Managing Insulin Resistance for People Living with Diabetes

Diabetes is a challenging condition to live with and manage at times, and for people who have developed insulin resistance, finding the most effective management and treatment plan is a vital part of building a healthy daily routine.

But what is insulin resistance? What are the symptoms or signs of insulin resistance? Its causes? Are there ways you can use for how to know if you have insulin resistance or how to reverse it if you do? Not to worry, this page will cover all these questions, and more.

What is Insulin Resistance?

To begin, it’s important to remember that insulin is produced by your pancreas. This insulin is essential for helping your body naturally regulate blood sugar levels.

Insulin resistance is a complex condition, in which your body isn’t able to take in and use insulin the way that it’s supposed to be. In turn, excess insulin that can’t be used stays in your bloodstream, which results in higher blood sugar levels.

In time, unregulated high blood sugar levels can lead to damage in various parts of your body (i.e., neurological issues, vision problems, etc.), which can lead to other conditions that may further impact your health and daily quality of life.

Managing Diabetic Insulin Resistance for Type 2 Diabetics

Thankfully, insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes does have some methods you can use to help improve your body’s ability to take in insulin naturally, such as:

• Regularly exercising to promote a healthy body and cardiovascular system
• Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that avoids foods that are high in processed sugars, trans fats, etc., which can help you to improve naturally regulating blood sugars and fats
• Getting a full night's sleep, every night. Staying well-rested helps promote a healthy glucose metabolism, as well as maintain a healthy appetite and stable hormone levels
• Losing excess weight, because obesity and diabetes have a complex intertwined relationship. Losing weight may also reduce the severity of your insulin resistance symptoms
• Manage your stress levels to reduce hormonal fluctuations, which may in some cases disrupt your body’s natural insulin signalling
• Quit smoking, which can actually benefit insulin resistance in a few ways, such as: reducing fatty tissue around the abdomen, reducing body-wide harm and inflammation, preventing cellular alterations that can reduce insulin responsiveness

Recognizing the Warning Signs of Insulin Resistance & Sensitivity

It’s important to remember the warning signs of insulin resistance will look the same as those used to identify type 2 diabetes. Some insulin resistance symptoms to watch for include:

• Urinating more often
• Increased hunger or food cravings
• Chronic fatigue or feeling tired
• Frequent thirst
• Unintentional weight loss
• Dry or itchy skin
• Blurred vision
• Dry mouth

Many of these symptoms or signs of insulin resistance are tied to potential dehydration issues, resulting from frequent urination (i.e., dry mouth, dry skin, frequent thirst), so it’s important if you believe you could be experiencing the signs of insulin resistance to drink lots of water to help avoid these potential symptoms.

How Insulin Resistance Manifests in Type 2 Diabetes

Reduced sensitivity to insulin may be one of the warning signs that you could be on the path towards experiencing type 2 diabetes.

If you receive a type 2 diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis, you may have insulin resistance. Your practitioner may suggest applicable care for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, which can then function to help you manage your insulin resistance.

If you’re interested in talking to a practitioner about how to get a type 2 diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis to identify insulin resistance, complete a short online assessment with Felix today to get started.

Common Causes of Insulin Resistance & Its Impact on the Body

Unfortunately, the direct causes of insulin resistance aren’t fully understood yet.

One step towards discovering what causes insulin resistance that has been completed is that scientists have discovered several genes that may make a person more or less susceptible to insulin resistance symptoms.

There are also several conditions that have been directly associated with issues of insulin sensitivity, including:

• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Cardiovascular disease
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

If you have any of the conditions listed above, you may want to consider discussing with your practitioner how to identify insulin resistance and manage it, if you do happen to have issues with your body’s insulin sensitivity.

SIDE NOTE: Felix does not specifically test for insulin resistance, but we offer assistance in arranging for blood sugar testing, which can be used to help identify the presence of insulin resistance.

The Link Between Insulin Resistance & PCOS

Before we dive into the connection between insulin resistance and PCOS, let’s explore a little bit about what PCOS is.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes small fluid filled sacs (also called cysts) to develop around a woman’s ovaries. It’s a common cause of infertility in women, and women with PCOS often have insulin resistance as well.

In fact, more than half of women with PCOS develop type 2 diabetes; especially if they have PCOS and are overweight.

Although scientists aren’t sure exactly what causes PCOS, as insulin resistance is so closely related, you may want to be checked for PCOS as well, if you have ovaries and you receive a diagnosis of elevated blood sugars, which may be a sign of insulin resistance.

How to Know If You Have Insulin Resistance: Key Signs to Watch For

There are some key signs and symptoms of insulin resistance that you can watch out for, which can help you identify insulin resistance and seek care as early as possible. These signs or symptoms of insulin resistance include:

• A frequent or ongoing need to urinate (more than usual)
• Feeling chronically fatigued or weak
• Feeling thirsty or hungry a lot more often than normal
• Sudden appearances of dry, itchy patches of skin
• Changes in vision (i.e., blurred or fuzzy vision)
• Losing weight unexpectedly and/or without effort
• Dry, pasty feeling in the mouth (also called cotton mouth)

When Should I Talk to a Practitioner about Insulin Resistance?

If you start to experience any of these signs or symptoms of insulin resistance, talking to a practitioner right away can help you begin managing these symptoms, before they start having a major impact on your health and quality of life.

Felix makes this process quick, easy, and accessible for patients across Canada through our secure, chat-based online assessment system. One of our practitioners will typically get back to your request within 24 hours, and if appropriate, they’ll be able to provide treatment plan suggestions to help manage insulin resistance, as well as preventative measures that you may be able to use if you’re starting to show signs of insulin sensitivity.

With Felix in your corner, you can take back control of your health and your happiness, so that you can get back to living life on your terms - the way it should be.

Frequently Asked Questions About Insulin Resistance:

Can Insulin Resistance be Reversed?

Yes, you may be able to reverse insulin resistance.

The best ways to improve your body’s ability to take in and process insulin include:

• Change your diet
• Improve your sleep patterns
• Lose weight
• Increase your exercise regimen
• Quit smoking
• Manage your stress levels

Is There a Treatment Resource for Insulin Resistance?

The most effective long-term way to manage insulin resistance symptoms is to make lifestyle changes, like the ones that we’ve listed on this page.

Alternatively, there are treatment resources for insulin resistance that may also help you manage your symptoms, if your practitioner believes it could be an effective part of your insulin resistance treatment plan.

Is Diet a Consideration when Managing Insulin Resistance?

Yes, it absolutely is.

Our bodies function most efficiently when we provide them with healthy, well-balanced fuel. This means eating lots of foods high in vitamins, minerals, and proteins.

When you eat too many sugary foods, fatty foods, processed foods, or fried foods, it can lead to things like spikes in blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other serious conditions.

How Does Insulin Resistance Affect Diabetes Care?

Insulin resistance can affect care for diabetes, because it can change the effect of certain ingredients (i.e., insulin) that help to manage your blood sugar levels.

This is part of the reason why it’s so important to perform the necessary lifestyle changes, alongside any treatment plans for insulin resistance that are offered to you. Otherwise, you may not achieve the most effective results.