Are You Insulin Resistant – How Insulin Resistant Are You?

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You show no insulin resistance if your Blood Code reveals:

• Fasting glucose is between 75–95 mg/dL (4.2–5.3 mmol/L).
• TG:HDL ratio is near 1.0, +/- 0.5.
• Fasting insulin is between 3–8 uIU/mL (18–48 pmol/L).
• HgbA1C level is less than 5.6% (<37 mmol/mol).
• Glucose/insulin as HOMA-IR is near 1 (.5–1.5).
• Your total body fat is <28% for men and <32% for women.

You show slight insulin resistance if you have two or more of the following:

• Fasting glucose is greater than 95 mg/dL (5.3 mmol/L).
• TG:HDL ratio is greater than 2.
• Fasting insulin is greater than 8 uIU/mL (>48 pmol/L).
• HgbA1C level is greater than 5.5% (>36 mmol/mol).
• HOMA-IR is greater than 1.5.
• The skin fold at your hip is greater than that at your triceps (by at least 5 mm).

You show moderate insulin resistance if you have three or more of the following:

• Fasting glucose is greater than 100 mg/dL (>5.6 mmol/L).
• TG:HDL ratio is 3 or greater.
• Fasting insulin is greater than 10 uIU/mL (>60 pmol/L).
• HgbA1C level is greater than 5.7% (>39 mmol/mol).
• HOMA-IR is greater than 2.5.
• The skin fold at your hip measures near twice that at your triceps.

You show severe insulin resistance if you have three or more of the following:

• Fasting glucose is greater than 110 mg/dL (>6.1 mmol/L). Greater than 125 mg/dL (>7.0 mmol/L) is diabetes.*
• TG:HDL ratio is greater than 4.
• Fasting insulin is greater than 12 uIU/mL (>72 pmol/L).
• HgbA1C level is greater than 6.0% (>42 mmol/mol). Greater than 6.4% (>46 mmol/mol) is diagnostic of diabetes.*
• HOMA-IR is greater than 3.
• The skin fold at your hip measures over twice that at your triceps.

* If you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, it also means that you currently express severe insulin resistance.

Insulin Resistance: What It Really Means for You

Over 40 percent of Americans are currently insulin-resistant, and the majority will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime given the current trends in diet and lifestyle. Insulin resistance is a practical human characteristic rather than a disease. Even natural medicine and functional medicine advocates wrongly blame insulin resistance for hypertension, elevated lipids, fatty liver, weight gain, and diabetes.

Genetics research confirms that insulin resistance is an advantage.

Your body is designed to survive periods with few calories and great physical effort. As of early 2013, at least 15 of your 23 genes are known to carry traits related to insulin resistance, and over 30 gene locations have been confirmed to raise susceptibility to insulin resistance and higher blood sugars. This is no mistake!

Welcome to the miracle of who you are.  Your next steps are to Read this article to find out how much (or how little) carb you can tolerate and Read this article to learn about some of the fitness activities that will work for you to move you toward your metabolic sweet spot.