9 Natural Ways to Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity: Insulin helps blood sugar enter cells for storage. Insulin resistance causes high blood sugar, which can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases.
9 Natural Ways to Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity
These risks can be avoided by insulin sensitivity in cells. These 14 natural insulin sensitivity boosters are scientifically proven.
1. Sleep more
Insomnia increases the risk of infections, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Some studies have linked poor sleep to decreased insulin sensitivity.
Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, insulin blood, and blood sugar. Sleep restoration can reverse its effects.
2. Exercise more
Exercise is one of the best ways to boost insulin sensitivity. It helps more sugar enter muscles for storage and increases insulin sensitivity immediately, lasting 2–48 hours depending on exercise.
Resistance training boosts insulin sensitivity. Combining aerobic and resistance training maximizes results.
3. Stress relief
Stress impairs blood sugar regulation. It induces “fight-or-flight” mode, releasing cortisol and glucagon. These hormones convert glycogen, a stored sugar, into glucose, which your body uses for energy.
Stress hormones, nutrient breakdown, and blood sugar rise with constant stress. Stress hormones increase blood insulin, prevent nutrient storage, and make the body more insulin resistant, which is harmful.
High stress hormones reduce insulin sensitivity, according to many studies. Meditation, exercise, and sleep reduce stress and improve insulin sensitivity.
4. Lose weight
Overweight, especially abdominal fat, reduces insulin sensitivity and increases type 2 diabetes risk. Belly fat can do this by producing hormones that increase muscle and liver insulin resistance.
Weight loss helps prediabetics lose belly fat and improve insulin sensitivity, lowering their risk of type 2 diabetes. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes can help you lose weight.
5. Eat more soluble fiber
Soluble fiber reduces cravings and cholesterol. High soluble fiber intake increases insulin sensitivity. Soluble fiber feeds gut friendly bacteria, which increases insulin sensitivity.
Soluble fiber is found in legumes, oatmeal, flaxseeds, spinach, cauliflower, oranges, tangerines, and apples.
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6. Add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet
Plant compounds with antioxidant properties are abundant in colorful fruits. Free radicals, which cause inflammation, are neutralized by antioxidants.
Plant-based diets improve insulin sensitivity. You shouldn’t eat too much fruit at once because some are sugary.
7. Cut down on carbs
Carbs are the main cause of high blood insulin. When carbs are converted into sugar and released into the bloodstream, the pancreas releases insulin to increase blood insulin and move sugar into cells.
A high carb diet can cause blood sugar spikes, forcing the pancreas to work harder to increase insulin and remove sugar from the blood. Reducing carb intake can improve insulin sensitivity.
Spreading your carb intake throughout the day reduces sugar at each meal, making insulin work better and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Type of carbs you eat matters too. Low-glycemic index (GI) carbs slow sugar release, giving insulin more time to work. Low-GI carbs include brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and some oatmeal.
8. Reduce Your Added Sugars
Processing adds sugars to ultra-processed foods. Products with added sugars also contain fructose. High fructose intake increases insulin resistance risk.
High fructose intake increases insulin resistance in diabetics. Therefore, limit candy, sugary drinks, cakes, cookies, and cakes to reduce added sugar.
9. Add spices and herbs to your dishes
Fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, and garlic improve insulin sensitivity. Soluble fiber in fenugreek seeds boosts insulin production. Curcumin in turmeric has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin reduces free fatty acids and blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity.
Ginger: Gingerol increases muscle cell sugar receptors, increasing sugar absorption, . Garlic boosts insulin secretion and sensitivity with antioxidants. This herb and spice has promising results, but most of the research is recent and on animals, so more research is needed before conclusions are drawn.
