Recognize insulin resistance as a common origin for most chronic diseases, simplifying the approach to improving overall health and longevity by focusing on this core issue.
Request a fasting insulin measurement as part of your annual blood tests, as it’s the earliest indicator of insulin resistance, often decades before glucose levels show a problem. Aim for levels below six micro units per mil for optimal metabolic health.
Adopt a dietary strategy to control carbohydrate intake by focusing on whole fruits and vegetables (mindful of sugary/starchy ones), prioritize protein, and consume natural fats accompanying protein sources without fear. This approach effectively lowers insulin and promotes fat burning.
Change your breakfast habits to avoid early morning insulin spikes, which can disrupt metabolic flexibility. Either fast through breakfast (consuming only non-caloric drinks) or choose low glycemic load vegetables, berries, protein, and fat to extend the insulin-low state until lunch.
Ensure adequate, quality sleep, as even one night of poor sleep significantly elevates stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, leading to acute insulin resistance. Good sleep is fundamental for maintaining metabolic health.
Engage in strength training to build and maintain muscle mass, as muscle is the body’s largest consumer of glucose. More muscle provides a significant metabolic buffer, helping to clear glucose from the bloodstream more efficiently and improving insulin sensitivity.
Prioritize lowering insulin levels through dietary changes before strictly cutting calories for weight loss. This approach leverages metabolic advantages like increased metabolic rate and ketone excretion, making calorie reduction more sustainable and preventing rebound hunger.
Eliminate diets that combine high amounts of saturated fat with refined carbohydrates, as this combination is uniquely detrimental to metabolic health, promoting fat storage, insulin resistance, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Focus on consuming whole, unprocessed foods and minimize items from bags and boxes with barcodes. This strategy naturally eliminates refined starches, sugars, and seed oils, which are primary drivers of insulin resistance.
If time is limited for exercise, prioritize strength training and aim to reach muscle failure during your sets. This method offers superior improvements in insulin sensitivity compared to aerobic training for the same time investment.
Incorporate 10 to 15 minutes of physical activity, such as a walk, immediately after your largest or most carbohydrate-heavy meal. This ’exercise snack’ can significantly reduce post-meal glucose spikes and the associated insulin response.
Refrain from eating snacks in the evening, especially sugary ones, as going to bed with elevated blood sugar can activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase body temperature, leading to disrupted sleep and compounding metabolic issues.
Aim for a minimum three to four-hour gap between your last meal and bedtime. This allows for complete digestion and prevents hyperglycemia and fullness from interfering with sleep quality and metabolic recovery.
Understand that maintaining low insulin levels promotes two key adaptations: a higher metabolic rate (burning 200-500 extra calories daily) and calorie excretion through ketones. These benefits provide ‘metabolic wiggle room’ to prevent fat storage and manage weight.
To specifically reduce visceral fat, engage in activities that increase epinephrine, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and deliberate cold exposure. Visceral fat cells are more responsive to these sympathetic nervous system activators.
Consume a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted in water before your most starchy meal. Its acetic acid content helps reduce hepatic glucose production and stimulates AMPK, improving glucose uptake and lowering post-meal glucose curves.
Consider supplementing with exogenous ketones to gain some benefits of ketosis, such as improved metabolic markers and appetite control, without strictly adhering to a ketogenic diet. This can be a viable approach for those seeking ketone benefits.
Regularly inspect your skin, particularly around the neck and armpits, for signs like darkened, crinkled patches (acanthosis nigricans) or small skin tags. These are strong visual indicators of insulin resistance that can improve with lifestyle changes.
Utilize a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to track dynamic glucose changes after meals. If your glucose levels remain elevated for more than two hours after a carbohydrate-heavy meal, it suggests a potential problem with insulin sensitivity.
Prioritize intelligent food choices to achieve and maintain leanness and overall metabolic soundness. A well-considered diet is generally more effective for long-term metabolic health improvements than exercise alone.
Structure your eating schedule to consume the majority of your calories earlier in the day, such as having a substantial breakfast and lunch. This meal timing strategy can lead to better metabolic outcomes and improved insulin sensitivity.
If you are consistently following a low-carbohydrate diet, you can generally consume more saturated fat without negatively impacting insulin resistance. This is due to altered metabolic pathways that reduce endogenous saturated fat production.
Focus on consuming carbohydrates with a low glycemic load, such as cruciferous vegetables, berries, and citrus fruits, as they have minimal impact on insulin response. Individuals with type 2 diabetes should exercise caution with very sugary fruits.
For individuals with type 2 diabetes, be aware that insulin therapy, while lowering glucose, can paradoxically worsen overall metabolic health by increasing hyperinsulinemia, leading to more fat gain and higher risks of heart disease and cancer.
If using GLP-1 agonists, discuss with your clinician a microdosing and cycling approach, framing the medication as a temporary aid to help rewire eating habits and control cravings, rather than a lifelong weight loss solution. The goal is to establish sustainable independent habits.
Explore berberine supplementation as an effective way to improve insulin sensitivity.
Recognize that any improvements in metabolic health achieved through lifestyle changes will only persist as long as those changes are maintained. Consistency and adherence to new habits are crucial for long-term benefits.
Be mindful of the time and energy invested in social media, as it can be a ‘black hole.’ Adopt a ’light touch’ approach to engagement to prevent it from negatively impacting other aspects of your life.