This presentation was given by Rob Benson to the Foothills Rotary Club in Fort Collins, CO on June 11th, 2019. Please see the notes below the Keynote presentation.
Insulin Resistance
- Brought on by: years of eating constantly with an emphasis on carbohydrates as a primary fuel source.
- Your cells are becoming immune to insulin (resistant) which leads to more glucose in your blood.
Screen Door Analogy and Insulin Resistance – Think of a new screen door, it opens, closes and the summer’s breeze easily makes its way through the screen. When you’re sensitive to insulin your cells function like a new screen door. The cell is able to accept nutrients with little to no obstruction. The insulin is able to easily open the door to let in nutrients.
Now think of constant feeding with carbs… each time you overfeed you’re taking a paint brush with paint to your screen door. After years of painting a little here and there, the door stops working like it should. Your cells are losing their ability to open on insulin’s request. You’ve become (after years of constant feeding with too much glucose) insulin resistant.
Insulin resistance naturally leads to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease.
The Keto Diet
You can reverse/prevent insulin resistance by limiting carbohydrate consumption and adopting a generalized approach of a Ketogenic Diet. This approach will include limiting carbohydrates on average to 5-10% of total daily caloric input. In addition to this you will increase your overall fat consumption. A Keto Calculator is a good starting point to help you understand what your daily macronutrient contents should be.
The Ketogenic Diet is not a one-size fits all option. It might not be for you, that’s okay! The Keto Diet is one tool in a health and longevity toolbox, there are many.
Keto or Not…
Even if the Keto Diet isn’t right for you, there is some advice that is right for ALL OF US. These are three rules that every person should adopt as their own:
- Eliminate Sugar – Do the best you can with this, eliminate as much as possible.
- Eliminate Polyunsaturated Fats – DO NOT EAT these oils: Canola, Corn, Cottonseed, Soy, Sunflower, Safflower, Grapeseed, Rice bran – Also anything that says hydrogenated.
- Reduce/Eliminate Grains – Do the best you can with this, eliminate as much as possible.
Recommended Tests
It’s a good idea to know where your health stands. These two tests are a powerful way to validate how you’re doing.
TG:HDL Ratio (fasted lipid profile)
Triglyceride divided by HDL
Example TG 120 mg/dL and HDL 40 mg/dL = 3
Below 1.0 is ideal
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HOMA IR – Insulin Resistance
Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance
Insulin uIU/mL (x) Glucose (mg/dL) /405
- Healthy Range = 1.0 (0.5-1.4)
- Above 1.9 – early insulin resistance
- Above 2.9 – significant insulin resistance
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Recommendations
- Eat with the seasons. Limit carbs. Try Keto for 6-10 weeks.
- Intermittent fasting – time restricted eating and autophagy.
- Drink good water. Balance consumption with salts.
- You can’t cheat with food… it doesn’t love you back.
- Improve your sleep.
- Get in the sun/light therapy. Don’t use unnecessary chemicals on your skin.
- Find treats/foods you love that don’t impact your blood sugar.
- Move often and on occasion lift heavy stuff.