Are you often hungry? Are you intolerant of hunger? Do you have a fondness for carbohydrate foods, especially sweets? Do you suddenly feel sleepy after eating? Do you wake up at night and feel the need to eat sweet or floury food? If these symptoms sound familiar to you, watch out! The reason for your problem; There may be 'insulin resistance', which is the first step of diabetes, which is seen in one of every 3 people in our country!
The task of insulin, a hormone secreted from the pancreas, is to allow the sugar molecules in the blood to enter the cell, thus to be used as 'fuel' by the cells. In short, we can think of insulin as the 'key' of the cell's door that lets in sugar molecules. Insulin is secreted according to the amount of sugar in the blood. For example, if there is a 1 unit increase in blood sugar when we eat cucumber, the body immediately secretes 1 unit of insulin. Insulin resistance, which is the problem of one out of every 20 people in our country; It can be defined as the difficulty of insulin, which regulates sugar in the body, in performing its task.
When insulin resistance develops, a wall is built between the cells and the sugar molecules in the blood. As a result, for example, 10 units of insulin, which would normally be sufficient for an increase in sugar level by 10 units, cannot overcome the metabolic barrier in front of it at these levels and is not sufficient for blood sugar to enter the cell. In this case, the body begins to secrete 10 units or more of insulin instead of 20 units in order to get enough sugar into the cells. 'Diabetes' develops when the reserves of the pancreatic gland, which constantly secretes excess insulin over the years, decrease and one day cannot secrete enough insulin to exceed the wall in front of it, especially in those who are genetically at risk of diabetes.
Genetic predisposition is the leading factor leading to insulin resistance, that is, having a family history of diabetes is a very important risk factor. Acıbadem Dr. Sinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Specialist Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler stated that insulin resistance develops when various factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, irregular diet, and sleep irregularity accompany the family history, and said: It causes appetite disorders such as consuming food. “Over time, these eating disorders can result in weight gain and increased insulin resistance.” So, what should we pay attention to in order to break insulin resistance? Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Specialist Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler explained 10 effective rules for the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance; made important suggestions and warnings!
Exercise
Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler says, “Movement is the most important factor that facilitates the use of sugar in the cells and ensures that less insulin is sufficient in regulating sugar metabolism,” and continues: “Any kind of sports can be done. You can walk for 30 minutes every day or 3 times a week for 50 minutes; Swimming, indoor sports, cycling, even dancing will be extremely helpful in combating insulin resistance.”
Cut down on floury foods
Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler stated that carbohydrate foods have the potential to increase blood sugar more, and therefore have the ability to stimulate insulin secretion more, “Carbohydrate foods; In insulin resistance patients, who can control their blood sugar with more insulin than normal, they cause an increase in insulin secretion, weight gain and a faster depletion of pancreatic reserve. Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler, drawing attention to the necessity of reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet, says, "Natural but fibrous carbohydrate types such as fruits and vegetables should be preferred instead of refined carbohydrates, that is, floury and sugary foods."
Watch out for snacks!
Until recently, it was recommended to eat frequently, with 3 snacks and 3 main meals, but in the last few years, 'intermittent fasting', which does not include snacks, has become popular. Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler says, "Except for a group of patients who need to take snacks, intermittent fasting can be preferred because it causes less stimulation of insulin secretion," and draws attention to the following important point: "However, eating 3 meals a day instead of 2 main meals will cause hunger and snacking in between. why could it be. The biggest nutritional mistake that increases insulin resistance and facilitates weight gain is snacks. For this reason, whatever diet is chosen, it should be in the form of healthy meals and the foods we call junk food in between should be minimized.”
limit fruit
Fruits are among the healthy carbohydrates that contain natural and fiber. However, fruit sugar also stimulates insulin secretion, and excessive fruit consumption both causes weight gain and increases insulin resistance. Therefore, make it a habit to consume one serving of fruit at a time. You can consume a total of 3 servings of fruit at different times of the day. When you put a portion of fruit roughly on the plate; We can define it as the amount of fruit that takes up space in the volume of 1 medium apple. So, like 1 apple or 1 orange or 1 pear or 3 apricots. Take care to consume the fruit in a way that does not exceed this amount at one time.
Reduce the honey-jam-molasses trio
In addition to natural honey, which is a very healthy food, jam and molasses; they contain sugar that is very dense, begins to be absorbed as soon as it is worth mentioning, and rises rapidly in the blood. Moreover, we usually consume these foods in the morning, that is, when our stomach is empty. Therefore, their absorption accelerates even more. At the same rate, they increase the secretion of insulin by stimulating the pancreas. Therefore, if you have insulin resistance, you need to reduce your consumption of these foods a lot.
Avoid sugary drinks
Beverages such as carbonated drinks, iced tea derivatives and lemonade contain sugar that is intense and immediately mixed into the blood. For this reason, they also stimulate insulin secretion quickly and strongly.
Consume fruit instead of juice
In a glass of fruit juice, 3-4 portions of fruit are separated from the sugar pulp. Dr. Özlem Sezgin Meriçliler said, “Even if it is freshly squeezed, a glass of fruit juice not only contains 3-4 servings of fruit, which we say 'we should eat at most one serving' at a time, and because the sugar of this fruit is not pulpy, it is absorbed very quickly and increases insulin secretion very quickly. " says. When fruits are eaten with pulp, pulp slows down sugar absorption. Therefore, make it a habit to take vitamins by consuming the fruit itself, not with fruit juice.
Do not eat dessert on an empty stomach!
When sugary and carbohydrate foods are eaten when our stomach is empty, the sugar they contain is rapidly absorbed and they raise blood sugar faster. They also stimulate insulin secretion at such a rapid rate. You should adopt as a rule to eat such foods as little as possible and never to consume them on an empty stomach.
These foods should not be missing from your meals.
Milk and dairy products (yogurt, buttermilk, kefir and cheese), green vegetables and salads slow the absorption of sugar when eaten at the same time as carbohydrates and sugar-containing foods. For this reason, consuming yoghurt next to fruit, ayran or cheese next to bagels, yoghurt and green salad with potatoes will balance the sugar absorption rate of these foods and will provide less stimulation of insulin secretion.
Pay attention to your sleep
It is now known that sleep disorders can trigger insulin resistance and even lead to the development of diabetes, even in people who are not genetically at risk of diabetes. Especially night sleep is very important in this process and daytime sleep cannot replace nighttime sleep. Getting regular sleep habits between 24:00 and 08:00 plays an important role against insulin resistance.
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