What You Need to Know About Insulin - Before it Becomes A Problem

Insulin is arguably one of the MOST important hormones in our body. I call insulin the “domino hormone” because it triggers over a dozen hormones and metabolic processes from our ability to burn fat, inflammation, and our body’s ability to detox. Unfortunately insulin resistance is one of the most common health detriments in THE WORLD causing an epidemic of obesity, type 2 diabetes and even dementia (which is now called Type 3 diabetes)

It's crucial that we understand insulin’s function in the body so we can be proactive about our health. We have to first know what blood glucose and insulin are, in order to understand insulin resistance. Think about your body through this metaphor. If your body is a busy airport parking lot, then the incoming cars are glucose which your body uses for energy and stores excess for later use.

As the cars (glucose) approach the parking lot they are going through your blood, let's call this the “drop off/pick up lane”. The cars in this lane is the amount of glucose that can be measured in a blood glucose test. For the cars to enter the parking lot, they have to go through a parking gate that rises and allows the cars through. The parking gate is insulin produced by your pancreas, which allows the nutrients and energy from the glucose to enter the cells for use. If the gate is Insulin, then the parking attendant is your pancreas. The pancreas’ job is to produce insulin or in our metaphor, to raise the gate.

Once the cars are pass the parking gate they are converted into glycogen (a more usable form of glucose) and directed to one of 3 places:
Your liver - Short term parking, with limited space [100g of glycogen]
Your muscles - Long term parking, with limited space [400g glycogen]
Your fat cells - Extended Parking, with UNLIMITED space. [There is no limit to how much fat a human can create - hence tv shows like “My 600 lb Life”]

When we consume foods, our body converts the sugars and carbohydrates into blood glucose first because it converts easily. [The body also has the ability to convert excess protein into glucose but it’s a much more difficult metabolic process - that’s a subject for another day]. Once the food is converted into glucose, it passes the drop off/pick up lane (blood glucose) and approaches the parking gate.

When everything is functioning the way it should, the parking attendant (the pancreas) raises the gate (insulin) and allows the cars (glucose) to enter, directing them first to the liver, then the muscles, and finally the overflow is converted into fat cells.

The problem occurs when there are too many cars entering the parking lot for an extended period of time, and the parking gate begins to malfunction. It starts with short pauses (difficulty losing weight, excess belly fat), then it begins to lose a bolt and develop cracks (pre-diabetes, PCOS) and finally the gate rusts and becomes unable to open (Type 2 diabetes). This is your insulin resistance, activated! And when that gate stops opening altogether, well that’s when you get the call from your doctor that you have type 2 diabetes.

Now that you know what insulin resistance is, we can start having a real conversation about how to reverse it with food and movement so you can balance your hormones, lose weight, and take control of your health.

I know waiting for these weekly blog posts to come out can take a long time. So if you are ready to get started TODAY then email me at [email protected] with the subject “coaching” and let’s get you in one of my coaching programs.