even aware of it and, generally speaking, it is only the 22 to 25 per cent of the population who have full-blown Insulin Resistance who are more likely to get a proper diagnosis.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin Resistance, also known as Syndrome X and the Metabolic Syndrome, is a condition that occurs when, for a variety of reasons, your body makes too much insulin.
Insulin is a powerful hormone secreted by the pancreas in order to control the way the body stores and uses carbohydrates in the body. Under normal conditions, insulin is produced within moments of blood glucose levels increasing, which occurs after we eat something. In simple terms, its purpose is to enable the muscles and other tissues to take up the glucose they require for activity and to keep blood sugar levels to an acceptable level by storing any excess glucose for future use. However, for a variety of reasons – which of course we’ll look at in detail – this mechanism can become faulty, with the result that some tissues become resistant to the effects of insulin and the pancreas has to produce more insulin to get the blood glucose level down. This has many important implications for your metabolism and your general health – in essence, it makes you overweight and tired, and it dramatically increases your risk, first of heart disease and then of type II diabetes. If left untreated, Insulin Resistance will often lead to type II diabetes.
The good news is that whatever degree of Insulin Resistance you may have, you can completely reverse it by following the Insulin Factor Plan. This means that you will:
In short, you’ll feel healthy, energetic and ready for anything – it will dramatically improve your quality of life!
How do I get started?
The Insulin Factor Plan is not a one-solution-fits-all programme because there are a range of imbalances that together or individually cause Insulin Resistance, and there are also different degrees of Insulin Resistance. With the help of questionnaires throughout the book you will be able to identify what degree of Insulin Resistance you have and which imbalances are causing it. Once you have pinpointed your imbalances – some of you will only have one or two, while others may need to address them all – you can turn to the end of the book and find out how to put together your personal plan of action. Generally speaking, you will need to make changes to your diet, take particular nutritional supplements and look at your lifestyle. The Insulin Factor Plan will help you with all three. You will of course need to commit yourself to making these changes, but the fact that you have this book and are already reading it is a very positive first step. Whilst Insulin Resistance doesn’t happen overnight, it can take only a few weeks before you notice an improvement in your symptoms. However, do also be patient since it will take an average of six months to permanently rebalance your insulin levels. Also, the more weight you need to lose the longer you will need to allow.
Medical conditions
Balancing insulin and glucose and eating a healthy diet is something that everybody would benefit from, so the Insulin Factor Plan should complement any medical treatment you are receiving. However, you should always check with your doctor before embarking on any dietary or lifestyle changes, particularly if you are taking any medication. This is because the improved diet and lifestyle may alter your dosage needs.
To help keep your motivation high, keep returning to the list above of all the health benefits that will be yours when you have balanced your insulin levels. Write them down or photocopy them and pin them up on your fridge or stick them in the front of your diary – wherever you will see them. Know that if you follow the Insulin Factor Plan you will not only turn your back on all the health problems but you will, in their place, enjoy all the benefits. Good luck, and enjoy!
What is insulin?
Although we’ve been talking about Insulin Resistance you shouldn’t think that insulin is really the bad guy in all of this. Although it is a dangerous hormone when it is produced in excessive amounts, as in the case of Insulin Resistance, it is actually vital for the body to function normally and to control how the body uses and stores glucose. Glucose is what gives your muscles and other organs the energy to function. Too little insulin is also just as dangerous,
