Get ready for a EASY health lesson you can teach others!
We all heard of the scenario regarding insulin and how the hormone influences body weight, thyroid health, and blood health. But did you realize how complicated it seems to be when we read articles, watch television, or speak to the general public about what doctors are saying?
Feel happy NOW! I am here to reveal to you some basic and simple understandings of some complicated ideas that involve how insulin works, what insulin resistance really means (I'm sure you heard of it), and conditions associated with it like diabetes. I will also give you some gentle descriptions of what can happen with your health.
First of all, what is insulin? How does it work?
Insulin is a hormone that is secreted from the pancreas. It is commonly known to help regulate our blood sugar. It is released into the bloodstream when glucose is extracted from food after digestion and chemical separation occurs. The released insulin binds to the surface of cells at special binding sites called "receptors". Once the insulin binds to the receptors on the cells, special paths called "channels" allows glucose to enter in and be used for energy within the cell.
Did you know? The process of breaking down carbohydrates into glucose and glucose being used within the cell, is a part of using calories and contributes to the process of burning calories.
What is this we hear about insulin resistance?
Let's keep it simple—insulin resistance is simply describing a problem in the body related to poor insulin function. In these cases insulin is not functioning properly and causing a health problem.
What are some examples of conditions linked to insulin resistance?
There is a common condition related to insulin resistance, where poor insulin performance leads to diabetes. Below are descriptions of the levels of diabetes and how insulin behaves at each level.
Type 1 diabetes
The body cannot make its own insulin
Type 2 diabetes
The body cannot make enough insulin to control glucose introduced into the body by food OR there is an overproduction of insulin compared to the amount of glucose in the body.
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What can you do about diabetes? Is it preventable?
In both cases a qualified health professional is best at guiding you to managing cases of diabetes. In certain cases, particularly, Type 2 diabetes, there can be a path to prevention with a balanced diet and regular exercise; but, if you have reason to question your heath, a doctor visit is a good idea.
If you are desiring to manage the condition under the guidance of your doctor or if you are looking for a way to prevent diabetes in your life, there are a couple of recommendations for you.
Monitor your diet
Having a balanced diet if you are healthy and following the nutrition recommendations of your doctor if you have diabetes can help you live a comfortable and enjoyable life.
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise can help manage risk factors associated with diabetes, such as excessive weight gain and high blood pressure just to name a few. The exercise that you do does not have to be super organized. Simply going to the gym for 45-minutes 4 times a week or walking a mile or two at the park or in your neighborhood can be very beneficial to get some healthy results.
Bottomline
Understanding insulin and the conditions associated with it does not have to be difficult to understand or explain. If you have any symptoms of diabetes or have reason to believe that your weight could be causing some other complications, seek medical assistance from your doctor and study this educational information, adding it to your learning about insulin.
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