There are no miraculous weight-loss products. But paying attention to insulin production will produce weight-loss miracles. Insulin has a lot to do with weight gain and so many other common health problems. Sugar and insulin are involved with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, type 2 diabetes, menstrual problems, heart disease, pain, inflammation, depression and even polycystic ovaries. With simple life-style changes and some good nutritional products you can easily lose weight and help improve a lot of other health problems.

Symptoms of insulin resistance include fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, carbohydrate craving, and periods of hypoglycemia after a high carbohydrate meal (often needing a nap after eating). Approximately 50% of your patients with high blood pressure are insulin insensitive. Approximately 30% of American adults are insulin insensitive and 25% have Syndrome X. The Journal of the American Medical Association states that if a patient has three or more of the following symptoms: waist measurement greater than 40” in men (35” in women), triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dl, HDL lower than 40 mg/dl, blood pressure greater than 135/85 or fasting glucose of 110 mg/dl, Syndrome X is present.

Problems with sugar and insulin cause weight gain, along with a variety of other health problems. In general, people with insulin insensitivity will have a BMI greater than 30. They carry weight around their abdominal area and crave sugar and starch. Getting insulin production under control is the key to weight loss—and there are some products that will help you to do this.

Dietary changes are, of course necessary. You need to go on a low glycemic diet—avoiding high glycemic foods like refined carbohydrates. You should only eat three meals per day.

It is important to exercise regularly. It is also a good idea to stop snacking. The snacking issue is a tough one; many patients with insulin insensitivity are labeled as hypoglycemic. Some feel weak or shaky if meals are delayed or feel the need to snack every two hours (or have been told to do so). It is a good idea to wean from this by increasing the time between snacks. When you first eat, you produce insulin which helps to store the calories of the meal. As time goes on, you produce glucagon, which helps to burn the stored calories. The first three hours after eating, insulin is dominant; after three hours glucagon becomes dominant. You cannot lose weight if you keep producing insulin and snacking makes you produce insulin. It is especially important not to eat between dinner and bedtime.

The dietary changes are difficult, but necessary. Fortunately there are products that help to bring insulin under control and to help with cravings.

Here is a list of products that may be useful:

  1. A multiple vitamin and mineral combination formulated to control sugar and insulin. There are a number of companies that make a product like this
  2. Fish oil: one of the many good things that fish oil does is to help with glycemic control and to lower cholesterol.  Know your source—there may be a problem with dioxins and mercury in some bargain products—don’t just shop price.
  3. Phosphatidylcholine: A “fat detergent”; it also helps with adrenal issues. Many of your patients needing to lose weight have high cortisol production. Interesting side note—this is good for exercise induced asthma (as is fish oil).
  4. Phosphorus: Insulin insensitivity is an acidic condition; phosphates help to buffer. Phosphorus also helps with bone loss (a lot of osteoporotic women love their carbs). Sugar upsets the balance between calcium and phosphorus.
  5. Magnesium is also nature’s muscle relaxer, so give it to patients with tight muscles. A woman who is magnesium deficient often will have tender breasts and mood swings related to her cycle. Magnesium causes the stools to soften, so if the patient gets diarrhea, lower the dosage.
  6. L-Carnitine: Taking L-carnitine before exercise will enhance fat burning.

Treating insulin insensitivity is an easy and effective way to help get many sick people better. People who are on statins, blood pressure medication, antidepressants, reflux meds, oral diabetes medications, pain medication and women taking birth control pills for PMS can all benefit from getting their insulin levels under control.