Insulin is critical in how the body uses and stores energy. It is produced in the pancreas along with glucagon and these two hormones regulate blood sugar. It helps drive the glucose into our liver, muscles and fat cells. Some of this glucose is used for immediate energy needs and some is stored in the liver for future needs.
Insulin is released when we eat and there is a rise in blood sugar (glucose). Glucagon helps us access stored fuel several hours after a meal so our blood sugar doesn’t drop and cause us to get tired. This process is a natural rhythm that gets thrown off when we are constantly snacking between meals keeping our insulin elevated. This is an issue that causes low energy and excess fat storage and can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
People with insulin resistance often feel hungry and fatigued. It is a vicious cycle - they overeat, they are tired and they don’t have energy to exercise. When they don’t use their muscles, the calories are stored as fat instead of going to their muscles, which elevates their problems even more.
To help encourage proper insulin function and to avoid insulin resistance, it is important to eat healthy meals that are spaced out several hours from each other. This allows for the natural insulin and glucagon rhythm and helps to avoid constant insulin spikes. Also reduce sugar intake and high glycemic carbohydrates intake which also cause your insulin to spike.
When insulin is working properly we have consistent energy and we’re good at maintaining healthy body weight.