Ok, Day 10 of 10! For my “finale” (thank God, this has been hard to post 10 days in a row!), I’ll talk about supplements to add to your regimen and some general guidelines and links to articles that I think have important information about insulin resistance, weight loss, and staying healthy.
Here are a few supplements that can help stabilize your insulin levels and lower your blood sugar:
It’s important you take a good multi-vitamin, even if you are eating totally healthy. (read why here and more here). I take Multigenics Phyto Multi which contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. It is widely available.
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, but plays a very important role in metabolism. Many of us are Vitamin D deficient. As you doctor to check your level. Taking 1,000-5,000 units/day of Vitamin D3 is considered pretty safe in most people. read more here
There are a few other things that can help your insulin levels stabilize if you’ve struggled with your weight, or if you want to lose weight*:
- chromium
- biotin
- magnesium (helps relax you, lowers blood pressure and a low Mg+ is shown to increase insulin resistance) read more here
- alpha lipoic acid: among many other things, ALA increases insulin sensitivity, recycles CoQ10 and is a great anti-oxidant
- other herbs including green tea and cinnamon can also help stabilize blood sugar and insulin response
- omega 3 fats (EPA/DHA) like fish oil help reduce inflammation
- Fiber powder like PGX, which I devoted an entire post to, read here
A Few final thoughts, since this is Day 10:
- Consider intermittent fasting along with a low carb food plan. Read my article on fasting here.
- Educate yourself. There are several good books out there. One is Mark Hyman’s 2016 “Eat Fat, Get Thin” and another is David Ludwig’s 2015 “Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain your Fat Cells and Lose Weight” Here is a great interview with Ludwig, a Harvard researcher.
- It takes 28 days to change a habit. If you mess up, start again. And again. Until it sticks.
- WHAT YOU EAT is way more important than WHAT YOU WEIGH. Think of food as fuel for your body. You wouldn’t put crappy fuel in your car, so why would you fill your body up with garbage? Think of it as a way of extending the number of years you will be HEALTHY. So much of our chronic disease is directly related to our intake of processed food and carbs! (read a study here if you need to be convinced)
- You must exercise to lose weight. Increasing muscle mass burns more calories even when you’re asleep!
*All these recommendations are for an average healthy person. If you have medical problems, please talk to your doctor before starting any new plan. And find a doctor who will work with you, assess your fasting insulin levels, levels of inflammation, and is willing to help you on your path to wellness. It’s easier than you think. Food IS medicine.
You must be logged in to post a comment.