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Dietary Changes to Combat Insulin Resistance

Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent disease affecting more than 20 million Americans. Each day, doctors diagnose over 2000 more cases of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Because insulin resistance is the major cause of Type 2 diabetes, it is important for the patient to make dietary changes. With a proper meal plan, the diabetic can reverse the effects of insulin resistance and manage the disease.

  1. Insulin Process

    • Your body breaks down the food you eat into carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. The carbohydrates break down into glucose or sugars in your intestine. The blood vessels then carry the sugar throughout the body. Your pancreas makes insulin when the sugar enters the bloodstream. The insulin helps the sugar move from your bloodstream into your cells where it is stored for needed energy. Insulin resistance occurs when your body is unable to use the insulin effectively or your body does not make enough insulin. The result is difficulty for the glucose to enter the cells. High levels of glucose build up in the blood, where it travels to organs in the body.

    Carbohydrates

    • Carbohydrates convert to sugar within two hours of ingestion. Any starchy and sugary foods are carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cereal, corn, peas, crackers, fruit, cookies, cake, and soda. To help insulin move glucose into the cells, you need to watch your carbohydrate intake. You can do this by eating the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal and eating meals on time. The amount of carbohydrates should match your activity level. Your dietitian will determine how many carbohydrates you should eat at each meal. The average amount of carbohydrates is 45 to 60 grams, three times a day with one to two snacks that consists of 15 grams of carbohydrates. A serving is equal to 15 grams. One slice of bread, 1/3-cup of rice or pasta, 1/2-cup of starchy vegetables, a small fruit, or one ounce of snacks is one serving of carbohydrates.

    Protein and Fat

    • Besides managing your carbohydrates, you need to manage your intake of protein and fat. Fat in the bloodstream with glucose can cause circulatory problems and weight issues. Overweight people are prone to insulin resistance. Protein is needed to maintain and increase muscle mass, but there is fat in protein too. Do not exceed six ounces of protein a day. Protein should be lean meats, poultry, fish, cheese, beans, or lentils. Do not eat red meat more than three times a week and no more than once per day. Avoid the skin on poultry. An example of a portion size of protein is a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. This would be 3- to 4-ounces of meat. One ounce of cottage cheese is a 1/4-cup. One egg or one hot dog is 1-ounce.

      Fat is a concentrated source of energy, but too much fat can raise your cholesterol. Limit saturated fats found in animal products such as butter, palm oil, lard, bacon, cream cheese, whole milk, and sour cream. Choose foods that contain less than three grams of fat for every 100 calories. Consider skim milk, low fat cheese, spray butter, olive oil, and canola oil.

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