Your body begins to change even before a diabetes diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know.
More than 10% of the U.S. population has diabetes—a chronic condition that affects the way your body uses the energy it gets from food. Changes in your body can begin even before you’re diagnosed with diabetes, which is why it’s important to know your risk factors and embrace a healthy lifestyle as early as possible.
One change that the body goes through before developing diabetes is insulin resistance, a condition in which your body builds a tolerance to insulin.
What does insulin resistance do to your body?
After you eat, the glucose—sugar—in your blood increases. In turn, your pancreas produces insulin to convert that glucose into the energy your cells need to function. If your cells don’t immediately need that energy, the insulin sends it to fat cells to store for later.
“Our bodies are designed to store fat so we could survive periods of famine,” says obesity medicine specialist Dr. Janine Kyrillos. “But like a drug, your body can build up a tolerance to insulin, and start to resist it—especially when eating foods that require extra insulin, like processed and refined sugars and starches.”
To respond to this resistance, your body starts to produce more and more insulin, and the excess insulin starts diverting more of your energy into the fat cells. That insulin not only stores more energy in the fat cells, but it overflows into other systems. The result can include conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, fatty liver, inflammation, pain, gout and an increased risk of cancer and autoimmune disorders. Eventually, the body can’t keep up, and the blood sugar rises—causing prediabetes and diabetes.
How is insulin resistance diagnosed?
There is no one test for insulin resistance, but there are signs that you and your healthcare provider can look for. “People with insulin resistance often have excess belly fat, darkened skin under the arms and back of the neck, skin tags, irregular periods and abnormal hair growth,” says Dr. Kyrillos. “In addition, some people actually experience episodes of low blood sugar as a response to a high insulin level.”
Your healthcare provider may also take a blood test to look for markers that may indicate insulin resistance, like elevated or low blood sugar, high insulin levels, elevated liver enzymes or a high triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio.
Risk factors associated with insulin resistance include family history with a first-degree relative having diabetes, a personal history of gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obstructive sleep apnea.
Can you reverse insulin resistance?
Thankfully, insulin resistance can be reversed. The first step is to make dietary changes. “Foods that are highly processed or high in carbohydrates and sugar are digested quickly and tend to cause more spikes in insulin,” says Dr. Kyrillos. She recommends focusing on a diet of minimally processed foods with plenty of protein and fiber while allowing for some fat. “Fat from natural sources can be helpful in adding flavor to you food and keeping you full longer.” In addition, taking longer breaks between eating—eating two to three meals per day and avoiding snacks instead of having small meals throughout the day—can help regulate your insulin levels.
Another important factor in reversing insulin resistance is improving your muscle function and preserving your muscle mass,” says Dr. Kyrillos. “You can do this by incorporating strength training into your exercise routine. These steps will improve your metabolism and make it easier for insulin to transport energy to your muscles.”
How does insulin resistance affect weight loss?
“Insulin resistance can make it difficult to lose weight because your body has become really good at storing fat,” says Dr. Kyrillos. “In some cases, you will need to start reversing your body’s insulin resistance before the weight starts to come off.”