LowCarbDirect.net Issue 03

12 | LowcarbDirect Directory - Issue 3 - October 2016
Dietary management
of insulin resistance
By Catriona Walsh
Insulin resistance is an increasing concern
in most of the world. It occurs when cells
stop responding properly to the signals
from the hormone insulin to increase absorption
of glucose, amino acids and fats from
the bloodstream. Insulin resistance appears
to occur as a result of oxidative stress due
to highly unstable molecules, and dysfunctional
mitochondria (the powerhouses of our
cells), and it is likely that chronic inflammation
and stress play key roles in setting up this
condition.
Once insulin resistance is established, a diet
that is high in carbohydrates has been demonstrated
to result in abnormally elevated
blood glucose levels and an abnormal pattern
of blood lipids. Digestible carbohydrates
are one of the three macronutrients in the
diet and include sugars and starches. Fibre is
an indigestible carbohydrate.
The good news is that we actually have a lot
of control over our exposures to inflammatory
agents. By very closely monitoring what
we deliberately put into our mouths, onto our
skins, and by limiting the amount of toxicity
we are exposed to in our environments we
can come up with a strategy to wrestle back
control of our internal milieu.
in women), and can be combined with a LCHF diet.
Clinical trials indicate that foods high in cholesterol and fats of animal
origin, as well as some fats of plant origin such as coconut oil, olive oil,
macadamia nut oil, and plant sources of fats such as avocados, nuts and
seeds, play an important part in a LCHF diet.
On the other hand some plant based oils called vegetable oils (which
include soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil and rapeseed oil) have
been shown in trials to reduce LDL and total cholesterol, but actually also
reduce life expectancy when used to replace animal fats. These vegetable
oils are best avoided.
Are all carbohydrates created equal?
Probably not, at least for most people. However, individual responses
to specific foods vary greatly and are multifactorial in origin.
Which dietary strategies have
been shown to be effective in
improving insulin sensitivity,
managing metabolic syndrome,
type 2 diabetes and obesity?
A low carbohydrate high (healthy) fat (LCHF)
diet has been shown to have the best success
in managing and sometimes even reversing
metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and
related conditions. In particular, variations
which focus on real whole foods instead of
processed foods, including the paleo and primal
diets, and a higher fat Mediterranean diet
with nuts and olive oil, have been shown to
be very effective. Calorie restriction and intermittent
fasting have also been shown to be
helpful (although results may vary, especially