Okay, my issues with insulin are that when first added to my protocol to better regulate my BG I gained 22 pounds in 6 seconds, or so it seemed. I now struggle with that 22 pounds and if I am not careful I can gain weight extremely easily. So, I am trying to lose that 22 pounds today by NOT giving myself the corrective bolus that I have come to rely on. If I really need more insulin to correct a BG level of 250 or more then I will take it, but, I am trying to cut back on my Novolog to see if I can drop those unwanted pounds. So far, I have not taken but 2 corrective boluses in the past week, that is great for me because I am used to about 2 per day. I am not going to weigh myself for a few more weeks, I don’t want to jump on the scale too soon and be disappointed. In most cases when my BG has been too high 2-hours post I have been able to get back to normal with water and some form of exercise. Even a 20 min walk and a good amount of water seems to help. So,below are some facts I found if you are interested. I will let you know in a few weeks how I did.
Insulin Posted By Dr. Ben Kim
If you have too much sugar floating around in your blood vessels, it is likely that you also have too much insulin traveling through your system as well. Even if your fasting blood sugar level is in a healthy range, it is possible that you have too much insulin floating through your vessels, particularly if you have high triglycerides and/or are overweight. Normal blood sugar and high blood insulin can be the result of your cells losing some sensitivity to insulin, which necessitates that your body releases extra insulin into your blood circulation in an attempt to stimulate your desensitized cells into sponging up excess sugar out of your blood circulation.
What’s the problem with having too much insulin in your circulation?
Excess insulin is known to cause:
• Weight gain, since insulin promotes the storage of fat
• Lower cellular levels of magnesium, a mineral that is essential for keeping your blood vessels relaxed and your blood circulation efficient
• An increase in sodium retention, which leads to holding excess water in your system, which causes high blood pressure
• Increased amounts of inflammatory compounds in your blood, which can cause direct physical damage to your blood vessel walls and encourage the development of blood clots which can lead to heart attacks and respiratory failure
• A reduction in HDL, an increase in undesirable small molecules of LDL, and an increase in triglycerides, all of which increase your risk for heart disease
• Possibly a higher risk for cancer due to insulin’s ability to contribute to cell proliferation
You can test your insulin level by asking your doctor or laboratory for a fasting insulin test. Less than 10 IU/mL is ideal. Anything over 10 IU/mL indicates that you are eating too many foods that are stimulating excess insulin release from your pancreas, paving the way to all of the negative health effects listed above.
What can you do with your food and lifestyle choices to support healthy blood sugar and insulin levels?
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Make non-starchy vegetables the foundation of your diet. Dark green leafy lettuce, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and all unmentioned green vegetables are excellent choices.
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Reduce or eliminate your intake of sugar and all foods that contain sugar. Some of the most concentrated sources of sugar are soda, cookies, chocolate bars, donuts, pastries, ice cream, and ketchup.
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Reduce or eliminate your use of sweeteners like molasses, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, pasteurized/heated honey, and maple syrup.
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Limit intake of fruit juices. Even freshly squeezed fruit juice taken over the long term can lead to high blood sugar and insulin levels. If you want to taste fruit, eat whole fruit, not the juice. The fiber, vitamins, and minerals that come with whole fruit help to slow down the pace at which the natural sugars from fruit enter your bloodstream.
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Do activities and exercises that build or maintain your muscles. Muscle tissue acts as a storage site for extra sugar. The more muscle tissue you have, the better you can regulate your blood sugar and insulin levels.