Author's note: This column is intended for educational purposes only. It aims to highlight gaps in health knowledge, provide support and empower organizations to guide their members in creating …
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Author's note: This column is intended for educational purposes only. It aims to highlight gaps in health knowledge, provide support and empower organizations to guide their members in creating effective health and wellness programs.
As healthcare professionals, we often talk about chronic diseases, especially diabetes, in terms of laboratory numbers: fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c, lipid panel, comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Behind every number, though, is a person — a parent, grandparent, neighbor, church member, coworker or friend. An important but not well-understood state behind diabetes and chronic diseases is known as insulin resistance (IR).
After we eat carbohydrates or sugar, glucose enters the bloodstream, triggering insulin release. This hormone helps move sugar out of the blood and into the muscles and liver, where it can be used for energy or stored. When this system is working well, blood sugar rises briefly following a meal and then returns to normal. When blood sugar rises repeatedly, the pancreas releases insulin more often. Over time, this constant demand can make cells less responsive. IR means your body’s muscle, liver and fat cells are not responding adequately to the presence of insulin, resulting in sugar staying in the bloodstream instead of getting into the cells that need it.
IR is the common underlying mechanism behind obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and polycystic ovary syndrome. It is linked to 42% of heart attacks and contributes to cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer. Because insulin plays such a significant role across multiple systems, the brain is especially vulnerable, which can impair cognition. Finally, insulin resistance affects how the body stores fat and responds to diet and exercise. In insulin-resistant states, fat breakdown is impaired, more fat is stored in organs and weight and fat loss become harder to achieve, regardless of the effort.
The challenge is that IR develops quietly, long before symptoms appear, but is far more responsive to lifestyle changes than most people realize. Telling people to “eat better and exercise more” is not enough. Health decisions are not made in a vacuum. They are made within families, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, churches and communities.
Addressing IR early is a powerful preventive intervention, which leads to faith and community organizations’ involvement in the health and wellness of their members. Faith communities and civic organizations are uniquely positioned to promote health and wellness because they are places of trust, connection, service and shared purpose. It can begin with dialogue on health topics that interest members. Developing a health and wellness ministry, or even a health committee, is a natural way to address the knowledge gap in evidence-based health education. Healthy living should be part of the community, not an individual struggle.
Insulin resistance can be improved when addressed early, beginning with the following activities:
• Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, plus resistance/strength training two to three times per week. Even a 10- to 15-minute walk after meals can be useful.
•Aim for modest weight loss if overweight. Losing 5%-10% of body weight can meaningfully improve insulin sensitivity.
•Prioritize a high-fiber, minimally processed diet, including vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, fruit and lean protein.
• Reduce refined carbohydrates and added sugars. Avoid or at least cut back on sugary drinks, sweets, refined breads, pastries and highly processed foods.
• Choose healthy fats and limit or avoid trans and saturated fats.
Insulin does far more than manage blood sugar. It plays a significant role throughout the body, influencing how cells grow, how they use and store energy, the production of other hormones and whether cells survive or die. Insulin is considered a master metabolic hormone influencing every tissue in the body. When insulin signaling breaks down, the consequences ripple across every major organ system, making insulin resistance not just a consequence of disease, but a driver of it.
Dr. Cheryl Christy is a Baldwin County resident and registered nurse with nearly 30 years of experience. She holds master's degrees in nursing education and nursing practice and a doctorate in nursing practice. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Phi Pi Chapter, a certified lay counselor and the author of "Voices for Healthcare," a health care blog.
Read her previous column titled "Protecting lives before, during and after an emergency" on www.GulfCoastMedia.com. Her blog can be found at https://substack.com/@dnprn.
