Are Your Insulin Levels Winning?
I don’t know about you, but I am super competitive. In all areas of life. Including my lab results, which is probably the craziest because why would anyone want to ‘win’ at the best blood lab numbers? I’ll answer that question because for me, winning in all areas of life is fun! (#enneagram3)
So, yes, even when I walk into the doctor’s office for my yearly check up I am ready to beat my numbers from last year (and every other patient in the office). And every year I have felt very confident about hitting a new personal record in lab results being that I am a dietitian.
To be honest, when I went to get my blood work done a few years ago, I almost didn’t even look at my insulin and blood sugar levels because I obviously didn’t need to worry about that since that's just for those at risk for diabetes…. Right? I’ll go ahead and answer this question for you as well.
The answer is that you absolutely need to be looking at these numbers! Insulin and blood sugar levels have a much bigger role than just controlling diabetes. My insulin and blood sugar levels were both high *gAsP* because of several other factors that directly impact them. Such as:
High cortisol (stress) levels (hello, I am a workaholic)
Irregular sleep cycles
Inflamed gut environment
Inconsistent eating patterns
Turns out, even though I know how important daily kale is for you I didn’t reallllllly know how important it was to prioritize sleep, boundaries, slowing down for meal times, balancing all meals etc. Yes, even as a dietitian I had some major areas of improvement. I see it all too often because there are so many of you that are very goal driven, which is amazing but also tend to sacrifice your own needs thinking it will help you get to the finish line faster.
If this sounds like you, let me ask you a few questions…
Have you ever skipped lunch to finish a project?
Have you ever skipped a meal without even realizing it?
Do you have constipation or excessive bloating by the end of the day?
Do you need afternoon coffee to be able to function?
Are you “going to bed” at 10pm, but hang out with your phone until midnight answering emails?
If you can answer yes to even one of these questions you may be at risk for raising your insulin levels. Yes, we all have stressful seasons of life, but over time elevated insulin can lead to:
Energy depletion
Sluggish liver
Tired thyroid
Weight gain
Acne and other skin issues
Inflammation
While it can seem daunting that this one little hormone called insulin can cause a lot of mayhem, when it’s cared for properly it can do a lot of good too! Just like any other hormone, it’s not a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ hormone, it just needs to find balance.
Here are my favorite ways to manage insulin:
Stress reducing activities
Mineral support
Balanced meals with vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats
Start to consistently add these steps into your daily routine and I promise you will WIN at your next doctor’s appointment. You can also get these labs when you work with me! I choose your labs based on your symptoms, but I will always add insulin because it plays such a vital role in overall wellness. Remember, consistent changes lead to daily habits and daily habits lead to results :) You deserve to have all the energy to show up in life!
Xoxo Kelsey, Passionate Dietitian
