Insulin Resistance

There is an excellent book called "Releasing Fat" by Dr. Ray Strand. Insulin Resistance is explained in detail and there are definite things to avoid eating! You will feel so much better and there is good news...the condition can be managed through diet alone!

I have Insulin Resistance too because I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). My OB/GYN suggested I follow a low GI diet and avoid any food that comes in a celophane wrapper. He also suggested taking Vitamin D and Slow FE Iron.

Hi Tiffany!

I'm a 26 year old female and also have an insulin resistance. I have been on Metformin and had success with weight loss, more normal periods, etc by combining the medication with eating the right stuff.

Basically, "bad" carbs have got to come off the menu entirely. Spaghetti, rice, white bread, even simple "wheat" bread... you might hear that there are "good" ways to eat these carbs, but it's so much easier to forget them altogether. However, to transition, you can choose to eat 12 grain or whole grain breads, or breads from "sprouted" grains which will contain less carbs & sugars, which your body cannot properly process being insulin resistant.

Pastas can also be found in high fiber, whole grain form -- which is better than no change being made... but I would still recommend trying to just put it behind you, if you can.

In order to do this a bit more easily, you can replace with other things, such as mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes (which are too starchy & full of carbs). Just boil cauliflower til it's softer, then put it into a food processor with some olive oil & a bit of salt and garlic. Delicious, and the same consistency of mashed potatoes!

You can replace spaghetti with spaghetti squash (also called butternut squash). It's more of a side than a main dish. But you basically cut the butternut squash in half, length-wise. You poke holes with a fork all over it (inside & skin outside). Then you bake it at 375 for about 30-40 minutes. Holding it with a potholder, you scrape out the insides with a fork. You'll see it comes out in shreds/spaghetti-type pieces. You can use olive oil and Parmesan cheese, or even a low-sugar red sauce. It's awesome!

Rice can be replaced (occasionally) with a grain called Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). You can find it at almost any grocery store that has a "gluten-free" or "organic" section. It cooks like rice, gets fluffy, and can be done in any style -- with salt & pepper, with spicy flavors, or even sweet with margarine & cinnamon. It's a great rice substitute every once in a while (still don't want to make an every day habit, since it's a grain that your body doesn't process so well).

This has all helped in my experience. I hope it helps you!!

- Jen Hanke

Hi Tiffany!
It took me a while to get adjusted to a lower blood sugar way of living, but here are some yummy, easy things to work in every day:
1) CINNAMON! Eat it WHENEVER YOU CAN! Cinnamon lowers blood sugar. sprinkle it in tea, in oatmeal, whatever.
2) Aim for WHOLE GRAIN when selecting bread - and don't eat bread daily. See if you can find another substitute. You can check out Julian Bakery (google it). Their toaster breads can be a bit pricey, but they are designed for carb watchers in mind.
3) The more you follow a diebetic diet, the more weight you will lose.
4) You can recover from this! I felt like I was going to be on meds for life. (PCOS, Endometriosis, etc). I'm no longer on metformin and my A1C hemoglobin is no longer an issue at all.
5) Ask your physician about your cholesterol. There is some research suggesting that PCOS patients who are insulin resistant may have slightly higher (non-diet related) cholesterol as well. The best way to control this is to give your body the best fuel it can have, and work out.

My biggest suggestion is don't stress about it. Stress hormones keep your body in a "conserve" mode, and it does REALLY crazy things to women's reproductive systems (which then become systemic issues). If you don't already, I highly recommend journaling, meditating, prayer, or whatever you can do to make your "me" time and to stay at peace as much as possible.

Check out www.diabetes.org. I realize that you don't have diabetes but the treatment for insulin resistance is very much the same. They have recipes and menu suggestions.

Here is also a brief article explaining it: http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/insulin-resistance-syndrome

The main thing is avoid processed grains (white pasta & breads) and sugar as much as possible. When my mother was diagnosed she was advised to avoid or severely limit bread and pasta of any kind. Whole grains such as oatmeal and brown rice are okay in moderation, but you should limit your total carbs. I think the American Diabetes Assoc. recommends no more than 15 net carbs per meal. (net carbs = total grams of carbs minus grams of fiber)

And exercise!! It will help tremendously.

You can replace spaghetti with spaghetti squash (also called butternut squash). It's more of a side than a main dish. But you basically cut the butternut squash in half, length-wise. You poke holes with a fork all over it (inside & skin outside). Then you bake it at 375 for about 30-40 minutes. Holding it with a potholder, you scrape out the insides with a fork. You'll see it comes out in shreds/spaghetti-type pieces. You can use olive oil and Parmesan cheese, or even a low-sugar red sauce. It's awesome!

...
This has all helped in my experience. I hope it helps you!!

- Jen Hanke

Great cooking advice - however Spaghetti Squash and Butternut Squash are actually 2 different goards. Butternut doesn't shred, but can also make a great substitute for a starch! . Spaghetti squash is large, yellow and SUPER easy to make! You can just cut it in half, microwave it in some water until it shreds easily when you put a fork over the meat. It's a comfort food fav for me!

Soups and Gourds are a GREAT way to go!

The South Beach diet is a good diet for IR/PCOS according to my fertility Dr. We adopted and never conceived (I might ok with that since pregnancy can tear up a body sometimes, hee hee) but the metformin did regulate my cycle. Do NOT eat even a signle M&M on metformin. I had EXPLSOIVE diarrhea...

I was diagnosed a little over six months ago, and it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me! Finally, an explanation for why all my hard work never paid off and I kept gaining weight! I knew for years that something was wrong with me, but doctors kept telling me I was "fine." So congrats to you for getting a diagnosis; that's the first step!

I am also on Metformin, although I take half the dose my doctor prescribed (once a day rather than twice a day). It didn't have any ill effects as far as I can tell, but I don't like drugs as a general rule. Even with over-the-counter meds I will only take 1/4 or 1/2 the recommended doses. But that's just my weird little personal quirk. :-)

What has your doctor recommended as far as diet? Mine gave me just two simple rules, and they have made a huge difference in my life.
Rule 1: no more than 25g carbs per day.
Rule 2: eat or drink at least 50g of protein when you wake up, and every three hours after that, for as long as you're awake.
He left it entirely up to me how I accomplish those things. It will depend on your lifestyle, you'll have to find what works for you.

Things that have helped me:
*Setting an alarm on my phone to remind me to eat every three hours (I'm never hungry that often!).
*Buying lots of hard cheeses and eggs, and separating the cheese into 2-oz blocks and hard-boiling the eggs, so that I have ready-made high-protein low-carb snacks available instantly when I get the munchies.
*I also like the Laughing Cow brand cheese wedges as snacks. Beef jerky is good too, but watch the brand & flavor, some have more carbs than others.
*Searching the topics here for "low-carb" or "paleo" or "primal." Lots of people have posted great recipes!
*Recipes in Mark's Daily Apple (google it)
*Protein powders! It's really hard to get that much protein in, unless you use some kind of protein mix or protein drink. I've found that Syntrax Nectar brand offers a lot of different flavors that mix up well in cold water. Convenient, especially if you go to events like potlucks or family gatherings where you're not sure you'll be able to eat much of what they serve. You can always bring a ziplock baggie of protein powder in your purse & discreetly mix it into your drink to supplement your meal.
*I am also teaching myself to bake using protein powders instead of flour & sugar; that has had mixed results so far, but I did manage a pretty good chocolate cheesecake the other day. :-) I am not a person who was a good cook to start with, but I'm learning. Slowly.
*George Foreman grill. I love that thing! Throw on a fish filet, or a chicken breast, or a pork chop, or a steak, or sliced veggies, and 6-10 minutes later you're done. No fuss. Very little cleanup.
*Spices. Unlike most sauces and dressings, spices add flavor without adding carbs. Buy them in bulk and try different combinations. I can eat a grilled chicken breast for supper every night and never get bored, as long as I use different spices each time. Curry & red pepper for Indian, basil & oregano for Italian, garlic & cumin & chili pepper for spicy, etc. You can look up recipes for spice rubs online, or just look up regular recipes and make a note of which spices they combine that seem to work well together.

Here are a couple of links where Dr. Mary Vernon, president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, explains the benefits of low-carb diets and why they work well for diabetics and hyperinsulinemics (people who are insulin resistant).
http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html
http://colorado.indymedia.org/node/246
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3M75cYpx2w

I hope this helps. Feel free to "friend" me if you'd like. Good luck on your journey!

Rule 2: eat or drink at least 50g of protein when you wake up, and every three hours after that, for as long as you're awake.
He left it entirely up to me how I accomplish those things. It will depend on your lifestyle, you'll have to find what works for you.

AdAstra47, do you eat 50 grams of protein every 3 hours? Or did you mean try to eat something every three hours? I also eat 50 grams of protein upon waking, but I don't think I'd last very long if I tried to do that every three hours. :noway:

Yes, I do eat 50g protein every 3 hrs. Works out to 300-350g per day. I usually manage using a combination of healthy high-protein foods and protein powder. For example, typical breakfast is a scoop of orange protein powder in water (25g), and 2 scrambled eggs (12g) with green pepper, mushrooms & sausage (14g). Supper might be a chicken breast, some spinach and a scoop of chocolate protein powder mixed into some Greek yogurt. If I'm in a hurry I'll just down two scoops of powder with a drink, and be done with it.

I know, many people say they couldn't eat that much protein in a day, but I've always kind of been a carnivore anyway. I sometimes have to make myself eat, 'cause I'm just not hungry that often anymore, but I remind myself of what happens if I don't: metabolism crash, depression, mood swing badness.

I recently participated in a class which used the 30 Day Diabetes Miracle program. They have a book and a cookbook you can buy at Amazon. They've had proven success with their plan.

I had this and was on the same drug.

Diet & exercise fixed me.

Lay off the sugary foods and drinks is the easiest.

Also did this & it worked. I'm on the same boat as you, being a type 2 diabetic & was diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago.

As everyone else here has been saying, dietary changes can really help. You just have to be willing to try a different approach!

I'm also insulin resistant, not due to PCOS but type ii diabetes. I strongly suggest you have your doctor refer you to a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes. I have switched everything 'white' to whole grain. I wasn't a big sweetie eater, but I've adjusted how I cook to eliminate sugar and salt. Embrace low GI foods (there are several sites with lists/recipes) and incorporate fiber in to your diet. I was put on Victoza injections, max dose once a day and 1000 mg of metformin twice a day. The RD upped my calories to 1500 a day as I wasn't eating enough, advised me to eat 45-60 grams of whole grain/vegetable carbs per meal and drink at least 15 glasses of water a day. I find adding ground flax to yougurt helps with getting fiber, and I use wheat and oat bran for a good part of flour when baking. I've also switched to whole grain flours and use stevia or splenda. Basically if I have to buy something in a box or tin I read the labels and if it had sugar, a lot of sodium or something I can't pronounce I leave it on the shelf. I also find planning my meals helps me keep track, and I'll fix a roast and bake on the weekends so I'm not scrambling to make meals.

I lost 26 pounds in three months with light exercise; at that visit my doctor had taken me off the metformin and reduced the Victoza. WIth the weight loss my RD has tweaked out the carbs to 116 grams or under daily and upped my protein since I'm now able to work out more. I'm losing a pound a week steadily. I've reduced my A1c to 5.7 (considered pre-diabetic) and I expect to come off the Victoza at my next check up as I hopefully will not be considered diabetic any longer. However I will have to be vigilant to continue losing and then maintain my goal weight so my body continues to use insulin efficiently.

I love this thread! I too have PCOS and am insulin resistent. Mixing the carbs and protein has helped me in the past and I have fallen off the wagon lately and I am feeling really encouraged again. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, its nice to know I am not alone and we can all help each other!

From a healthcare standpoint, metformin really should be taken with food so that its less reactant to your system. Most patients I recall having always took it on an empty stomach in the morning - hence the drastic lower abdominal 'activity'.... Then there are those patients who like me - who DO take it with food, who still react.

Yes, there is an adjustment phase to taking metformin... My body actually was HORRIBLE on 2000mg per day, I told the Endo that and agreed that 1000mg was better.

Dietary changes with the usage of metformin in Insulin Resistance/Metabolic X Syndrome and PCOS patients has had great results... but metformin is not always friendly with everyone even after trying to get used to it.

Thats a good situation to bring up with your doctor who prescribed it to see if your unique situation bears more thorough evaluation....