What do diabetes, PCOS and metabolic disorders all have in common?
Those of you who said insulin resistance are correct! Unfortunately, insulin resistance and the need for insulin resistance treatment often fly under the radar until more serious symptoms start to appear.
If you suspect that you may be suffering from insulin resistance or you’ve been struggling with symptoms and want to take the next step for severe insulin resistance treatment, you’ve come to the right place.
This article will dive into why it’s about more than just ‘too much sugar’ and how to address the root cause through insulin resistance treatment. Here’s what we’ll discuss:
- The root causes of insulin resistance
- Silent symptoms you might be ignoring
- A functional approach to insulin resistance treatment
Read on to take the first step to reversing your insulin resistance and find out what insulin resistance treatment looks like!
Myths Holding You Back From Healing
If you suspect that you have insulin resistance and require insulin resistance treatment, you might be hearing a lot of advice like, ‘you can’t reverse insulin resistance without medication’ or ‘just eat less and move more’.
You might even be thinking, ‘I’m not diabetic, so I don’t need to worry’.
Taking a functional medicine approach to insulin resistance treatment and getting to the root cause can make all the difference. That’s because holistic insulin resistance treatment isn’t just about reversing insulin resistance. Integrative insulin resistance treatment helps to address underlying and multiple health issues in one go.
Let’s talk about root causes!
3 Root Causes of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is the inability to regulate the level of glucose in your blood. ‘Too much sugar’ is often seen as the main contributor of insulin resistance but there’s more to it than that.
Before considering insulin resistance treatment, it’s important to get to its root cause. This helps to ensure that any changes you make to your health are long term and sustainable.
#1 Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation and insulin resistance have a close and cyclical relationship as insulin resistance can lead to an abnormal glucose metabolism and an inflammatory state.
This inflammatory state can lead to the production of cytokines, a protein responsible for controlling the growth and activity of other immune cells. These cytokines then interfere with our insulin pathways and signaling, creating an unhealthy cycle of insulin resistance and chronic inflammation.
#2 Toxin Overload
Toxic ingredients in everyday household items may also be a contributor to insulin resistance and seeking insulin resistance treatment can identify ways to mitigate their impact.
Pthalates, PFAS, bisphenol A (BPAs) and triclosan are all dangerous ingredients and can be found in personal care products, cookware and plastics.
These substances as well as environmental toxins such as pesticides can influence our insulin resistance and impact our metabolic health.
#3 Hormonal Imbalances
Insulin resistance can be the result of an unbalanced hormonal state. If you’re experiencing other symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep and weight gain, this could be an indicator that your hormones may be contributing to your need for insulin resistance treatment.
Hypothyroidism or low thyroid hormone production may also cause your metabolism to slow down which can lead to insulin resistance.
The Silent Symptoms You Might Be Ignoring
Weight gain and high blood sugar are often some of the first symptoms of insulin resistance and can be addressed through insulin resistance treatment.
However, there are also other silent symptoms that you have missed like these three signs:
Subtle Symptoms
A lot of symptoms may overlap with everyday health issues so it can be challenging to identify the source of your discomfort. However if you’re suffering from more than one symptom, it may be a good idea to speak with an insulin resistance expert at Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness and look at insulin resistance treatment options.
It’s important to remember that insulin resistance treatment in females and males can look a little different but other symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Skin issues
- Joint pain
- High blood pressure
- Frequent hunger or thirst
Hormonal Red Flags
Hormonal imbalances are not always connected to insulin resistance. But there are some hormonal red flags that require a closer look and that insulin resistance treatment may help with:
- Irregular periods and PCOS: Irregular cycles, skipped cycles or difficulty ovulating
- Weight Gain: Especially around the abdomen may indicate poor blood sugar regulation
- Chronic fatigue and brain fog: Blood sugar fluctuations can lead to difficulty processing information
- Sugar and carb cravings: Unstable blood sugar may also result in a strong desire for sugary and starch heavy foods
- Thyroid dysfunction: Cold hands and feet, dry skin and sluggish metabolism? These are all signs your thyroid may not be functioning optimally and you may require insulin resistance treatment
- High stress and poor sleep: Stress and poor sleep are closely linked with high cortisol and insulin resistance
Digestive Issues
Another common symptom that insulin resistance treatment can help with are digestive issues. Are you experiencing bloating or IBS-like symptoms?
Poor gut health can lead to inflammation and disrupted blood sugar control which can make it more difficult for your body to respond properly to insulin.
Functional Medicine Approach to Insulin Resistance Treatment
Food as Medicine
Considering whether insulin resistance medication is necessary?
A functional medicine approach looks at a more natural insulin resistance treatment plan that incorporates healing foods to replenish your body and support your health on a deeper level.
After undergoing comprehensive lab testing and receiving recommendations from Synergy’s insulin resistance treatment expert, our dietitian nutritionist can also help you prioritize an anti-inflammatory diet that supports insulin resistance treatment. It will not only reduce inflammation but help to balance your blood sugar throughout the day.
Prebiotic and probiotic rich foods and eliminating overly processed foods, refined oils and sugary foods can also help to balance your gut microbiome and enhance insulin function.
Creating a Healing Environment for Insulin Resistance Treatment
Looking at your surrounding environment can be just as impactful during insulin resistance treatment as taking care of your body.
Avoiding toxic household products and buying local pesticide free produce is a good first step to clearing out the endocrine disruptors in your life. Transitioning to stainless steel cookware is also helpful and you can still get that perfect non-stick effect, we promise!
Don’t forget to prioritize eight hours of sleep to help lower cortisol and stress levels as part of an effective insulin resistance treatment plan!
Checking Your Labs at Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness
You might be doing everything right. Maybe you’ve been eating well, sleeping well and have been minimizing your stress. But it doesn’t seem to be working and symptoms like your high blood pressure and brain fog just won’t disappear.
There might be something else missing from your health puzzle and Synergy can help you find the missing medical piece. Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness’ insulin resistance expert will do a deep dive into your labs and check much more than fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C results.
In addition to comprehensive labs, biomarkers for inflammation will also be checked to make sure nothing is missed. You’ll then receive completely personalized recommendations from our expert to address any underlying health issues.
If you’ve been struggling with insulin resistance, talking to our insulin resistance treatment expert at our Oak Park clinic can give you the answers you’re looking for. Reverse your insulin resistance and put an end to uncomfortable symptoms today!