Understanding Insulin and How to Manage it to Prevent Chronic Diseases

I first heard the word “insulin” on social media and honestly it sounded like another buzzword—“cortisol.” That changed when a health issue forced me to pay attention. Since then, my health-coaching training and my own experience have taught me what insulin actually does in the body and why it matters for everyday energy, weight, mood, and long-term health. In this blog, I am sharing with you what I have learned about insulin.

The relationship between blood glucose (sugar) and insulin is crucial to understanding metabolism and cardiovascular health. This post explains how glucose affects your body and why insulin management is so important for your health.

Blood Glucose: Essential but Toxic

Glucose is the molecule your body uses for energy. However, its presence in the bloodstream is tightly regulated because glucose is actually toxic inside the bloodstream.

When you consume sugar or glucose, your body must eliminate that glucose from the bloodstream very quickly. If glucose remains elevated, it causes damage through a process called glycation.

What is Glycation?

• Glycation occurs when glucose attaches itself to molecules like blood vessels, artery walls, and components in the blood (including hemoglobin)

• A glycated molecule cannot work properly—it does not function normally

• When blood glucose levels are high, enzymes, chemicals, and hormones don't work well, leading to premature aging.

How Insulin Works

To counteract the toxic effects of blood glucose, your body produces insulin. Here's how the process works:

1. Stimulation: When glucose is consumed, your body sends a message to the pancreas

2. Production: The pancreas responds by making and pouring insulin into the bloodstream

3. Action: Insulin's primary function is to push the glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells, including the liver, muscles, and every cell in the body.

The Problem:Insulin Resistance

The issue of high insulin, or hyperinsulinemia, arises from the frequency and type of foods consumed in modern living.

How Insulin Resistance Develops

Insulin Spikes: If you frequently consume carbohydrates, sugar, and processed foods, you continuously stimulate your pancreas, causing insulin to spike repeatedly.

Duration Mismatch: Insulin remains in the bloodstream longer (about four hours) than glucose (which comes down in about two to three hours). Frequent eating (e.g., every two to three hours) means the insulin level goes up again before it has a chance to fully come down, causing it to stay high.

Insulin Resistance: If this frequent consumption continues for a few years, your body, treating insulin like any other hormone that stays in the body for a long time, becomes resistant or immune to it. Insulin resistance means your body must produce more insulin to achieve the same effect of lowering blood sugar.

The Harmful Effects of High Insulin

High insulin levels contribute to serious health issues:

Heart Disease

Frequent high insulin caused by frequent consumption of refined foods can lead to insulin resistance, making you more prone to heart disease. Insulin contributes to the perfect storm for cardiovascular problems because it makes the blood more clotty, causes inflammation, and causes smooth muscle proliferation in the artery walls (vasoconstriction).

Fatty Liver

Insulin pushes glucose into the liver, leading to the development of a fatty liver.

Visceral Fat

Insulin pushes the calories from glucose into the production of new fats, particularly around the viscera (internal organs in the belly). This is called visceral fat.

• Visceral fat is a direct result of eating starchy glucose carbohydrates

• This type of fat is very detrimental, toxic, and highly inflammatory, producing molecules like interleukins and tumor necrosis factor

• A protruding belly with fat concentrated in the stomach is the phenotype of someone with hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels)

Processed Foods Impact: Processed foods, which are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream because they lack fiber, force the pancreas to react rapidly and produce a "whole bunch of insulin."

The Power of Fasting

The most effective method to bring insulin levels down and reverse these metabolic issues is fasting.

• Fasting stops the stimulation of the pancreas

• When insulin levels drop, the body starts to pull fat out of storage, specifically visceral fat, for energy

• Ketones, an alternative energy source, are produced from fat only when insulin levels are low

• High blood pressure, which is often seen with hyperinsulinemia, can be resolved when insulin levels are lowered through fasting programs and dietary changes, as high insulin prevents blood vessels from properly dilating.

Understanding the role of insulin in your body is essential for maintaining good metabolic and cardiovascular health. By being mindful of what you eat and how often you eat, you can help keep your insulin levels in a healthy range.

✨ If you are interested in learning more about ways to optimize your health and make healthy habits to prevent sicknesses and diseases, Book a free discovery call with me.

Managing Insulin Levels

Insulin is also known as a storage molecule, which puts everything away, making it difficult for people with hyperinsulinemia to lose weight.