She is a recipe developer, culinary nutritionist and marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience creating editorial and digital content for top food and kitchen brands. When you eat, your body breaks down food into glucose sugar. Glucose in your blood then stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, which helps shuttle the glucose from your blood into your muscle, fat and liver cells.

But sometimes there's already too much glucose in the cells, or there's too much glucose in the blood , and insulin doesn't work as it should—that's when insulin resistance can occur. If insulin can't work, your blood sugar will stay high, which is a precursor for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

And while there isn't one test to tell you if you have insulin resistance, there are indicators, such as having high blood sugar, high triglycerides, high LDL "bad cholesterol and low HDL "good" cholesterol, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this meal plan for insulin resistance, we include a week of simple meals and snacks using recipes that are easy to follow without long ingredient lists. We focus on lean proteins, moderate carbohydrates, low saturated fat and a moderate sodium intake. While this isn't necessarily an insulin-resistance weight-loss meal plan, research, such as a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , suggests that weight loss may help improve blood sugar levels.

If weight loss is your goal, we set the calorie level at 1, per day, which is a level where most people lose weight, plus included modifications for 1, and 2, calories a day, depending on your calorie needs , satiety levels and blood sugar readings.

Anyone can temporarily develop insulin resistance, but over time, chronic insulin resistance can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Luckily, changing your diet can potentially reverse insulin resistance.

By becoming the opposite—more insulin sensitive—the muscle, fat and liver cells need less insulin to absorb the glucose. In addition to changing your diet, physical activity, weight loss, stress reduction and proper sleep can all make you more sensitive to insulin. There are a few key changes that can help improve your blood sugar and, therefore, improve insulin resistance:.

Daily Totals: 1, calories, g protein, g carbohydrates, 18 g fiber, 70 g fat, 1, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Omit the almonds at P. snack and omit the salad with vinaigrette at dinner.

To make it 2, calories: Increase to ½ cup almonds at breakfast, add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts to A. Daily Totals: 1, calories, 92 g protein, g carbohydrate, 20 g fiber, 66 g fat, 1, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Omit the blueberries at breakfast and change the A. snack to 1 clementine.

To make it 2, calories: Increase the blueberries at breakfast to 1 cup, change the banana at A. snack to large and the peanut butter to 3 Tbsp.

Daily Totals : 1,calories, 92 g protein, g carbohydrates, 28 g fiber, 68 g fat, 2, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Omit the pear at breakfast and reduce to ¼ cup yogurt at A.

To make it 2, calories: Increase to 1 cup yogurt and 3 Tbsp. almonds at A. snack, and add 1 Tbsp. peanut butter to P. Daily Totals : 1, calories, 74 g protein, g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 88 g fat, 1, mg sodium.

To make it 1, calories: Omit clementines at breakfast and apple at lunch. Reduce to 2 Tbsp. almonds at P. To make it 2, calories: Increase to 7 Tbsp.

chopped walnuts at A. snack; increase to 6 Tbsp. Daily Totals: 1, calories, 73 g protein, g carbohydrates, 41 g fiber, 84 g fat, 1, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Reduce almonds at A. snack to 1½ Tbsp. snack to 1 Tbsp.

It also means understanding the principles behind an insulin-resistance-friendly plate , which Ali McGowan, MS, LD, RDN, has outlined in four simple steps:. Exercise — particularly a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise — has been linked to improved insulin sensitivity.

A review of 11 studies found a connection between increased physical activity levels and lower chances of developing insulin resistance [11]. Another study found that insulin sensitivity increased for at least 16 hours in both healthy subjects and those with type 2 diabetes after exercise [12].

The five best exercises to do for insulin resistance and weight loss are walking, squats, swimming, burpees, and yoga. Current exercise guidelines suggest that adults should do:. Cortisol , the stress hormone, is critical to survival — but chronic stress can interfere with the role that insulin plays in your body.

When your cortisol levels are consistently high, your blood sugar levels also stay elevated. High cortisol and stress can also lead to weight gain by changing the way you perceive food , leading to cravings for high-calorie, sugary snacks. Here are some other tips to manage stress :.

Consistently poor sleep — both sleep deprivation and an irregular sleep schedule — can take a significant toll on your insulin sensitivity. One study found that not getting enough sleep for just one night induced insulin resistance in healthy subjects [15].

Fortunately, catching up on rest can reverse the effects of poor sleep on insulin resistance. To improve your sleep hygiene , try the following tips:.

Incorporating these tips into your routine can help you stabilize your glucose levels and improve your insulin sensitivity, with or without a continuous glucose monitor CGM. The only way you can understand where you fall on the metabolic health spectrum is by using a CGM.

Paired with an app like Veri, a CGM can give you personalized insights about your glucose trends and variability, allowing you to understand how your body responds to your diet and lifestyle.

In other words, you can see how food, exercise, sleep, and stress affect your real-time glucose levels , and their relationship to your mood and energy levels. Insulin resistance can be scary. But, like with anything else in life, knowledge is power. Metabolic Health. Weight Loss. What is insulin resistance?

What causes insulin resistance? The relationship between insulin resistance and weight gain Insulin resistance can lead to weight gain, and vice versa, in a positively reinforcing loop.

But how does this all work? Is insulin resistance reversible? How to reverse insulin resistance and lose weight. Written by: Rebekah B.

Losing weight with insulin resistance is more difficult because the body stores excess blood sugar as fat. Excess body fat — especially around the waist — and lack of physical activity are primary causes of insulin resistance.

A diet of highly processed carbohydrate foods and saturated fats is another contributor. Certain medications and genetic conditions can also cause it. Dietary changes , physical activity and even some medications can help reduce both blood glucose and insulin levels.

Low-carb diets that emphasize healthy sources of carbs, fat and protein can reduce insulin resistance. Harvard University offers a simplified online glycemic index reference to help with glucose management. There are also smartphone and tablet apps to track and manage diabetes, glucose control, meal plans and physical activity.

Carbs that bring on blood sugar spikes include most kinds of refined flour products, such as rice, bread, breakfast cereals and baked goods as well as sugary drinks and fruit juices.

Carbs that minimize blood sugar spikes include beans and legumes, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, milk and yogurt. PubMed Abstract CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. Villareal DT, Apovian CM, Kushner RF, Klein S.

Obesity in older adults: technical review and position statement of the American Society for Nutrition and NAASO, the obesity society. Obes Res.

Boulé NG, Weisnagel SJ, Lakka TA, Tremblay A, Bergman RN, Rankinen T, et al. Effects of exercise training on glucose homeostasis: the HERITAGE family study. Diabetes Care. Álvarez C, Ramírez-Campillo R, Ramírez-Vélez R, Izquierdo M.

Prevalence of non-responders for glucose control markers after 10 weeks of high-intensity interval training in adult women with higher and lower insulin resistance.

Front Physiol. Solomon TP, Malin SK, Karstoft K, Haus JM, Kirwan JP. The influence of hyperglycemia on the therapeutic effect of exercise on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

JAMA Intern Med. Hecksteden A, Kraushaar J, Scharhag-Rosenberger F, Theisen D, Senn S, Meyer T. Individual response to exercise training-a statistical perspective. J Appl Physiol.

Atkinson G, Batterham AM. True and false interindividual differences in the physiological response to an intervention.

Exp Physiol. Malin SK, Haus JM, Solomon TP, Blaszczak A, Kashyap SR, Kirwan JP. Insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility following exercise training among different obese insulin-resistant phenotypes.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. O'Donoghue G, Kennedy A, Andersen GS, Carr B, Cleary S, Durkan E, et al. Phenotypic responses to a lifestyle intervention do not account for inter-individual variability in glucose tolerance for individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

Distefano G, Standley RA, Zhang X, Carnero EA, Yi F, Cornnell HH, et al. Physical activity unveils the relationship between mitochondrial energetics, muscle quality, and physical function in older adults.

J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. Pruchnic R, Katsiaras A, He J, Kelley DE, Winters C, Goodpaster BH. Exercise training increases intramyocellular lipid and oxidative capacity in older adults. Coen P, Hames K, Leachman E, DeLany J, Ritov V, Menshikova E, et al. Reduced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and elevated ceramide but not diacylglycerol content in severe obesity.

CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. Malin SK, Kirwan JP. Fasting hyperglycaemia blunts the reversal of impaired glucose tolerance after exercise training in obese older adults.

Diab Obes Metab. Janssen I, Fortier A, Hudson R, Ross R. Effects of an energy-restrictive diet with or without exercise on abdominal fat, intermuscular fat, and metabolic risk factors in obese women. Ross R, Dagnone D, Jones PJ, Smith H, Paddags A, Hudson R, et al.

Reduction in obesity and related comorbid conditions after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men: a randomized, controlled trial.

Ann Intern Med. Williams PT, Krauss RM, Vranizan KM, Wood P. Changes in lipoprotein subfractions during diet-induced and exercise-induced weight loss in moderately overweight men. Christiansen T, Paulsen SK, Bruun JM, Pedersen SB, Richelsen B. Exercise training versus diet-induced weight-loss on metabolic risk factors and inflammatory markers in obese subjects: a week randomized intervention study.

Stefan N, Staiger H, Wagner R, Machann J, Schick F, Häring HU, et al. A high-risk phenotype associates with reduced improvement in glycaemia during a lifestyle intervention in prediabetes. Thamer C, Machann J, Stefan N, Haap M, Schäfer S, Brenner S, et al.

High visceral fat mass and high liver fat are associated with resistance to lifestyle intervention. Malin SK, Niemi N, Solomon TP, Haus JM, Kelly KR, Filion J, et al.

Exercise training with weight loss and either a high-or low-glycemic index diet reduces metabolic syndrome severity in older adults. Ann Nutr Metab. Böhm A, Weigert C, Staiger H, Häring HU. Exercise and diabetes: relevance and causes for response variability.

Solomon TP. Sources of inter-individual variability in the therapeutic response of blood glucose control to exercise in type 2 diabetes: going beyond exercise dose.

Stephens NA, Brouwers B, Eroshkin AM, Yi F, Cornnell HH, Meyer C, et al. Exercise response variations in skeletal muscle PCr recovery rate and insulin sensitivity relate to muscle epigenomic profiles in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Bouchard C, Rankinen T. Individual differences in response to regular physical activity.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. Yudkin JS, Stehouwer C, Emeis J, Coppack S. C-reactive protein in healthy subjects: associations with obesity, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction: a potential role for cytokines originating from adipose tissue?

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. Dessein PH, Woodiwiss AJ, Norton GR, Tsang L, Solomon A. Independent associations of total and high molecular weight adiponectin with cardiometabolic risk and surrogate markers of enhanced early atherogenesis in black and white patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study.

Arthritis Res Ther. Puhkala J, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Mansikkamäki K, Aittasalo M, Hublin C, Kärmeniemi P, et al. Lifestyle counseling to reduce body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors among truck and bus drivers—a randomized controlled trial.

Scand J Work Environ Health. Ramírez-Vélez R, Correa-Bautista JE, Lobelo F, Izquierdo M, Alonso-Martínez A, Rodríguez-Rodríguez F, et al. High muscular fitness has a powerful protective cardiometabolic effect in adults: influence of weight status.

BMC Public Health. O'Brien PC. Procedures for comparing samples with multiple endpoints. Boule NG, Kenny GP, Larose J, Khandwala F, Kuzik N, Sigal RJ. Does metformin modify the effect on glycaemic control of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise or both?

Konopka AR, Laurin JL, Schoenberg HM, Reid JJ, Castor WM, Wolff CA, et al. Metformin inhibits mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise training in older adults.

Aging Cell. Malin SK, Gerber R, Chipkin SR, Braun B. Independent and combined effects of exercise training and metformin on insulin sensitivity in individuals with prediabetes.

Meex RC, Phielix E, Schrauwen-Hinderling VB, Moonen-Kornips E, Schaart G, Schrauwen P, et al. The use of statins potentiates the insulin-sensitizing effect of exercise training in obese males with and without type 2 diabetes.

Clin Sci. Mikus CR, Boyle LJ, Borengasser SJ, Oberlin DJ, Naples SP, Fletcher J, et al. Simvastatin impairs exercise training adaptations. A review of 11 studies found a connection between increased physical activity levels and lower chances of developing insulin resistance [11].

Another study found that insulin sensitivity increased for at least 16 hours in both healthy subjects and those with type 2 diabetes after exercise [12].

The five best exercises to do for insulin resistance and weight loss are walking, squats, swimming, burpees, and yoga. Current exercise guidelines suggest that adults should do:. Cortisol , the stress hormone, is critical to survival — but chronic stress can interfere with the role that insulin plays in your body.

When your cortisol levels are consistently high, your blood sugar levels also stay elevated. High cortisol and stress can also lead to weight gain by changing the way you perceive food , leading to cravings for high-calorie, sugary snacks. Here are some other tips to manage stress :.

Consistently poor sleep — both sleep deprivation and an irregular sleep schedule — can take a significant toll on your insulin sensitivity. One study found that not getting enough sleep for just one night induced insulin resistance in healthy subjects [15]. Fortunately, catching up on rest can reverse the effects of poor sleep on insulin resistance.

To improve your sleep hygiene , try the following tips:. Incorporating these tips into your routine can help you stabilize your glucose levels and improve your insulin sensitivity, with or without a continuous glucose monitor CGM. The only way you can understand where you fall on the metabolic health spectrum is by using a CGM.

Paired with an app like Veri, a CGM can give you personalized insights about your glucose trends and variability, allowing you to understand how your body responds to your diet and lifestyle.

In other words, you can see how food, exercise, sleep, and stress affect your real-time glucose levels , and their relationship to your mood and energy levels. Insulin resistance can be scary. But, like with anything else in life, knowledge is power. Metabolic Health.