High Insulin Foods To Avoid
In today's topic, we will talk about foods that spike insulin that should be avoided or at least limited if you try to reverse insulin resistance.
If you are insulin resistant, you might find it difficult to lose weight; you might experience intense sugar cravings or have skin tags if left untreated.
Diabetes type 2 can result in insulin
resistance, PCOS, and heart disease, so it is essential to catch it and act
upon it early.
The best way to reverse insulin resistance is through diet, but there is a lot of misinformation surrounding what foods are healthy and what is not, which we will talk about today.
So in today's topic, I'm going to give you the five worst foods you can eat if you are insulin resistant. Let me start today's case by saying that when you make a diet change, I know how overwhelming it can be to review a long list of foods that you're not allowed to have, and that's why I think it is essential to highlight what is permitted.
So yes, in this topic, we will be focusing on the negative because I think it is important to mention, but I will be giving you alternative better options to all the foods we talk about today.
Bread
bread is not a good option for someone who is insulin resistant and trying to keep their insulin low, and I am talking about all types of bread white bread whole-grain rye; yes, some of these options might be slightly better; they might not have as significant an impact on your insulin, but the effect is still substantial.
And remember that the best way to reverse insulin resistance is to keep insulin as low as possible now; I know this is one of the most complex foods for people to give up.
Bread is a massive part of our diet, eggs on toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and bread rolls with dinner. Still, I promise you it is easier to make the switch than you think now.
There are bread alternatives made out of almond flour, which have less of an impact on insulin; they are better in this regard, but I'm not a fan of these products for several reasons that I won't get into today.
There are ways to make the same meals without bread; take a burrito; for example, burrito bowls are a great alternative or a burger you usually eat on a bun.
So many places now offer lettuce wraps instead, and even if it isn't on the menu, most restaurants will make it work for you; if they can't make a lettuce wrap, they will make you a burger bowl instead for eggs on toast you can ditch the bread and make an omelet or scrambled instead.
Just follow these simple tips to stay away from the bread, and your pancreas will thank you.
Fruit juice
Most people nowadays know the juice is just liquid sugar; it is much worse to consume orange juice than the orange itself; the juice is a refined source of sugar that is absorbed very easily and very quickly by the body.
When you drink juice, your blood sugar will spike significantly, and your insulin will work to deal with the blood sugar. Those with insulin resistance can find that their blood sugar and insulin can stay elevated for hours from one seemingly harmless glass of juice.
In terms of an alternative to eating the fruit, the whole is a better option, but it's not great depending on the fruit; the best option is to drink low-sugar drinks that don't use artificial sweeteners.
Baked goods
which includes muffins, croissants, Pastries, and anything you find in a bakery you want to stay away from; all of these foods are very refined versions of grains and will have a significant insulin impact.
You may find this challenging, particularly when you are out celebrating a birthday or a wedding, and what I want to say here is that what matters is what you are doing most of the time all the right decisions you make compound and get you closer and closer to your goal of reversing insulin resistance.
But something like eating a baked good every once in a while will not derail your progress, so don't beat yourself up; if you want to have a slice of cake at your friend's birthday, it's okay, get back to eating the right foods tomorrow.
Vegetable oils
This one is exciting vegetable oil including canola, corn-soybean, and sunflower safflower grape seed.
These oils have not been studied extensively for insulin resistance, but there is a connection in one study done on mice half the mice were fed a diet high in corn oil, whereas the other half was fed an olive oil diet.
The group eating corn oil developed hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance; both groups of mice were eating the same amount of fat and the same amount of calories. Yet, one group developed insulin resistance, and the other did not.
Studying mice rather than humans means it's not a direct comparison to humans, but there are many other reasons to avoid vegetable oils which I won't get into today.
So what are some alternatives to these vegetable oils? Well, as we learned from the study, olive oil is a better option. Avocado oil is another, but the thing with these two oils is that they aren't the best for high heat cooking; they are better for low heat cooking and consuming raw at room temperature.
For higher heat cooking, you want to
use solid fats at room temperature; ghee tallow, butter lard, and duck fat are
good options.
Granola bars
Finally, granola bars are just an isolated source of carbohydrates; carbs are the macronutrient that raises insulin. Most protein has a moderate effect on insulin and fat next to none.
I mean, you don't want to be snacking
at all; as I already mentioned, the longer you can keep your insulin levels
low, the better when it comes to reversing insulin resistance.
