Insulin Sensitivty

One of the biggest problems people face is insulin resistance. It’s a metabolic disorder that can cause rapid weight gain, chronic fatigue, and it can eventually develop into type 2 diabetes. Here’s what this module covers.

Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder where your muscle and liver cells aren’t able to take in and utilize glucose effectively. Normally insulin is released from your pancreas as glucose enters your bloodstream. The insulin serves as a vehicle that shuttles the glucose into your cells. When glucose isn’t taken in by your cells, it stays om your bloodstream and until its filtered out through your kidneys.

Some of the key symptoms of insulin resistance are frequent dry mouth, frequent urination, chronic fatigue, tingling in hands, lower legs, and feet. Symptoms become more prominent as insulin resistance increases.

There’s a few major contributors to insulin resistance like a lack of physical activity, obesity, and some other more serious health issues like PCOS, and various gene mutations. However, when it comes to diet, the cause is excess saturated fat consumption. This primarily comes from animal products, but you’d be surprised how much of this stuff is embedded into processed packaged foods. Make sure you’re reading the nutrition labels.

High saturated fat consumption causes an accumulation of fat storage in the cells. This reduces the responsiveness of the cell membranes to insulin and prevents the glucose from entering.

The key to reversing insulin resistance is burning excess stored fat inside the cells while avoiding the substances that cause it. In addition to that there are also foods that contain minerals and chemical compounds that improved insulin sensitivity. More insulin sensitivity means better glucose uptake by the cells.

  1. Stick to a high carb/low fat diet with only 10-20% of your macros coming fat.
  2. Your carbohydrate sources should mostly be a 55 and below on the glycemic index.
  3. Stick to an eating window  of 8-10 hours. For example 6am 4pm.
  4. Supplement with minerals like magnesium, zinc, and chromium to improve insulin sensitivity.
  5. Eat foods that contain resveratrol like grapes, blueberries, cranberries and cacao.
Magnesium Glycinate
  • This form of magnesium is ideally taken at night to get the full benefits of sleep support and training recovery.
  • Taking magnesium glycinate first thing in the morning is ideal for improving blood pressure and blood sugar.
  • Adult males typically need 420mg of magnesium per day and adult females need 320mg per day.
  • With the majority of your magnesium coming from diet, supplemental doses of around 200 – 400mg should be enough.
  • Magnesium stays in your body for 12-24 hours.
  • Get It Here
Zinc Picolinate
  • This form of zinc is ideally taken at night in combination with magnesium optimal sleep support and recovery.
  • The best times to take zinc is either in a fasted state, or at least an hour before your first meal, or 2 hours after your last meal.
  • Adult males typically need 10mg of zinc per day and adult females need 7mg per day.
  • Your primary source of zinc should come from food, but zinc supplementation can be very effective at 30mg.
  • Get It Here
Chromium Picolinate
  • Chromium supplementation can interfere with sleep, so it’s ideal to take in the morning with your first meal.
  • Not only does chromium improve insulin sensitivity, but it also protects cardiovascular health.
  • Adult males typically need 35mcg of chromium per day and adult females 25mcg per day.
  • For supplementation, only 1.2% of chromium picolinate is absorbed so a high dosage of 500mcg is an effective dosage.
  • Chromium stays in your body around 15 days, which makes it easier to accumulate in your body over time.
  • Get It Here
Scientific data on Magnesium
  • magnesium supplementation substantially improves insulin sensitivity Read Here
Scientific data on Zinc
  • zinc supplementation substantially improves weight loss and insulin sensitivity Read Here
Scientific data on chromium
  • chromium supplementation reduces insulin resistance and protects cardiovascular health and against type 2 diabetes Read Here

Meal Plan

1st Meal
  • 16oz of plantbased milk
  • 1 cup of rolled oats (measured dry)
  • 2tbsps of navitas cacao powder
  • 2tbsps of flaxseed meal
  • 2 cup of blueberries
2nd meal
  • 1 apple
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 cup of grapes
  • 1/4 cup of roasted cashews
  • 4 cups of raw baby spinach
3rd meal
  • 2 cups of cooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup of cooked lentils
  • 1/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 2 cups of steamed broccoli
Full Day Total
  • calories 2027
  • carbs 337g
  • fat 42g
  • protein 79g
1st Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 3tbsps of hulled hempseeds
  • 2 peaches
2nd Meal
  • 3 kiwis
  • 2 cups of strawberries
  • 4 cups of spring mix
  • 6 brazil nuts
3rd Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked kamut
  • 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup of diced bell pepper
  • 2 cups of steamed kale
Full Day Total
  • calories 2052
  • carbs 324g
  • fat 44g
  • protein 73g
1st Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked buckwheat
  • 2tbsps of flaxseed meal
  • 1tbsp of almond butter
  • 2 cups of blueberries
2nd Meal
  • 2 pears
  • 4 tangerines
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1/4 cup of roasted almonds
  • 4 cups of romaine lettuce
3rd Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup of cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 2tbsps of chia seeds
  • 2 cups of steamed broccoli
Full Day Total
  • calories 2030
  • carbs 370g
  • fat 43g
  • protein 65g
1st Meal
  • 16oz of plantbased milk
  • 1 cup of rolled oats (measured dry)
  • 2tbsps of navitas cacao powder
  • 2tbsps of flaxseed meal
  • 2 cup of blueberries
2nd meal
  • 1 apple
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 cup of grapes
  • 1/4 cup of roasted cashews
  • 4 cups of raw baby spinach
3rd meal
  • 2 cups of cooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup of cooked lentils
  • 1/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 2 cups of steamed broccoli
Full Day Total
  • calories 2027
  • carbs 337g
  • fat 42g
  • protein 79g
1st Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 3tbsps of hulled hempseeds
  • 2 peaches
2nd Meal
  • 3 kiwis
  • 2 cups of strawberries
  • 4 cups of spring mix
  • 6 brazil nuts
3rd Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked kamut
  • 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup of diced bell pepper
  • 2 cups of steamed kale
Full Day Total
  • calories 2052
  • carbs 324g
  • fat 44g
  • protein 73g
1st Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked buckwheat
  • 2tbsps of flaxseed meal
  • 1tbsp of almond butter
  • 2 cups of blueberries
2nd Meal
  • 2 pears
  • 4 tangerines
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1/4 cup of roasted almonds
  • 4 cups of romaine lettuce
3rd Meal
  • 2 cups of cooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup of cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 2tbsps of chia seeds
  • 2 cups of steamed broccoli
Full Day Total
  • calories 2030
  • carbs 370g
  • fat 43g
  • protein 65g
Wake Up Drink
  • 8oz of water
  • 1tsp of lime juice
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
Mid Morning Tea
  • 24oz of green tea 
Evening Meal
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/4 cup of roasted cashews
  • 1/4 cup of diced bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 3tbsps of hulled hempseeds
  • 4 cups of raw baby spinach
Full Total
  • calories 857
  • carbs 49g
  • fat 65g
  • protein 35g