Learning how to reverse insulin resistance can make you feel better and might save your life. Everyone should know about this malaise, which affects millions of people who are unaware that they have a problem at all. The fact is that the average western diet, high in animal protein and refined carbohydrates while lacking in essential fatty acids, fiber, and whole foods, makes health hard to sustain.

Many people live in ignorance about how their bodies work and how food affects them. Disorders like resistance to insulin develop over a long period of improper diet and living, so many are unaware that they have an imbalance. Anyone who includes in their diet a large amount of refined carbohydrates, commercial baked goods, fried and fast foods, and sweetened drinks is at risk.

Glucose is found in foods and is also made by the body from starches. This means that all carbohydrates turn to glucose, a sugar that feeds the cells. Insulin is a hormone that is secreted to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream and store it in fat cells for later use if needed. When the system is overloaded with glucose, and too much protective hormone is produced, cells become 'resistant' to absorption of the fuel they need.

To compound the problem, when people eat too much of the wrong food, their body is also deprived of essential nutrition. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats may all be deficient. The body craves these things, but this manifests as a desire for addictive sugars. As hunger increases, busy people reach for convenience foods and gain weight but not health.

Fortunately this condition sends out warning signals, the most common being fatigue. If you are more tired than your daily grind indicates, and if your meals no longer give you energy like they once did, you might suspect that your bloodstream is overloaded with glucose that your cells cannot absorb. Without enough glucose, your cells cannot make the energy they need for repair and for producing energy you need to live life to the fullest.

The subject is complex but the solution is simple. The problem is caused by improper diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Restrict refined carbohydrates (it's sometimes easier to eliminate them all together), boost fiber-rich vegetables and fruit, and supplement with nutrients known to help balance insulin and glucose levels. Get enough protein from good sources and exercise regularly. Control your weight.

Valuable supplements include chromium, a trace mineral usually deficient in foods grown for the mass market. Some people take a 100 milligram capsule with every meal or sugary snack and find that it helps. Vitamin K, citrus peel extract, cinnamon, and many other herbs, minerals, and vitamins have been shown to stabilize blood sugar levels in clinical trials. Omega-3 fatty acids should be supplemented.

This condition, which is not a disease but an imbalance created by improper living and eating, might be misdiagnosed as diabetes. It is really a precursor to this more serious illness and should be taken seriously. Everyone should learn how to reverse insulin resistance.