Insulin Resistance Warning Signs
So you think you don’t have to worry about your insulin levels because you’re not diabetic (or haven’t yet been diagnosed with diabetes). Well, think again. There are some clear red flags you need to watch out for. These insulin resistance warning signs could help your menstrual cycle as well as help you lead a more healthier, happier and more enjoyable life all the way around – that is, if you recognize them.
Common Insulin Resistance Warning Signs
Many times, we start experiencing symptoms that we don’t know the cause. That’s exactly what happened to me when I found myself in the Emergency Room. Life gets hectic and symptoms may come on gradually and we don’t think anything of them. How many of these do you have?
5 Red Flags to watch out for:
- You eat a lot of sugar but you don’t feel like you’ve had enough.
- Do you have a muffin top that just won’t go away, no matter how many stomach crunches you do?
- Are you always tired – and I mean, ALWAYS?
- Your mind seems blurred and you can’t remember things like you used to.
- You can’t focus or you forget a lot.
When I learned about these red flags, I was shocked because I was in the same boat. These symptoms came on gradually for me that I was able to explain away, especially the muffin top issue. I did more cardio than normal yet the belly fat wasn’t shrinking.
Plus, I was always tired. I’d get up sometimes feeling rested but only to be awake for a couple hours and feeling so tired I couldn’t do anything. I had trouble focusing and if I didn’t write something down, I’d be sure to forget it. It was alarming but I still didn’t do anything about it initially. I ignored the insulin resistance warning signs.
Hormone disruption
When our blood sugar takes a roller coaster ride on a continuous basis, we start disrupting our hormones. Some of our hormone levels go up (our testosterone) and others go down (our estradiol) – all when they shouldn’t. Everything gets messed up when this happens. And, I mean messed up. From here, you may start seeing symptoms of PCOS .
Another issue with high blood sugar and high insulin (thus, insulin resistance warning signs) is that we may start experiencing estrogen dominance. This means that some of your hormone levels (i.e. your progesterone) are lower than they should be. This is never good, especially if you carry any excess weight.
It starts a cycle of issues that include formation of ovarian cysts, we stop ovulating, and that’s when these hormone levels drop. This is why we need to make sure we keep our blood sugar in check. Excess blood sugar will cause inflammation and a whole host of other problems. Problems that may seem like they aren’t related to your blood sugar. We then put a band-aid on a problem that could have been solved by having blood sugar balance. It would be better to enhance your health rather than do something about the symptoms after we already have a problem.
Why should we eat better
If nothing mentioned above is enough to get you to eat better, maybe this will…
When we eat a bad diet on a continual basis, things in our bodies become inflamed and can’t heal. The more we eat badly, the more inflammation we get and the more issues we have. Here’s just one example that really got me thinking…
When we have our periods and if you have severe menstrual cramps and notice clots, you should be alarmed. This isn’t normal. And, it’s not just cramps. If you start getting migraines right before your period (which I did) or during your period (which I did), that’s another red flag that there’s inflammation that you need to worry about.
Sadly, not once did my doctor mention anything about diet to me. NOT ONE TIME! Instead, they pushed the birth control pill. When I said no to that (by then, I knew better), they pushed hormone replacement therapy in the form of progesterone. Instead of explaining the role my diet had in my period problems, a pill was prescribed. I wasn’t even given the option!
You must be logged in to post a comment.