Weight Loss

The better you get at keeping insulin low, the more weight you lose.

Your weight to height ratio is termed your Body Mass Index (BMI), which provides a useful reference for metabolic health. The other main variable is body composition, made up of muscle mass, skeletal anatomy, adipose tissue (fat) & fluid. Maintaining a healthy weight & body composition promotes resilient metabolic efficiency & extends your quality of health.

We are all familiar with insulin’s ability to transport glucose out of the blood into the cell for mitochondria energy. Did you know that insulin also has a hormonal role, which acts like a fat-burning switch. When insulin is elevated it signals the body to store energy in the form of fat, regardless of how much energy might already be stored on the body. Adversely, if we keep insulin below this threshold consistently enough, it will signal the body to burn fat to convert to cellular energy … so simple, yet so profound!

The two main factors that spike blood glucose & thus insulin are carbohydrates & stress. All carbohydrates will spike blood sugar, due to metabolising so quickly. This is accelerated even further with high glycemic carbs, such as; fruit, grains & starchy veg. There are also extreme hyper-glycemic foods & drinks in the form of alcohol, fruit juice, chocolate & processed sugar.

Enter the hero macronutrient that doesn’t spike insulin … healthy fat. When we reduce something in the diet, we need to replace it with something else. Healthy fats like, olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, cacao butter, fish oil & animal fat become your secret weapon to curb cravings & hunger.

Now over to the other side of the equation … stress. The degree of how much impact stress has on insulin is often overlooked. When you consider how many different forms of stress we need to deal with everyday in order to get through this modern life. As a result our adrenals are stimulated to produce cortisol, which spikes blood sugar to raise energy for the ‘flight or fight’ survival state.

The take-home message is … the better you get at keeping insulin low, the more weight you lose.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Insulin resistance develops when cells become less responsive to insulin, meaning the body may need to produce more insulin to help regulate blood glucose.

The two primary drivers of blood glucose and insulin spiking are cortisol from stress and carbohydrates in the diet

Insulin resistance can occur before blood glucose becomes obviously abnormal, which is one reason that looking at the broader metabolic picture can be useful.

Difficulty losing weight isn’t necessarily as simple as eating less and exercising more.

Many factors can influence body weight and body composition, including energy intake, physical activity, sleep, stress, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar regulation, hormonal changes, digestive health, nutritional status, and changes associated with ageing and menopause.

If you consistently do what you believe should work but your body isn’t responding, it can help to look at the broader metabolic picture rather than simply adopting another restrictive diet.

Metabolic health involves much more than body weight.

Factors such as blood glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, energy production, body composition, appetite regulation, cardiovascular risk factors, sleep and physical activity can all contribute to metabolic health.

Signs that may warrant a closer look include unexplained weight gain, increasing abdominal fat, persistent fatigue, strong sugar cravings, energy crashes and difficulty maintaining stable energy.

Yes. Blood glucose can remain within a conventional reference range while the body is compensating by producing more insulin. That is why a single blood glucose measurement doesn’t always show the full picture of metabolic health.

A practitioner may consider blood glucose, insulin-related markers, waist circumference, body composition, lifestyle, symptoms and other relevant health information when assessing metabolic health.

Possible signs of unstable blood sugar regulation can include energy crashes, increased hunger, strong carbohydrate cravings, difficulty controlling appetite, sleep disturbances and changes in body composition.

These signs and symptoms typically become stronger if you miss a meal or attempt any form of fasting. Consider these indications as withdrawal effects from carbohydrate dependency.

Changes in body composition with age can involve several interacting factors, including changes in physical activity, muscle mass, sleep, hormones, insulin sensitivity, diet and energy expenditure.

For women, the perimenopause and menopause transition can also be associated with changes in body composition and fat distribution.

Rather than assuming that weight gain is simply a consequence of ageing, it can be useful to investigate which metabolic, nutritional, lifestyle and hormonal factors may be contributing.

Post-meal fatigue can have many possible causes.

For some people, it may relate to meal size and composition, insulin resistance, low stomach acid, enzyme deficiency, leaky gut or stress-induced vagus nerve disruption.

If pronounced fatigue occurs consistently after meals, discuss it with a qualified health professional rather than assuming it is simply normal.

Sugar cravings are a symptom of hypoglycemic blood glucose drops. They occur as a rebound effect of glucose spiking. This is medically defined as dysglycemia and usually involves some degree of insulin resistance. I describe it as the blood sugar roller coaster.

Persistent cravings can sometimes occur alongside other signs of metabolic dysfunction, such as energy crashes, mood swings, increased abdominal weight or persistent hunger.

Understanding the broader pattern is generally more useful than simply trying to suppress cravings.

Some people experience symptoms when meals are delayed, including hunger, irritability, weakness, shakiness or difficulty concentrating. These indications usually correlate with hypoglycaemic episodes and insulin resistance.

If these episodes are frequent, severe or new, appropriate assessment is important.

Metabolic flexibility refers broadly to the body’s ability to adapt seamlessly to different energy sources to match physiological demands, such as switching from glucose metabolism to converting fat into ketones.

Supporting metabolic flexibility involves the broader foundations of metabolic health, including physical activity, muscle health, nutrition, sleep and appropriate regulation of blood glucose and insulin.

Nutritional technology in the form of supplementation is a very useful tool as part of a therapeutic strategy. In particular, it is instrumental in regulating metabolic stress pathways such as methylation and pyrrole disorder.

When supplements are appropriate, choose them based on the individual’s needs rather than following a generic supplement protocol.

The appropriate supplements depend on your health history, genetics, signs, symptoms, diet, medications, nutritional status and individual goals.

More supplements do not necessarily mean better health. In some cases, unnecessary supplementation can create side effects, interactions or unnecessary expense.

A personalised assessment can help determine whether supplementation is appropriate and what role it should play within a broader health strategy.

In addition to diet, exercise and stress regulation. There are many natural therapies that help improve insulin sensitivity. These include; chromium, gymnema, bitter melon, berberine, and alpha lipoic acid.