Unlocking Health: Managing Insulin Spikes, Diet Balance, and Quality Sleep

Could your diet be silently sabotaging your health? Join us as Dr. Damaris Maria Grossman explores the vital topic of managing insulin spikes and glucose levels. Even if you don't have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, understanding glucose management is crucial for your overall well-being. Discover how monitoring hemoglobin A1c levels and recognizing the impact of different foods—beyond just sweets—can prevent insulin spikes. Dr. Grossman also sheds light on the surprising effects of artificial sweeteners, high-carb diets, saturated fats, and a sedentary lifestyle on insulin resistance, and offers practical advice on balanced protein intake and intermittent fasting. Plus, learn how age and gender can influence your insulin sensitivity.

In another illuminating segment, we delve into the powerful connection between diet, sleep, and overall health. Dr. Grossman introduces substances like berberine for sugar regulation and provides a critical warning against artificial sweeteners. We also discuss how poor dietary choices can lead to a host of health issues, including inflammation, cavities, and sinus infections. And don't underestimate the importance of a good night's sleep! Quality rest is key to maintaining hormonal balance and overall health. Tune in for actionable insights and tips to help you manage insulin and sugar levels, prioritize dental health, and sleep better to become the best version of yourself.

Chapters

• 0:25 Managing Insulin Spikes and Glucose
• 9:39 Balancing Diet, Sleep, and Insulin

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

Hi, this is Damaris Maria Grossman, dr, nurse Practice, and I'm talking today about insulin spikes and controlling your glucose. And that doesn't mean that you have to be diabetic to be controlling your glucose. So I want to get to what the root thing of your type 2 diabetes or previous you becoming diabetic. Now, I'm not talking about those with genetic type 1 or there is a mid-level pancreas between type 1 and type 2 diabetic. I'm talking about type 2 diabetes that can be managed, or pre-diabetic patients. So what am I trying to get to is getting you to become less prone to insulin spikes and understanding your glucose. So originally I know you'll go to your provider and they will say to you okay, and just do an A1C that will check your blood glucose, a hemoglobin A1c that tests and measures your percentage of hemoglobin, which the sugar is binded to and elevates your sugar levels, and it'll let you know, kind of, what the range is for you. And that'll be you know. Let you know, okay, a good range is anywhere between like 4.2 to like 5.4, give or take. Now, when you range up to like a 5.8, then someone will say, oh, you're almost at the pre-diabetic stage and then when you go higher than that you are considered diabetic and your pancreas is slowly not able to. Either it's overproducing or underproducing insulin. So there, it's overreactive or underreactive and you want to get it to the point where your pancreas is not overworking or under working. It needs to be managed and at a level state. Now to do that, you need to think about what you're putting into your body, how your body is reacting. So things and tests. Initially that you would do would be like okay, here are your guidelines. You know, make sure that your levels are at a right level, you're not eating a lot of sugar or sweets. But let me tell you that that is not the full equation. Just eating a low carb diet is not going to just help, because what causes insulin spikes is really what's going to surprise you.

Speaker 1: 2:47

Insulin spikes are not only caused by sugar, just sugary foods. Cause I've had many people come and tell me and say I have so many like I don't understand why my levels are high. I have so many times where I'm tired and and I I don't eat sweets. I don't eat sweets, I don't know. But then, when they start telling me what their food intake is, oh, I had two tortillas in the morning, like a bowl of cereal. No protein at all, more of just. Maybe. Maybe they had a turkey sausage, but it was processed with excess cheese, a roll, buttered or bagel, you name it. Anything but sweets, but a lot of carbs and processed food. So that's, of course, one part of the equation.

Speaker 1: 3:33

And next is what did you put in your coffee? Are you drinking your coffee with a lot of sweetener? If you ask me, I'm, I am a usually drink black coffee or with a low, non-dairy creamer or an MCT and a mushroom blend. Very, very boring with my coffees. But you know, if you're doing excess, just that alone the sweeteners are going to increase your insulin and glucose levels. So do not be surprised if you say, oh wow, that's a, that's a hidden gem there to increase any sort of calorie and sugar intake. So that alone, right there, will cause it.

Speaker 1: 4:11

Artificial sweeteners will also be a factor. So that will also spike your insulin and overwork your pancreas and overwork your liver and overwork your body. In addition to weight gain, any high saturated foods, trans fatty foods, anything like that, will cause insulin resistance. So the high carbs, those saturated fats, will increase insulin resistance and this in turn, is the increase in insulin, will then give you more abdominal fat, which then contributes to more poor health, which then contributes to your overall weight. So insulin resistant is now you've had excess sugar in the body. So because the hormone insulin keeps the blood sugar level stable.

Speaker 1: 5:00

But when you're insulin resistant it occurs when the body is not able to keep up with the insulin demands and glucose accumulates in the blood and it's leaking out and exasperating and causing prediabetes and diabetes. That's what type two diabetes is, but precursor to that is you have prediabetes. We're trying to prevent you from getting to ruining your pancreas. So the root cause is trying to figure out what are you putting in your body or what is affecting you that is spiking these insulin levels. So one, yes, it's food and the types of food that you are eating.

Speaker 1: 5:36

Now, are you skipping breakfast? Now, this isn't usually recommended. I think this varies from person to person but there's some research saying that don't skip breakfast. That's usually can also spike your insulin levels and your body will need I'm one for doing at least 10 to 12 hours of a type of intermittent fasting, not excess fasting, not to build up the cortisol levels but to kind of help balance the sugar and glucose levels. So it is best to have some sort of quality protein in your daily food. And then, additionally, depending upon your age, how you are structurally, your hormones are going to change. Females are going to be different than men. Men will lose more weight quicker than females. The insulin levels are different for a male versus the female. So those change, the hormone changes. So age is going to be a quick factor, major factor.

Speaker 1: 6:32

Now, are you sedentary in your lifestyle? What exactly are you doing in your life that is causing you to have elevated sugar? Well, if you're not doing anything, you're not moving, you're not doing. You know the daily grind of just trying to go for a walk. Sorry to tell you, but you will have some increased body's insulin sensitivity, because if you're not getting that, those cells moving, getting the circulatory, and you know you're going to cause yourself risk for stroke, heart attack, and then you're going to have type two diabetes, because diabetes in turn also has to affect the microvascular of the body and eventually those. The vascular system becomes degraded over time, which then in turn causes neuropathies, strokes, pain, heart attacks, number of things. So it's, you know, it's a very debilitating disease that people don't always take so seriously because it's slow progressing sometimes, and so sometimes they feel that it's not that bad and that will be fine.

Speaker 1: 7:38

But you know, you only got this one body. What body you have like, make it a temple. This is what you've got. Make it the best it can be. I want to be my 80 year old self and I want to be walking, I want to be with my grandkids, I want to be up and down, I want to be able to do be the best version of me and when I leave this earth, that is it. You know that I've given my all, but I've also preserved it to the best that I can. So that's, you know that.

Speaker 1: 8:06

And also financial stressors, you know family stressors, things of that nature will in turn cause you know, can your hair can come out inflammatory process. The your body is going to in turn have some cortisol spikes, which then will cause the insulin and the different other hormones in addition to insulin to spike and have trouble. How can you lower insulin? Also, I'm not even saying lower. Everything that I talk about is balanced, balanced, balanced and balanced. I mean it optimized really. But really, what is it for you? What is your homeostasis each and every day? And that's why it's a work in progress. It's never one thing so inflammatory response within your body. What is that? Is there an infection? Was there something underlying, because that will always, in turn, be a factor in your health. Was there any medications or supplements that you take, like a lot of the steroids will have increased in your insulin. Birth control can also do that Some antidepressants as well as some supplements that are over the counter.

Speaker 1: 9:39

So really be mindful of what you're putting into your body because those can alternate the levels. Within what you're taking, like a berberine would help lower and regulate sugar. In what you're taking, like a berberine would help lower and regulate sugar. But you know, if you're taking things of you know a higher sometimes the stevias and the aristol supplement, sugar or flavoring things those can also increase it. So you know you really want to make sure you're finding what is going to work for your body and really be mindful of how much you're putting in.

Speaker 1: 10:09

And one of the most important is actually, well, I'll say dental health first, because dental health I would have never been thinking that was it. But what you put in your body, like you know, as soon as you put it in your body, it's going to be broken down and it needs to break into enzymes and then it's going to be digested. And if you're eating a lot of those sugary, processed things, your body and the enzymes within just your mouth are not going to break it down properly because it's just you've given it, you know, the worst kind of foods and your body needs. It's going to actually cause more inflammatory process, more cavities, headaches, sinus infections, you name it. And then, of course, your insulin is going to spike because things will all be altered.

Speaker 1: 10:51

And the last but not least was sleep. I love sleep and conversation. I probably will write just more about that, but you know the effects of having quality sleep in your life is so important and how it can regulate many things. I've written and discussed in this podcast on different aspects of why sleep is so profound and so important. So make sure you make it a part of your life and trying to make sure you can help balance your insulin and sugar levels and especially your hormones, so that you can become the best version of yourself. Hope you have a good rest of your day.