Heart Disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States, with one in four deaths attributed to it. The CDC lists several factors that increase the risk of Coronary Heart Disease including, diabetes, overweight and obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.
For years, Americans were told to stop eating cholesterol in order to prevent heart disease but, over time, it has become more and more apparent that cholesterol has very little to do with heart disease. But the causes of heart disease can be summarized into one main idea. What do the factors listed by the CDC have in common? They all have a drastic impact on blood sugar metabolism.
So is blood sugar metabolism what we really should be focussing on? I believe the research shows the answer is YES!
In recent years, studies have made a strong case for the influence of insulin resistance and heart disease. Here is the tip of the iceberg.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11183420/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42700-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC380256/
Insulin Sensitivity is the Key to Heart Health
What is interesting is that insulin resistance is a precursor to the development of diabetes. And we know that diabetics have a much higher incidence of heart disease. This is not surprising since uncontrolled blood sugar management seems to be the root of many other diseases, including dementia which is often called Type 3 Diabetes because of the association with insulin resistance.
Given the tremendous impact that proper blood sugar has on our health, the best question to ask is “how do I improve my insulin sensitivity?”
Insulin resistance is essentially the body’s way of saying, “stop flooding me with insulin, my receptors are already filled.” Why are the receptors filled? From frequent blood sugar spikes that require insulin to stabilize and protect the body from the damages of extreme blood sugar.
With that background in mind, the goal is to have slow peaks of blood sugar, and as well as regular periods of time when no insulin is necessary, such as when you are fasting. Fasting is one of the best ways to resensitize your cells to insulin. That is why many people find dramatic improvements in insulin sensitivity when they start intermittent fasting or alternate-day fasting. Keto diets can also be beneficial because they are low sugar and low carb diets that don’t require huge amounts of insulin. But the effect with keto is slower and not as drastic. Additionally, whole food, unprocessed vegan diets are very effective at reducing insulin resistance for many reasons. In particular, they often contain large amounts of fiber which dampens blood sugar spikes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28397639/
Now that we have made the connection between heart disease and insulin resistance, let’s talk about some simple strategies to increase insulin sensitivity.
5 Tips to Increase Insulin Sensitivity
- 1) Intermittent fast. Give your body a solid break from all food or drinks that might stimulate insulin. For some, a regular 12 hour fast, overnight, will be enough. For other people, a longer fast may be necessary. Keep in mind that anything over 48 hours should be medically supervised, and always drink water with electrolytes (or a pinch of himalyan sea salt) during your fasts.
- 2) Eat whole unprocessed foods. Vegetables with fiber are your friend. Eat your fruit, don’t drink it. If you enjoy fruits make sure you eat them with all the fiber they naturally contain. Fruits make a great substiution for refined sweets. Nice Cream, made with frozen bananas and the milk of your choice, is a healthy swap for ice cream, esecially if you add in cocoa powder or berries. Don’t be afraid of whole grains, but limit or avoid bread, pasta, or crackers that are not whole foods.
- 3) Exercise regularly. Exercise is independently associated with longevity and blood sugar control. It can help you de-stress which lowers cortisol. Elevated cortisol can impact your insulin sensitivity. Additionally, exercise removes glucose from your muscles which frees up more space for glucose storage in the future, thereby reducing glucose in your blood. If your blood glucose is lower, less insulin is released, resulting in less insulin resistance. Aerobic, weight training, or high-intensity intervals are ideal. But the best exercise is the one you do regualrly.
- 4) Consider taking a fiber supplement first before eating refined foods. This will dampen the insulin spike- just keep in mind it’s not a free pass to eat junk all the time.
Psyllium husk, resistant starches, inulin, flaxseed meal or some combination of these are all good options. - 5) Managed your stress. Prayer, journaling, meditation, good sleeping habits, spending time with friends will all help you manage your stress. We are more than just a physical body and the spirit needs regular rest and connection.
Keeping your heart happy and healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Just focus on these simple tips at least 80 percent of the time and you will be ahead of the curve. You will find that when you take care of your heart, the rest of your body benefits as well.
