lack of physical activity and exercise, and lack of muscle (see chapter 10)
Measured by Exercise and Lifestyle Questionnaire
3 Weight: being overweight and/or having an elevated BMI (see this chapter)
Measured by BMI calculation, observation and body composition measurements
4 Stress: abnormal stress hormones (cortisol and DHEA) have a negative effect on Insulin Resistance (see chapter 9)
Measured by Stress Questionnaire and adrenal hormone saliva test
5 Lack of nutrients: chromium, magnesium, essential fats, other nutrients (trace minerals, minerals, vitamins) including antioxidants (see chapters 6, 7 and 8)
Measured by Diet and Signs and Symptoms Questionnaires and blood tests
6 Genetic influence: a family history of diabetes, heart disease and obesity and being of South Asian, African, Polynesian or Mexican origin (see chapter 11)
Measured by Family and Health History Questionnaire
The Insulin Connection
Age and insulin
Whatever your ethnic origin, your risk of Insulin Resistance increases as you get older. If you remain active, take gentle exercise to reduce loss of muscle mass, reduce the amount of calories you eat but increase the quality of your nutrient intake (as we age we become less efficient at digesting food), your age will not work against you and you will also find that you age more slowly.
However, it is also true that Insulin Resistance is becoming increasingly common in younger and younger people and a person’s chronological age is a less obvious risk factor than it once was. In actual fact, people who develop Insulin Resistance as early as the late teens and early twenties have a prematurely aged metabolism – i.e. they have the metabolism you’d expect to see in someone at least twice their age. Don’t worry if this sounds like you. Not only will the Insulin Factor Plan put your insulin and glucose levels back on track but it will also help you take years off your body’s biological age – the best kind of side-effect!
See Resources for help interpreting your Insulin Resistance Blood Test.
If you have done a blood test and know what degree of Insulin Resistance you have, turn to the Resources. However, without a blood test you can still get a good idea about what degree of Insulin Resistance you have, and take the appropriate action as outlined below. Your questionnaire scores will reflect a low, moderate or high risk of Insulin Resistance, which correlate with the different stages of Insulin Resistance that would be determined by the blood test.
Low Risk – Stage 1
You are insulin sensitive, and insulin levels fluctuate depending on food and drink intake, but you have normal fasting insulin and glucose levels. This does not mean you are free of symptoms, since you can put on weight if you eat too much, but this is not a dramatic or rapid process. You can also get symptoms of low blood sugar after eating a sugary meal like a big baked potato, because your insulin works well and is stimulated in large amounts by the high-sugar potato and consequently stores glucose into liver, muscle and fat cells rapidly, resulting in ‘post-prandial hypoglycaemia’. At this stage your blood test results would all be normal.
Action: Follow the Insulin Factor Diet Plan and Insulin Resistance Supplement Plan One
Moderate Risk – Stage 2
Your fasting insulin is still normal, as is your glucose. However, you can gain body fat more easily in this stage, and your fasting triglycerides (blood fats) would be elevated and the good cholesterol (HDL) low.
Action: Follow the Insulin Factor Diet Plan and Insulin Resistance Supplement Plan Two
High Risk – Stage 3
Your fasting insulin is elevated, as it is after eating, the triglycerides (blood fats) are high too and the HDL is low, and, generally, you are overweight, especially around your middle.
Action: Follow the Insulin Factor Diet Plan and Insulin Resistance Supplement Plan Three
High Risk-Stage 4
Your scenario is the same as for stage 3 above, except that your fasting blood glucose is a little too high.
Action: Follow the Insulin Factor Diet Plan and Insulin Resistance Supplement Plan Three
Stage 5
At this stage you would technically be diabetic because your blood glucose would be too high.
Action: Follow the Insulin Factor Diet Plan and follow doctor’s drug prescription. Supplements may be appropriate but should be recommended by a qualified nutritionist working with your doctor.
So, now you know your risk of Insulin Resistance. However, before you get going with the Insulin Factor Plan you need to take a closer look at the diet and lifestyle influences that will really make a difference to the speed at which you reverse Insulin Resistance. These are the two main areas of change that you will form part of your Insulin Factor Plan and getting to grips with them will make it much easier for you to succeed.
Summary of key points
