meat only). I'm not really heavy at about 205, goal about 190. Carnivore has not helped my autoimmune conditions one bit, despite some very lofty YouTube claims. Nor have I been able to reach 190, that will take some serious fasting. A1C has been hovering around 5.6 to 5.7 as I take up to 20Mg Prednisone and 40Mg Hydrocortisone per day, and of course, being older.

Despite Youtube claims that Carnivore would get A1C down to 5.0 or something, I not seeing that.