Insulin (part 7): The Farewell
Knowledge is power. What you've learned about insulin so far forms the basis for tackling pathological insulin resistance. We now have the keys to the main doors from which this beast will exit. In this article, I want to put them in your hands. You can then decide when and which doors to open (I hope now and all of them!) and start ushering this disease in the right direction.
I've come across countless individuals, as I'm sure you have too, who have tried extreme dieting and exercise regimens that did not result in commensurate outcomes. You may have been starving yourselves for months to lose weight, but the result is disheartening. You may have been spending hours in the gym every day burning calories, but the wear on your body makes this method unsustainable and unhealthy. You may have tried various weight loss drugs and pushed through their side effects, but worry about whether the outcome will be lasting once the course has ended. You wake up every morning with a body damaged by these desperate measures to be healthy, but you've missed the irony.
Health is always found where there is balance, and it usually shies away from extremes. This is the principle we are going to work on from today onwards. Give your body what it needs, stay away from what it doesn't recognise, and gently it will fall back into its natural balance. Show it the exit door, but don't hasten it lest it will trip over.
I recommend starting with sunlight first. Going out in the midday Sun in short bursts is key. Watch your shadow intently, as the best timing is when your shadow is shorter than half of your length. Know your "burn time" (minimal erythema dose, MED) and stay well below that. If you burn at 20 minutes, your bursts should be a maximum of 10 minutes each. Turn over for the other side, or get back in the shade to cool down in between. How long you need in total will depend on how bad your problem is. Generally, we all need at least 15-20 minutes of this every day, whether healthy or otherwise.
Once you've done this, you'll find it easier to sort out your sleep cycle. Eat your last meal earlier, the latest being at sunset. No snacking after dinner, whether it is for your tummy or for your eyes. Yes, your eye snacks when you look at late-night treats. They also "snack" when you look at screens, so put your phones away and switch your television off after sunset. If you have company, focus on building relationships; if you don't, listen to something calming and go to bed early.
Upon waking up, make sure your eyes have plenty of time to register the rising Sun—this is when it is still red, or just after that. Start to get ready for your first meal; choose what you like from foods that have a high amount of protein in them. Eggs, poultry, fish, meat, bacon, cheese, yogurt, tempeh, protein crackers, or even protein powder—whatever you choose in this range is going to be better than what you've been having, even if they are not ideal. If you want to be stricter, you need to come into my surgery and ask me in person about how to do this, or wait for a time in the future when I can write in depth about them. Don't fear carbohydrates—you may have some on top of the protein that you are having. But what you can't compromise with is seed oils. Don't touch a drop of them in anything. Ensure that anything you have bought in packets does not have "oil" or "vegetable fats" in its ingredient list.
Now your doors are opened. If you still want to show insulin resistance the exit despite the bright light beaming through the open doors, you can always do some exercises. It may just be playing blind, however, and you may just need to ignore its game for a bit longer. A gentle push in the right direction is by incorporating some sort of resistance training, whatever resistance means to your body at the time. If walking is a big effort, then walking is your resistance training. It may be crawling, water aerobics, weights, gardening, an uphill dash, etc. I'm not always a fan of exercise when the body isn't ready for it. Trust me, if you are doing the above, the body will let you know when it is ready for some physical activity.
These three—Sun, sleep, and sustenance, the 3S—are key to your recovery from pathological insulin resistance. How each person implements it will, of course, be slightly variable, and what you want to add on top of it will be dictated by your individual circumstances. You may or may not have more work to do, depending on your stress levels, exposure to other toxins, and epigenetics. Don't do anything without having established the "3S" first though, as you will just be banging against locked doors.
Now for the disclaimer:
The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, treatment, or a personalized consultation.
Always seek the advice of your personal physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or supplement program. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.
The author is a qualified healthcare provider and the information shared is based on professional knowledge, research, and opinion. However, this article does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship or personalized medical care. Reliance on any information appearing in this article is solely at your own risk. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.