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| | | Pop quiz: Which hormone made in your pancreas helps regulate the amounts of nutrients in your blood? | | Yes, insulin is correct! | | Today's Nutrition Edition focuses on insulin resistance, which plays a key role in prediabetes and diabetes. Below, Lindsay Mahar, a registered dietitian at Healthline, explains more about this condition and what you can do to reverse its course. | | | | | | | The more you know!
Ginger Wojcik
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |  | | Written by Ginger Wojcik
February 27, 2025 • 3.5 min read | | | |  | | | | Q: | What is insulin resistance, and is it reversible once you have it? | | | A: | Insulin is a hormone created by your pancreas that helps maintain the amount of glucose in your blood. (Blood glucose, aka blood sugar, is your body's primary energy source.)
Typically, insulin helps transport glucose from your bloodstream into your cells so that you can use it for energy. However, when you have insulin resistance, this process becomes less effective, leading to increased insulin production and glucose buildup in your blood, liver, and muscles.
Insulin resistance is a precursor to prediabetes (where blood glucose is elevated, but not by enough to be diagnosed as diabetes) and type 2 diabetes. It typically does not cause any noticeable symptoms, and doctors don't commonly test for it.
Usually, people learn that they have insulin resistance after being tested for prediabetes or diabetes. Annual screenings for prediabetes or diabetes generally start around age 40. Your doctor may recommend testing at a younger age if you have additional risk factors.
Some lifestyle changes may help reverse insulin resistance (this is also referred to as improving your insulin sensitivity) and prediabetes. These include: - Exercising regularly: Physical activity helps your body use insulin more effectively, which allows you to use glucose more effectively. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. You'll know it's moderately intense if you're still able to speak but not quite able to sing.
- Managing your weight: If your doctor recommends it, losing as little as 5% of your body weight can help reduce your risk of developing diabetes.
- Eating a balanced diet: Prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and trans fats.
- Managing stress levels: Stress hormones can increase blood sugar, which can cause insulin resistance and lead to diabetes.
- Getting enough sleep: Several studies link not getting enough sleep to reduced insulin sensitivity. Catching up on lost sleep can help reverse the effects of less sleep on insulin resistance.
If you receive a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, work with your care team to come up with a management plan that works for your lifestyle. This will likely include a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. | | | | | Lindsay Mahar, Registered Dietitian | | | Want to learn more about food, diets, cooking, or some other nutrition subject? Let us know at nutritionedition@healthline.com and we'll look into it for you! (Heads up, we may use your response in an upcoming newsletter.) | | |  | | | | An Easy 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Our Registered Dietitian | | Check out these 21 delicious, diabetes-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Remember to stay within your carbohydrate allowance by noting the carb content and serving size of the recipes. Also, be sure to balance your meals with lean protein and healthy fats. | | | | | | | | | | | What we're digesting | | 📗 The ultimate guide to MS for the newly diagnosed. You might feel overwhelmed, sad, angry, shocked, in disbelief, or even in denial. | | 😀 10 yummy foods to boost your mood. Fuel to feel good! | | ❓ Psychosis vs. schizophrenia: How do they differ? Here's what you need to know. | | 💪 10 exercises to strengthen every inch of your body. Ready to improve your muscular strength, endurance, and balance? | | | | | How did you feel about this newsletter? | | | | | Email nutritionedition@healthline.com with comments related to this newsletter or topics you'd like to see in future editions. The newsletter editors read every message that lands in our inbox — yes, really! We look forward to hearing from you. | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll see
you again soon! | | | | |  | | This edition was powered by | | apple snacks.️ | | | | |
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