Weight loss and insulin resistance
One of the biggest challenges to weight loss is a condition called insulin resistance, which means that your cells cannot uptake insulin effectively. This causes weight gain, particularly in the midsection, and this weight does not leave easily! There are many factors that lead to insulin resistance:
Sex hormone changes- This is why the condition can arise around puberty, after childbirth, or with menopause for women and andropause for men.
Chronic stress- Stress hormones are supposed to be for a fight or flight response, such as, “Eek! It’s a snake!”… you kill the snake or run away, then the stress hormones calm back down. Unfortunately, many life stresses can go on for days, weeks, months or even years. This chronic elevation in stress hormones can lead to insulin resistance.
Overconsumption of sugar and carbohydrates- This one can sneak up on you! It can seem that you’re doing fine (like a kid or young adult who loves sweets and shows no sign of problems), until all of a sudden you start gaining weight with the same habits you’ve had for a long time. When you overeat foods that turn into sugar in the blood stream (sugar and carbs), your body has had to produce a lot of insulin to deal with it. This is only sustainable for so long before the resistance to insulin in the cells begins and you find yourself struggling to maintain an ideal body fat percentage.
Certain health conditions- This one is a “chicken and the egg” situation. Did the pre-diabetes, diabetes or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) cause the insulin resistance or did the insulin resistance precipitate that health condition? Either way, you’re left with stubborn fat that doesn’t easily respond to the normal diet and exercise plans.
What can be done about this? Medically, prescriptions for Metformin and more recently the GLP-1 medications are popular fixes. But these come at the expense of side effects that many people would like to avoid. Well, I have good news for you! This supplement stack is quite effective; in fact, one of these alone has been proven by peer reviewed studies published in the medical journals Metabolism and Journal of Clinical Endocrinology to be as effective as Metformin! Here’s the stack:
(Before I go over products and doses, you must understand that these are general recommendations for adults. Also, it’s a good idea to cycle on and off every 2 to 3 months until you reach your weight loss goals. And as always, if you are on Rx meds or have health conditions, run this by your supervising doctor.) These supplements work synergistically, which means that the whole is greater than the sum of their parts.
Berberine is first at the dose of 400-500 mg per dose, two to three times a day on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before a meal. This is the one that has favorably compared to the results of Metformin. Not only does it help insulin resistance, but it fights harmful bacteria and fungus throughout the body.
Next is Alpha Lipoic Acid at the dose of 600 mg twice a day, also on an empty stomach. It can be taken along with the Berberine at the same time. This amazing supplement also aids in blood sugar control, helps inflammation and has antioxidant properties, along with potential cardiovascular benefits.
Our next synergistic couple is Chromium Picolinate and Biotin, which are taken with food at the following doses- Chromium is 200 mcg 3 times a day and Biotin is 1 mg twice a day.
Finally, a homeopathic remedy by Energetix called Metabopath helps to restore the proper communication throughout your hormone pathways that regulate metabolism.
I have created a Weight Loss/Insulin Resistance protocol on our Fullscript site that has good versions of these that are in the lowest price range possible while maintaining product effectiveness. You always get 10% off through Fullscript. If you're not a member, you can sign up at this link. Once you sign in, scroll down to the area where you see Debra MacIntyre's Fullscript Account's community plans. There will be several blue boxes with the title of each plan. This one is the Weight Loss/Insulin Resistance Stack. Click on that box and follow the instructions.
Although this stack is amazing and effective, you still must follow some basic nutrition and exercise guidelines to get the results you want. These are not outrageous like some diets, thank goodness! Here they are:
Drink half your body weight in pounds as ounces of purified water every day. Example- if your weight is 150, drink 75 oz of water. If you weigh over 200, just stick with 100 oz as your daily intake.
Get 25-30 grams of fiber daily. If this is difficult, you can soak chia seeds or basil seeds and add to your food (I use these in a protein shake) or take a fiber supplement.
Eliminate processed foods, especially those that contain seed oils. You should find this easier as you follow the supplement protocol, because it does reduce cravings.
You don't have to go super low carb, but should stick below 75 grams a day.
Eating veggies and sweet potatoes will help both the fiber and lower carb intake.
Eat clean proteins and shoot to balance each meal with protein, healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, grass fed butter) and a bit of carbohydrate. The more you eat to balance your blood sugar, the better you will feel.
Get some moderate exercise 30 minutes a day. You can do more, if you like, but this is basic. If you believe that chronic stress has "wiped you out", avoid high intensity workouts until you recover your nervous system a bit.
That's it! Give it a try and let me know how you do. 🥰
