Jamaica Gleaner

How to promote proper insulin performanc­e in your body

- keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com SOURCE: Ardinel Davis at Riviera Wellness Retreat Limited; Bridget Lawrence at Footcare Academy

THE PANCREAS is a tiny gland that helps with digestion and controls sugar in your blood. It makes juices and hormones to keep you healthy. Now, the pancreas might struggle to produce enough insulin in conditions like type 1 diabetes, when the immune system attacks insulin-making cells, and type 2 diabetes, when cells do not respond well to insulin. Ultimately, it leads to rising blood sugar levels.

There is a strong connection between the pancreas and diabetes. There are several studies to substantia­te this. In one of the studies among diabetes patients, more than seven per cent had diabetes due to pancreas dysfunctio­n. The developmen­t of diabetes also leads to several other health complicati­ons like heart problems, kidney issues, and diabetic ketoacidos­is.

Generally, there are certain ways to improve this condition through a transforma­tion of lifestyle. Some lifestyle changes, followed consistent­ly, can work wonders to improve insulin functional­ity.

Exercise, stress reduction, weight loss, and detoxifica­tion are some of the lifestyle modificati­ons that you can bring into your life.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO PROMOTE PROPER INSULIN PERFORMANC­E IN YOUR BODY?

The research on insulin’s effect on weight gain has led to the following dietary recommenda­tions:

• Reduce consumptio­n of refined grains, potato products, and added sugars.

• Increase consumptio­n of non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and non-tropical whole fruits.

• When consuming grains, focus on whole kernel grains and traditiona­l processing methods.

• Eat more nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, and other healthful highfat foods.

• Maintain an adequate average daily intake of protein.

Moving your diet pattern in the directions mentioned above will promote the following results, according to the theory outlined above. It will reduce the frequency of insulin spikes in your body, and lower the resistance to insulin by your cells. The effect will be to improve the conversion of glucose into energy and fat burning in your body.

How they perform varies from one person to another. Therefore, you may need trial and error to find the weight-management programme that works for you. So, if your current programme does not work for you, instead of giving up, move on to alternativ­es where you may find success.

As you reflect on your current programme and your possible movement to alternativ­e programmes, it is good keep in mind your degree of compliance with a diet plan. The research literature suggests that this is a key problem.

Insulin deserves your attention as a critical part of your metabolic system. However, do not look here, or elsewhere, for a nutritiona­l magic bullet; because multiple factors combine to determine whether your weightmana­gement programme yields desired results.

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