Signs of insulin resistance

Summary

On Canal 6’s programme Giros, Dr. Ana Laura Rodríguez, a physician from Nicoya with a functional medicine approach, explains what happens when the body stops responding well to insulin. Insulin is the hormone made by the pancreas that carries glucose to the muscles, the liver and the brain.

Factors such as poor sleep, ongoing stress and diet can make its receptors less sensitive. When that happens:

• the pancreas overworks;
• the liver adds the glucose it has stored;
• the excess is kept as fat, especially around the organs.

There may be no symptoms at first. Over time, signs may include:

• a growing waistline;
• sleepiness after meals;
• afternoon sugar cravings;
• daytime tiredness;
• trouble losing weight despite eating well and exercising.

Muscle plays a central role. Strength training, together with aerobic activity, may help the body use glucose better. Because exercise is also prescribed, it is worth starting gradually and with professional guidance.

From the Nicoya Blue Zone, the doctor recalls that its centenarians never stopped moving. She also suggests short walks after meals. The functional approach looks for the underlying cause (sleep, stress, diet) and combines it, when needed, with the appropriate medical treatment. The interview is in Spanish.

Key points

• In insulin resistance, the problem usually lies in how tissue receptors respond, rather than in the pancreas itself.
• In its early stages it may cause no symptoms. Possible signs include more belly fat, sleepiness after meals, sugar cravings and tiredness.
• Strength training several times a week, together with aerobic activity, may support glucose management. Ideally it is tailored to each person.
• A short walk of about 10 minutes after lunch or dinner may help soften the rise in blood glucose.
• It is worth looking for the cause (sleep, stress, diet, inactivity) rather than relying on medication alone, which is used when needed and at a physician’s discretion.